The 6 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under $200 - Winter 2020
Reviews

The best noise cancelling headphones under $200 that we’ve tested so far are the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. They’re well-built, comfortable wireless over-ear headphones with an impressive battery. They have a great control scheme that’s easy-to-use, with physical buttons, and they can pair to up to 2 devices at the same time.

They have an exciting bass-rich sound which fans of EDM and hip-hop are sure to love. Their battery lasts for an impressive 30 hours before needing to be charged again, and they have an auto-off feature to prolong the battery life even further, which is great for road trips and long flights. They take a little over 2 hours to charge, but you can still use them while they are charging and even passively without ANC when the batteries run out.

Unfortunately, they’re not compatible with a companion app, so if you don’t like their more bass-heavy sound profile, you may be disappointed. They also don’t isolate noise as well as some of the more premium ANC headsets we’ve tested. You may want to consider the Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 Wireless if you prefer a more stylish design and neutral sound profile, but the BackBeat Pro 2 are more comfortable and their battery performs better.

If you want a pair of headphones with a fully customizable sound profile, then get the JBL Live 650 BTNC. They're well-built, comfortable over-ears that are compatible with a good companion app that lets you tweak the way they sound. They have a good 22-hour battery life and can be used passively with their provided audio cable once they're out of power.

These headphones have a bass-rich default sound profile that's well-suited to genres like hip-hop and EDM while still sounding balanced enough to be suitable for pop or rock music. Where they really shine, however, is in their app, JBL Connect. It gives you access to a fully parametric EQ so you can change the way they sound to better suit your needs.

Although they isolate an okay amount of noise in the bass range, their noise cancelling is mediocre overall. Thankfully, they don't leak too much sound, so you can raise your listening volume a bit to mask out more noise without having to worry about bothering those around you. All things considered, they're a solid choice if you're looking for decent customizable noise cancelling headphones under $200.

If you find over-ear headphones too cumbersome and prefer the portability of in-ears, check out the Amazon Echo Buds Truly Wireless. These earbuds have outstanding noise isolation, largely due to the passive isolation provided by the snug fit. They're great for sports too, as they stay in the ears even during vigorous exercise and are rated IPX4 for water resistance. 

The earbuds can be customized through a mobile app, and thankfully, it's one that some of us are already familiar with, as Amazon simply uses the same Alexa app rather than having to download a separate one. Within the app, you'll find options to tune the sound with a 3-band EQ, and a pass-through feature that lets you hear your surrounding without having to pause your music. You can also check the battery level of both the earbuds and the carrying case. In case you're wondering, the earbuds last a little over 5 hours of continuous playback and the case holds five additional charges.

The overall sound of these earbuds is decent. It can be characterized as well-balanced with a bit of extra bass, but the treble can sound harsh or sibilant at times. The wireless connection is good thanks to the Bluetooth 5.0 support, but there's too much latency to be usable for videos or gaming. If you spend a good amount of time commuting or traveling on airplanes, these headphones will keep you entertained.