On-ear headphones with active noise canceling (ANC) are a particularly worthwhile purchase for frequent travelers. The capabilities of such a music playback device will be particularly appreciated on an airplane, but also at higher noise levels on a train or as a pedestrian in the vicinity of traffic noise. In the following guide, we have compiled the best noise-canceling headphones from our tests.
Table of contents
- Price comparison: Buy the best noise-canceling headphones
- The top tips for buying NC headphones
- The best over-ear headphones with ANC for air travel
- Top ANC for perfect silence in noisy places: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- Adaptable all-rounder with top sound: Teufel Real Blue Pro
- For connoisseurs and frequent flyers: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4
- Wellness atmosphere and big high-end show: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2
- Sophistication for the Apple world: Apple Airpods Max
Good ANC headphones are more expensive than passive models, especially if the noise suppression is to be effective. Wireless Bluetooth connection, app control and use as a hands-free system for the phone are included in the vast majority of cases.
We have therefore refrained from setting a price limit in the following guide. The top models from most brand manufacturers are in the 300-350 euro segment. There are many cheaper models, but if you want maximum sound quality and long-lasting enjoyment, we recommend looking in this league.
Price comparison: Buy the best noise-canceling headphones
How active noise canceling (ANC) works with on-ear and over-ear headphones
Headphones with active noise reduction were originally developed for pilots and for use in airplanes with high background noise levels. The main reason: better speech intelligibility during radio calls and communication on the one hand, and suppression of harmful noise on the other.
It should be noted that the most damaging noise in the mid-high range and also in the fundamental tone can be passively attenuated relatively well. Noise protection in the form of headphones is common in many working environments. However, these passive dampers are not particularly effective in the bass range. In the vicinity of low-frequency noise sources such as engine, machine or jet noise, the low-frequency components are perceived as particularly unpleasant if the mid-high frequency component has already been filtered out.
Active noise canceling now ensures that the low tones are also canceled out and you have an overall more balanced feeling of peace and quiet. This is particularly pleasant in environments with a lot of low-frequency noise, such as on an airplane, next to busy roads or in older rail vehicles.
Over-ear headphones with active noise canceling (ANC) have several microphones on their outer housings. These analyze the incident noise and generate counter-phase sound components electronically. These are played by the normal membrane, which is also responsible for music reproduction, into the space between the sound transducer and the ear. Ideally, they completely cancel out the background noise. Particularly sophisticated models have additional microphones inside the sound cups, which enable an outside/inside comparison and can therefore adjust the effectiveness of the ANC.
Over-ear headphones, where the seal is made between the headphone cushion and the side of the skull, enclosing the entire ear cup, are somewhat more cumbersome, but usually cause fewer problems.
The top tips for buying NC headphones
Tip 1: Comfortable and secure fit
Headphones with active noise canceling must close a little tighter than the known open passive systems. You should therefore always check first whether this is the case. Some models, especially on-ears, tend to press on the ears or sit too loosely. This varies from carrier to carrier and should definitely be tried out beforehand.
To be truly effective, however, the headphones should fit snugly against the head without gaps and offer good noise suppression in the mid-high range even passively with ANC deactivated. For this reason, on-ear headphones where the cushion rests on the ear cup are problematic. The seal may vary depending on the ear shape and fit of the headphones. We therefore strongly advise you to test on-ear headphones with ANC under real conditions beforehand. Ideally, you should expose yourself to outdoor situations with strong winds, strong low-frequency traffic noise and aircraft noise.
If the on-ear headphones sit correctly and securely on the head, the NC will also always work well and will not be noticeable due to pop noises, unpleasant bass differences on the right/left or other malfunctions. Feel free to move around during the test and see if the NC headphones slip off your head! This is often the case with heavier on-ear models.
Tip 2: Which features and battery life do I really need?
The equipment lists are getting longer and longer. But here’s our tip: You don’t need most of it. In practice, the difference between Bluetooth versions 5.0, 5.1 or 5.2 is hardly relevant for headband headphones.
Sound-conscious listeners should make sure that at least one higher-quality codec is offered that their own source devices can also send. AAC is probably the best choice for Apple iOS users, apX for most modern Android devices. Whether it should be the normal Apt-X or an HD or Lossless version depends on your own requirements and taste. The improvements between these versions should not be overestimated in mobile operation.
Listening quietly at home is a different matter. If you really want to get the most out of this, you should choose a model with USB-C cabling and a built-in Hires DAC.
Other criteria that we believe are decisive for purchasing:
- Do I want to use the ANC headphones to make calls in a noisy environment? Then the best speech recognition using microphone arrays is just good enough
- Do I need customizable noise-cancelling that I can set to maximum when I’m on an airplane, for example, and to slightly reduce noise in traffic?
- Do I want to control all the more complex functions via the app, or do I prefer to control them on the ear cups?
- Do I want to listen to music with maximum dynamics and full bass pressure?
- Do I need a model that sounds stress-free for hours and sits sweat-free on my ears? Not all high-quality models on the market offer both of these features
The maximum battery life of today’s models is practically negligible. Extreme values of over 40 hours are only really needed if you don’t want to take the charger with you on longer trips.
Tip 3: Should I buy a cheap discontinued model?
You’re looking for a pair of NC headphones that have been well tested by STEREO GUIDE, and then a discontinued model with a 30% discount pops up at a major mail order company. Buy or pay the surcharge for the new model?
We would say: It depends on the individual case. From a technical point of view, the last generations from most renowned manufacturers were already pretty good, so you only have to make slight compromises in terms of NC efficiency, battery life and connectivity.
Sound tuning, on the other hand, can vary from generation to generation. Experience has shown that manufacturers experiment considerably with the sound character or adapt it to customer feedback.
Therefore: Always consider discontinued models, but be sure to try them out!
The best over-ear headphones with ANC for air travel
Top ANC for perfect silence in noisy places: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones stand out with advanced features such as 3D audio with head tracking and automatic calibration based on ear shape. With a battery life of 24 hours or 18 hours with 3D audio, the Bluetooth headphones are in the mid-range.
A 2.5 mm jack socket enables analog audio signals to be fed in and allows continued operation when the battery is empty in conjunction with a power supply via the USB cable supplied.
The sound tuning is balanced with a rather warm touch and designed for long periods of listening, for example on airplanes or trains. The 3D sound effect is subtle but pleasant. The head tracking for fixing the stage in front of the seated user sometimes lags somewhat behind head movements. Active noise-canceling is the absolute best, where Bose still has a certain advantage as a pioneer.
Adaptable all-rounder with top sound: Teufel Real Blue Pro
Well, Teufel is more expensive than Sennheiser, Sony and Bowers&Wilkins in the segment of high-quality NC headphones? Yes, that’s the case with the Real Blue Pro. And the Berlin native justifies his price above all through his consistent mastery of every important discipline. It plays audiophile and fun, you can have it on for hours without tiring your ears. He masters classical music as well as hard-hitting, deep hip-hop beats, sounding natural, transparent and powerful, always with the right amount of dynamics. A semi-automatic fitting via a hearing threshold test even enables calibration to the individual hearing curve.
The noise canceling can be switched from total isolation to light wellness damping. And the Real Blue Pro’s secondary virtues are also second to none: 56 hours of battery life, full passive mode when the battery is empty and an easy-to-understand range of functions in the app make it the ideal listening partner for anyone who wants to listen to music without stress.
For connoisseurs and frequent flyers: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4
Headphone specialist Sennheiser offers an almost as complete package at a lower price: the Momentum Wireless 4 achieves top marks for the effectiveness of the noise-canceling system, which is infinitely adjustable by gesture and even adjusts automatically to the ambient noise. With 60 hours of battery life, it is one of the market leaders. Its sound is natural and neutral in the best sense of the word, with relaxed resolution, deep bass and long-term transparency. It can be easily controlled via an app, but you can also get pretty far without it.
So do you have to make any compromises with these branded headphones? The luxury factor tends towards modesty with a low use of metal and matt paintwork. And if you want to get the last bit of dynamics, fun and pressure out of a wireless over-ear headset, the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 might not be the first thing you think of.
Wellness atmosphere and big high-end show: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2
In terms of luxury, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 is unbeaten in its price class: these colors, the matt shimmering surface, the fabric-covered temples. But as well as fashionistas, it also appeals to audiophiles: The classy British Bluetooth over-ear headphones are capable of USB-C connection with wired hi-res feed as well as the latest high-quality codecs, namely aptX HD. At 37 hours, the battery life does not reach peak values, but is sufficient for any flight, no matter how complex, with transfers and the like.
When it comes to the range of functions and individual customization, the British clearly put clarity before variety. Even the app and noise-canceling don’t get lost in endless submenus and infinite adjustment, but are limited to what is sensible and necessary.
The sound tuning is particularly suited to true high-end enthusiasts: spectacular bass with crazy detail resolution, maximum impulse fidelity, wide spatiality and a kicking joy of playing that is second to none. This is certainly impressive, but for sensitive ears it also comes at the expense of long-term suitability and relaxation. Because it can get a little hotter under the well-insulating, very comfortable cushions.
Sophistication for the Apple world: Apple Airpods Max
In terms of technology, Apple’s most expensive Bluetooth over-ears, the AirPods Max, are in a league of their own: 3D simulation, head tracking with front stage and automatic EQ calibration – if you like such software gadgets and are still an iPhone user, Apple’s super headphones, which cost over 600 euros, are the first choice. Especially as it also boasts unbeatable spatiality, high resolution, bone-dry low bass and plenty of dynamics. The finest haptic impression, top modern color options of the matt aluminum and that certain something of a real luxury product are on top of that.
But all this is only of use to those who play consistently from the Apple world. Android and Windows users are pretty much left out of the features that set the Airpods Max apart from other headphones.
