Design
When shopping for wireless headphones, the first decision you need to make is the wearing style. Do you prefer on-ear or over-ear? For this guide, we focus on over-ear headphones since that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are nowadays. While you can find on-ear models with ANC, over-ear, noise-canceling headphones are much more effective at blocking out sound since your ears are completely covered.
Type of Noise Cancellation
Next, you’ll want to consider the type of ANC a set of headphones offers. You’ll encounter terms like “hybrid active noise cancellation” or “hybrid adaptive active noise cancellation,” and there are key differences between the two.
A hybrid ANC setup uses microphones on the inside and outside of the device to detect ambient noise and cancel it out. By analyzing input from both mics, a hybrid system can combat more sounds than “regular” ANC, but it does so at a constant level that doesn’t change.
Adaptive ANC takes the hybrid configuration a step further by continuously adjusting the noise cancellation for changes in your environment and any leakage around the padding of the ear cups. Adaptive ANC also does a better job with wind noise, which can really kill your vibe while using headphones outdoors.
For the purposes of this best headphones list, we’re only considering products with hybrid ANC or adaptive ANC setups because those are the most effective at blocking noise.
Customization
You’ll also want to check to see if the ANC system on a prospective set of headphones offers adjustable levels of noise cancellation or presets. These can help you dial in the amount of ANC you need for various environments, but it can also help you save battery life. Master & Dynamic, for example, has ANC presets that provide both maximum noise blocking and more efficient cancellation that is more energy efficient. Other companies may include a slider in their companion apps that let you adjust the ANC level to your liking.
How We Test Noise-Canceling Headphones
The primary way we test headphones is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one-to-two-week period, but sometimes deadlines don’t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the headphones to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones can be 30 hours or more, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent).
To test ANC performance specifically, we use headphones in a variety of environments, from noisy coffee shops to quiet home offices. When our schedule allows, we use them during air travel since plane noise is a massive distraction to both work and relaxation. Even if we can’t hop on a flight, we’ll simulate a constant roar with white noise machines, bathroom fans, vacuums and more. We also make note of how well each device blocks human voices, which are a key stumbling block for a lot of ANC headphones.
ANC-related features are something else to consider. Here, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of headphones that we review.
