The best noise-cancelling headphones 2023

Sony remains the one to beat when it comes to premium headphones and the WH-1000XM5 retain the crown after the excellent XM4s.

Class-leading active noise cancelling is yet again a highlight with things like Adaptive Sound Control and plenty of user tweaking available in the Sony Headphones app. There’s so much more to enjoy though, including incredible sound quality despite smaller drives this time and lots of smart features.

The new design might not suit everyone and has advantages like smooth headband adjustment but no longer fold down. The other thing to factor is the new higher price, when previous models, including the WH-1000XM4 are available for almost half the price.

If you want noise cancelling earbuds then Sony has nailed the formula, as long as you can afford them and don’t mind them being a little bigger than some rivals.

Otherwise, there’s nothing to dislike here with the best ANC we’ve tested on any pair of earbuds so far along with the top-notch sound quality you’d expect from a flagship Sony product.

There’s also strong battery life and the earbuds come with the same smart features as the over-ear model such as Adaptive Sound Control and Speak to Chat.

Bose has really stepped up its game with the QC Earbuds 2 with a more compact and modern design that still have wingtips for extra security, excellent touch controls and a better case design.

The already excellent ANC is even better with unbelievable pure performance as well as a clever aware mode. Paired with top-notch sound quality and you’ve got yourself a very decent pair of wireless earbuds.

As previously, Sony is the thorn in Bose’s side here with – if it bothers you – better battery life, a better range of smart features and Hi-Res Audio.

The Opus represents a new direction for Razer, a company solely focused on gaming peripherals up until this point, and the company has done very well indeed.

While some ANC headphones in our chart come with an expensive price tag, the Razer Opus offer impressive noise cancelling technology at an affordable price – albeit simply on or off.

Combine that with the stylish monochromatic finish, complete with silver detailing, and handy features like auto-pause tech and THX certification and you’ve got a phenomenal pair of cans that can handle music, TV, film and more.

They’re also super comfortable.

Considering the five-year wait for these headphones, a startling amount of things here are still the same.

Still, Bose fans will likely be pleased to see the iconic design remain largely the same and these are still one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones you’ll ever wear.

They sound good and ANC performance is solid. However,  you can only swap between Quiet and Aware modes with no further adjustment and they lack smart features like wear detection.

This makes the price a little hard to justify if you’re not a die-hard Bose fan, although you could look to the older QC35 II as a cheaper option.

The AirPods Pro 2 represent the pinnacle of true wireless earbud performance for iPhone users, with not only impressive audio performance with improved ANC and transparency mode capabilities, but a swathe of smart features that push the AirPods Pro 2 above other third-party options.

It’s not so clear-cut if you’re an Android user, losing out on many of the smarts that make the AirPods Pro 2 what they are, but if you’ve got an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac, the AirPods Pro are the ideal high-end performers.

While there’s still a basic splash-resistant rating, there’s still one glaring thing missing from Apple’s earbuds and that’s a lossless codec.

NuraLoop manages to condense the custom tuning audio wizardry found in the company’s first product and deliver an in-ear alternative that’s hard to beat in terms of sound quality.

They’re also very comfortable, have decent noise cancellation and long battery life to boot.

Better yet, they undercut Apple’s AirPods Pro while delivering a better audio experience overall. Just be aware that it lacks virtual assistant support and relies on some proprietary components that might cost a little extra to replace.

If you prefer true wireless earbuds you can go for the NuraTrue.

If you don’t have much to spend on noise cancelling earbuds then look no further than this pair from Anker. They’re already available for a lot less than the RRP.

Hybrid ANC does a great job of keep noise out, with three different modes available as well as a transparency option, too. Far more than you would expect for a pair this cheap and they also offer great bass and battery performance.

The price does mean you’re missing out on some features though, like auto-pause and the build quality is understandably on the basic side.

They are expensive, but the AirPods Max are a great option for those wanting luxurious over-ear headphones – although you’ll probably want to look elsewhere if you have an Android phone.

Apple offers amazing sound quality here along with stunning build quality and brilliant noise cancelling. There are also various handy smart features making them a great pair of headphones.

It’s odd there’s no power button but early battery life issues have been fixed. You just might want to get a third-party case to avoid Apple’s ridiculous Smart Case.

The Sennheiser HD 450BT offer a rich sound. The accompanying app allows you to equalize the bass and trebles so you can get the sound that’s just right – whether you prefer bass heavy tones or clear mids and trebles for vocals and podcasts.

They might not technically be budget, but they are one of the cheapest pairs of noise cancelling headphones we’ve tested and are around half the price of many rivals. The ANC is pretty decent, too.

The headband and ear pads don’t clasp onto your head so you can expect a comfortable fit – useful if you want to wear them for a few hours at a time. The combination of features make them a particularly good choice for students.