The best noise-cancelling earbuds 2024: top ANC earphones

August 12, 2024

BEST NOISE-CANCELLING EARBUDS: QUICK MENU

For music lovers who want the clearest, purest sound devoid of low-level constant interruptions, the best noise-cancelling earbuds are essential. You no longer need to invest in large, over-ear cans to block out unwanted noise for an immersive, forget-the-world listening experience; now, you can get that with smaller, more convenient earbuds. And you can simply slip back into their pocket-sized charging case when you need to be back in the room.

Some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in this guide even rival the models in our best noise-cancelling headphones roundup in terms of performance and features. Several rank in our best earbuds guide too, our ultimate list of the best buds today. We’ve put a lot of true wireless earbuds in our ears (and through their paces), and for sound quality, features and comfort, only the best options make it here.

You'll find our recommendations for the best ANC earbuds here, from affordable pairs to throw in a coat pocket to more premium options. If you're specifically looking for totally wireless 'buds, check out our best true wireless earbuds guide too. And safe travels, friend.

Written by

Becky Scarrott

Senior Staff Writer, Audio

I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.

Recent updates

20 March 2024
Added a new 'Also consider' section to highlight more earbuds that aren't in the list, and removed some products to streamline selections.

The quick list

Do you want to find out which noise-cancelling earbuds are the best? Below, you'll find a roundup of our top choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every top pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

Best overall

1. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2

Best noise-cancelling earbuds overall

You can't get better noise-cancellation than this. Bose has long been the top brand for ANC, and these latest QuietComfort buds are the best of the bunch.

Read more below

Best budget

2. EarFun Air Pro 3

Best budget noise-cancelling earbuds

Yes, better ANC buds exist, but for decent immersion at an affordable price, these EarFun options are our top pick – and they're often discounted, too, nearly half the price of our Sony mid-range picks.

Read more below

Best mid-range

3. Sony WF-C700N

Best mid-range

Sony has taken the best bits of its higher-end buds and put them into this smaller, cheaper package. At the £100/$100 price mark price, the audio quality can't be beaten.

Read more below

Best for Apple

4. Apple AirPods Pro 2

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for Apple

If you have an iPhone, then these buds are offer excellent ANC that's almost the best. Build quality and sound is fantastic here too, as you'd expect from Apple.

Read more below

Best for Samsung

5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for Samsung

If you use a Samsung phone, you'll get the most from these buds. They offer both good sound, impressive ANC and plenty of Samsung-friendly features.

Read more below

Best for sound

6. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for sound

Not the top pick for noise-cancelling in the list, but if you want good immersion and the best quality sound, these are the buds for you.

Read more below

Load the next products...

Best for features

7. Technics EAH-AZ80

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for features

If you're looking for the best specs and high-end features on the market right now, these buds from Technics truly deliver. You'll get great sound and ANC, too.

Read more below

Best for sports

8. Beats Fit Pro

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for sports

The best choice for ANC when you're on the move, with an IP rating for sweat-resistance and a design that ensures they stay secure.

Read more below

The best noise-cancelling earbuds of 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The best noise-cancelling earbuds overall

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 6.2g (per bud); 59.8g (charging case)

Frequency response: Not specified

Drivers: 9.3mm full-range dynamic drivers

Battery life: 6 hours (buds); 3 extra (charging case)

Reasons to buy

Smaller, more comfortable design

Best-in-class noise cancellation

Beautiful sound

Reasons to avoid

Call quality could be better

No support for high-def wireless codecs

No wireless charging

BUY THEM IF

✅ Noise-cancellation really matters to you: These buds are at the top of the ANC game as it stands right now, and that’s without compromising on the sound quality.

✅ You want beautifully balanced sound: CustomTune works remarkably well, with a heck of a lot of details and textures coming through.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You’d prefer high-definition wireless sound quality:
With support for just low-definition wireless codecs, the QCE II may not be for everyone.

❌ Size and wireless charging matter to you: Despite Bose managing to shrink its flagship ANC buds, the QCE II aren’t the smallest true wireless options you can get.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are our top picks for sheer ANC power and they're an upgrade on the already fantastic original Bose QuietComfort buds. The biggest improvement here is CustomTune audio. Bose has figured out a way to customize both the audio response and noise cancellation of the QCE II to the individual user’s ear canal. The result is fantastic ANC that's a vast improvement even over the originals – which were our top pick for some time.

However, improvements to ANC aren't at the expense of sound quality. In our review, we wrote: "We can’t stress this enough – the sound is very well balanced, with a heck of a lot of details and textures coming through. And if you still find you need to tweak it, you can via the EQ in the app."

Bose also improved the design of the QuietComfort Earbuds this time around. They weigh 6.2g per bud, which Bose says is a whole 30% smaller than the originals and, therefore, feel much more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. They also come with a range of both ear tips and stability bands to ensure you get the perfect fit. It took us a while to figure this out during our testing, but once we did it was worth it.

These new buds might not be the cheapest picks in this guide and battery life leaves a lot to be desired at only 6 hours from the buds and 3 hours from their charging case. But, if you can afford to splurge, these are hands-down the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds you can get for your money today.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review

The best budget noise-cancelling earbuds

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 52g

Frequency response: N/A

Drivers: Not listed

Battery life : ANC off: 9 hours (buds) 36 hours (case); ANC on: 7 hours (buds) 37 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

Great all-rounders

Excellent battery life

Solid noise cancellation

Reasons to avoid

No wearing detection

Sound is fun but not fantastic

Stem design not for everyone

BUY THEM IF

✅ You like the long stem design:
Many buds have a stem these days but these are on the longer side.

✅ You want all-rounder buds for less:
Few buds tick the boxes for comfy design, good ANC, solid sound and great battery life for under $100/£100.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You need ANC that places you in a cocoon of silence: ANC is good here, but it doesn’t deliver that almost eerie silence you get from higher-end buds.

❌ You want compact buds:
The stem design literally stands out and the mirror finish does draw attention to the buds, rivals are more subtle.

If you're on a budget the EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds are our top recommendation. The ANC doesn't deliver the cocoon of silence you'd expect from higher-end options, but we thought it was good – especially considering the price. The buds block a decent amount of bass range sounds, like the rumble of traffic. Other features include an impressive 45 hours of battery life in total, including the case, as well as multipoint pairing, which we found worked well.

The Earfun Air Pro 3 come with some good audio specs. And, while these noise-cancelling earbuds might not win awards in sound quality, those specs deliver an audio performance that is great for the price, although not perfect.

Design-wise, they look a little boring with long stems. When you first pick up these buds you’ll notice they feel plasticky – by which I mean: cheap – but that’s kind of good news as they’re also incredibly light at 52g for both buds and case. We often find the lighter the buds, the comfier the fit, but that's not always the case.

The Earfun Air Pro 3 buds are accomplished, especially considering their price. Amid a sea of similarly-priced efforts on Amazon, they stand out thanks to their superior design and solid audio chops, showing a high level of competence and excellent value.

Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review

The best mid-range noise-cancelling earbuds

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 4.6g per earbud

Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Drivers: 5mm

Battery life: 7.5 hours (buds) 15 hours total (with case) with ANC on

Reasons to buy

The most detailed, immersive audio at the level

Incredibly comfortable and secure

Great app and 360 Reality Audio support

Reasons to avoid

No on-ear volume control

No LDAC support

BUY THEM IF

✅ You have smaller ears: These earbuds are some of the most secure and comfortable we've tested.

✅ You want the best sound-per-pound value on the market: You get effective ANC alongside the most exciting and fun audio at this level.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ Your ears are on the large side
There's every chance these lovely little units might even be too small for you.

❌ You want the track to turn off when you remove them:
This isn't a feature of the WF-C700N. Small gripe for some, potential game-changer for others.

The Sony WF-C700N are our top noise-cancelling earbuds if you're looking to spend mid-range money around the $100/£100 mark. Multi-point connectivity and adaptive sound control are also here (you can select 'Walking', 'Waiting', 'Travelling' or 'Registered places' in the app, which is frankly incredible at this level)

Their talents go above and beyond their Adaptive ANC, too, into Sony's 360 Reality Audio, guided by the excellent Sony Headphones Connect app. Plus you get Sony's standard DSEE audio 'upscaling' engine. Those with a Tidal account are in for a real treat, but even when I stream lossy Spotify tracks or much better Apple Music streams, the WF-C700N put on a resoundingly agile, meaty, enthusiastic performance.

The build quality is good and they're 37% lighter and 38% smaller than the higher-end Sony WF-1000XM4 buds. For that reason, these are some of the most easy to wear, comfortable earbuds we've ever had the pleasure of wearing. While a little fuller over the body, they fit without having to screw them in, in any way. And thanks to the new material (which Sony says "holds on to the inner cup of your ear") they stay put for hours on end.

Yes, the Sony WF-C700N earbuds can be bettered by rivals. But not for this money. You'll have to set your sights much farther up the food chain if you want to beat this suite of features and sound quality.

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for Apple

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 5.3g

Frequency response: Not listed

Drivers: Custom Apple design

Battery life : 6 hours (earbuds) 30 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

Astounding noise-stopping power

Very good sound quality, too

Small and very lightweight

Reasons to avoid

Average battery life

No aptX or LDAC support

BUY THEM IF

✅ You want great sound: The AirPods Pro 2 sound brilliant and shut out the real world so well.

✅ You've got all manner of Apple things: If you've got an iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch or similar, then you'll really get the benefit of these buds.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You want to save money: Not the most expensive buds, but you can find cheaper options that do similar – but, crucially, not better.

❌ You don't have an iPhone: If you're in the Android world, you won't get as much benefit from these earbuds.

The AirPods Pro 2 might not be as accomplished as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at the top of our list in terms of ANC, but they're not far off. We found the noise-cancelling to be so good in the Pro 2 buds it was almost eerie. As with other ANC buds, there's a transparency mode on offer for conversations, and that's now been upgraded so it adapts to your conversations, making them sound more natural. Features-wise, these buds have a lot to offer, but you'll get the most from them – like 'Find My' features – if you have an iPhone.

During our testing, we found the audio performance to be stunning, offering up a rich sound regardless of genre and a wide and expansive soundstage, which is thanks to new drivers and amplifiers. One of the key features here is the ability to set up Personalized Spatial Audio, where a scan of your face and ears will be able to re-calibrate the sound performance of the AirPods Pro 2.

Design-wise, they look similar to the Pro model that came before them. Expect the clean lines and solid build quality Apple is famous for, and slightly smaller stems that protrude from your ears. We enjoyed wearing them and liked the addition from volume control in the stems.

As always with Apple products, the AirPods Pro 2 are best suited to those with an iPhone and a big budget. If that's you, these are among the most impressive noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy today and are well worth the higher than average price tag.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for Samsung

Specifications

Acoustic Design: Closed

Weight: 5.5g

Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000 Hz

Drivers: Custom Coaxial 2-way

Battery Life: Up to 5 hours (buds) and 18 hours (with case)

Reasons to buy

Vastly improved hi-res sound quality

Solid ANC

Classy, comfortable design and finish

Reasons to avoid

Battery life is only average

BUY THEM IF

✅ You own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone: These buds present themselves on your device for easy pairing and give you handy home-screen widgets.

✅ You want Samsung's best sound-per-pound audio quality: We didn't expect to enjoy Samsung's immersive, expressive, head-tracked 24-bit audio as much as we did.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You prioritize a long-lasting battery: Five hours with ANC deployed (or eight without it) won't get you through a long-haul flight without charging.

❌ You own an iPhone: You'd need to be looking to earbuds that offer a dedicated app for iOS.

If you own a Samsung phone and want the best noise-cancelling around, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are for you. These buds are packed full of useful perks such as excellent ANC, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection. The only downside is there's a slightly underwhelming battery life of 5 hours on offer here and up to 18 hours from the case, which is small and easily pocketable.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer. Sheryl Crow's Soak Up the Sun has us nodding our heads happily as we seek out backing vocals other earbuds can't deliver as cleanly or with as much space around each singer.

At 5.5g per bud, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are smaller, more comfortable and less arrogant than many Samsung has previously launched (remember the Galaxy Buds Live?). In our review we wrote: "The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds."

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro prioritize great 24-bit sound and head-tracked spatial audio in a design that fits comfortably and noise-cancelling that delivers the goods and then some. If you have a Samsung phone to make the most of additional features, these buds are excellent value for your money.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for sound

Specifications

Acoustic Design: Closed

Weight: Earbuds: 7g (each) Charging case: 47g

Frequency Response: Not listed

Drivers: 9.2mm Dynamic Drive with Balanced Armature

Battery Life: 5 hours for earbuds (ANC off) Additional 16 hours from charging case. 15 minute charge = 2hrs playback

Reasons to buy

Delightful sonic insight and clarity

B&W's music app is a joy to use

Hi-res support adds value

Reasons to avoid

Battery life is only marginally improved

ANC is hit-and-miss for efficacy

Users with smaller ears may struggle here

BUY THEM IF

✅ You want best-in-class music: For music clarity, breadth, depth and impact, the Pi7 S2 are unbeatable. But you'll have to shell out for it.

✅ You've already paid for Tidal: If you use a hi-res streaming service, these buds will make the most of every MQA or FLAC file you've got.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You're on a tight budget: Simply put, these are not a wallet-friendly proposition. This is Bowers & Wilkins, after all...

❌ You want the best ANC and passthrough profiles:
Your (premium-level) money would be better spent on Bose or Apple's flagship earbuds.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 buds don't offer the best ANC of the bunch, but if you want good immersion and truly excellent sound, these are for you. You'll find the usual features here, as well as audio transmission – connect the case's USB-C port to a computer or analog audio source, and sound broadcasts in aptX quality to the buds. However, B&W has shied away from ear-fit tests, EQ presets and hearing profiles – when they sound this good, we don't care. But, if you're someone who likes to crank up the bass in your earbuds, you can't do that here. Having said that, B&W's music app is truly a joy to use.

In our review, we said that these buds are "sonically outstanding" and "practically perfect in every way." They provide delightful sonic insight and clarity, and hi-res support on offer here adds immense value. During our testing, we found the 2001 remaster of XTC's Wake Up on Tidal to be crisp and frankly joyous, as jagged guitars attack each ear in a cohesive and well-balanced mix. We wrote: "FKA twigs' Two Weeks celebrates every drop of bass and thud in the backing track, but never at the expense of Tahliah Debrett Barnett's ethereal and breathy vocal."

The buds have a jewel-like build and finish, which we found quite beautiful. But this is Bowers & Wilkins, so the finish here was always bound to be classy. The case too is pocketable, and feels every millimeter a premium product. Our only issue with the design is the size. At 7g per bud, they're a fair bit heavier than rivals, so might not be the best choice for smaller ears.

Yes, these earbuds offer a better-quality listen than any other similarly wireless design on the market. So if you're looking for fantastic sound and good ANC, pick these up – just be prepared to pay a high-end price for them.

Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 review

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for features

Specifications

Weight: 7g

Frequency response: 40-20,000Hz

Drivers: 10mm

Battery life: (Up to) 7h (earbuds); (up to) 25h (charging case)

Reasons to buy

Poised, revealing sound

Triple-point connectivity

Outstanding comms and comfort

Reasons to avoid

Noise-cancelling and battery life are nothing special

Could conceivably sound more animated

BUY THEM IF

✅ You prioritize comfort: A carefully considered design and lavish selection of silicone ear tip makes them incredibly comfortable.

✅ You want to switch between devices: Triple-point connectivity is rare, and it’s brilliantly convenient for those of us with many sources of audio.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You intend to wear your earbuds all day: Even at its best, the battery life available here is nothing special – long-haul flights are a non-starter.

❌ You prefer an animated, exciting sound: For all of their poise, balance and accuracy, they don’t produce the most out-and-out animated sound

The Technics EAH-AZ80 buds sound great, deliver decent ANC performance and are packed full of more features than any other options on the list. There's triple-point connectivity (a first in a product of this type), which proves stable and useful, high-resolution LDAC codec compatibility as well as the more prosaic SBC and AAC alternatives, and thanks to ‘Just My Voice’ technology these earbuds are far less prone to wind-noise interference than any number of rivals. In our review we wrote that battery life is just fine with 7 hours from the buds and 25 hours from the case.

But these buds aren't just about the cool features. They make an accomplished sound we called "swift and accurate" and "balanced and detailed" in our review. They offer convincingly realistic and coherent listening in all circumstances. Granted, it's not the most energetic sound we've heard but we think most people would find it to be a thoroughly enjoyable listen. ANC is fine, but not the best on this list by a long way.

The Technics EAH-AZ80 buds have a carefully considered design, along with a lavish selection of silicone ear tips, so they should stay comfortable no matter the size or shape of your ears. The plastic they're made from feels sturdy and robust even though they only weigh 7g each – the charging case is an equally trim 50g.

The Technics EAH-AZ80 represent great value. There are minor shortcomings in terms of battery and ANC, but in our opinion they look and feel every bit of the asking price, and all their clever functions are implemented flawlessly.

Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for sports

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 5.6g

Frequency response: Not stated

Drivers: 9.5mm dynamic

Battery life (on-board): 6 hours (earbuds) 24 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

Active noise cancellation

Spatial audio on Apple Music

Better battery life

H1 chip for hands-free Siri

Reasons to avoid

ANC could be stronger

More expensive than Studio Buds

Can be uncomfortable

Android users miss out on features

BUY THEM IF

✅ You want an AirPods Pro-like experience for less:
The AirPods Pro 2 are better buds, but you'll find a similar experience and features here.

✅ You want them to feel comfy and secure: Our top picks for movement throughout the day with fins, a stable fit and a good battery life.

DON'T BUY THEM IF

❌ You want excellent ANC: The noise-cancelling here is fine at this level, but if you want ultimate immersion look to the Apple AirPods Pro 2 instead.

❌ You have an Android phone: You'll get a good experience with Android, but iPhone users are going to get the most from the features here.

If you're looking for good noise-cancelling while you're working out, the Beats Fit Pro are our top choice. You can think of these as the original AirPods Pro in a different design. You get the same Apple-specific features (Spatial Audio, Siri) provided you have an iPhone, Android users should look elsewhere. You'll get a marginally better battery life here than from other Beats buds. 6 hours with ANC from the buds themselves and an additional 18 hours with the charging case.

There's a custom-designed driver here for a bassy low end. The new sound profile Beats has gone with keeps things exciting with elevated highs and lows and good overall clarity. We really enjoyed testing Dolby Atmos with these buds. In our review we wrote: "Being able to dynamically change the audio mix as you move your head is electrifying—giving you a concert-like experience anywhere."

Design-wise, they're build for movement. An IPX4 water-resistance rating makes them sweat-proof. There's also a prominent wing tip that gives you a better fit when you're working out, it's built as part of the buds themselves, giving extra flexibility. Once they're in they stay put, although some users may find they become a little uncomfortable over longer periods: the wing tip is fairly unforgiving.

The Beats Fit Pro aren't the best on the list for ANC, although it's decent here. But they are arguably the best Apple-made earbuds for gym-goers and outdoor exercise, especially if you want to save a little money and not splash out on the AirPods Pro 2 but enjoy a few of the same features.

Read our full Beats Fit Pro review

More noise-cancelling earbuds to consider

You might be wondering about the absence of the Sony WF-1000XM5 from this list. Surely the Sony flagship noise-cancelling buds should rank among the best out there, right? Well, you would think so, but… they're not that great at noise cancellation! They're impressive in many other ways, but the merely good ANC coupled with a price rise means that we think there are better-value options out there – specifically, the options above, and particularly the Bose QC Earbuds II. If you're a big Sony fan, we'll still recommend these earbuds in general – you can read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review for more on what we liked about them – but in this noise-stopping guide, they're pushed out.

One set of buds we want to note here is the Sony WF-1000XM4. These used to be our number one pick, thanks to being fantastic value after some price drops. We've removed them from the list because they seem to be very hard to find in-stock now (though when we asked Sony, the company insisted that they haven't been discontinued…) – but if you do happen to find them in-stock, for under £200/$200, we still strongly recommend them! Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review for more about them.

Another strong recent contender for this list is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. As usual, Sennheiser's sound quality is excellent, and these buds come with some great forward-looking features, including being among the first to support Bluetooth Auracast. However, the noise cancellation isn't as strong as Bose's, and the buds are more expensive – and when it comes for forward-looking features, the Technics EAH-AZ80 have them matched or beaten in many areas. So while we really like them (you can read all about it in the full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review), they're being slightly held out of this list by even stronger incumbents.

It's a similar story, though at the much more affordable end of things, for the Soundpeats Air4 Pro. They're extremely well-priced – and we were especially impressed by the noise cancellation's effectiveness given their cost, as well as the strong battery life – but we found the transparency mode to be a little flaky, and the Earfun Air Pro 3 in this list are a better overall package for the price. Take a look at the in-depth Soundpeats Air4 Pro review if you're curious to know more about this good cheaper option, though.

How to choose the best noise-cancelling earbuds

If you're looking for the best noise-cancelling earbuds, a good place to start is the design. Do you need earbuds for working out? Then look for a pair that come with a water-resistance rating of IPX4 or above, interchangeable eartips, and earhooks that will keep them securely in place while you exercise.

Do you want a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds for the commute? Then you may want to consider a pair with a simple design that look unobtrusive.

It's also a good idea to have a budget in mind before you start looking for a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds. Earbuds that block out ambient sound most successfully tend to be more expensive, with most of the best models costing at least $200 / £200 / AU$300. However, you can still get great active noise cancellation on a budget, with some of the best earbuds in this guide costing less than $100 / £100 / AU$150 – just don't expect best-in-class ANC at mid-range and budget prices.

Of course, noise cancellation isn't the only thing to consider when buying a pair of earbuds. Whatever you're buying earbuds for, you want them to sound fantastic. If you consider yourself an audiophile, look for models with aptX HD or aptX Adaptive support, so you can enjoy your hi-res audio streams and get the most detail out of your music.

How we test the best noise-cancelling earbuds

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We've thoroughly tested all of the noise-cancelling earbuds in this guide, so you can be confident that you're making an informed decision when you buy.

We've spent lots of time using these earbuds in different situations, putting the active noise cancellation to the test in noisy environments, on public transport, on flights, and in shared offices – and of course we listen to a wide range of music from various sources to check whether the noise cancellation negatively affects your music collection. However effective the noise cancellation is when deployed, it's no good if the track you're listening to becomes constricted, tinny or otherwise compromised.

The audio performance of these earbuds is thoroughly analysed to test how well balanced they are across the frequencies, how wide the soundstage is, and how much detail they eke out from audio files.

Battery life and connectivity are also tested rigorously, so you can be sure that the earbuds you're buying live up to the manufacturer's claims.

At the moment, we're beginning a new process for scoring earbuds' performance in certain areas, to make it easier for you to compare models in our buying guides. You can read all about it in our guide to how we test earbuds at TechRadar, but the most relevant parts are that we'll be scoring earbuds specifically on their sound quality with ANC turned on and off, since that can make a notable difference. We'll also offering recordings of microphone quality so you can compare different earbuds on that front, and we'll give you exact figures for how long the battery in them lasts with active noise cancellation turned on.

We'll re-test the earbuds in this guide with these new process in mind, and we'll use the new process for new reviews in the future.

Latest updates to the best noise-cancelling earbuds

20 March 2024
Added a new 'Also consider' section to highlight more earbuds that aren't in the list, and removed some products to streamline selections.

4 March 2024
Added new products based on the latest reviews.

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