Top 5 BEST Noise Cancelling Earbuds in 2025
Silence the world around you with the best noise-cancelling earbuds recommended by our audio experts
The greatest noise-canceling earbuds are an excellent way to avoid distractions when working, traveling, or unwinding. All of this is made possible by noise cancellation technology, which uses extremely intelligent algorithms to normalize outside noises so that you only hear your favorite music, podcasts, or other audio.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are currently the best noise-canceling earbuds available. Their ANC is the best we’ve ever used, effectively drowning out practically all background noise. Thanks to their Bose tuning, they also sound fantastic and are available in a variety of gorgeous colors. Although their battery life isn’t the best, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is a better option. They have a longer battery life and excellent noise cancellation.
This list is intended to be as practical and user-friendly as feasible. Our top fast list, which displays the top earbuds at a glance along with star ratings for their salient characteristics, comes first. Then, for more in-depth guidance, we have links to our short reviews in each entry. Want a little more? Learn everything there is to know about the earphones you are considering purchasing by reading our in-depth evaluations.
Table of Contents
best pocket
1. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Best alternative
2. Apple AirPods Pro 2
Best budget
3. Sony WF-C710N
Best battery life
4. Sony WF-1000XM5
Best open-fit
5. Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
1. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
It goes without saying that Bose has some of the best noise cancellation algorithms available. It’s even better when placed into in-ear buds because the silicon ear tips provide an excellent seal against the outside world. The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, the newest model from Bose, provide the best ANC of any earphone available on the market. Although they are more expensive than some of their competitors, they offer the best noise cancellation available.
Additionally, I think they sound great. Our assessment of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds revealed a pleasant, inviting sound signature along with excellent performance across a variety of genres. Pop sounds fantastic, but I found that they really shine in rock and guitar-heavy genres. The majority of people will love the sound, but those who want more specific information might be better off searching elsewhere because it has a bass-forward signature.
However, you’re come for the ANC. The QuietComfort buds perform exceptionally well across the board, in contrast to other earbuds that concentrate on certain frequencies in order to be excellent at blocking only one. They were great for traveling and using public transportation, in my opinion. Some features are also worth mentioning. I thought Bose’s immersive audio modes, which are the company’s take on spatial audio, were touch and go. You’re doing a fantastic job at enlarging the sonic stage with certain tracks. The modes created a shallow, dimensionless sound for other recordings. However, your experience may differ because our reviewer thoroughly loved the impact on every track they tested it on.
At six hours in the buds, the battery life is respectable but not outstanding. Additionally, wireless charging is not available, so the USB-C port at the bottom of the case must be used.
2. Apple AirPods Pro 2
Apple came very close to becoming the industry leader in earbuds with the AirPods Pro 2. These earbuds are amazing; they have wonderful sound, a good fit, and some great ANC. While they come close, they are unable to completely replace the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds in terms of noise cancellation. They have a more neutral character than the Sony XM5, but they don’t sound quite as fantastic. Ultimately, the AirPods Pro 2 are the greatest option if you want earbuds that are good at everything but not necessarily the best at one thing.
Of course, the spotlight is on the ANC. Although I’ve been using them for a year, I’ve discovered that they perform a fantastic job of filtering out noise, but you need make sure they fit your ear perfectly. My travels through cities and towns became much more bearable with a great in-ear seal because it blocked out all the worst noises the world could make. Although it wasn’t quite as good as the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds’ all-conquering noise cancellation, it was still excellent.
The additional modes are useful. The transparency option works well; it lets in speech and other sounds you wish to hear while shutting out all the loud noise. In addition to being more comfortable than some of the alternatives, they have less obtrusive ear tips. Although some may find them lacking in warmth or bass, I also really enjoy the way they sound. For instance, listening to Dua Lipa’s Levitating demonstrated sonic restraint but lacked some low-end punch.
You should consider how long you plan to listen to these because they only last six hours on a charge, and I have seen that battery figure decrease when listening at louder volumes.
3. Sony WF-C710N
The WF-C710N enters the market with style and a feature set that will make even more costly earbuds blush with its new transparent blue coloring. There are several reasons why you might wish to choose them over the competitors, and they’re a significant improvement over the previous model. How long does a battery last? Verify. Sound quality? Verify. Outstanding ANC? Make sure to check again because they might be your next best friend.
You would anticipate a more limited feature set that falls short of the more expensive competitors at a price that undercuts the AirPods 4. No, you will receive ANC along with additional features from the Sony app, such as adjustable EQ, for $50 less than the AirPods.Even if some of them may cost $100 more, they’re a really good collection of buds altogether and not just for the price.
The ANC is a major attraction. They have a comparable comfortable fit and block out almost as much noise as the somewhat more costly Bose option. Sony’s excellent ANC algorithm reduces background noise, muffles office sounds, and muffles automobile horns. They are generally very hard to trip up, though occasionally you may hear some louder noises.
With ANC on, the battery lasts 8.5 hours, which is also quite good. They are great for gym wearers because they are sweat and water resistant, and they fit comfortably enough to be worn for extended periods of time. There’s nothing better for the price.
4. Sony WF-1000XM5
Our favorite in-ear options are frequently Sony’s flagship earbuds, and the most recent model, the WF-1000XM5, is no exception. They boast superior sound quality, a long battery life, and outstanding noise cancellation that surpasses the previous model. They are a great option that ought to be on the top of your shortlist, even while they can’t match the QuietComfort Ultra for noise cancellation or the AirPods Pro 2 as a multipurpose pair.
Noise cancellation works well. It performs better than the AirPods Pro 2, but it doesn’t quite match the QuietComfort Ultra earphones’ high heights. Bus engines and big metropolis noises are among the very low environmental noises that it is very good at shutting out. They do have a little more trouble with the higher-end sounds, but not enough to make it difficult for them. We were nevertheless able to find a pair of headphones that effectively block out noise during your travel, so you won’t have to worry about noisy subways or crowded city streets.
One excellent feature of the buds is the sound quality. It has a little more bass weight, and our tests showed that it produced pop and rock music the best. However, that doesn’t imply you won’t appreciate listening to different kinds of music. The soundstage is incredibly roomy and offers a lot of detail for a more captivating listening experience. The key to our success was the movie scores.
Another advantage of Sony’s headphones is their long battery life. With ANC enabled, the buds themselves can listen for eight hours, which is around two hours longer than the QuietComfort Ultra and AirPods Pro 2 earphones. Although you will notice a little decrease at higher settings and if you engage the buds’ spatial audio capability, we discovered that the battery life stood up to Sony’s claims.
5. AirPods 4 with ANC
Apple’s entry-level wireless earphones are significantly improved by the AirPods 4. They not only offer a long-overdue update to the product line that first popularized AirPods, but they also have an active noise cancellation model that costs less than $180. You would expect that the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation wouldn’t work without a real seal in more of these “open ear” style buds. However, their ability to reduce ambient sounds is actually pretty amazing, and the adaptive audio feature combines transparency and ANC to create a pleasing listening experience.
With the addition of contemporary AirPods features like USB-C charging, Personalized Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Head Gestures, the $129 version without ANC offers a revamped acoustic architecture at a price that is more than $100 less than the Pro 2. Better battery life and, more recently, the FDA-approved capability of the Pro buds to function as hearing aids through a software update are the main reasons we would still rank the AirPods Pro 2 higher than the AirPods 4.
The AirPods 4 are an obvious choice if you’re looking for a comfortable pair of daily headphones that pair with all of your Apple devices.