Best noise-cancelling earbuds 2023: budget and premium options tested

Best noise-cancelling earbuds: quick menu

It used to be that noise-cancelling was generally reserved for over-ear headphones, but over time, the tech has trickled down to wireless in-ears with more and more users wanting a pair that doesn't only isolated but actively removes the drone of daily life.

But if you're for a solid set of earbuds that offer great active noise cancellation (ANC) as well as brilliant audio, where do you start?

We've tested earbuds since the form factor first became a thing our team of experts can safely confirm there are still many sets on the market that struggle to deliver reliable ANC, especially compared to over-ear designs.

All too often we’ve used buds that sound great in a quiet room, but don't have the ANC power to block out even the smallest of background noise, let alone the rumbling engines of your train ride home from work. Even if they do, ANC can also impact the audio delivered by the earbuds, making some sets a poor choice for buyers who care about audio quality as much as noise cancellation.

So, our job is to help you find the best set of noise-cancelling earbuds for your specific tastes and budget. And on this page, we cover all the best options we’ve personally tried and tested.

Every set on this list has been through our stringent testing process. Our reviewers play multiple tracks from different genres to gauge sound quality and then put their ANC powers to the test by using them in various scenarios with different types of background noise.

The quick list

The best noise-cancelling earbuds overall

A white pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in their charging case

Bose's flagship wireless earbuds sound sensational and offer clever ANC tech. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
The most effective noise-cancelling you can get right now.

Specifications

Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 6hrs (+18hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Yes
Finishes: Black, White Smoke

Reasons to buy

+
Punchy, musical sound
+
Solid, weighty bass
+
Excellent customisable ANC
+
Comfortable

Reasons to avoid

-
Immersive Audio slashes battery life
-
No Bluetooth multipoint
-
No wireless charging

We all know Bose how to make a great pair of wireless headphones and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have to be considered its finest wireless earbuds to date.

The Ultra provide a comfortable fit and lots of features. Bluetooth 5.3 is a big bonus, while they are also Bose's first in-ears to offer its very own spatial audio tech, Immersive Audio.

The Bose app allows you to alter the amount of noise-cancelling on offer via a number of customisable presets and, speaking of noise-cancelling, the new Bose are still at the top of their game. They can automatically adjust the amount of ANC on offer so your music isn’t drowned out by particularly loud noises and the effect is deeply impressive. As for sound, it's balanced and neutral and overflowing with fine detail. Call quality is good for the money too.

It's a shame there's no support for high-quality wireless audio codecs such as LDAC or aptX HD, nor is there wireless charging or Bluetooth multipoint (both of which the Sony WF-1000XM5 cater for). But we don't think this is the end of the world when you consider that these classy buds ooze such sophistication.

The Ultra actually replace the company's 2022 What Hi-Fi? Award winner – the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, so shop around and you might be able to find a big chunk of cash slashed off the older pair. It's an option worth considering.

Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Best value earbuds for noise-cancelling

Sony's WF-C700N earbuds out of their charging case next to an Apple Watch

Sony's new midrange wireless earbuds are lightweight and extremely comfortable. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. A fine combination of good noise cancelling, excellent sound quality and value.

Specifications

Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 7.5hrs (+7.5hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: White, Black, Sage Green, Lavender

Reasons to buy

+
Very comfortable fit
+
Refined presentation for the money
+
Detailed, dynamic and musical sound

Reasons to avoid

-
No Multipoint Bluetooth (yet)
-
Charging case doesn't add a lot to battery life
-
No aptX or LDAC support

The WF-C700N are fantastic-sounding five-star earbuds, offering impressive performance and good ANC for a fraction of the price of some rivals.

During testing, we noted the buds are impressively small, and their lightweight design helps make them even more comfortable than Sony WF-1000XM5 (below). Battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours.

They lack aptX HD and LDAC but this isn't the end of the world. Adaptive Sound Control automatically switches listening modes depending on your location, and Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality which we'd definitely recommend using.

We found the Sonys sound superbly balanced, with deep, detailed bass, expressive mids and engaging highs. They're a very musical listen for the money.

Downsides? The charging case only provides one extra charge, which seems a little mean (if you want more charges, consider the JBLs on this list), but the superb sound, extensive feature set and great noise-cancelling make these Sonys extremely easy to recommend.

Read the full Sony WF-C700N review

Best cheap noise-cancelling earbuds

Earfun Air Pro earbuds in their charging case on a white background

Noise-cancelling is bettered by more expensive earbuds, but at this price we can't grumble. (Image credit: Earfun)
One of the cheapest pairs of noise-cancelling earbuds we've tested - and sound quality isn't bad either.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 7hrs (+18hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: Black, White

Reasons to buy

+
Solid, accurate bass weight
+
Effective noise cancelling
+
Classy build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Harsh upper midrange
-
Some rivals sound better

You'd be forgiven for thinking that you need to spend quite a bit of cash to get a decent pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, but the Earfun Air Pro prove that isn't the case. 

Despite coming in at an ultra-low price point, we think they manage to pack in plenty of useful features and produce an entertaining sound that demands you take them seriously.

The Earfun Air Pro fit securely, connect easily, have reliable controls and feature basic but effective noise-cancelling profiles. Battery life comes in at seven hours per charge, with the charging case providing a further 18 hours. There’s also USB-C charging and wearer detection, and testing revealed very good sound quality for the money. The Earfuns deliver well-balanced, and relatively transparent audio, with tight, fulsome bass and decent musicality. 

We haven't come across any noise-cancelling earbuds at this level that does everything these Earfuns do, as well as they do it. The next step up would be the Sony WF-C700N which feature above.

Read the full review: Earfun Air Pro

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for audiophiles

Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds and charging case in silver on a wooden table

Brilliant sound and class-leading noise-cancelling – what more could you wish for? (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. The excellent WF-1000XM5 are Sony’s most accomplished and analytical wireless earbuds yet

Specifications

Bluetooth: AAC, LDAC, SBC
Battery life: 8hrs (+16hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: Yes
Waterproof: IPX4 water resistant
Finishes: Black, Silver

Reasons to buy

+
Class-leading levels of detail and clarity
+
Top-notch musicality and timing
+
Comfortable, discreet design

Reasons to avoid

-
Some rivals produce more bass
-
Could feel more secure

If it’s pure noise-cancelling performance that’s top of your wishlist then Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II (above) are still your best bet, but if you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of silence in return for sound quality, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 should be your choice. 

Sony has fitted them with larger 8.4mm drivers and there’s a newfound level of detail and openness that gives them a different character to previous pairs in the range, but it results in an overall improvement. They don’t sound quite as fun as their predecessors, but they’re still hugely musical and exhibit a fine sense of timing.

We think the noise-cancelling performance is still highly effective, too, with an extra layer of midrange noise filtered out compared to before – it’s just a little more subtle than what you get with the Bose.

They’re crammed with features too, such as Adaptive Sound Control, Speak-to-Chat, multipoint Bluetooth, and support for 360 Reality Audio, which makes Sony’s latest premium buds hugely competitive at the money and are yet another smash hit. 

Some users might not find them quite as stable in their ears as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, so be sure to experiment with the eartips provided to get the best seal possible.

Read the full review: Sony WF-1000XM5

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for battery life

JBL Live Pro 2 TWS earbuds in black out of their charging case

A brilliant set of mid-level ANC earbuds (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
Reliable, long-lasting noise-cancelling earbuds that won't break the bank.

Specifications

Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 8hrs (+22hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: Silver, Rose, Blue, Black

Reasons to buy

+
Punchy, lively sound
+
Solid, meaty bass
+
User-friendly app and set-upt

Reasons to avoid

-
No aptX HD or LDAC
-
Control customisation could be better
-
Only three ear tip choices

If you’re the kind of person who is always forgetting to charge their earbuds, the JBL Live Pro 2 TWS should be on your radar.

With ANC turned on they’ll last eight hours, but there’s also up to 30 hours extra in the case, which gives them excellent stamina and should mean you don’t need to remember to charge them so often.

The JBL Live Pro 2 TWS sit just above the sub-£100 / $100 cheap wireless earbuds, but well below the most premium options on this list, and they present brilliant value as a result. Our testers were all able to get a comfortable and solid seal using one of the three tip sizes, with the buds proving capable of easily blocking out the background noise of our office. We were also impressed by their adaptive noise-cancelling, which removed the need for us to manually adjust the ANC level in the app.

If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, while many of the more expensive sets on this list sound slightly better, for the money the JBL’s deliver excellent audio. Compared to a rival like the JBL Reflect Flow Pro, we found the Live Pro 2 sound clearer and more insightful. 

Our testers were particularly impressed with their enthusiastic performance playing Play Kid Laroi’s Stay, which is a bouncy, lively, poppy tune. This makes them an excellent choice for most buyers. Our only slight quibble is that the buds don’t support the aptX HD or LDAC which makes them a poor choice for people subscribed to higher-quality streaming packages on Tidal, Spotify, and the like.

Read the full JBL Live Pro 2 TWS review

Best noise-cancelling earbuds for Apple users

Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds sat inside their charging case with the lid open

At last, Apple has made a five-star pair of wireless earbuds. (Image credit: Future)
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for iPhone and MacBook users.

Specifications

Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 6hrs (+24hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: Yes
Wateproof: Water resistant
Finishes: White

Reasons to buy

+
Clear, detailed and powerful sound
+
Excellent noise-cancelling
+
Longer battery life
+
Smooth, intuitive use with iOS devices

Reasons to avoid

-
Many features restricted to iOS devices only

Apple's original AirPods Pro were good, but we think the Pro 2 take performance to another level, not just with regards to sound quality, but noise-cancelling ability too.

Not only is noise-cancelling is better, but battery life is longer, and you get new features to take advantage of. They also cost the same as the original AirPods Pro, which we think makes them a really attractive option. In our original review, we wished for more flexible and adaptive ANC to rival the likes of Bose and Sony, something Apple amended with its 2023 iOS 17 update. With said update came Adaptive Audio, a feature which reacts to the noise levels in your surroundings and adjusts the level of ANC dynamically.

During testing we found the fit to be very good, and the tweaked design feels a lot less intrusive than some in-ears. Apple has finally added on-bud volume controls, which also help elevate that user experience.

The noise-cancelling works a treat (even if the Bose just edge it), while Adaptive Transparency reduces the impact of loud noises when letting in ambient sounds. And the sound quality? With weight, detail and a good dose of dynamic subtlety, they really are accomplished performers and a huge step up from their predecessors.

Add to this the fact they just work so well with Apple devices and they really are a bit of a no-brainer if you're immersed in their ecosystem. 

Read the full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review


How to choose the best noise-cancelling earbuds for you

Obviously, the quality of noise-cancelling is key when it comes to choosing the right pair of ANC earbuds. Thankfully, you can be confident that we've tested the noise cancelling in all of the pairs on our list and that the five-star models do the best job cutting out noise. Yes, there can even be differences between the noise-cancelling of five-star products, but they are usually very subtle.

It does need to be pointed out, though, that a great pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds still won't be as effective as the best noise-cancelling headphones that sit on or over your ears. Earbuds are small, so while they're great for portability there's only so much tech you can squeeze in.

Active noise cancelling puts extra demands on battery life, so you'll want to make sure the buds you want will have enough juice for your travels. Charging cases can help here so you just need to think about how, where and when the wireless earbuds are going to be used. All can be charged via USB while some pairs offer wireless charging too.

As is the case with any pair of wireless earbuds, fit and comfort are vital. We can give you our experience of testing a pair, but it's no substitute for trying them out for yourself. Try the different sizes of silicone tips and maybe even combinations of different sizes to find the best fit for you. If you can't hear any bass, chances are you don't have a good enough seal.

You'll find that noise-cancelling earbuds tend to cost a bit more than wireless earbuds without the feature, so you'll have to budget accordingly. The good news is we've tested some exceptionally talented and affordable options which you'll find in this list and thanks to the way the market works, even previously pricey pairs have now been discounted so there are definitely bargains out there.

Our list of the best noise-cancelling earbuds spans a range of prices, so there's sure to be a pair here that's right for you and your budget.

How we test noise-cancelling earbuds

Testing ANC earbuds requires venturing into a number of different environments to see how the headphones handle certain frequencies. We'll use our office, the city streets and public transport to get a feel for just how effective the noise-cancelling is. We'll also compare them to one or two of our favourite pairs at the money to see how they stand up to the competition.

We'll also use rivals to help us peg the audio quality on offer. We have dedicated test rooms in London, Reading and Bath so we can use these while making the final judgement with a selection of our favourite test tracks.

During the testing process, we'll also go over areas like fit and comfort, see whether the battery life claims ring true and also check to see if there are any lip-sync issues when watching video content.

Many noise-cancelling earbuds come with a control app that allows you to tweak their performance and their controls so we'll see how it impacts the user experience too.

All our review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible, too.

There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

MORE: 

Best noise-cancelling headphones: top ANC headphones for every budget

These are the best cheap wireless earbuds

29 of the best tracks for testing bass

Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.

With contributions from
  • Willhiro
    The Sony's "Reasons to Avoid" are "Lack volume controls", and "No aptX HD support".
    How come that is not "Reasons to Avoid" for the Apple Airpods. Should they have the same listed? Unless they do have them
    Reply
  • Ruisilva450
    How are any of these budget options?
    Reply
  • Mikeyz
    I am surprised it states there is no touch volume control on the Bose QuietComfort buds. According to the official Bose website it clearly states this is supported. You slide you finger up/down the right bud. I am about to buy them so can confirm this later. I did also check some Q&A on amazon from people who have purchased this product. At least one buyer stated it does have volume control.
    Reply
  • YiG
    Ok then.. the Technics appear to have gained a star, the review it links to shows they were only given 4 stars. Something changed that warrants the extra star??
    Reply
  • Mjp
    Willhiro said:
    The Sony's "Reasons to Avoid" are "Lack volume controls", and "No aptX HD support".
    How come that is not "Reasons to Avoid" for the Apple Airpods. Should they have the same listed? Unless they do have them
    Reasons to avoid Apple Airpods: Apple.
    Reply
  • Mjp
    What Hi-Fi? said:
    From budget to premium, we've got a pair of noise-cancelling true wireless earphones for you.

    Best noise-cancelling earbuds: the true wireless way to cut out background noise : Read more
    As an owner of a pair of Sony WF-1000XM3, I must say the noise cancelling is underwhelming at best. The main problem, and it may apply to all of these, is the seal between buds and ear. If this is poor, noise leaks past, there is zero cancelling, and total loss of bass.

    The only noise cancelling headphones I know of that work, are on or over ear types, which also isolate noise and have superb sound quality that no buds can come close to matching.

    I reckon anyone buying any of these buds will be disappointed.
    Reply
  • DaviddeB
    What Hi-Fi? said:
    From budget to premium, we've got a pair of noise-cancelling true wireless earphones for you.

    Best noise-cancelling earbuds: the true wireless way to cut out background noise : Read more
    Where do the Bowers & Wilkins PI7s rank? They should definitely be in the top 3, if not first, from what I read about them. And what about the Devialet Geminis?
    Reply
  • DCarmi
    So Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 gets in at #7 and #10. You could do with a new proof -reader.
    Reply
  • ElJefeFan
    Ruisilva450 said:
    How are any of these budget options?

    Agreed.

    The 3 "budget options included range from $140-$180. I would consider under $100 to be a definite requirement for budget.

    Check out the Tozo NC7 and NC9, Soundpeats T3 and the Earfun models that are cheaper than the one mentioned here.
    Reply
  • 12th Monkey
    As this is two and a half years old, it's probably an ex-parrot by now.
    Reply