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The irony of paying hundreds of dollars for headphones to hear the best “silence” is evident—but with all the noise that comes with life these days, finding quiet is invaluable. Today, headphones are not just used to listen to music anymore; they are also microphones, devices that can hear our surroundings, and, yes, tools that can help us tune out.
This roundup is for the best active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones; we’ve also listed the best earbuds. These are the best your money can buy for tuning out the world and focusing on your task, music, or the beautiful sound of silence.
The best overall active noise-canceling headphones
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Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra leads the line for both headphones and earbuds. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are Bose’s flagship headphones with excellent noise cancelation and comfort. Although they are expensive, they come with a premium design and an “Immersive Audio” feature that improves your sound quality (at the cost of some battery life). They’re also great for making calls since they have the ability to reduce background noise and pick your voice out in a loud room.
The best ANC headphones for Apple users
The AirPods Max makes it into the list because Apple users will always value staying in the Apple ecosystem. But make no mistake: Apple’s AirPods Max are excellent ANC headphones, on par with Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem and want to stay there (and this is worth the extra money to you), then the AirPods Max might be a better fit. Keep in mind they are much heavier than the QuietComfort Ultra (but just as comfortable).
The best ANC headphones that deliver high-quality audio
ANC technology is known to give the quality of audio a hit, but that’s something only audiophiles would notice. If you consider yourself an audiophile but are looking for the best ANC headphones that can also give you quality in the audio department, consider the Sony WH-1000XM5. The 1000X headphones are in their fifth generation and are a popular line of headphones for their quality. I’ve personally been a big fan of them over many years and have owned many myself. Sony has taken the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” approach with these headphones over the years, merely tweaking or adding features to stay competitive in the market, and I appreciate it.
The best ANC headphones with a long battery life
As you probably know, ANC can take a big hit on the headphone’s battery life. For that reason, an ANC headphone with a long battery life is invaluable. But how about an ANC headphone that can charge with the sun? The Urbanista Los Angeles ANC headphones have solar charging technology that gives them the best battery life on the market, with an estimated 80 hours of non-stop playtime with a full charge. That is well above any competitor, and with its great sound quality and more budget-friendly price, this is a unique pair of headphones that can work for people who like to be out and about.