I Tested 5 Noise Canceling Headphones

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 12:52 pm

I will be frank, I had five pairs of noise canceling headphones that I turned and turned after three weeks, and by this time, my ears have to take a break. However, the lesson that I have learned here is that not ANC (active noise cancellation, incidentally) is created equal.

I tried them in coffee shops, during flights, when they were building something beside my home and during my daily commute. Here’s the real breakdown.

The Reason I Began with this Experiment.

My apartment is directly above a high traffic street. I could not concentrate on work between delivery trucks at 6 AM and the dog of a neighbor, who is barking at everything.

One of my friends also promised me that everything is better with noise canceling headphones, so, why not to try a variety of them and find out what is actually worth the cost?

Bad omen: others relegated me to a whole new work routine. Others? Not so much.

The 5 Pairs I Subjected to Real-Life Tests.

Sony WH-1000XM6

I began here because everybody is singing praises about Sony. The first time I ever wore them on a plane the engine noise simply disappeared. It’s wild. Next-grade – That is the low-frequency blocking – AC hum, airplane rumble, all the traffic noise all vanished.

What I picked up on: they are most suitable when you need some background noise. My problem? After three hours of consecutive time they were a little heavy. However, the sound quality is good, and the battery was nearly run-through in the whole week without any charge.

Best on: long flights, any open offices, everyone who has to contend with constant low frequency noise.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra

These were less heavy in my head and I liked them on such workdays. Noise cancelling was quite similar to that of Sony – frankly, it is not possible to single out an obvious winner between the two on the basis of ANC.

Where Bose lost me: the comfort factor. I spent six hours continuous in writing and my ears did not feel tired. They also dealt with voices a bit better than Sony though both block out conversations as much as they can.

Best fits: all-day, when you wear glasses (they do not scratch on the frames so intensively).

Apple AirPods Pro 2

The thing with these is that these are earbuds and not over-ear, therefore I expected less isolation. But man, for their size? I’m impressed.

I commended these to a great extent since it is so portable. They do not generate the same sense of being closed off as the larger models, which others actually enjoy. There are still high-pitched sounds (somebody dropping keys or even a dog barking), but in the case with podcasts and calls, they are excellent.

Better suited: portable options, going on the run, even though it is less bulky than the over-ear varieties.

Sony WF-1000XM5

These are the alternatives of AirPods Pro by Sony. It is smaller than I wanted it to be, and the ANC is significantly punching above its own recognition with earbuds. I tried these in a crowded cafeteria and they coped with the noises on the espresso machine than I ever imagined they could.

The catch? You must get the ear tip fit of the right ear. I tried each of the three sizes until I settled on the one that fastened. It was, though, the time I did that the noise blockage increased tremendously.

Best use with: in the gym, running, anyone that desires to have pro-level ANC, but not carry the largest headphones.

Budgetary Alternative: Mid- \range Model.

I tried a pair of 100 dollars, as well, to check the performance of low-priced options. This is the fact: they labored, but the distinction was apparent. The ANC felt… thin? Similar to it suppressed sound rather than suppressed it. Battery died faster too.

In case you are simply trying to drown out office conversation here and there, that is okay. However, to block the noise, you have to be serious, and you might want to save up to one of the premiums.

Why this Tech, as I Found Damn Interesting.

These and all these headphones rely on what is referred to as destructive interference. Its operation is fundamentally the same with the microphones choosing the outside noise and then the headphones producing an antiphase sound wave which nulls this noise. That is why they are so effective at blocking the constant things such as engines but fail to block the sudden ones such as a person screaming.

The high-end models have hybrid mechanisms with both outdoor and indoor ear cup microphones and that is why they deal with various types of noises better.

My Final Take

Since I had experienced life with all five, I continued to pick up the Bose QuietComfort Ultra to work and AirPods Pro 2 to use in other situations. I would choose Sony WH-1000XM6 in case I have the opportunity to go places more frequently.

But the thing is, the most important here will be figure out where you will actually use them. Noisy neighbors at home office? Go over-ear. Travelling and carrying out of errands? Earbuds make more sense. It is the application of the technology to your specific situation that is important and not how that specific technology is rated as number one on any tech site.

None of them flucks off 100% of noise – that exists not yet. But the right pair? They will transform the way you work, travel and deal with noisy places.

FAQs

Can noise canceling headphones completely block all sounds?

Nope. The most successful models that I tried can only work well with low-frequency sounds – such as engine hum or AC noise. you will even hear voices, dogs barking and sudden loud noises. The tech takes time to analyze and block sounds and thus anything abrupt or high-tone passes through.

Do they mess with audio quality when you turn on ANC?

A little bit, yeah. Upon turning ANC to the on position and the music was playing, I observed a little background hiss and compression with ANC on. Nobody will mind but in case you are overly concerned with audio quality, then you might see. Newer 2025 models are much better in this regard compared to older ones though.

How long does the battery actually last?

I got approximately 30 hours with ANC on trying the over-ear models (Sony and Bose). The earbuds had been ranging between 6-8 hours, although their charging cases came out to be 20-plus hours in total. I loaded the over ear ones at perhaps once a week when used every day.

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