Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds: Top picks to block out noise tested

Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II have been replaced by the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which boast new features in Immersive Audio tech and aptX Lossless support.

These additions do come at a higher price (£299 / $299). We regarded the QC Earbuds II as the best in the business for noise-cancellation, and while we feel the QC Ultra Earbuds aren’t quite as good, they’re still ahead of the rest. Just.

They’re still the best in a range of situations, but the gap between it and the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM5, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 and Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is not as big as it was.

Much like the previous model, while not every sound is removed, they do an impressive job of quelling sounds, reducing ambient noise and blocking out people’s voices. However, there is wind noise in blustery conditions and while it’s a minor issue we expected better.

The Aware mode is just as good as the ANC in letting the surrounding noises with clarity. Bose’s ActiveSense technology works like the AirPods Pro 2 in automatically reducing background noises when in transparency mode. It also works well at suppressing sudden spikes in sounds around you.

The sound quality remains the same with the top end of the frequency range brighter and bass is bigger and punchier than older QuietComfort earphones. Vocals carry more weight too, and there’s a better sense of depth and width than there is on the original. It’s not as finely-balanced as the WF-1000XM5, but if you enjoy plenty of bass wallop to your trucks, the Bose is better than the Sony.

Features-wise, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have been upgraded to aptX Lossless/Snapdragon Sound to transmit higher quality audio over Bluetooth. The wireless performance is excellent, consistently reliable with no dropouts.

The Immersive Audio feature offers a wider soundstage and more depth, but isn’t as detailed or as sharp as listening in stereo mode. The head-tracking is a neat effect though, maintaining the illusion of sound following you when you move.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

The Sony WF-1000XM5 replace the WF-1000XM4 as Sony’s premium wireless earbuds. The biggest difference is in the sound, the rich midrange performance of before has been replaced by a more balanced performance across the frequency range.

There’s not as much bass and they don’t sound quite as ‘fun’ as before, but there’s more clarity throughout the frequency range, with finer detail in the midrange and higher levels of clarity and sharpness at the top end that we found to be a worthy trade.

The noise-cancellation is better at suppressing environmental sounds and better at reducing the impact of people’s voices too. The performance of the Ambient mode is similar to the XM4, though we would the older buds sound a touch clearer. Compared to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, we do feel that the Sony is slightly less impressive at muting everyday sounds.

Elsewhere battery life is the same as before with eight hours (24 hours in the case) with noise-cancelling on. They are packed with features with many carrying over from the WF-1000XM4 and some new ones added into the mix. The new ones include gesture controls with calls, simultaneously use of LDAC and Bluetooth multipoint, and a new ‘Find My Equalizer’ feature that allows the user to shape the sound by picking from a selection of presets.

Arguably we could completely contradict ourselves and say that the WF-1000XM5 aren’t the best-sounding true wireless with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 now available, but the Pi8 are nearly £150 more expensive, so for the most people, we would recommend the Sony WF-1000XM5.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WF-1000XM5

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are an excellent pair of wireless earbuds we found to be a great choice for those who want rich, engaging audio.

The Sennheiser’s ANC performance is very good, not far off the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds when used in environments such as airplanes and public transport. The earbuds slot in the ear easily, the smaller, lighter design makes the very comfortable to wear during use. The seal they create aids the noise cancelling performance, which is very good at blocking out persistent noises and voices.

With their anti-wind ANC mode, they’re also excellent at taming the wind on blustery days. The Transparency Mode here is fantastic with great clarity and detail.

The aptX Adaptive Bluetooth connection is reliably solid, with no noticeable dropouts or latency when we walked through busy signal areas. Sennheiser’s Smart Control app comes with a bundle of features such as being able to automatically alter the noise-cancelling performance when you enter certain places (though the magic of geolocation) as well as the ability customise the headphones EQ, touch controls, and more.

If you’re a Sennheiser fan, you’ll enjoy what the German brand has done with its latest noise cancelling earphones, which we think are its best yet.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

The Pi8 are Bowers & Wilkins best true wireless yet, delivering high quality sound, a better fit than previous models and a solid range of features.

We wouldn’t describe the noise-cancelling as being on equal footing as the Bose, Sony, Jabra and Sennheiser pair, but it is better than previous B&W true wireless in clearing away noise. We find that it’s more reliant on establishing a good fit to stop sounds from invading your private space, with the default volume level also helping to help keep external noise in the background. We find them a better premium option than the similarly priced Master & Dynamic MW09.

The sound is loud and energetic, warm but detailed, with the Pi8 bring a high level of fidelity to music. Vocals sound natural and true, the soundstage is big and wide, with highs described clearly and the low frequencies reaching down low.

The design offers much more comfort than the Pi7 and Pi7 S2 did, and the wireless performance is excellent with barely any blips in busy areas, while there’s also the retransmission case where you plug the case into an analogue source (a 3.5mm jack) and have the audio wirelessly relayed to the earphones without any latency. It works fantastically. The one aspect we’re disappointed by is the call quality, which isn’t the clearest whether used indoors or outdoors.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

We very much liked the Elite 8 Active model, but the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 improve on them in every major way.

The ANC is stronger than before, and gets rid of more sounds so you’re not distracted by what’s around you. And if you want to be aware of your environment then the HearThrough mode is also clearer, more detailed, and latches onto voices better in case you want to have conversation.

The sound quality is another area where it’s a step up. It’s a more balanced performance with less bass and more clarity, definition and detail. We’re not too keen on the spatial sound feature, which isn’t much better than the version on the Elite 8 Active. The Sound+ app presents the opportunity to tinker with the EQ settings in the app and customise other features

The design of the earphones are smaller, which for us meant they actually fitted into the ear better. The fit was more stable, so we didn’t have to keep adjusting it mid-way like we did with the previous pair. They can withstand a fair amount of wear and tear. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 pass the US Military Standard for ruggedised electronics (810H) and Jabra’s own HACT tests (Highly Accelerated Corrosion Testing. We dropped them in a glass of water for ten minutes and the earphones (eventually) recovered and starting working like normal.

The charging case allows for retransmission of audio from an analogue source. So you could plug the earphones into a bike machine at the gym, and then have it wirelessly transmitted to the earbuds in similar fashion to the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 (which are £100 more expensive). When it comes to workouts, we don’t think there’s a better pair of wireless earbuds on the market.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2

Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are the best noise-cancelling earbuds for iOS users. They keep a rock-solid connection with iPhones and iPads, connect to all your Apple devices instantly and get frequent software updates. They also sound great – better than the first-gen pair – and have some excellent ANC that tones down the outside world.

We found that compared to the Sony WF-1000XM4 the AirPods Pro 2 were able to clear away slightly more noise when used on the Underground. The transparency is improved over the original too, piping through a realistic sense of the outside world. Disappointingly, Apple hasn’t included any means to manually adjust the noise cancelling or transparency mode, with both features automatically adapting the strength of the noise-cancellation and transparent to what’s around the listener.

Elsewhere battery life is good but not class leading with six hours in each bud and 30 hours with the charging case. MagSafe wireless charging is supported, and the earphones can even be charged by an Apple Watch charger if you can’t find a Lightning cable to hand. The wireless connection is fantastic with not even a hint of a dropout as our reviewer was passing through Waterloo station at rush hour times.

If, however, you don’t like the in-ear fit of the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has released the AirPods 4 with ANC, an open design that surprisingly works well in terms of batting away external sound.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Pro 2

The JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds offer fantastic ANC at its price point, outshining previous favourites like the Beats Studio Buds.

Using them in busy environments like a tube station reduced ambient noise to little more than a rustle, and they were able to suppress conversational noise in crowds very well too. 

In terms of sound quality, they boast weighty bass, a clear midrange and treble performance that made for an enjoyable experience. We thought that this made them easy to listen to across a range of genres, although we did note that you need to up the volume to properly broaden the soundstage, and give the bass richness. 

These buds are very comfortable to wear over long periods of time, with our reviewer noting that there was never any discomfort or cramps during use. They come with three different ear-tips so you can find your perfect fit, and the IPX5 water make them more robust than most noise-cancelling earbuds, so they can be used during a workout or when it’s raining. 

The main downfall of the Live Pro 2 buds is their connection. We experienced a choppy connection in busy areas like Victoria train station, but it also occurred in areas where fewer people were around. They are also not great for phone calls, especially in busier areas, as the person on the other end of the phone would be able to hear too much background noise. 

Another option to consider are the Nothing Ear (a), which can be found for around the same price as the JBL, or even the Sony LinkBuds S, which are still on sale.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: JBL Live Pro 2

If the premium area of the ANC market is not for you, then at the more affordable end of the market are the EarFun Air Pro 3 for less than £50 / $50.

They offer one of the best noise-cancelling performances we’ve heard for the price. The passive noise-isolating design keeps ambient sounds away, and on top of that the hybrid ANC performance thins out people’s voices, traffic and large crowds. It’s not the level of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, though it is very effective at dealing with a wide range of sounds and suppressing them.

The transparency mode is fine in terms of creating a greater sense of awareness, but more expensive models can offer more clarity and detail.

It comes with a wealth of features that includes Bluetooth multipoint, aptX Adaptive Bluetooth that maintains a strong connection to an Android mobile device in busy areas, and a claimed seven hours of battery life, though we found in our tests that it was closer to five. There is a simple to use app that offers further customisation of the Air Pro 3’s performance. The EarFun boasts the type of features we’d expect from a more expensive true wireless pair.

The audio quality is warm, with a thick, rich bass profile and a smoothness to its sound across the frequency range. It’s not the sharpest, clearest, or most defined performance; but it does extract enough detail from music to make for an entertaining listen, and its smooth quality does avoid sibilance with vocalists. We would say for audio quality that the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC provides more clarity and detail, even if its noise-cancelling isn’t quite as strong.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: EarFun Air Pro 3