Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones 2023: Keep ambient sound at bay

Sony’s WH-series of wireless headphones have been some of the best we’ve tested, especially on the noise cancelling, and the WH-1000XM5 are Sony’s latest and greatest effort yet.

Improvements to the noise cancellation bring refinements over the WH-1000XM4, with Sony claiming they deal with voices and higher frequency sounds better than previous generations did. We found that large crowds were silence and commutes were noticeably quiet, though we’d say that with voices the XM4 dismiss them slightly better, though in the XM5’s favour is that the tone of their noise cancellation is much cleaner. The Sony Headphone app offers 20 different levels of noise cancellation, with the Ambient Mode much clearer and more expansive in its performance than the older models.

The biggest change is the look of the headphones, with redesigned earcups (now more oval in shape to fit more ears), tweaked earpads for comfort. They carry a more modern look and like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the AirPods Max, they can no longer be collapsed and folded. It’s a change that some won’t like but comparing it to the XM4 model we did feel that it helped reduce the impact of wind noise.

There’s a lot to appreciate with regards to its feature set, the XM5 plunders the best features from the XM4 by carrying over the Quick Attention (which filters outside sound for a brief moment) and Speak To Chat (which pauses music when you’re speaking.

Despite including new V1 processor that lengthened battery life for the WF-1000XM4, the battery life (with ANC) is the same as the older models at 30 hours. With noise cancelling off the XM5 ekes out a couple of hours more than before at 40 hours. Over the course of testing, we managed to get a week’s use before we felt the need to charge, so it’s still plenty enough to last a while.

The steady rate of small, but useful improvements continue in the audio department, with the WH-1000XM5’s mid-range sounding richer, the soundstage more spacious and a low-end of the frequency range that has more depth and texture to it. It’s not a complete overhaul of the sound but in terms of audio quality, they’re still above the likes of the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Technics EAH-A800 we’ve tested.

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

Of course, it’s not just over-ear cans that offer best-in-class ANC, but also in-earphones as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds demonstrate.

During our testing, the QuietComfort Earbuds suppressed virtually all the noise around us, with large crowds reduced to a hush, busy traffic sections quietened down and people’s voices reduced to a barely noticeable patter. The Bose managed this type of noise cancellation without any music playing, which provides benefits in terms of hearing health in that you don’t need to turn volume as much. It is, in our opinion, a class-leading performance, better than that of the Sony WF-1000XM4.

Not so class-leading is the battery life, especially for a pair of earbuds prices this much. They only offer a total of 18 hours from its charging case, six hours less than the WF-1000XM4 and 10 hours less than the Sennheiser Momentum True 3 Wireless. While the battery life is enough to get through several days of use, these Bose earphones will likely need to be charged more frequently than other pairs we’ve tested.

The passive noise isolation on offer here also proved rather good, especially thanks to Bose’s StayHear Max ear-tips provide an excellent seal to block noise, as well as also making these comfortable to wear and preventing them from falling out. The fit is so secure that it would make these a good choice for indoor exercise, as will the IPX4 water resistance that keeps water splashes and sweat at bay. When we used them for outdoors running we encountered wind noise, so if you’re looking for a pair specifically for exercise then consider the Bose Sport Earbuds.

The sound quality is typically Bose with a clear, sharp and detailed sound along with a neutral presentation. The top end of the frequency range is particularly bright, and bass is conveyed with decent depth. A recent update has allowed for customisation of the sound, offering options in managing bass and treble performance. The QuietComfort Earbuds have been replaced by the QuietComfort Earbuds II, and we’ll be looking to get a review of those earbuds in the near future.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

It’s not as if Apple has launched many true wireless earbuds with noise cancellation – two in fact – but in the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has, in our opinion, made one of the best noise cancelling true wireless available.

The design is not much different than the original AirPods Pro, carrying the same look but feature an extra ear-tip size (XS) to fit a wider range of ears. The force sensor also has the ability to tweak volume levels, though we found using it was not always the most reliable option. IPX4 resistance against moisture remains, so these earphones could be used for exercise as well as listening to music.

And in terms of sound quality, they’re an improvement over their predecessor. Bass has a richness and warmth to it, but there’s still good clarity to vocals within the soundstage and instruments are defined with more detail.

The star of the show, though, is arguably the AirPod Pro 2’s noise cancelling prowess. Used on the underground and compared to the WF-1000XM4 and they edged the Sony buds with how much high frequency noise and rumble of the train that they removed.

The noise cancellation is adaptive, ramping and down depending on how much noise is detected in the surrounding environment. The same is true of the transparency mode, which has been improved. We found it piped through a clearer, more realistic impression of the world around us. Again though, the lack of control over the noise cancelling/transparency is a bug bear.

Battery life is good at six hours per bud and 30 hours overall. That’s a better figure overall than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (6 and 24 hours) and around similar to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 (7 and 28 hours). There are much cheaper noise cancelling buds, such as the JBL Live Pro 2, that offer more longevity (10 and 40 hours).

If you’re an iOS user in need of a ANC true wireless then arguably no other integrates as well as the AirPod Pro. Non-iOS users will want to look elsewhere, as many of the features such as Spatial Audio are exclusive to the iOS ecosystem.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Pro 2

The Final UX3000 demonstrate the point that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get solid noise cancelling headphones.

The UX3000 is not the most feature-packed of headphones, lacking a transparency mode and app support, but the active noise cancellation is solid for the price, dealing with busy road junctions and crowds of people well. You can even use noise cancellation without powering the headphones if you just want some peace and quiet. We’d recommend turning the ANC on if you’re listening to music, as much like the Ausounds AU-XT ANC, they are a pair that sounds better with it on.

We also found battery life here to be good enough for around a week when used for a few hours a day, the battery rated at 25 hours with the ANC on and up to 35 with it off. The design is minimalistic and simple, the UX3000 proved comfortable to wear for extended periods, which we found made them a good partner for commutes into work.

The finish is what Final refer to as ‘Shibo’, an old Japanese term that refers to wrinkled paper or leather. and here it is used to repel dirt and dust. With no touch or gesture controls in sight, Final has utilised a handful of physical buttons for volume, ANC, and media playback, which makes this an accessible pair of headphones to operate.

The audio here is some of the best you’ll find for less than £150, producing a confident, musical performance with weightiness to the bass, expressive highs and rich mids. The warmth of their sound means they’re quite as detailed or incisive as while the Cleer Enduro ANC model, but overall we found the UX3000 to have a better handle over music, showcasing a good depth, solid dynamics and decently wide soundstage.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Final UX3000

In need of noise cancelling headphones for the office? Well there’s a familiar name who’ve produced a pair of headphones that would make for a great choice in an office environment.

The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 might not be the flashiest pair or grab the headlines, but these cans do impress with their performance. The design is excellent, offering tremendous levels of comfort with soft earpads and a lightweight frame. We feel these headphones could easily be worn for hours without discomfort.

For office users (and indeed Office users) there are Windows specific features that includes dictation in Word, Outlook mailbox and PowerPoint. The Play My Emails in Outlook feature is iOS compatible but requires a subscription and seems to only be available in the U.S.

Battery life isn’t massive at just around 18 hours, which is much less than the Sony WH-1000XM5‘s 30 hours. With regular use our reviewer felt like the battery loses charge much quicker than it should.

On much better terms are the controls, which we felt were wonderfully intuitive to use. The rotary dials on each earcup made it simple and easy to adjust the volume and noise cancelling levels at a moment’s whim, with bleeping sounds to indicate whether you’ve gone up and down.

There are 13 levels of noise cancellation, which does sound like overkill but does offer ample room to find a level that suits you. We found the ANC to be formidable. General sounds close by evaporated as we walked past, vehicles were reduced to less distracting ‘whooshing’ sounds and with music playing at normal levels, we couldn’t much of what was around us. This is an excellent noise cancelling performance.

And the headphones also sound very good too. Bass errs to being warm and soft and can sound tubby from time to time when more punch is required. The mid-range is rich and expressive with good clarity and dynamism with voices that draws a listener in. They’re not as aggressive or as exciting as the WH-1000XM5 can be, but for those who enjoy a laid-back sound, these are a good showcase for that approach.

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

The Bowers and Wilkins Px8 headphones are some of the best on the market, scoring a faultless 5-star review thanks to their high audio quality and stylish design. They come in Black and Tan leather versions, both of which look premium and feel very sturdy. We thought they were comfortable to wear for long periods of time, with the oval shape helping to assist in presenting a more natural soundstage.

These headphones come with adaptive ANC and we felt they were effective at suppressing noise on the underground, hushing voices and managing wind noise to acceptable levels, without needing to sacrifice audio quality. Even in noisy environments, the Px8 headphones condense the volume of a crowd into a more manageable sound, being robust enough to usher in a sense of calm wherever you are.

With 40mm dynamic full-range carbon cone drive units, these headphones offer a large and expansive soundstage, a big improvement on their predecessor, the Bowers and Wilkins Px7. Bass frequencies have massive definition and punch, with a sharp and open midrange that complements a lot of genres. High frequencies are distinctive and bright, making the Bowers and Wilkins Px8 a clean, precise and dynamic pair of headphones.

Call quality here is also nothing to sniff at. While they are not as clear as the Sony WH-1000XM5, they were among the best we used last year, with voices coming across clearly and background noises being kept to a minimum thanks to the dedicated call microphones.

The main drawback of these headphones is the high price point, coming in at £599/$699. If you’re looking for something more affordable that still features ANC, the Final UX3000 may be the better option, but any audiophile will want to experience the high levels of detail and wide soundstage, alongside the stylish and premium design.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bowers and Wikins Px8