Tried and tested - the best noise cancelling headphones in 2023

Once an accessory you would mainly see being used by business people on long-haul flights, we now see over-ear noise cancelling headphones in almost every aspect of life. But why do we love noise cancelling headphones? They provide you optimal listening environment, guaranteed peace and quiet, and they help increase concentration, to name but a few. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this hand-picked selection of noise cancelling headphones – with a range of brands and budgets, we know you’ll find the ones you’re looking for.

Released in 2020 and as a logical progression from the Apple AirPods Pro, Apple entered the over-ear headphone space with their AirPods Max. They are every Apple user's dream with the H1 chip inside the AirPods Max providing a seamless and fully integrated device-switching experience with other Apple devices, something that their competitors have been unable to match. The AirPods Max combine high-fidelity audio with effective noise cancellation and Personalised Spatial Audio to deliver an unparalleled listening experience. The Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) counters external sound with equal anti-noise, allowing full immersion in your sound of choice. Plus, by simply pressing the noise control button, you can switch to Transparency Mode to allow outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings. Of course it wouldn’t be Apple without a slick aesthetic! The canopy spanning the headband is made from breathable knitted mesh, the stainless steel frame is wrapped with a soft-to-the-touch material and the beautifully anodized aluminium cups rotate independently. Crafted with acoustically engineered memory foam and covered in a custom-designed textile, the ear cushions provide pillow-like softness. And they come in five colours. Naturally, AirPods Max inherit all of the wireless, effortless magic of the AirPods family – with one tap set up, seamless switching and Siri commands, they make the listening experience completely fluid. The AirPods Max charge via the lightning connector giving you 20 hours of battery life with ANC and Spatial Audio enabled. But, if you’re in a rush a quick five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening, which should get you through a podcast or two!

The best from Bose is now even better with the introduction of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. These are the brand’s top-line headphones and they’re everything that you would demand from wireless, Bluetooth® headphones, just amplified. Their proprietary active noise cancelling technology uses multiple microphones (both inside and outside the earcups) to monitor sounds around you and instantly produce an opposite signal to cancel them out. You’ll hear only what you want, not what you don’t, with world-class adjustable noise cancelling capabilities, which can be controlled between low, medium and high according to your preference. Conversation Mode lets you simultaneously adjust noise cancelling and pause your music for a quick chat. A combination of exclusive Bose technologies delivers big sound from a small package that stays consistent at any volume and provides acoustic noise reduction. These headphones boast, “unrivalled voice pickup to ensure crystal-clear calls” with six mics working together to cancel surrounding noise (so you can hear the caller better), whilst four additional mics combine to suppress any disruptive remaining sound (so the caller can hear you better). Simple touch controls – either speak, swipe or tap – make the headphones easy to use, the capacitive touch sensors allow you to manage volume, calls and music, while low-profile buttons control the power, noise cancelling presets and your phone’s default voice assistance. 

The WH-1000XM5 headphones from Sony blend advanced noise cancelling with exceptional sound quality and a range of smart features for an unrivaled listening experience. The WH-1000XM5 headphones deliver advanced noise cancelling performance, keeping out high and mid-frequency sounds. To do this, Sony incorporates two different technologies – a Personal Noise Cancelling Optimiser (designed specifically for your preferences) and an Atmospheric Pressure Optimiser, designed specifically for air travel. Digging a little deeper, their multi noise sensor technology, with four microphones per earcup, captures ambient noise and applies noise cancelling processing in real time to a range of acoustic environments. And of course, there’s a companion app – Sony’s Headphones Connect, which allows ambient sound control and means you can cancel noise while still allowing through essential sound when you’re on the move. The use of LDAC, which transmits almost three times more data than conventional Bluetooth® audio, means that you can enjoy high-resolution audio content that is as close as possible to that of a dedicated wired connection. Further, these headphones from Sony use a variety of smart technologies to create an effortless, hands-free listening experience. Called Speak-to-Chat, your headphones recognise your voice and automatically stop the music to allow in ambient sound so you can have a conversation. Once you’ve finished speaking, your music or podcast will start playing again automatically. 

Truly the First Class of noise cancelling headphones are the Bang & Olufsen BEOPLAY H95 Ultimate over-ear headphones. Like nothing you’ve ever heard before, they are described by Bang & Olufsen as their “finest headphone experience… that redefines grab-and-go listening”, so we know they mean business. Let’s start with the sound quality, it’s a stand out. Custom titanium drivers, nestled under detachable magnetic earcups, are tuned to the tightest tolerance on performance under the watchful ear of their in-house Tonmeister (yes, they have one of those). The result? You’ll hear magical details you’ve never heard before, think lush lows, punchy mids and crisp highs. And to ensure you can indeed appreciate your music, podcast or audiobook while at home or on the go, the five levels of noise cancellation make the H95s Bang & Olufsen’s most advanced ANC headphones yet. Now to something exceptional – the battery life. The BEOPLAY H95 headphones give you the best sound while using active noise cancellation, for up to 38 hours of non-stop listening, which equates to a return trip from Perth to Paris. While turning off the active noise cancellation boosts battery life to an unbelievable 50 hours, that’s over two days of play. The attention paid to every detail is evident, enjoy soft lambskin leather on the memory foam cushions, a precision-cut aluminium frame and the timeless design of the carry case. And let’s not forget the quick set up, intuitive user controls and Bluetooth 5.1 so you can connect easily to the devices you already love.

Truly the First Class of noise cancelling headphones are the Bang & Olufsen BEOPLAY H95 Ultimate over-ear headphones. Like nothing you’ve ever heard before, they are described by Bang & Olufsen as their “finest headphone experience… that redefines grab-and-go listening”, so we know they mean business. Let’s start with the sound quality, it’s a stand out. Custom titanium drivers, nestled under detachable magnetic earcups, are tuned to the tightest tolerance on performance under the watchful ear of their in-house Tonmeister (yes, they have one of those). The result? You’ll hear magical details you’ve never heard before, think lush lows, punchy mids and crisp highs. And to ensure you can indeed appreciate your music, podcast or audiobook while at home or on the go, the five levels of noise cancellation make the H95s Bang & Olufsen’s most advanced ANC headphones yet. Now to something exceptional – the battery life. The BEOPLAY H95 headphones give you the best sound while using active noise cancellation, for up to 38 hours of non-stop listening, which equates to a return trip from Perth to Paris. While turning off the active noise cancellation boosts battery life to an unbelievable 50 hours, that’s over two days of play. The attention paid to every detail is evident, enjoy soft lambskin leather on the memory foam cushions, a precision-cut aluminium frame and the timeless design of the carry case. And let’s not forget the quick set up, intuitive user controls and Bluetooth 5.1 so you can connect easily to the devices you already love.

You may know them best for their portable Bluetooth speakers but JBL also has an impressive line up of headphones. Today we’re checking out their Tour One wireless noise cancelling headphones, so let’s run through the features. Thanks to the dynamic 40mm dynamic drivers, your music will always sound amazing. JBL Tour One headphones are hi-res audio certified, supporting frequencies up to 40kHz, to ensure that your sound is the best it can possibly be. Plus, they’re equipped with 4-mic Technology for accurate and clear voice calls. Do you struggle to find "your" space? Create your ideal environment with JBL Tour One True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology, which means you can immerse yourself in music or block out unwanted noises and focus on your goals. These headphones help you form a silence bubble with SilentNow, where noise cancelling is activated but music is off. If you’re out and about, the noise cancelling level adjusts to the change of environment in real time, but allows you to stay alert to the sounds of the world around you with Smart Ambient technology. Plus, you can have a quick chat with a colleague or friend without turning off your tunes with TalkThru. You can control these features with a simple touch of a button and fine tune them via the My JBL Headphones App. In the app you can also set up custom EQ, switch on your ANC or adjust your Ambient Sound Control settings. Enjoy hands-free voice control – simply activate your preferred digital assistant with just a tap or hotword. Voice prompts are even available in multiple languages! The headphones come with a whopping 50 hours of playback. Yes, 50. That’s 25 hours of listening time with Noise Cancelling technology engaged and a huge 50 hours with Bluetooth only.