The Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds of 2025

This article is the Audiophile On buyer’s guide for the best noise-canceling earbuds of 2025. We list our favorite models and recommend a range of products for all budgets.

Of courseif it's a full-size over-ear set of noise-cancelling cans you are after, we keep updating our list of the best ANC headphones so feel free to check that out and decide what is best for your needs. This article will solely focus on wireless earbuds/earphones.

In 2025I think we have reached a turning point for ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) in wireless earbudsthey are so good and are becoming a part of many people’s daily lives. The quality has finally caught up with the conceptand we now have solid options for everyoneregardless of their budget.

Quick Recommendations

The quality of noise-canceling earbuds was inferior for a longlong timeand as a resultwe were hesitant to recommend anyone buying them. Yesthey did reduce external noise… a little bitbut the experience was nothing as you get in a full-size set of headphones.

The sound quality was also absolutely terrible.  Skip forward a few years to todayand things are very different. There are more than a few solid options for in-ear noise-cancelingand we would like to advise you as to which ones you should consider buying.  We have created this list of the best models to help you make an informed choice before purchasing.

1. Apple Airpods Pro 3

Why We Like It:

For the first time ever on my list of the best noise-canceling earbudsSony has been dethroned. Even as someone who just switched away from iPhone to Vivo after almost 10 yearsI still bought the new Airpods Pro 3. Why would I do such a thing if Android users can’t get the full feature set due to incompatibilities in operating systemsyou ask? Wellfor me it’s easyI fly a lotI tested the Airpods Pro 3 and quickly realised this is absolutely unmatched in terms of its ability to cancel noise.

Nowif you are an iPhone userit’s obviously a no-brainer. The new Airpods haven’t just improved on ANC performancebut they have added lots of new features like a more ergonomic fita built-in heart rate monitoradaptive microphonessoundand batteryas well as Find My with an even longer range. There is no denying them anymore; they are what I would consider the gold standard.

Howeverim sure not everyone using a non-Apple device will be happy to lose some of the functionality they are used toso that's why the other best noise-canceling headphones are listed below. Yet if it is pure speed of processing and the highest amount of noise reduction you are looking forthen the Airpods should very much be top of your list.

2. Sony WF-1000XM5

Why We Like It:

People waited long for Sony to release the WF-1000XM5but it seems that wait was worth it because it takes the crown as the current best noise-canceling earbud in 2025.

The build from the strong platform that was the XM4 made the housing smaller and more comfortable. They also increased the battery life while decreasing charge times. (nowjust a 3-minute quick charge provides a full hour of playback)

It’s not all about ANCbut it is class-leadingand when combined with the great work Sony has done on the tuning to make them sound greatit feels like the XM5 is a long way ahead of the competition. The only drawback would be that it is a fairly expensive earphone butin my opinionworth itespecially if you do a lot of traveling and commuting.

3. Sony WF-1000XM4

Why We Like It:

It has taken years and three generations of the Sony 1000 series earbuds to finally win our recommendation. Previous iterations were plagued with issues and relatively poor sound qualitybut the new WF-1000XM4 has raised the bar for what you should expect in a noise-canceling true wireless earbud.

There are two key areas where Sony has started to dominate the market. First is the sound quality. The WF1000XM4 sounds fantastic and has seriously raised the bar within the category.

They stay true to the Sony house soundhighlighting excellent bass and sub-bass response and slightly warm but smooth mids. They work well with every type of musicand clarity and detail retrieval was far above average for an ANC headphone.

The second area of improvement is in the ANC technology. The WF-100XM4 has extreme noise cancelingand they are as close as we have gotten to full-size headphone performance in this form factor.

We also liked that they utilized the excellent Sony headphone appwhich lets you balance the earphones to the atmospheric pressure and select their ambient and pass-through sound modes.

4. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Why We Like It:

These Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II finally put Bose back in the running of the best noise-canceling earbuds. They had been missing from previous lists because their previous models were underwhelming.

Having been such a prestigious leading company in the ANC headphone spacethey couldn’t nail down the aesthetic or ergonomic designand we watched Sony and others pull away.

The QuietComfort II does two things remarkably well. It fixes the issues with the physical design of the earbuds and also brings the quality of the noise cancelation on par with other class-leading earphones.

The noise-canceling technology is top of the linewith one of the closest experiences you can get to using Bose's full-size headphones.  There is no pressure built upon thesewhich is something cheaper earbuds suffer fromand as a resultthey don’t sound as drawn out or hollow.

They are comfortablemeaning you can wear them for hours without distraction or irritation. They were easy to put inand the company provides plenty of ear tip options to ensure you get a tight and full seal.

Price-wisethey are at the top end of the spectrum but hard to beat when you consider how well they perform; the only thing I didn’t like was the Bose logo felt proportionally incorrect and dominated the earphones aesthetic when in the ears.

5. SOundcore Liberty 4 by Anker

Why We Like It:

Make no mistake about this. Price means nothing right nowand we test headphones on performance. When I tell you that these earphones are to be considered by big names like SonyBoseand Appleyou could save a lot of money.

Todayif I were to buy any True Wireless earbuds for their noise cancelationit would be the Liberty 4 from Soundcore. This company values headphones like no other and has proven serious about the space. The Liberty 4 is the flagship; it looksfeelsand performs premium.

In our teststhe noise cancelation was better than both Sony and Boseand they were more comfortable than Sony and Bose. They are the best-looking of the Liberty 4 and are the most tech-packedwith a heart rate sensordual driversand spatial audio.

The sound is on par with Apple and just behind Sonywith a fun and engaging presentation of the music with great bass.

The best thing is they cost less than half of the big-name brands. Please don’t let the names fool you when you buy a Bose or a Sony; you pay a lot toward their marketing budget. Anker doesn’t spend anywhere near as much on marketingso they can offer their headphones at a lower price.

6. Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9

Why We Like It:

Audio Technica is one of the best-known headphone companies in the world. They were highly regarded for their ATH-M40x and ATH-M50x headphonesbringing great sound and quality to consumers in an affordable package.

The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 is not cheapbut I thought they were worth including on the list because they are one of the most comfortabletruly wireless earbuds I have used. They are also technically the best sounding from an audiophile perspective due to the balanced and uncolored sound.

These can be an excellent choice if you struggle to get a good fit and don’t want to go the Airpod Pro route.

Noise-canceling was on Sony’s leveland it was easy to get fit.

Battery life and price are drawbacks. The claimed 6 hours of playback was a joke (we got 4.5 hours in one of our tests) and was why it didn’t place higher on the list.

7. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ

Why We Like It:

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ earphones are the company’s first true wireless modelwhich can block out noise.  It's a redesign that set them apart from their original wired models that were isolating earbuds. That’s perfect because our review praised them for their outstanding comfort. 

While they certainly aren’t inexpensiveB&O headphones don’t usually come cheapso their price point was to be expected due to the luxury position of the brand. Howeverdon't let that deter youas the Beoplay EQ has fantastic build quality. They function perfectly and use only high-quality materialsso there are no complaints.

The EQs are comfortable and very well built and do a goodif not greatjob of reducing background noiseand we liked that they consistently performed to the 20-hour claimed battery life every time we used them. 

8. Jabra Elite 85T

Why We Like It:

There's nothing fancy about the Jabra 85t; they just work and work really well. I would categorize their flagship as right alongside the Bose Earbuds in terms of overall performance but they do outperform them in call quality if that's something that interests you.

The design is very ergonomically friendly and they were one of the most comfortable earphones on the test. The Noise-canceling was extremely strong and they only lost out to the Sony models while managing to tie the Bose in the amount of ambient sound being removed.

9. Beats Studio Buds plus

Why We Like It:

Faced with stiff competition in the past few yearshaving wasted time with many poor releases and losing their once-dominant market shareBeats made a big comeback with their Studio Buds in 2022but then the latest refresh really took things to a new level. Especially in terms of ANC performance with a new chip inside.

These are funbassy earphones that work excellent with EDM and rap music. They come in various colors to fit your and the features align with other IEMs at this price. The ANC firmly blocks out lots of external noise.

The pairing was instant every time we pulled them out of the caseand they had the most robust performance in terms of Bluetooth range in our testing.

Read our full review of the Beats Studio Buds Plus here.

10. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

Why We Like It:

I never got on with the Sennheiser Momentum earbud line despite them having a bit of a cult following. I just felt thatwhile well builtthey were too bulky and didn’t perform at the same level as the Sony or Beats offerings. That's all changed now that I spent the past few weeks testing the True Wireless 4. Finallyit seems the company has managed to take this classy concept and implement it the way it was meant to have been originally. How that took four generations is beyond mebut we are here nowand if you can find them for sale under $250I think they are a strong option.

The housing has been shrank down to make them more comfortable and the more flowing ergonomic curves mean that we don’t suffer from heat spots during long term use. I found the sound to be excellent and one of the few in ear headphones that can correctly portray a sense of width and depth in the music which was incredibly pleasing to listen to on live recordings.

Top that off with some classy color optionsgreat build quality and a premium charging case and wie finally have ourselves a winner from one of the biggest brands in the headphone game.

11. Nothing Ear 3

Why We Like It:

Nothing has been really hit or miss with their products recentlybut you certainly can’t knock them for trying to differentiate themselves in a very saturated tech space. The Nothing Phone 3 was rightly an abysmal flop and really disappointed fansyet their CMF and Nothing-branded line of audio products continue to impress.

The newly released Nothing Ear 3 looks like nothing elsea tech nerd’s wet dream with transparency and easter eggs all over. They stand out and come in two color options. The noise cancelling is very goodsitting just behind the Sonys on this listbut at a fraction of the price. Howeverthe standout feature is the super mic they built into the case. It’s a stronger and better noise-reducing microphone that you hold up to your mouth and press to talk in loud environmentsensuring your voice is louder and clearer. Genius.

As for the sound? I love them. In my testingI was impressed to see a non-suppressed upper midrangewhich makes them feel far more airy and open than regular consumer-grade earphone tuning. The bass is still impactfulthoughand there is no overextension in the trebleso I never found them intrusively hot-sounding.

Overallthis is the earphone to get if you use Android and want to stand out from the pack of generic-looking IEMs.

Noise-Cancelling Earbuds vs. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

I won't beat around the bush.  When you put these two categories of headphones against each otherI will always advise you to go for the full-size headphones if your priority is the absolute strongest noise cancelation. 

Full-size headphones have more spaceso manufacturers can fit all the required technology to make a great-sounding set of headphones. ANC headphones still strongly outperform earphones. Earphones are good nowbut there is a limit to their effectiveness.

That saidthe gap is getting closerand for many peoplea set of full-size headphones is not always practical. These tend to be big and bulkyand even the new Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM5 are far more cumbersome to use and carry than a nice small set of earbuds.

Earbuds and earphones offer the convenience of being ultra-portable and are also far more discrete. They are also much better suited if you are active or into sports. It’s easy to run and be active with a set of earbuds inand they tend to be less likely to get in the way when working out.

Feature-wisethese headphones and earphones are surprisingly becoming very competitive. Both can feature touch controlscall microphonesand dedicated buttons for digital assistants like Siri or Google. Both can also come with partner applications from the Apple or Play storesgiving even more control over the functionality.

What are noise-canceling earbudsand how do they work?

Noise-canceling earbuds are very different from noise-isolating earphones.  Many people get confused about thisso let’s take a little time to explain the differences.

Noise-isolating uses nothing other than isolating the physical materials and design to set the user apart from a noisy environment.

Let’s look at earbuds vs. earphones to illustrate this point further.

Noise-isolating vs Noise-canceling

If we take the original Apple Airpods as an exampleyou will notice that these sit in your outer ear. There are no ear tipsand nothing is inserted into your ear canal. It is very poor at isolating you from your environment because the sound can easily get past the earbuds and get directly to your eardrum.

vs Noise-isolating earphones

Now compare that to the next step up. The earphone is noise-isolating. The terms earphone and earbud are now often interchangeablebut in the traditional senseit was considered that the earphone would have silicone or foam tips that you inserted deep into your ear canal to create a seal.

This did two things. Firstit helped correctly pressurize the ear and improved sound quality. Secondit created a barrier to sound entering the inner ear. It didn’t completely remove the outside noisebut it effectively reduced it.

Full Noise Canceling earbuds

Noise-canceling Earbuds take a completely different approach to reducing external noise and employ active noise cancelation technology (ANC)which effectively “cancels out” external noise.  Combined with good sound-isolating base constructionthis can be potent and great for use when outside noise can be bothersome.  

What is ANC (Active Noise Cancelation)?

The process of how noise cancelation works is simple in theory but complicated in practice. If interestedread our more advanced article on how noise-canceling headphones work. But if you want to get the gist of sciencehere is a simple explanation.

Your earphones record the sound in the environment through the microphones mounted on the unit and playback the same sound out through your earphones but in an inverted waveform that will counter the original signal. 

I'm sure you learned about waves canceling each other out at school. If notimagine drawing a wavy line on a piece of paper.  Thendraw that same line while using a mirror as a reference.  These waves have the same shape but are oppositewhere up is down and down is up. 

When these two are played simultaneouslythey cancel each other out and create a flat line. Sound is waves (i.e.sound waves) that play two exactly opposing waves the sameand they also cancel each other outthus leaving you with the beautiful sound of silence.

What sounds will ANC Earbuds cancel out?

When buying noise-canceling headphones or earphonesmy biggest complaint is that people still hear external noise. That is true; even the best noise-canceling earbuds cannot eliminate all external noise. 

The sound being canceled usually needs to be a constant tone or at least one that is less spontaneous. The great thing about this is that you can still hear someone shout or a car horn going off when you cross the road at the wrong timebut you won't hear the constant drone of the traffic. 

Generally speakingearbuds work best when flying or commuting on public transportation as the low-level hum of engines is effectively canceled by ANC. It can also be very effective in offices and open spaces where there is a level of persistent background noise.

Where is the best place to use noise-canceling earbuds?

To get the most out of noise-canceling earphonesyou will have to use them in the right scenario.  Getting a set of ANC earphones is pointless if you intend to sit in a quiet room and listen to your music. For thatI could name you 1000 times better-sounding earphones for a fraction of the price. 

You will want to use noise-cancelling headphones when there is a lot of external background noise to get their benefits. 

Situationswhere they work greatare flying on an airplane (cancels the engine noise)commuting (will dampen rail noise)and office spaces (will significantly reduce or eliminate the volume of others working around you. 

Noise-Cancelling Earphones vs. Regular Earphones

This is perhaps the biggest question on everyone's mind.  Is it worth it? 

I will be straight up with you and say it is worth itbut only when you need noise cancellation as a priority. 

There will always be better regular earphones in almost every other scenarioi.e.Sound QualityBuildComfortand price.  That saidI love my noise-canceling earphonesand when out of the houseit's a no-brainer to have them with meespecially when flying.

If you do a lot of travelI recommend using noise-canceling earbuds. I always feel less tired when I use them on the go.