Active Noise Cancellation is one of the most sought-after features in headphones in 2023. Not only is it invaluable in work-from-home or study-from-home situations, but it is also very useful during travel or working in a noisy environment. Noise Cancellation has evolved considerably and companies are leveraging AI to further boost its efficacy. The best noise-cancelling headphones often come with a dedicated chip that helps boost the can’s ANC capabilities. Multi-microphone setups are also common and this helps improve the ANC quality even further. This is because ANC works by picking up environmental sounds and producing equal and opposite waves to ‘cancel’ them out. So, the more sound captured by the mics, the better it is cancelled out. We have tested numerous ANC headphones at the Digit Test Labs and the absolute best one is the Sony WH-1000XM5. It has unparalleled Active Noise Cancellation alongside good sound, impressive battery life, and a gamut of features. The Bose QuietComfort 45 is a close second with its excellent NC abilities. For iOS users, the AirPods Max makes the most sense because of its exceptional compatibility with Apple products. Other great options include the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Shure AONIC 50.
- 1.
- Exceptional Active Noise Cancellation, Supremely comfortable, LDAC codec support, Great battery life, Convenient features like Multipoint and Quick Attention
- Slightly boosted bass and low mids, Less portable than before, No IP rating
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- 3.
- Balanced and crisp sound, Classy design, Incredible battery life, aptX and aptX adaptive support
- Doesn’t fold up, ANC doesn’t match some competitors, No IP rating
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Dhriti Datta
Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. View Full Profile
