How Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones Can Make Your Music Sound Amazing

Whether you're on the go or at home, noise cancelling headphones can make your music sound fantastic. There are a variety of options available including heavyweights for long-time listening like Bose to Apple's premium AirPods Max.

Considerations when shopping for headphones with noise cancellation over the ear include: comfort, sound quality, active noise cancellation and battery life. We recommend checking if the headphones support high-quality audio codes such as aptX or AAC.

Comfort

If you intend to listen for long periods of time the comfort of your ears is a key consideration. You'll want headphones that are light and comfortable to wear around your ears. Find models that have soft padding and adjustable headbands, so you can adjust the headphones to your preferences. The earcups should be adequately sealed to block any sound leakage and ambient noise.

Generally speaking, over-ear headphones are more comfortable than in-ear noise cancellation headphones. However, there are occasions where earbuds are more useful for use in the field, such as on-the-go audio or fitness apps. Wireless earbuds are a great option for these scenarios, as they offer a perfect balance of comfort and performance.

In addition to comfort, you should pay attention to the audio codecs your headphones use. Apt-X and LDAC are high-performance Bluetooth headset codecs, which provide CD-like audio quality. They work with many Android phones, and some Apple devices - but not the iPhone. Apple's AAC codec, which is proprietary to Apple isn't as good. It's best to stay clear of it.

Apart from the excellent sound quality active noise cancellation is a key benefit of premium headphones. These technologies use speakers and microphones to detect external sounds and produce opposing sounds to block them out, leading to a quieter listening environment. This technology is found in some of the best headphones, including our top picks.

The Sony WH-1000XM5s are the top choice for wireless noise cancelling headphones due to their impressive audio performance, exceptional comfort and a variety of other features that make the headphones ideal for frequent travelers. They block out unwanted sounds, from the whoosh and rumble of the air conditioner on your airplane seat to the train and subway rumbles during your commute. They have unique features like Quick Attention mode that pauses ambient audio and music when you are talking or needing to hear what is going on around you.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 headphones are among the most expensive items on our list. They're also among the most impressively-designed. These headphones are made with genuine leather around the ear and feature push buttons instead of touch controls to facilitate operation. These headphones are not comfortable to wear for the entire day, but they do have an impressive audio system with a great bass, a deep midrange, and crystal-clear highs. In our testing they did well in a variety of situations, but trains' noise was noticeable at higher volumes, and the cymbals did become slightly harsh at high volume.

Sound Quality

Noise cancelling headphones don't have to block out the world around them but they also have to be able to reproduce music with high quality. The quality of sound produced by any headphone depends on the design of the headphones and the software that runs the headphones. Due to their larger drivers, headphones with over-ears offer better audio quality than models with on-ears. This allows for greater air movement, producing a richer and more immersive headphones.

On-ear headphones can deliver excellent audio if they're well-designed and equipped with the correct software and drivers for sound. They're not going to provide the same fullness as headphones with over-ears.

If you want to get the most value out of your headphones then look into buying a pair that has high-quality audio codes, such as AAC and aptX. These codecs guarantee that the audio isn't compressed, and can be transmitted via Bluetooth at higher rates than earlier versions.

The Bose QC 45 headphones are an excellent choice for the majority of users, with excellent audio quality and an ergonomic design. The Bose QC 45 headphones are a good choice for most people with a high-quality sound and a comfortable design. The switch lets you modify the amount of outside noise you hear. This is useful if you want to tune back in without having to remove your headphones or turn off your music.

Another option is the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, which feature superb noise cancellation and superb audio reproduction. In fact, they're the best headphones that we've tested so far. They have many advantages they can deliver stunningly clear voices and block out any external noise, and are packed with features like Quick Attention mode, voice assistant integration and DSEE Extreme upscaling.

They're not the most portable option, with their large ear cups and bulky dimensions making them unsuitable for traveling or storing in bags. They also require a power cord which can cause problems in certain situations. Despite these drawbacks, the WH-1000XM5 headphones are an excellent pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones that allow you to concentrate in noisy offices or take a quiet break on a plane ride.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones let you focus on the music without distraction when listening to music, podcasts, on a plane, train or at home. While there are a variety of headphones that block out background noise, the top headphones feature active noise cancellation capabilities which make them stand out from the rest.

Active noise cancelling is a method of sampling ambient sounds using mics that are tiny and wireless noise cancelling headphones built-in, creating the sound wave opposite to the original sound - effectively cancelling it out. It's not perfect but it should be close enough to make your music the only sound you hear. It is ideal to be able to turn down' the noise cancellation when you wish to hear the sounds around you.

A great headphone must also provide passive isolation. This means it must be well-fitted and create a tight seal around your ears. This means either earbuds which snugly fit into your ears, or a pair of headphones which completely enclose your ear. Over-ear headphones that are loose can cause discomfort and allow in plenty of noise.

The most effective headphones are usually comfortable to wear and feature good passive insulation. They'll also have an option that allows you to quickly tune back into the sounds of your surroundings. This is a great feature in noisy transport, where hearing the audible noise of the train or the voices of your colleagues will be crucial for safety reasons.

The most reliable headphones will feature features that attract audiophiles. It could be additional features like touch controls or high-quality audio codecs, or it could be a more sleek and more attractive design.

The best headphones are expensive however, you can find a top-quality set for less if you shop around. Monoprice's BT600ANC headphones have great ANC sound quality for a fraction of the price of Bose or Sony's flagship models. They're not as good in removing lower-frequency background noise as some of the other models on this list and don't come with the option of hearing through for when you need to speak to someone, but they still offer compelling audio quality for the price.

Battery Life

The active noise control circuitry of most headphones requires power. It is usually supplied by a battery that has to be recharged or replaced on a regular basis. This can increase the overall weight, size and cost of the headphone. It may also cause headphones to produce high-frequency hiss and other audio irregularities that are not heard by other listeners, but could be distracting for certain.

Noise-cancelling headphones are ideal for enhancing your listening experience traveling on an airplane, in the commute or in the office. They're also good for isolating you from the noise of your home like the whir of your HVAC system or your neighbor's lawn mower. You can use headphones to help you rest or meditate.

Bose, Sony and Sennheiser offer a variety of styles in noise-cancelling headphones that can be worn over-ear. Target has a variety of brands with features such as hands-free, Bluetooth and around-ear. You can also select from a range of comfort levels, color options and price points.

Some of the most recent models have improved audio quality, noise cancellation and battery longevity in comparison to their predecessors. Bose's QC 700 headphones, for instance, are 30percent smaller and lighter and look far more ergonomic when worn, but still provide the same ANC performance as their previous counterparts. Other improvements include a more refined sound signature, a quicker focus mode, a smart voice activated with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and DSEE Extreme scaling.

Another pair of highly rated over ear headphones with noise cancelling-ear noise cancelling headphones is the Sony WH-1000XM5s that boast a remarkable battery life and superb audio quality that earned them a top position in our ratings. They sport a classy design and are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and fold into a compact case which fits into the majority of bags. They have a number of useful extras including ambient noise control as well as Speak to Chat and Quick Attention mode and wear detection.

The WH950NB are a value pair of headphones made by Edifier that compete well against more expensive models from the big brands. They are comfortable and come with a long battery life (you can use them for an entire week without having to recharge them) and fold flat for easy transport.