The Best Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones

You'll need the top noise-cancelling over-ear headphones for your needs, bluetooth over ear headphones noise cancelling whether you need to block out the hum of your HVAC system, or want to fight the sound of jet engine noises. The WH1000XM5s from Sony are the top of the line in active noise cancellation. Their predecessors were fantastic.

We've looked at the possibility of adjusting ANC and touch controls as well as on-ear ear detection for pausing music when your headphones are removed. Our top picks have high-quality audio and comfortable, spacious ear cups.

1. Sony WH-1000XM5

The fifth generation of Sony flagship headphones offers a significant upgrade over the previous generation, featuring enhanced quality of audio and noise cancellation. Its remarkable ANC creates a virtual cone over your head, blocking out the most shocking amount of low-frequency sound. The ear cups block out noises in the mid-treble range like chatter from passengers and creaking metal.

The WH-1000XM5s sound very natural, unlike other noise cancelling headsets that can sound hollow. They can reproduce the drums of Billie Eilish with astonishing detail, while keeping the edges clean and pristine. It's enjoyable listening to them on an extended flight or on a commute.

A capacitive touch-surface in the right ear cup handles the most common controls, including play/pause, volume up/down, and skip forwards/backwards. It can also stop and answer calls and switch between ANC mode and ambient sound. You can also press and hold the power key for several seconds to hear an indicator of how much battery life is left.

Another significant improvement to the XM5s is the new QN1 microphone, which is designed to capture high-quality audio while making podcasts and videos. The microphone is more sensitive than previous models and has a greater audio range that makes it easier for you to pick up your voice.

Other features from the XM4s are been transferred to the XM5, such as its adaptive ANC system that automatically optimizes performance based on the environment. Its "Wearing Detection is now able to detect when you take off the headset, and then pauses video or music, and restarts it as soon as you put them back on. It also works with Sony's DSEE Extreme engine, which claims to enhance compressed music to near-hi-res quality.

2. Sony WH-1000XM4