Best of · Over-ear Headphones
Best over-ear headphones for noise cancelling
The over-ear headphones that score highest on the Versus leaderboard with the criteria that matter for noise cancelling.
Active noise cancellation uses microphones to detect ambient noise and produce inverted sound waves. The strongest ANC over-ear models cancel 25 to 30 decibels of low-frequency noise — engine drone on planes, train rumble, office HVAC. The picks below score highest on the headphone leaderboard and ship with at least one independent measurement confirming class-leading ANC.
What to look for
- Feed-forward + feed-back microphone array
- ≥30 hours battery with ANC on
- Adaptive ANC tied to environment
- Transparency mode for short conversations
Top 10 picks
97Points
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Wireless Headphones
From £471
94Points
Apple
Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
From £499
91Points
Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones (2nd Gen)
From £350
88Points
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Wireless Headphones
From £399
85Points
Sonos
Sonos Ace
From £299
82Points
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Noise Cancelling Headphones
From £350
79Points
Beats
Beats Studio Pro
From £199
76Points
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM6
From £329
75Points
Apple
AirPods Max 2
From £499
75Points
Apple
Apple AirPods Max
From £399