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Tom's Guide
10-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: Which noise-cancelling headphones win?
Bowers & Wilkins went back to the drawing board with the Px7 S3, creating a new pair of headphones from the ground up. The result is a pair of headphones with good battery life, solid ANC, and stunning sound quality. The ANC kings remain a solid option for those looking for a new pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They're very comfortable and feature the best noise cancelling of just about anything. Battery life leaves something to be desired, but not enough to be a deal-breaker. Bose has long been the class leader for ANC, with the QuietComfort Ultra headphones dominating our best noise-cancelling headphones list for some time. The algorithm that Bose uses is simply the very best that you'll find just about anywhere, and it more than justifies their higher price. But the cans fall apart slightly when you look at other specs, like battery life and sound. That's where the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 step up to the plate. B&W's latest headphones pack in a stunning design, excellent build quality, and some of the best sound you've ever heard. While they've yet to see a US release date, the Px7 S3 might be a better pair of headphones than the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in the long run — so let's see how the sets of cans stack up against each other. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Price £399 / AU$599 $429 / £449 / AU$645 Colors Canvas white; anthracite black; indigo blue Lunar Blue; Deep Plum; White Smoke; Black Size Not specified Not specified Weight 10 ounces 8.8 ounces Battery life (rated) Up to 30 hours Up to 24 hours Connectivity Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD support Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC, aptX HD support support Special features ANC, pass-through audio mode, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable sound, quick charge, Spatial Audio, Bluetooth LE, audio hand-off ANC, Immersive Audio, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable EQ, quick charge This is going to depend on where you are in the world. If you live outside of the U.K., the Px7 S3 are a much better deal than the QuietComfort Ultra. The B&W cans will set you back £399, as opposed to the £449 of the Bose. They're both available on and stock is fairly regular. The Bose are older and have seen discounts, but they are rarer than we'd hope. Unlike the equivalent Sony option, the WH-1000XM5, there haven't been as many discounts. Still, if you're in the U.K., the B&W cans are the better buy. There's a different story in America. Here, you'll find the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $429, and… no price tag for the Px7 S3 while Bowers & Wilkins work out post-tariff pricing. I'm hoping things are as opportune as the U.K., but that remains to be seen. Alas for the B&W cans, the Bose option is available in both markets to buy — and thus they take this round early on. Thanks to their metal hinge design and sublime finishes, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones look suitably worth their loftier price tag. I really like them. There are color options galore, from a diamond colorway to navy blue. Unfortunately, the build quality isn't quite there though: They rattle a bit too much for my liking, and when placed in their protective case, the left earcup can become pinched. As a result, my review unit has an unfortunate mark on the cushion. They're not built poorly, but you'd hope for more for the price. Despite the single color all over approach, the Px7 S3 have some lovely texture variation to catch the fingers and the eyes, and their shaping is far more interesting than the Bose. There's an air of luxury in the way that the Bowers & Wilkins look, and it extends to the build — they feel great in hand, and don't rattle, no matter how much you might wiggle them around. The hinge is sturdy, the headband creak-less, and the earcups feel lovely. Both are very comfortable, but I found the slightly firmer foam of the B&W meant I could wear them for longer than the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. The carrying cases are comparable as well — B&W's feel nicer with no fake leather and a nice textured finish, but both are protective. The Px7 S3 case won't pinch any earcups either. Despite the Bose's folding abilities, both cases take up about the same amount of space in a backpack. In the end, the design and build of the B&W cans take the cake. Spoiler alert! If you've got all physical controls, you dominate in this field. The Px7 S3 features physical controls, so you can already imagine where this one is going to go. The buttons on the Bowers & Wilkins are small and clicky, but easy to make out thanks to textured surfaces. They're split over the two earcups, with the right housing the power and ANC controls, and the left containing the playback and volume control. Thanks to those physical controls, I've found no accidental pauses, skipping, or ANC toggling. The Bose have a mixture of physical and touch controls, the latter of which is super interesting — but it doesn't work all that well. The 'multi-function' and power buttons are both on the right earcup, joined by a touch-sensitive slider control… thing. The Bose have a mixture of physical and touch controls, the latter of which is super interesting — but it doesn't work all that well. This is what you'll use for the volume — and little else. You swipe up for more volume and down to decrease the noise. Playback is controlled with the 'multi-function button.' This needs multiple presses or a hold to control playing, pausing, and the ANC — and that's annoying. A multi-press is one thing, but one button for almost everything is almost as annoying as accidental button presses with an overly sensitive touch panel. The volume slider is annoying too – sometimes you'll increase the volume too much without meaning to, or decrease it beyond the desired spot. It's very imprecise, which is not great. As you might imagine, the B&W cans beat the Bose option here. Bose has never had sound quality at the top of the list, but the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones still sound pretty good. A great deal of attention has been paid to the sonic capabilities of the cans, and, as a result, they're some of the best-sounding headphones that Bose has ever made. There's some excellent bass on offer, although it does have a habit of becoming unruly. Detail is good, and the dynamics are fun, giving you a very solid-sounding pair of headphones. But… the Bowers & Wilkins blow them out of the water. They're more controlled, more detailed, more spacious, and far more mature in the sonic presentation. They're a masterwork for the price, packing in sound that is only rivalled by headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more. The Bose don't sound bad — but they don't sound anywhere near as good as the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. Both headphones offer very similar feature sets, and you'll not be wanting for anything with either: Both have multiple ANC modes like transparency, although only the B&W can turn it completely 'off.' On the Spatial Audio front, the Bose packs in Bose's own 'Immersive Audio' feature, which uses some fancy wizardry to make your music sound bigger. Some love it, and some hate it — I'm closer to the latter category rather than the former. The B&W will have a spatial audio component, although it's coming in a future update so I don't know how good it is yet. B&W tell me it's all about making the sound feel like it's coming from a pair of stereo speakers in front of you, which sounds intriguing — but I'll reserve judgment for when I've actually heard it. Both the Bose and the B&W apps are easy to use and helpful, although the latter does connect to your favorite streaming services for a very cool feature if you've invested in other B&W devices. You can hand off music to WiFi-connected speakers from your headphones and vice versa so that the music doesn't stop — it's fun, and works well. The Bowers & Wilkins are also going to get Auracast in the future, which is something that the Bose option doesn't have. Overall, I'm going to call this one a tie — mostly because I can't try the biggest features of the Px7 S3 quite yet. This section doesn't need to be very long — if you want the best ANC, buy the QuietComfort Ultra headphones. The noise cancelling is like magic, blocking out every ounce of noise even when music isn't playing. The lack of any external noise is almost eerie, but it makes them the best ANC headphones you can buy right now. It would be nice if you could turn it off, of course, so that you could increase the paltry battery life (I'll get to you later), but it's still incredibly impressive. That's not to say the Px7 S3 noise cancellation is bad, far from it – it's just not on the same level as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. Still, at least you can turn it off when you've blocked out the sound of that baby at the back of the bus. The battery life available in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones is fine, but not great. They fall well below our expected minimum 30 hours with only 24 hours of staying power on tap. That's better than the likes of the AirPods Max, but nowhere near as good as the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. The B&W feature 30 hours of battery, in line with our expectations for noise-cancelling headphones in 2025. You can even extend that if you turn the ANC off, something you can't do with the Bose headphones. That's six hours more — and my testing showed that I might even be able to get them to last longer, depending on volume level with ANC on. Charging stats are in Bowers & Wilkins' favor as well. A 15-minute charge boosts them up to 7 hours of life, while the same time plugged in for the Bose only nets you another 2 hours of use. To fully charge the headphones you're looking at 2.5 hours with the B&W, but 3 for the Bose. Bose's battery life simply doesn't match up — the Px7 S3 win this round. First things first — the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 aren't yet available in the U.S., making the Bose the winners overall by default. But, the moment the B&W are available in the U.S., they'll take the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to school, and take all their lunch money. And their shoes. The Px7 S3 are just a better pair of headphones all around — they're built much better, with no rattles and creaks, and they don't get pinched when you put them in their excellent carrying case. Their sound is the very best around, and their battery life completely outmatches the staying power of the Bose. If you want ANC, you're better off with the Bose, of course. But you'd be missing out on one of the best headphones around, which block plenty of noise without completely silencing the entirety of the rest of the world. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra are a good pair of headphones, but the Px7 are just better. I'm just hoping they aren't dead on arrival, thanks to a massive price hike the moment they hit U.S. shores. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Price and value (5) 4 3 Design (15) 15 14 Controls (10) 9 5 Sound quality (25) 25 20 Active noise cancellation (20) 19 20 Call quality (10) 8 9 Connectivity (5) 5 5 Battery life (10) 7 5 Total Score (100) 92 81
Tom's Guide
09-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I've used the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for 6 months — here's what I like and don't like
With the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, Bose created a pair of headphones that block out everything, without it being uncomfortable (like the AirPods Max) or compromised by gizmos (Sony WH-1000XM5). It just works. The best noise-canceling headphones have since had a permanent place in my backpack whenever I leave the house to go and do like, anything. But then a different pair of headphones came along that usurped them as my primary travel cans — the new Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. Which got me thinking: Is there more to life than really really, ridiculously good noise canceling, and has my opinion of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones changed since I started using them 6 months ago? The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best ANC headphones that you can buy — if you're interested in noise canceling. Sound is good, and comfort is exemplary. 24 hours of battery isn't quite good enough though, unfortunately. The Bose QC Ultra allow for silence. Eerie, immersive, all-encompassing silence. With a simple orchestral swell, the ANC initiates and blocks out the noise of just about everything, giving you a permanently blank sonic canvas onto which your music can paint its very own watercolor. It's as good as the day I first slipped the headphones onto my head — and every time it wows. I love it! It's great! But, since I first experienced it, I've found some… problems. The ANC remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity. It's great that it's there, but sometimes I'd like to turn it off. And I don't just mean transparency, or a lowered level with a name ('Immersive' in this case), I mean off. So that the algorithm isn't fiddling with the frequencies in my music, or playing havoc with the battery life. Off. Yet, alas, there is no way for the ANC or its other modes to be turned off. It remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. There's one thing I'll never lament for whenever I slip the QuietComfort Ultra headphones over my head — and that's their effortless, all-day fit. They are light, they are well cushioned, and feature a very well judged clamping force. As a result I've been able to wear them for hours and hours at a time, only taking them off to go for what is supposed to be my half-hourly leg stretch. They're easily some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, out-comforting the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the AirPods Max. Speaking of battery life, it remains substandard. 24 hours wasn't enough when they were released in 2024, and it's certainly not enough now in 2025. Now I am still of the opinion that you don't need days upon days of battery life. I think 30 hours reaches the perfect sweet spot for decent staying power, with plenty for most journeys. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, while better than the Apple AirPods Max, do not reach this milestone of battery life. You can't even extend it because, as I said earlier, you can't turn the ANC off. Instead, you can only make it worse by activating other features. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the very few that I've ever been caught short with battery life-wise — and that's annoying. I am not a great lover of many spatial audio formats, and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are no different. Occasionally over my months of on-the-road testing, I've re-attempted the 'Immersive Audio' feature of the cans, and every time it's fallen flat. As with so many spatial audio implementations that don't use the Dolby Atmos standard, it uses a custom algorithm to make your music sound 'bigger.' That means using only what was already in the mix, and I find that it only serves to make things sound thinner rather than more immersive. The battery trade-off really isn't worth it — 18 hours instead of the 24 you usually have on tap. Spatial audio might be here to stay, but I am yet to find a version that actually makes sense to me. I can't say that the QuietComfort Ultra headphones are built badly, because they're not. They feature some lovely metal accents in the hinges, and their plastic parts feel good. But over my six months of fairly heavy use, I've found some build issues. When I put them in the case, for example, I've found that the left earcup cushion gets squeezed, and it's left a funny divot in the foam. Shake them and they rattle like a bag of bolts — something that can't be said of similarly priced headphones. As other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can't heap praise on the Bose. I've not had any issues with the synthetic leather Bose has used to cover the foam on the earcups and the headband, but it does feel slightly thin. I am very careful with my headphones — they go straight into their case when I'm not using them — but the pleather feels thin enough that I'm slightly concerned with its longevity. They're built about the same as the Sony WH-1000XM5; which is to say fine. But as other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can't heap praise on the Bose. Bose has never been known for class-leading sound, and while the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones marked a big step up for the brand, they're still not exemplary. Don't get me wrong, they sound pretty good in a vacuum, with solid frequency representation across the board, but there are better-sounding headphones for the same money. The highs are detailed and crisp — the sharp cymbals of Opeth's §6 are clear, and there's plenty of plonk to piano notes in Menahem Pressler's Deux Arabesques recording. The mids are well defined for guitars and vocals, with loads of lovely acoustic body to enjoy in Allegaeon's Refraction. But the bass is a bit too much. It's 'big' and fairly uncontrolled. It has a habit of running rampant, like a bull in a china shop. I call the presentation a 'wall of bass'. Loads of listeners will like it, although I'd wager a comparison with something that highlights the sonic shortcomings will quickly demonstrate the problem. Touch controls: My mortal headphones nemesis. When I first used the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, I found touch controls that I didn't think would annoy me — until they did. The touch implementation on the cans is a kind of touch slider thing for the volume. In theory, it works well — swipe up for more volume, and down for less. Simple. Until it accidentally boosts the volume to ear-destroying levels, or quiet enough that it wouldn't wake a sleeping mouse. All playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button. Then there's the physical controls — all playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button. Multiple presses activate skip, play, and pause, while holding it down cycles the noise-canceling functions. Time has only hardened me to the control method of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones controls. I don't like them. It might seem like I don't actually like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — that's not true. I still really like them and their all-conquering ANC, but my extended time with them has revealed more and more chinks in their shiny, shiny armor. While the ANC is excellent, I wish it could be turned off to extend the battery life. The battery life itself needs to be better, and the build isn't quite up to scratch. The spatial audio setting doesn't do it for me, and the controls are annoying. The final nail in the 'into the pile you go' coffin is the sound quality. I just value sound too much for the 'wall of bass' not to create a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I come off the back of something that sounds better. They're still a great pair of headphones — if you want the best ANC, there really is nothing better. But I've had an affair. A blue one. With Bowers and Wilkins written on the earcups. They peek at me from within their textured carry case, their imminent style and presence tempting. A flash of physical controls, a glimpse of some thick, plush comfort foam. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and I have been seeing each other for the last few weeks, and they've managed to slip into my heart like little else. Their ANC might not reach the same level as the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but they're even more comfortable, and they sound so good. At the moment, the Px7 S3's are only available in the UK — Bowers & Wilkins is waiting to see how the tariff situation plays out — but should be coming to the U.S. in a few weeks. So now I have something new to accompany me on my travels. I'm sorry, QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, it's not you, it's me — and I am not immune to something newer and shinier. I'm sorry.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for 2025
Whether you need to focus in the office or want to be immersed in your favorite song, noise-canceling headphones can drown out the distractions. With so many models on the market, finding the perfect pair of headphones with active noise cancellation, or ANC, can be daunting. Luckily, I've tested these types of headphones for 15 years to find the best models across a range of prices. Most of these are over-ear headphones, but there are true wireless earbuds, a great pair for folks on a budget, and more options as well. We've done the research and we've got a handy rundown for you. It's not easy to select one model of noise-canceling headphones as the best overall, given how many great options we have. But some do stand out from the pack. These include the likes of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, as well as the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Sony's WF-1000XM5 earbuds are also top-notch. Moreover, I recently added the Sonos Ace as a top high-end pick, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus as a top midrange pick and the Earfun Wave Pro for people on a budget. Regardless, they all have a few things in common: excellent ambient noise-muffling, a comfortable fit, good sound quality and strong voice-calling performance. Those are the key factors I evaluate when determining which products end up on this list. Pricing also comes into play, especially for value picks. Fun colors can earn some points, too. I've fully reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all the products on this best noise-canceling headphones list. If you're just looking for the best budget noise-canceling headphone picks, check out our best noise-canceling headphones under $100 list. We also have a list of best noise-canceling true wireless earbuds for those just looking for top noise-canceling earbuds. I'll be sure to update this list as I test more models in 2025. Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new ANC headphones. The quality of value-priced noise canceling headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable headphones for less than $100. But the premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $200 or more -- sometimes much more. It's key that the headphones you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit that's snug yet not too snug. Ideally, you want headphones you can wear over the course of a day with minimal breaks. You want headphones that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality. You want the best-sounding headphones with the best noise-canceling, call quality, and features for whatever you're able to spend. It's critical to buy your headphones at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer's remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one. We test noise-canceling headphones and earbuds based on six key criteria. These criteria include design, sound quality, noise-canceling performance, voice-calling performance, features and value. Design: Evaluating design, we assess not only how comfortable the headphones and earbuds fit (their ergonomics) but their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. When it comes to earbuds, we also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings. Sound quality: We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment. Noise-canceling performance: We evaluate noise-canceling performance by wearing the headphones in the same spot indoors near a noisy HVAC unit to see how well they do at muffling lower frequencies. Then we head out to the streets of New York to test the headphones in a real-world environment where we see how they do at muffling not only street noise but people's voices. Extra features: Some great-sounding noise-canceling headphones and earbuds aren't loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from quick-access awareness to transparency modes (your music pauses and the headphones open up to the outside world so you can have a conversation) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears. We also take a look at the companion app for the headphones if there is one and how user friendly it is. Voice-calling: When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the headphones or earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear our voice. Value: We determine value after evaluating the strength of the headphones and earbuds against all these criteria and what they're able to deliver compared to other models in their price class. Google Pixel Buds Pro: The Pixel Buds Pro are Google's first earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it's nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a while, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and makes them worth considering -- particularly for Android users -- is their distinct design and winning fit. That helps enhance their performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. While not quite elite for voice-calling, they also performed well as a headset for making calls. Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro review. Soundcore by Anker Space One: Available in three color options, the Soundcore Space One are Anker's latest noise-canceling headphones and a good value for around $100, offering a strong feature set along with good sound quality and performance. They can't quite compete sound-wise with many of the premium noise-canceling models, but you don't feel like you're giving up that much on the sound front to save a good deal of money. They lack a bit of that natural, refined quality you look for in a great set of cans, but the Space Ones sound respectable, with decent clarity and bass definition and measure up well to the more expensive Soundcore Space 45. Noise-canceling and voice-calling performance are also good for headphones in this price range, though the transparency mode is only OK. Anker has developed a version of Sony's Speak-to-Chat feature -- Anker calls it Easy Chat -- that automatically pauses your music and enters a transparency mode when you walk up to someone and start a conversation. The headphones are equipped with wear-detection sensors, a feature not usually found at this price, and include a carrying pouch. LDAC audio codec support is available for Android users. Shure Aonic 50: A lot of us liked Shure's original Aonic 50 headphones, but they had pretty middling noise cancellation. Well, the 2nd-gen version addresses that issue -- the noise canceling is much improved -- and Shure has more than doubled the the battery life to around 45 hours (they now have a quick-charge feature) and also shrunk the headphone's carry case a bit, though it's still not that compact. Those upgrades make the Aonic 50 Gen 2 a top noise-canceling headphone. While the Aonic 50 Gen 2s are pretty heavy at 334 grams, they're built sturdily and are also comfortable to wear, with nicely padded ear cups. They feature excellent sound quality with very good clarity and well-defined bass. Shure call them a "studio headphone," so the sound profile is fairly neutral, but you can add more bass in the EQ settings in Shure's companion app for iOS and Android (engaging the Spatializer setting in the app expands the soundstage slightly but doesn't make a big difference). Mark Levinson No. 5909: The No. 5909 are premium audio brand Mark Levinson's first headphones and, yes, they're really expensive at $999. But they're also really good. They have a sturdy design without managing to feel hefty on your head (read: they're substantial but not too heavy) and they're comfortable to wear over long periods thanks to their nicely padded (and replaceable) leather-covered earcups and headband. Read our Mark Levinson No. 5909 hands-on. Focal Bathys: French audio company Focal is known for its high-end speaker systems and headphones. You might call it the Bowers & Wilkins of France. And now it's finally done what a lot of high-end audio companies have had to do in this age of on-the-go wireless music listening: make active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. These $699 cans sound fantastic and are great overall but their noise-canceling is fairly light, so don't buy them for their ANC. Master & Dynamic MW09: Master & Dynamic headphones and earbuds have always featured unique, eye-catching designs that include premium materials like aluminum, sapphire glass and Kevlar. Its latest MW09 flagship earbuds look pretty similar to its earlier MW08 buds, but have some upgrades on the inside that deliver better performance, particularly when it comes to battery life and noise canceling (it's now very close to what Bose and Sony offer, though not quite at their level for ANC). Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise canceling along with very good sound and voice-calling performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you're a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. That said, their biggest upgrade may be their new design and smaller size, which make them a better fit for more ears. Aside from their somewhat high price tag, their only drawback is that some of their key features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices. Beats Studio Buds Plus: Alas, for those of you who bought the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market for now, I'm sorry to report that these new Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance. Beats Fit Pro: While the Beats Fit Pro technically aren't AirPods, they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds and 2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple's H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted. Technics EAH-A800: There's a bit of an old-school vibe to the Technics EAH-A800 -- and it's not just the Technics brand, which Panasonic resurrected in the last few years. Their design is something of a throwback but the headphones are comfortable and both fold up and fold flat. They feature a big, energetic sound with powerful bass and good detail (however, they take a day or two to break in). Technics EAH-AZ80: Panasonic has done a nice job of creating an all-around top-performing set of buds that offer an improved fit with terrific sound, good noise canceling and a robust feature set. A few years ago, you had to pay significantly more money for active noise-cancelling headphones. But the feature has become pretty common and while the best noise-cancelling headphones (by that I mean the headphones that offer the best noise canceling) tend to be fairly expensive, you can find cheaper models that offer decent noise cancellation. I do think that if noise canceling is important to you, it's better to spend more money on the best pair of noise-cancelling headphones you can afford. And it's worth noting that many of the premium models get discounted sporadically during the year so you can often save $50 or more on many top headphones if you time your purchase right. Either spelling is correct, as "canceling" is more common in American English while "cancelling" is more common in British English. CNET uses "noise canceling" since the company is based in the US, but the noise is canceled just the same, regardless of spelling. If you're looking to see what different noise-impacting technology is out there for headphones, check out our article on noise-canceling versus noise-isolating headphones, which highlights differences in function (and not just a difference in spelling). Noise-cancelling headphones have traditionally been good at blocking out lower frequency sounds such as the rumbling you hear while traveling on a plane. They haven't been so good at muffling higher frequencies (a baby screaming, for example) and even people talking around you. But companies like Bose, Sony and Apple have improved the technology in the last year or two so their noise canceling works across a wider frequency range with a greater frequency response. It still can't muffle all noise but top noise canceling is now doing a better job tamping down more noises that live in midrange and higher frequencies. When noise canceling is engaged, it does tend to have an impact on battery life. This is more of a factor with earbuds, which tend to offer anywhere from five to eight hours of battery life with noise canceling on and seven to 12 hours with it off. Full-size headphones can offer 25 to 30 hours of battery life with noise canceling on and up to 40 to 50 hours with it off. Active noise cancellation does have an adverse effect on sound quality, especially if the noise canceling isn't all that good (noise canceling can create a faint background hiss). It can mess with the purity of the sound quality so it's tricky to create a noise-canceling headphone that sounds really good. As a result, often high-end noise-canceling headphones that tout fantastic sound quality don't have as powerful noise canceling (the noise canceling feels lighter). Yes, you can use both audio features at the same time. While you won't need special headphones to play Dolby Atmos -- just a Dolby Atmos-enabled device and audio -- noise cancelling headphones can add an even more space, clarity, and depth to your audio experience that rivals the surround sound experienced in a home theater system. Some noise-cancelling headphones are at least water-resistant, with IP ratings of around IPX4. However, many over- and on-ear noise-cancelling headphones are not waterproof, as is expected for their model (most over- and on-ear headphones are not waterproof). If you're looking for noise-cancelling headphones to use in the rain, we recommend looking at earbuds rather than headphones, like the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Apple AirPods, or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
