The best wireless noise-cancelling headphones
Tune out the world and create your own private audio oasis with these discrete earbuds and bold over-the-ear statements.
Wireless noise-cancelling headphones are an essential bit of kit for all frequent travellers. After all, who doesn’t want to replace the drone of plane engines – or dull daily train commute – with crisp, clear and undisturbed music?
Cordless noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds have taken great leaps in recent years too. Companion apps allow you to customise your listening experience beyond factory defaults, while boosted battery life now delivers more hours on a single charge.
So who makes the best noise-cancelling headphones? In the past, we’ve often looked to Apple, Bose, Sennhesier and Sony – a premium quartet delivering exceptional sound in in-ear and over-ear models.
However, there are fresh contenders worth adding to the list.
Generally speaking, and as much as marketing teams would likely disagree, most have the same core features, albeit with different names or approaches. This includes:
- voice activation and control, whether it’s through Google, Alexa or Siri
- adaptive or ‘active’ audio to automatically adjust the volume and EQ to fit your surroundings
- transparency mode, which briefly lets the outside noise in, such as when ordering a meal or drink from the cabin crew
Where they do differ, quite dramatically, is battery life – which can range from 4 to 10 hours for earbuds, and between 20 and 60 hours for over-the-ear models. Charging time, comfort and, of course, price vary wildly too.
Ready to upgrade an existing set of cans or go cord-free for the first time? Here are some of the best wireless noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds on the market.
- Apple Airpods Pro (second generation) earbuds
- Apple Airpods Max headphones
- Beats Studio Buds +
- Beats Studio Pro
- Bose Quiet Comfort II earbuds
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 earbuds
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones
- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones
- Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
- Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones
- Soundcore Space A40 earbuds
- Soundcore Space Q45 headphones
Apple Airpods Pro (second generation) earbuds
Following in the well-trodden design footsteps of the Apple Airpods earbud family, now in its third iteration, Airpods Pro is the only one to feature noise cancellation. This results in the best overall sound, with internal sensors and microphones continually adjusting output.
Aesthetically, the most notable difference to other Airpods is the addition of silicone tips, which form a seal around your ear cavity to block out external sound, with vents to equalise pressure.
Pairing is a breeze – a pop-up on your phone or Apple Watch asks if you’d like to connect once you open the charger lid. They also auto-switch between your laptop and iPhone when a call comes in, if the same Apple ID is signed in on both devices.
- Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on a charge, or up to 30 hours with multiple recharges in the MagSafe charging case. A five minute top-up can give you an extra hour
- Weight: 5.3 grams per earbud, 50.8 grams for the battery case
- RRP: $399
Apple Airpods Max headphones
For those who enjoy cocooning over-the-ear comfort when listening to music or watching television, Apple’s Airpods Max is the model for you.
Available in five colours, they feature a breathable mesh strap and stainless steel earcups, which are easily removable or replaceable. While slightly heavier than rivals, they’re not uncomfortable for extended listening.
Sound quality is among the best in class, however it comes at a premium, sitting around $300 above most of the competition. As with the Pro, pairing is quick and easy.
- Battery Life: Up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge, with a quick five minute charge giving you 1.5 hours
- Weight: 386 grams
- RRP: $899
Beats Studio Buds +
Available in black, silver, ivory, pink or transparent, Beats Studio Buds + is among the newest additions to the Beats by Dre family. And it’s a rather impressive addition at that, with excellent noise reduction for the price, deep bass and crisp highs.
Push button controls sit comfortably alongside Siri voice commands (an essential feature given Beats is part of the Apple family): a single press answers calls or plays music, double to skip, or triple press to go back a track.
On the downside, there’s no adjustable EQ – meaning a handful of presets are your only options for customising to your taste, and only if you use the iOS app. The Android version curiously lacks this feature.
- Battery Life: up to 36 hours listening time with the case
- Weight: 5 grams per earbud
- RRP: $269.95
Beats Studio Pro
Beats by Dre’s over ear headphones are the kind you see once and then spot absolutely everywhere you go: on the train, at the airport, or on someone strolling past you in the supermarket. The latest ubiquitous model? Studio Pro.
Among the notable differences from the Studio 3 Wireless are improved sound quality, a more durable design thanks to upgraded memory foam and stitch-free faux leather cups, plus the addition of USB-C charging.
Controls admittedly aren’t as refined as on some of its contemporaries, but they still deliver where it counts: quality noise cancellation and calling, with easy one-touch pairing for both Apple and Android. Apple users also benefit from spatial audio with head tracking.
- Battery Life: up to 40 hours listening time
- Weight: 260g
- RRP: $529.95
Bose Quiet Comfort II earbuds
Well known for its premium home audio systems and speakers, Bose brings that same quality to its line of headphones. The oval-shaped Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are stylish and well-made, while also being 30% smaller than their predecessor.
Capacitive control makes using the lightweight earbuds a breeze, with top-notch sound, voice calls and noise cancellation in most situations. That said, while they do what they’re designed for, they don’t really have any real knockout features either.
They’re also more expensive than both Apple and Sony, with not much to show for it. Battery life remains the same as Gen 1, though the case provides an extra charge cycle for six hours more listening time. Unlike many rivals, wireless charging is not yet supported.
- Battery Life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with case
- Weight: 6.24 grams per earbud
- RRP: $399.95
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The next-gen of Bose’s acclaimed QuietComfort series, the QuietComfort Ultra headphones live up to their name and pedigree, delivering clear and undisturbed listening no matter the situation.
Available in black and white smoke, they look great and are well-constructed with a mix of aluminium and faux leather. They’re also comfortable for an extended period, like on a long-haul flight.
A new touch-sensitive volume slider allows you to easily adjust tunes to your liking, while the Immersive Audio feature creates an impressive depth of sound that wraps around you.
- Battery Life: up to 24 hours
- Weight: 253 grams
- RRP: $645.95
Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 earbuds
Released in January, Bowers & Wilkins’ new Pi7 S2 earbuds sit at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. For your coin, you get a premium design and exceptional audio for music, with improved battery life and bluetooth range on the previous model.
Its big-ticket feature is wireless audio retransmission, allowing you to plug the case into external sources – think inflight entertainment or a gaming console – and listen via your earbuds. Two cables are provided for this: a type C cable, and USB-C to 3.5mm.
Much like the Px8, sound is exceptional when listening to your tunes: crisp and clear in all the right places, with the quality really shining when it’s turned up a little. In fact, we’d say it’s one of the best sounding earbuds on the market.
Battery Life: 5 hours in normal mode, and up to 21 using the charging case
Weight: 7 grams per earbud
RRP: $649
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones
British brand Bowers & Wilkins’ flagship Px8 headphones are a thing of beauty adorned in bright metal detailing and supple leather trims on the headband and cups. Far from style over substance, they match this aesthetic appeal with serious audio chops.
Tested on a recent Emirates A380 flight to Christchurch, we found sound quality and ANC among the best we’ve tried, delivering a feast for the ears. And they should too, given the brand’s reputation (and price tag). But, you do get a lot of bang for your buck.
Easy to set up via the B&W Music app, the 30-hour battery life is ideal for long distance travels, while phone calls are clear with no almost background noise. The quality and finish are amazing too. On the flip side, the app lags behind other brands with quite limited customisation.
The Px8 comes in either black or tan as standard, plus a special midnight blue 007 Edition, and McLaren Racing version in grey and papaya orange.
- Battery Life: 30 hours one one charge, with an additional seven hours listening from a 15 minute recharge
- Weight: 320 grams
- RRP: $1149
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
The fourth generation of Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless earbud range has arrived, and while it looks virtually identical to its predecessor, there are some key refinements worth talking about.
Available in black copper, metallic silver and graphite, the True Wireless 4 benefits from a Bluetooth boost, meaning greater range and stability, in addition to longer battery life and improved calls.
As you’d expect from Sennheiser, sound is crisp and precise out of the box. If you prefer to customise your tunes, the app allows extensive EQ adjustments, along with the ability to define zones where pre-set audio profiles kick in, such as at the office or gym.
- Battery Life: 7 hours with ANC on, up to 30 with charging case.
- Weight: 72.4 grams per earbud
- RRP: $499.95
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones
While similarly named to the earbuds, the newly-released Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are a very different beast. Fully redesigned from the retro Momentum 3, they now sport a more contemporary look, yet still with that distinct Sennheiser feel.
Battery life has seen a huge improvement on the previous model too, jumping from a respectable 17 hours up to a phenomenal 60 hours listening time. When you eventually do run out of juice, fast-charging can deliver an extra 6 hours in 10 minutes.
Controls are also simple and intuitive, with the addition of a touchpad – doing away with the three-button interface of old – on the right cup allowing you to make calls and control your music.
- Battery Life: Up to 60 hours listening time, 2 hours to full charge
- Weight: 293 grams
- RRP: $549.95
Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
A sharper-priced but still impressive alternative from Sennheiser is its Accentum Wireless range, which delivers up to 50 hours listening per charge and the ability to quickly charge for an additional five hours in just 10 minutes.
Rather than adjusting volume or skipping tracks through taps, Accentum features four physical buttons on its right earcup, reducing potential room for error. And if you want to adjust your listening, the Sennheiser companion app works for this model too.
Putting it through its paces on a flight to New York, we found the Accentum comfortable for an extended listening session, while aircraft noise was reduced to a bare minimum thanks to impressive noise cancelling for the price.
- Battery Life: 50 hours playtime
- Weight: 222 grams
- RRP: $299.95
Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds
Sony knows a thing or two about music on the go. In 1979, its original Walkman portable cassette player reinvented how we consume music. The WF-1000XM4 noise-cancelling earbuds expand on that legacy, even if the name isn’t quite as catchy.
The WF-1000XM4s deliver almost 8 hours with noise-cancelling switched on or up to 12 hours without it. If you pop the buds back into the case for a couple of quick recharges, you can enjoy up to 24 hours.
Available in black or silver, the XM4s are smaller and more ergonomic than the previous generation XM3s, with further improvements under the hood, such as slightly better microphones.
- Battery Life: 7 hours 45 mins with noise-cancelling on one charge, 24 hours with the case.
- Weight: 7.3 grams per earbud
- RRP: $349
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones
A successor to the brilliant WH-1000XM4, the WH-1000XM5 boasts a fresh design with markedly improved noise cancellation, additional microphones (eight, instead of the previous four) for clearer calls, and one of the best battery lifes in the market.
Although no longer top of the battery class, listeners can still enjoy up to 30 hours on a single charge. If you don’t have time for a full top-up, just three minutes of USB fast-charging can provide an additional 3 hours of listening time.
The design has seen a complete overhaul from the XM4, with a streamlined head strap giving them a somewhat retro flair. While audio has seen a marked improvement on the previous version, build quality does feel slightly less-premium this time around.
- Battery Life: Up to 30 hours on a single charge
- Weight: 250 grans
- RRP: $549
Soundcore Space A40 earbuds
Not everyone is an audiophile. But even so, you still want headphones that deliver on their noise cancelling promise. Soundcore’s Space A40 earbuds do just that – and the sound quality is actually a lot better than the lean price tag might suggest.
As with most earbuds these days, the A40 has three modes: noise cancelling, normal and transparent. By default, volume is adjusted with a single tap (left for up, right for down), or double tap to pause, though these controls are customisable in the app.
On a recent Virgin Australia flight, the noise cancellation was top-notch. The case supports both Qi wireless charging and USB-C cable, and earbuds can be paired to two devices simultaneously, with the transition between the two relatively smooth.
- Battery Life: 10 hours on a single charge, up to 50 using the charging case. Just 10 minutes on charge can give you 4 hours of listening time
- Weight: 4.9 grams per earbud
- RRP: $129.99
Soundcore Space Q45 headphones
As with its earbuds, Soundcore’s sharply-priced Space Q45 over-ear headphones are aimed at those who aren’t necessarily looking for the best sound quality on the market, but still want to drown out background noise. And on that, they nail the brief.
Adaptive audio adjusts levels to suit your surroundings, while the app allows you to adjust to five levels of noise cancellation. Based on our experience, background can seep in when you’re in a particularly noisy area, but it's rather minimal.
However, arguably the biggest talking point is the battery life: 50 hours with noise cancellation switched on (already considerably higher than many of its rivals) or a whopping 65 hours with normal listening. Given their affordability, that’s no small feat.
- Battery Life: 50 hours in noise cancelling mode, and up to 65 in normal.
- Weight: 292 grams
- RRP: $219.99
21 Jul 2018
Total posts 2
It’s too bad nobody does a wired noise cancelling earbud these days. I find over ear headphones to be uncomfortable and current wireless earbuds don’t have the battery life for a long haul flight. Long live the Bose QuietComfort 20, I’ll never understand why they discontinued them.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Mar 2017
Total posts 14
I couldn't agree more. I have been carefully looking after my QC 20's for the last year or two, hoping they survive.
Strangely Bose's Australian website shows the earbuds as just being temporarily out of stock:
https://www.bose.com.au/en_au/products/headphones/earbuds/quietcomfort-20-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones.html#v=qc20_samsung
... but its been like that for quite a while.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 971
I carry one or two pairs of AirPod Pros (1/2) on a long flight and Bose 20 for the wife.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 971
I should have added I have a cord that connects to the airpods so when they fall out of my ear, they don't go too far. I once saw a guy pull the whole business seat apart trying to recover his wife's airpod that fell out of her ear.
Qatar Privilage Club
31 Mar 2023
Total posts 7
So what's the verdict? Which are the best? I have the Bose over ear headphones and the Sony over ear headphones mentioned in this review.
In my opinion the Bose have better noise cancelling and are easier to connect and use, the Sony are more comfortable to wear.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Aug 2015
Total posts 47
Umm, heard of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 1 & 2 ? Both have active noise cancelling when it detects your voice so apple isn't the only one that does this.. Maybe include the 2nd biggest buds maker next time ?
My buds Pro 1 were great on my business flights SYD - LAX and lasted the flight. Bonus is the case can charge them in-between wearing.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jul 2014
Total posts 32
I have been using a set of the over the ear Korg NC-Q1 headphones for the last two years and on several long distance flights and – remembering that these things are subjective – they are the best headphones I have had on a flight ever, certainly better than the Sony's I had used previously. Korg is a music instrument manufacturer who designed these headphones for DJs and so the noise cancelling is extraordinarily good and which can be activated and deactivated simply by tapping the right ear piece so that I can hear the menu options when they are offered. They have every Bluetooth codec you need, they have a variety of EQ settings which can be tailored (but there are several presetsto choose from) and the sound quality is predictably excellent. https://www.korg.com/au/products/dj/nc_q1/index.php
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 31
Sony XM5s are in a class above all the others hands down
29 Mar 2017
Total posts 34
Beats Fit Pro is missing from the list. All the same Apple technology, with Siri, noise cancelling and spatial sound. Half the price of the AirPods Pro and much better looking, available in lots of cover. Not as good as some of the Sony over ear options of course but it my experience they’re fantastic, very comfortable and far easier to lug around. Highly recommend.
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