Active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones use an 'active' combination of hardware (microphones) and firmware to make external sounds or noises sound quieter when you’re listening to your favourite music or podcasts.
Unlike passive noise isolation, which simply muffles those sounds by forming a seal around your ear with headphone ear cups or within your ear canal with in-ear tips, active noise cancellation listens out for background sounds and uses clever audio trickery to “cancel” these potentially disruptive sounds out. For a more in-depth explanation see ANC explained.
The best noise-cancelling headphones in Australia should have you covered for all forms of public transport, as anyone who's worn a pair on a flight or a train commute to and from work will tell you. ANC headphones have gone from strength-to-strength over the past couple of years, with many models improving their audio performances compared to predecessors, as well as incorporating the latest features such as Spatial Audio and 360 Reality Audio.
The pick of models below represent the greatest ANC headphones across all form factors, including over-ear and in-ear. Over-ear headphones often have superior noise-cancelling performance, as the earcups form a seal around the ears. Although in-ear buds are becoming increasingly more effective – not least because of the fact they fill the ear canal – and are a lot more portable.
Scroll down to find the best noise-cancelling headphones in Australia we've tested that are right for your needs and budget.
Top 3 best noise-cancelling headphones
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The best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy right now
Best ANC over-ear headphones
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best ANC headphones overall. As the replacement for the Bose 700, the company has raised the bar yet again for active noise-cancelling headphones, effectively silencing the outside world around you. The new model throws in Immersive Audio tech and plenty of extras including Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connectivity, aptX Adaptive support, and touch volume control. This all comes in an all-new modern and lightweight design that's comfortable enough to be worn for hours.
There are multiple levels of noise cancellation to balance the level of quiet with Aware mode (transparency) to suit your surroundings. Battery life has been extended to give up to 24 hours, while changes made to the controls and design make usability more practical and seamless. While the Bose 700 headphones are a great alternative option to consider (and can regularly be found discounted in early best headphone deals), the QC Ultra raise the game and are as close to perfect as you’re going to get in the noise-cancelling headphones category.
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review.
How's this for an ANC headphones bargain: great sound, a modern and flexible design, ample features, a useful app, a full set of accessories and the best battery life in its class, all for AU$299 RRP? That's the Cleer Enduro ANC, currently the #1 spot taker on our best cheap wireless headphones list.
The Enduro ANC aren't without their foibles — there's a fair bit of wind noise in ANC mode, and they are seemingly made with smaller ears in mind — but there's no arguing about the incredible value for money. Cleer's noise-cancelling headphones are particularly good for travellers, as we got 50 hours and 15 minutes of ANC playback time form a single charge in our testing.
This puts them firmly at the head of the pack, and is a statement figure we think makes the other sacrifices worthwhile.
Read our full Cleer Enduro ANC review.
Sony has been steadily closing the noise-cancelling gap on Bose, and the new Sony WH-1000XM5 comes closer than ever to beating its rival in terms of ANC performance. This pair of XM5 headphones gets two processors, controlling eight microphones, where the XM4 predecessor model (still on sale and regularly discounted) had just one processor controlling four. The result of this upgrade in our testing is near-seamless ANC. But the Sony's overall quality would make the XM5 our #1 option even if that weren't the case.
Audio quality is superb, the 30-hour battery life (with ANC) is excellent and everything from the touch controls to the ability to tweak the EQ via the Sony Headphones Connect app is well thought out and seamlessly integrated. Call quality has also been improved greatly and there's really nothing to criticise here beyond the slightly bland styling (in our opinion, anyway) and the AU$100 price increase over the XM4.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review.
Although the revamped design of Sennheiser's fourth generation Momentum Wireless headphones doesn't stand out quite like their classic-looking predecessor, the 60-hour battery life is a real crowd pleaser and makes this pair the one to beat. Add in the easy-going Sennheiser sound and effective noise cancelling, and the Momentum 4 are one of the most practical pairs of wireless headphones we've seen, perfectly built for a life on the road where regular charging could prove difficult.
Sennheiser's smooth and enjoyable house sound handles a wide range of music content, from pounding beats to more mellow tunes with aplomb. It has Bluetooth 5.2 and aptX Adaptive support, and there's a supplied 3.5mm cable for audiophile wired connections. ANC performance is effective, and auto Wind Noise Reduction is very impressive when stood on a windy train platform on daily work commutes.
Read our full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review.
The Soundcore Space One boasts a variety of premium features, including adaptive active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec support, customizable sound, multipoint technology, and some of the strongest quick charging out there. Lengthy playtimes, personalized listening modes, and safe volume settings add to the lengthy list of features.
Our reviewer found that the Space One had deep bass, but felt that Anker had tweaked the sound profile to balance mids and highs, and that listening with ANC on upticks the low end. Complementing Space One’s dynamic sound quality is adaptive ANC that can be personalized and used in different ways. There is Adaptive Noise Canceling for adjusting performance to your surrounding noise levels or Customize Noise Canceling for setting noise neutralization to 1 of 5 levels. These are a great budget option available in jet black, latte cream and sky blue colourways.
Read the full Anker Soundcore Space One review.
Expensive they most certainly are, but despite the high price, there is much to love about Apple's first foray into over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. The noise-cancellation on offer only has one level (compared to the adjustable level seen on other pairs) but it works like a charm. These cans do a great job of blocking out ambient sounds, especially at the lower end of the frequency spectrum. In fact, we'd say it’s almost as good as Bose’s ANC, which is a fine showing for Apple’s first pair of over-ears.
It's not just with noise-cancellation that the AirPods Max excel with, but they sound great too, especially with the surround-sound spatial audio feature switched on. And of course, in typical Apple fashion, the design standard and build quality of the AirPods Max is so high you can almost forget that these headphones cost AU$899.
That’s a lot more than the Sony and Bose headphones higher up the list, so yes, this is a luxury purchase, but can very much be a worthwhile one.
See our full Apple AirPods Max review.
As the more affordable Bose noise-cancelling option, the QuietComfort Headphones were quietly ushered in to replace the QC45 in October 2023. The new version looks similar and boasts many of the same hallmarks including companion app support with personalization, excellent active noise cancellation, and great comfort.
While we loved the strong always-on noise-cancelling performance of the QC45 which was highly effective at blocking out close to 90% of unwanted sounds, QC Headphones wearers get the same effective level of noise cancellation but can now customize ANC performance by creating multiple modes with set noise control levels. You can also enable the Wind Block feature to increase wind resistance when ANC is on. Along with an uptick in sound quality, battery life has also been given a boost. A full charge generates 24 hours of ANC playtime, which is only 2 hours more than the QC45, but greatly appreciated.
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Headphones review.
Although not the strongest noise cancelling out there, the Focal Bathys offer ingenious versatility: they're superb, high-performance headphones that are perfectly suited to critical audiophile listening at home, while also being practical and conveniently wireless to enable owners to enjoy them on the go. The price may initially seem high, but when you weigh up flagship features like Focal’s dynamic drivers, integrated DAC with full hi-res audio support, and top-tier audio performance, $699 feels like something of a bargain.
The combination of Focal’s M-dome speaker drivers and support for Hi-Res Audio ensures the Bathys sound spectacular. Recordings were deeply layered during our listening sessions, giving instruments plenty of room to breathe, and the onboard DAC is awesome for uncompressed 24-bit sound when connected to lossless sources such as Apple Music and Tidal. Fidelity is increased and there’s a greater degree of tightness in the delivery.
Read the full Focal Bathys review.
The Sonos Ace are the company's first pair of noise-cancelling headphones. While I've been impressed by their sound and ANC performance, what sees them rank here is their impressive spatial audio support. Sonos has been a strong supporter of spatial audio content, and its Era 300 is one of the few speakers I've encountered that maximizes the listening experience.
The Sonos Ace headphones support Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio content, meaning that they're compatible with spatial audio mixes on the best music streaming services. They are an excellent-sounding model and have accurate Dolby head tracking to help you make the most of the immersive listening experience. Even with spatial audio turned off, these headphones produce a wide, spacious sound that's more involving than most. The bass is nicely extended, and voices have some of the best clarity we've heard from a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Read the full Sonos Ace review.
Like the Cleer Enduro ANC (above), Anker's Soundcore Space Q45 are quite the bargain with a remarkable set of features and effective ANC performance. They offer remarkable battery life, quality ANC, and superb sound powered by upmarket specs and special features. Sound quality has a liveliness that pulls listeners to the front row of the performance of whatever music they're listening to. The sonic soundstage is wide and immersive, and has a ramped up low end, rich mids and crisp highs.
Anker engineered the Space Q45 with a versatile Ambient Sound mode that features dual settings for both Noise Cancellation and Transparency. And they all work well when used in proper situations. These headphones are not without some flaws, it must be said, but nevertheless they have compelling sound and noise neutralisation for half the price of Bose and Sony’s flagship models and are well worth tracking down.
Read the full Anker Soundcore Space Q45 review.
Best ANC earbuds
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are top of the best noise-cancelling earbuds list for their outstanding ANC capabilities. They perform even better than the original QC Earbuds (that are still available) and are a remarkable follow-up that delivers better sound, great call quality, and unrivalled ANC. Proprietary technologies like ActiveSense and CustomTune balance sound and noise neutralisation extremely well.
Bose’s redesign also makes these buds less of an eyesore compared to the original, and only the high price and mediocre battery life count against them. CustomTune automatically calibrates ANC and the sound frequency profile to the unique properties of your ear and optimal performance that's right for you. Sadly, there's no wireless audio codec support for aptX or LDAC.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review.
Apple's next-gen AirPods Pro 2 have arrived, bringing significant upgrades to the popular original to take performance to the next level. Externally, they look pretty similar to the first generation but battery life has been increased to offer 6 hours on a single charge from the earbuds and a further 30 hours from the wireless charging case. Not only are the earbuds IPX4-rated, but now too is the case itself.
Naturally, they're designed with iPhone owners in mind, particularly those looking for a more tailored listening experience (for those who are happy with Apple sound without all the bells and whistles, the AirPods 3 make a fine alternative).
On the audio front, Apple has included a new H2 chip with custom amp and driver that delivers better lower and higher frequencies, and you can use the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create a personalised spatial audio sound to listen to some of the best Dolby Atmos sound in any pair of earbuds. Noise cancellation is double what the last pair of AirPods Pro offered, and it is among the best we’ve yet to see, period.
Read the full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds had incredibly big shoes to fill, as the previous XM4 were long considered one of best pairs of earbuds money could buy. Fortunately, the XM5 offer improvements across the board. They're smaller and lighter, yet offer a much stronger performance. Their sound is perhaps the most dynamic and engaging we've yet heard, and noise-cancellation is on par with that of the Bose and Apple pairs above.
We would have liked to have seen an improvement in battery life, but considering they've shrunk a fair amount, the fact Sony has managed to keep it the same is still commendable. You also get LDAC support for higher-quality music, adaptive listening model, support for Google and Alexa voice assistants and a high level of EQ customisation. Call quality has thankfully improved, too.
It was never going to be an easy feat, but the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are by far the best Sony has ever produced.
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review.
Samsung’s ANC holds its own against the category best and blocks out close to 90% of ambient noise. The updated design also provides improved comfort and noise isolation. Each earbud houses three mics to block out external sounds at the highest level and soften wind presence, which the mic array does extremely well in combination with the wind shield.
It’s disappointing to see Samsung’s noise-cancelling models provide short ANC playtime. Sound alone makes the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro worth the investment, though, giving you a high quality audio experience and compelling 3D sound with precise head tracking. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a stellar option to consider and have excellent mic quality for calls too.
Read our full Samsung Buds 2 Pro review.
How to choose the best noise-cancelling headphones for you
The first item to check off the list when shopping for the best noise-cancelling headphones is active noise cancellation, which shouldn’t be confused with passive noise cancellation. What are the differences?
Active vs. passive noise cancellation: ANC uses advanced circuitry and microphones to pick up noise signals and create inverse waves that cancel out these sonic disruptions, whereas PNC physically isolates high-pitched sounds through the headphone design and materials. Most headphones advertised with noise cancellation are categorised under ANC.
Battery life: Noise-cancelling headphones have a reputation for sucking up lots of power, so you’ll want a pair that holds a charge long enough to get you through a long business flight or weekly commutes. Thanks to the arrival of Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless over-ear headphones, battery life standards have increased up to 60 hours, although more typical figures are anywhere between 15 to 30 hours. Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds are usually rated for 4.5 to 8 hours.
Sound quality: ANC technology can compress sound and reduce dynamics, which may affect audio performance when turned on. In some cases, you’ll notice a background hiss when listening to music. However, there are noise-cancelling headphones out there that limit these disruptions to deliver full, crisp sound.
Design: The look, build and feel of a pair of headphones is massively important when selecting the best noise-cancelling headphones, so consider how it looks and feels and whether the style is right for you. The type of headphone is also important when it comes to the most effective noise cancelling models. Over-ear headphones tend to give the best noise cancellation, though some of the more recent wireless on-ear and in-ear models are proving to be just as effective.
Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best noise-cancelling headphones. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a pair of headphones the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn't always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won't do you much good if you're constantly needing to recharge your audio gear, or the sound quality is poor.
As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favourite models are being discounted by online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our best headphone deals page to keep track on the latest price drops.
How we test the best noise-cancelling headphones
We've judged the best noise-cancelling headphones on several factors: audio performance, battery life, Bluetooth range, call quality, comfort and fit, and the effectiveness of the noise cancellation. We also weigh up special features, such as included apps, and how easy they are to use.
During the testing phase, our reviewers wear each pair of headphones for 2 hours at a time throughout the course of a week, to test comfort over time.
ANC, meanwhile, is tested in both indoor and outdoor environments where ambient sounds are produced at high levels. This includes airplanes, city parks, convenience shops, offices, and public transportation. ANC headphones programmed with transparency modes are also tested thoroughly to determine how well the listener can hear their surroundings.
For sound quality, we listen to many different sample tracks and span as many music genres as possible, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you.
And now that more streaming music services are offering high-resolution audio, be sure to read our audio codec FAQ for all you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s and everything in between.
Once we complete our testing, we rate headphones based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). If a product hits nearly every mark, it’s awarded an Editor's Choice badge.
Contributions from: Alex Bracetti, Simon Lucas
More: Find out how we test for more information on our reviewing procedures.
Next: We're maintaining a separate list of the best noise-cancelling earbuds as well as the best over-ear headphones.
Plus: Many ANC headphones can even help you get a better night's sleep by blocking out disruptive sounds while you're getting some shut-eye.
