These are the best noise canceling audio devices

If you use public transit, ride in a less-than-social carpool, or telecommute in a noisy neighborhood, noise canceling earphones may be just the thing to help you focus.

The market is saturated with good products and in every price range, so where do you start? Here are some features to look for, styles to consider and the best brands in every price range.

Style

The first thing to consider is what type of earbud/earphone you want.

Over the ear – These are traditional earphones, where padded cups sit over the ear and have a strap that goes over the head. These are comfortable, typically have long battery life, usually have the option to also plug into a device. The cons are they are bulky to wear and are less portable due to their size.

Stem style – Wireless earbuds made popular by AirPods. These sit in the ear and have a stem that comes out. These are typically the easiest to take out of the ear, but the stems are noticeable.

Bud/IEM style – These wireless earbuds sit in the ear. Typically, bulkier than the stem style, they are also a bit more discreet as they sit in the ear canal and form a seal.

Features

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) – The earphones use external microphones to detect outside noise and soundwaves to counter it. The noise canceling level is typically set by the user and is constant. This is best for places where the outside noise does not change, like the office or home.

Adaptive Noise Cancellation – Similar to ANC except the device adjusts the cancellation level in real-time based on the changing environment. This style is ideal for environments where noise levels change, such as transit or walking down a busy street.

Passive Noise Cancellation (PNC) – These earbuds do not rely on microphones or electronics to dampen the noise but instead use the design of the device. This could be achieved through thick, padded earcups or the way the earbuds and ear tips seal the ear, allowing less noise to enter the ear canal. These are not true noise canceling earphones but can greatly reduce outside noise.

Transparency Mode – This mode uses the same microphones that block the noise to let some noise in. It is almost the opposite of noise canceling. This is ideal when the person wearing earbuds needs to hear their environment or hear people talking. They can be used in conjunction with noise canceling. The noise canceling can be turned on while riding transit but switched to transparency while walking on the street.

Other features to consider are touch vs. button controls, wireless charging and battery life.

Best Noise Canceling Earbuds – Regardless of price

For those wanting to spend the money to get the best mix of noise canceling technology and sound quality, two brands jump out, Sony and Bose. Both make high-end earbuds and earphones that are universally praised by Reviewers from Audiophileon.com, CNET.com and YouTube audio reviewers like Gamesky or Flossy Carter.

For earbuds it is the Sony WF-1000XM5 (or XM5 for short) and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra that get the highest praise. There is less consensus in the world of over-the-ear headphones but Sony’s WF-1000XM6 or XM5 consistently get high marks as do Bose products. Be prepared, the earbuds are all around $300, while headphones run $250-$500.

Sony also makes an XM4 in both earbuds and headphones. These are still high quality but will save you some money compared to the higher end counterparts.

For those who are fully emersed in the Apple ecosystem, you have an iPhone, iPad and/or Mac, the AirPod Pros may be the way to go.  The pros have better sound than previous versions of the iPods and integrate well with Apple devices.

Apple also bought the Beats brand of earphones, and the Beats Studio Buds are a great alternative to the AirPods for less than $200.

You don’t have to break the bank to get good noise canceling products.

Less than $200

Less than $100

Less than $50

Currently, a lot of budget audio companies offer products that rank favorably with the bigger brands. Companies such as Soundcore, Earfun and SoundPEATS offer great products at budget prices.