A great pair of headphones is an essential part of gear for any traveler. Noise canceling headphones are even better so that you can drown out those loud hums and screeches that one so often encounters on airplanes and public transportation. This ultimate headphone travel guide aims to help you find the perfect pair to take on your next trip.
Contents
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Pros
- Best headphones system with noise cancellation in the market
- Good audio quality
- Comfortable
- Long duration battery
Cons
- It does not support aptX codec
Technical characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | 101 dB | 236 gr |
Bose has been a pioneer in sound for more than 50 years. Its quality is indisputable, and since its founding in Massachusetts in 1964, Bose has not stopped innovating and producing some of the best headphones on the market. Lately, it has achieved a very efficient noise-canceling headphone system. Maybe it’s a bit of self-promotion, but Bose has decribed the Bose Quiet Confort 35 II model as the best available in the segment of wireless Bluetooth headset and noise cancellation.
Design:
Bose has hardly changed its design with respect to the previous version of QuietComfort 35. It is both luxurious and attractive, as we are accustomed to seeing with Bose products. As for the isolation of noise, it is the crème de la crème and one of the best headphones on the market. Not for nothing does it incorporate both noise reduction systems, both passive noise isolation (through its soft and padded headphones) and active and dynamic noise cancellation technology.
Materials
these wireless noise-canceling headphones are made of impact-resistant materials, stainless steel, nylon plastic, and fiberglass. They have a luxury design, quality details, and are available in both silver and black. They also use Alcantara, which is high-quality material used in luxury vehicles and yachts. The padding that covers the ears is made of a soft silicone rubber covered with a high-quality synthetic leather.
These headphones have a luxurious and attractive appearance, but the plastic material takes away some of the glamor. Thanks to padding in key places of the headband and the material that covers our ears, these headphones are very comfortable.
Controls
The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II continues the same simple line of its controls. In the right earphone, it integrates the on / off and Bluetooth buttons, volume control, playback, and smart button with which we can invoke our virtual assistant. In the left handset, we find the great innovation of the Bose QC35 II: a button to invoke the Google assistant. The device can be synchronized through Bluetooth 4.1 or NFC. You can also connect more than one device to the same handset or a device to two headphones.
Battery
Excellent. Provides 20 continuous hours of battery power with Bluetooth and noise cancellation systems turned on. In case you use them with the Bluetooth system turned off and noise cancellation on, the battery can last 40 hours. It should be noted that if the battery runs out you can still use the headphones connected by cable, which some models of other brands do not allow. It also features a fast charging system that allows you to use it for two and a half hours with just 15 minutes of charging.
Sound
Excellent. The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II has the best performance in the middle and high frequencies, while in the low frequencies they do not have as much presence as in other music helmets, although they are perceived very clear. In general, the sound is very good, with good sharpness and definition.
Bose includes several technologies of audio settings in which we find Active EQ, which helps to find a certain balance depending on the musical genre we listen to as well as avoiding certain distortions. The TriPort acoustic technology, on the other hand, improves the audio and produces more effective noise cancellation by means of acoustics of the structure of the headphones. Finally, we should highlight the DSP correction of the QuierComfort35 II, which is that these Bose headphones incorporate microprocessors that limit the noise and distortions of digital compression, causing the bass frequencies to have greater amplitude and not dissipate. We have to say that Bose’s active noise cancellation features are some of the best on the market.
The Bose Quiet Confort 35 II noise-canceling headphones include a cable for connection through a 3.5mm connector. If we were to run out of battery power, we would have a plan B, a detail that is much appreciated.
Conclusion
These Bose headphones boast one of the best active cancellation features on the market. Only the Sony WH-1000XM2 can match it. The sound quality, simplicity, and comfort of the QC35 II make these earphones a favorite of travelers. They may seem a bit expensive, but the Bose QC35 II is an outstanding product.
Sony WH-1000XM2
Pros
- Excellent sound quality Comfortable
- Long-lasting battery
- High-quality design
Cons
- It can be uncomfortable to get used to touch controls.
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 103 dB | 277 gr |
Sony, another legendary brand, produced this high-quality product for the market of wireless headphones with noise cancellation features. They are one of the best headphones for listening to music and the only one that stands up to the Bose QC 35 II in terms of active noise cancellation.
Design
Spectacular. Sony’s anti-noise headphones have a premium finish, with smooth, two-tone surfaces (in shades of dark gray with black or beige with white). Very fancy.
The padded parts are made of synthetic leather and keep the smooth finish without folds. These noise-canceling headphones can be folded for easy storage in a carry-on bag or in a travel bag. They weigh 277 grams. Its padded finish allows you to use it comfortably for hours.
It has a 1.5m cable that can be used by coupling it to a 3.5mm mini jack-type connector as soon as the device runs out of power. The cable is covered in silver, and the mini jack connector comes gold-plated.
Sound
High Quality. The sound quality of these Sony headphones is very good and similar to the high-end Bose models. Moreover, you can notice small differences in favor of Sony in terms of the attenuation produced by the dynamic sound cancellation system. This results in sounds that are less pressurized and therefore slightly more natural in Sony WH 1000 XM2 noise-canceling headphones.
The 40mm diaphragm responsible for reproducing the sounds in the headphones is made of thin sheets of synthetic material LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) covered with aluminum. It allows deep bass and covers a high frequency range up to 40,000 Hz.
This model features an improved noise cancellation response of the low frequencies of the vehicles and the medium and high frequencies of the voices compared with its previous model. In addition, Sony includes Hi-Res and S-Master HX high-resolution audio technology in these headphones to reduce distortion.
Another improvement with respect to the previous model is found in the Bluetooth connectivity. These headphones are compatible with the aptX codec. This high-quality Bluetooth format allows you to play audio files with a bit depth of 24 / bit / 48Hz with minimum signal delay. DSEE HX and LADC:
Another of Sony’s key technologies for achieving excellent sound quality is the DSEE HX (Digital Sound Enhancement Technology) that restores the high-range sounds that are lost when compressing music in MP3, ACC, ATRAC, and WMA formats.
Sony has taken great pains to achieve the best possible sound quality to overcome the limitations of Bluetooth audio transmission. For this, it uses its LADC technology that increases the data transmission volume to 990Kbps, which maintains the maximum bit depth at a frequency of 96Hz / 24 bit.
Controls
The Sony WH 1000XM2 incorporates some new features that will give you a lot of play as the touch control for playback functions or to activate the quick talk mode. This mode allows you to hear external sound when you cover and keep your hand on the right earphone.
A small button on the left earphone activates the environmental listening mode that eliminates noise cancellation and allows you to listen to the environment, which is very useful if you want to hear announcements of flights at the airport or be alert to traffic.
Battery
Long duration. The battery of the Sony WH 1000XM2 will last approximately 30 hours for continuous music, with cancellation of active noise in Bluetooth mode and 40 hours with active cancellation of noise in wired mode. In addition, they have fast-charging technology that gives you up to 60 minutes of use with 10 minutes of charging. The full charge is about 4 hours.
Conclusion
We really do not find any negative points of the Sony WH-100XN2. Touch controls may be a bit cumbersome for some users, but it takes only a little time to learn how to use them. These Sony headphones have very effective noise cancellation, sublime sound quality, are light and comfortable, and also have a battery with 30 hours of autonomy. These headphones are a safe purchase that will not disappoint you. For more information, we recommend taking a look at our full review.
Bose QuietComfort 25
Pros
- Best noise cancellation system on the market
- Good audio quality
- Lightweight, and comfortable,
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- They do not have Bluetooth
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 35 hours | 101 dB | 195 gr |
As for “over the ear” or supra-aural headphones, Bose headphones are the best for noise cancellation.
Design
Elegant. Did you know that Bose designers were inspired by the luxury details of high-end vehicles to give the Bose Quiet Comfort 25 its distinctive touch? When we look at the synthetic leather in the padded parts, we can immediately relate it to the leather upholstery of yachts, planes, and luxury vehicles. They come in black with dark gray and white with beige.
The Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones can be swiveled and folded for easy storage in your own case. They are also lightweight, weighing only 196 grams, which makes them comfortable to wear. As with other Bose headphones, with the soft and flexible materials of the padded parts that rest on the ears, great noise isolation is achieved. In terms of durability, they seem a little more delicate than other models, such as Sennheiser or Sony.
These headphones are connected by a 1.4-meter cable, with a built-in control for playing music or answering calls. A microphone is also available for you to talk on the mobile. The headphones come in models for Apple or Android.
Battery
The battery lasts up to 35 hours. For the noise cancellation system, it uses 1.5V, AAA batteries. The device can work without a battery, but noise cancellation would obviously not work.
Sound
As often happens with all noise-canceling headphones, you have to get used to them. With this model, Bose has improved noise cancellation technology, and a beep that can be heard in cheap music headphones of lower quality has been eliminated.
When wired, the anti-noise QC25 headphones do not have to deal with the compression and conversion problems of other models using Bluetooth technology. However, the manufacturer has provided them with their Bose Active EQ and TriPort technology to improve the sound quality in the low frequency ranges. You can hear deep bass, with the crackling of percussion and cymbals. High frequencies may suffer some attenuation because the work of the noise cancellation system is focused there.
Sennheiser PXC 550
Pros
- Good noise cancellation system
- Excellent audio quality
- Comfortable
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- Somewhat expensive
- High frequencies can introduce some distortion
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 110 dB | 227 gr |
Design
Winner. The Sennheiser PXC 550 is among the best Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones on the market. In 2016, the Sennheiser PXC 550 anti-noise headphones won the award for best headphone design at the German IF World Design.
The finish of these noise-canceling wireless headphones is luxurious. It combines synthetic leather in its soft parts with top-quality plastic material. Unlike other headphones in the segment, they are not straight: they have an anatomically curved design that follows the natural line of the ears. They also have small silver details that stand out on the black color and give them a very cool touch.
The padding is very soft, and the type of synthetic leather they use is very nice. Wanting these headphones to be comfortable also influences its anatomical design that allows more space for the ears. Its weight is relatively light for its volume since it is only 227 grams.
Controls
The Sennheiser PXC 550 has very vague details in the controls that will make you stay with people: they turn on when they are placed on the head and turn off by turning the headphones. The playback controls are tactile and located on the right earpiece.
We find it interesting that two small controls are on the bottom of the right earpiece. One turns on and off noise cancellation; the other is used to select the preset equalization mode, with four options: club, movie, speech, and off. Another thing you should know is that the right earphone incorporates a 2.5mm port that is good if you want to pull cable and a micro USB port for charging.
Sound
Very good. But to eliminate it, we would say that the balance of frequencies that comes by default could cause the treble to be perceived too sharply. The bass is well balanced, but the application of Sennheiser for Apple and Android allows you to equalize the sound to adapt it to the personal preferences of each one.
Regarding cancellation of sound, the Sennheiser PXC550 headphones could introduce some distortion to the music when high frequencies are canceled. We believe that it is possible to perceive better quality in the Quiet Comfort 35 by Bose.
Battery
Very good duration. The battery reaches up to 30 hours of continuous use at full capacity.
Bose QuietControl 30
Pros
- Light design recognized with a Red Dot Award
- Resistant to sweat and splashes of water
- Fast charge
- Good audio quality
Cons
- Cancellation of noise not so efficient
- Only works with batteries
- Has a battery life of 10 hours
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | 101 dB | 65 gr |
The Bose Quiet Control 30 noise-canceling headphones, unlike the headphones we have been analyzing, are of the InEar type, that is, they are inserted in the ear canal.
Design
Awarded the Red Dot Award in 2017. This prestigious award has existed since 1954 and is an indicator of quality for products on a global scale. The data speaks for itself.
Most of the electronics are inside the band that rests on the neck. It is made of soft components that add to its ergonomic shape, and the headphones can be comfortably worn for several hours. They weigh about 28 grams, so we classify them as light and comfortable.
One thing to keep in mind is that this device only works wirelessly. That is, it is more for everyday use than for use on airplanes (if you intend to connect it to the sound system of the plane). If this detail is not a problem, then you can use it to travel, and your sound cancellation system will respond well.
Another very interesting detail is that these headphones are resistant to sweat and splashing water, so you can also use them to play sports. They come with a circular case and soft material.
Sound
The dynamic noise cancellation is adjustable in this Bluetooth headphone. Through its integrated control, you can regulate the external sound you want to pass. On the other hand, noise isolation is also achieved very well by the soft rubber tips that come in three sizes: large, medium, and small. In this sense, we believe that the noise cancellation in these headphones is not as good as that of the Bose Quiet Comfort QC25 or QC35 headphones. It is difficult to reach those levels in a much smaller device.
However, the sound quality is very good, despite the loss involved in data compression to transmit by Bluetooth. These headphones are similar to Bose sound equalization with a fairly clear bass without distortion, but the noise cancellation sacrifices a little of the high frequencies of voices and instruments, but it is practically imperceptible.
The double microphone noise cancellation system used by Bose is particularly useful for telephone conversations in harsh environments. Thus, both the receiver and the sender of the call can hear each other better. This also comes in handy for connecting to Siri or Google Now.
Battery
The weight of the headphones is directly related to the size of the battery. Therefore, as the Quiet Comfort 30 headphones are light and relatively small devices, they have a more modest battery that lasts around 10 hours.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Very comfortable
- Support aptx codec
Cons
- It does not have an active noise cancellation system
- It is not wireless
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 22 hours | 113 dB | 250 gr |
The Momentum 2.0 Wireless headphones have a classic and conservative look. Their strengths are improved quality in relation to the same model of its previous version and its comfort. Being circum-aureal, they cover all of the outside of the ear well, and they isolate enough from the external noise.
Design
Retro. These Sennheiser headphones have classic lines that remind us of the first headset headphones (the leather, the stitching on the ends, and its stainless steel details give it that twentieth-century touch). Your roll is not bad at all.
Most notable is the leather of the padded parts and the amount of internal flexible material. Consequently, these materials provide a very comfortable fit. The space that covers the ears is wider and therefore will not suffer if we use them for a long time.
Important: They have circum-aural form (they cover all the outside of the ear), which allows them to isolate exceptional noise by themselves.
These headphones with active noise cancellation can be folded for storage. They also incorporate a luxurious bag of soft material with conventional closure and an additional bag-type case to transport them.
Connectivity
These wireless headphones have Bluetooth 4.0 technology and are compatible with the aptX codec, which will allow you to listen to music wirelessly with the lowest latency and loss of quality possible. In addition, the Bluetooth is Class 1, so its range increases considerably with respect to other Bluetooth headsets.
Also note that the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless is compatible with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that will allow us to pair the headphones instantly with our devices just by zooming them in (if our transmitter also has NFC).
Sound
When they are wired, they maintain a wide range of frequencies without loss. They also have 18 ohms transducers of the Stennheiser Neodym type and wide diaphragms that produce brighter sounds, with a powerful bass.
The 3.5mm connector is gold-plated, taking advantage of the precious metal’s lead to further reduce impedance losses. As a result, harmonic distortion less than 0.5% is achieved.
It has an integrated control to the cable that allows you to control the reproduction, answer telephone calls, and adjust the volume. In addition, it is compatible with Apple and Android devices.
The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless can cancel active noise with its NoiseGard technology that integrates a total of 4 external microphones in charge of capturing the ambient sound and reproducing it in the opposite phase inside the headphones.
These headphones fail to achieve the noise cancellation levels that other higher-end models do, such as the Bose QC35, but neither will you have that feeling of pressure that Bose can produce.
Battery
The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless has a 600mAh lithium battery with 22 hours of autonomy, and charging is quite fast: about 3 hours for the maximum (although a first charge of 6 hours is recommended). It is important to remember that when carrying a 3.5 mm minijack input the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wireless allows you to listen to music through the cable even without a battery in the headphones.
Sony MDR100ABN P
Pros
- Good noise cancellation system
- Good sound quality
- Comfortable, lightweight
- Long duration battery
- Youthful and innovative design
- Works without batteries
- Fast charging
Cons
- Like other noise-canceling headphones, distortion can occur in environments with too much breeze
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | 103 dB | 290 gr |
These headphones with active noise cancellation break the mold in terms of design and are the paradigm of what represents for Sony S. XXI. The Sony MDR100ABNP wireless headphones have a fresh and modern appearance that has seduced several members of the editorial team.
Design
Sony has broken schemes with the MDR100ABNP. With modern lines, it has designed these headphones with active noise cancellation in bright colors, such as red, pink, green, blue, and black. The colors cover the entire surface of the headphones, including the soft parts.
These anti-noise headphones are relatively light for their volume: they weigh 290 grams. They fit well around the ears and have a large space that ensures user comfort. In this sense, they are very similar to the Senheisser Momentum.
They are manufactured very well, and there are no mismatched or pieces out of place. As often happens with Japanese products, you can notice the care in the assembly to produce a high-quality product. A case of the same color as the headset is included in the purchase package: a very attractive detail.
Sound
The sound quality of these Sony headphones is very good. They have a quite powerful bass, and the balance of factory equalization is very well balanced. It should be noted that they have LDAC and Hi-Res technology, which we have already explained in the Sony MDR1000 model. This causes the sound quality to increase in relation to wireless headphones of other brands, but we believe the Sennheiser surpasses them in sound quality.
In environments with a lot of breeze, the microphones located in the lower part of each headphone let a small amount of wind sound mix with the music. As for connectivity, it is necessary to point out that they connect through Bluetooth or NFC in the case of Android or Windows Phone. With the iPhone, the connection through Near Field Communication does not work for headphones. They have a 1.2-meter cable to use without a battery.
Battery
The duration of the battery is quite good, allowing us to listen to around 20 hours of continuous music. On the other hand, the charging port is of the micro USB type.
Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Very comfortable
- Battery lasts awhile
Cons
- The low frequencies are somewhat accentuated according to what ear
- They are not collapsible
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 103 dB | 544 gr |
Plantronics is a brand that we should not leave out when we review the best headphones with noise cancellation in the market. They are usually a safe bet for people with a limited budget and offer one of the best values for money in the market.
Design
Simple and discreet. You can see at first glance that it has enough padding in its padded pieces, which increases the feeling of comfort. The headband has generous padding. It can be adjusted in several positions by its metal arms.
Controls
Each headset has prominent buttons and other smaller ones that do not overload the design. The left hull has a large play button, a scroll control for the tracks, and a switch to turn on or off noise cancellation. Another feature is that the charging port is a micro USB type. Also located on the left side we find an auxiliary port for 3.5mm type connectors.
As for the right headphone, it is provided with a button to answer calls, a ring to control the volume (regardless of the volume of the mobile terminal), and a small button to listen to the ambient sound. The headphones come from the factory with a very sturdy nylon bag with space for a smartphone or tablet.
Battery
Ultralong performance. The Plantronic Backbeat Pro 2 noise-canceling wireless headphone battery supports up to 30 hours of playback with active noise cancellation and an amazing 60 hours with noise canceling off. When not in use, the standby mode conserves the battery for up to 6 months.
It includes sensors that pause or play the tracks automatically when the headphones are removed from the head or turned on again. The sensors are also responsible for turning off the headphones if they are not in use to save the battery.
Sound
The sound quality of the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 sound-isolating headphones is very good with the noise canceling system off. When it is lit, sharpness is lost in the high tones, and the bass loses some depth.
Noise cancellation does its job well, although not as good as the Bose Quiet Comfort35 or the Sony MDR1000. However, it quite nicely cancels high frequency noise where some cheap headphones usually have more problems.
On the other hand, it comes with an “open mic” button option that gives you play and allows you to regulate the ambient sound that is perceived from the outside in different modes.
Conclusion
As a result of its good balance of materials and technology, these headphones with noise cancellation have an excellent quality/price ratio.
AKG N60 NC
Pros
- Very good noise cancellation system
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- Noise cancellation is not as good as the Bose QC or Sony
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 111 dB | 150 gr |
When we talk about the best noise-canceling headphones on the market, the AKG N60 has a reserved site in its own right. You should know that Lufthansa uses these headphones for its Business Class passengers on some of its routes, recognizing the quality of these devices and giving a nod to the Austrian brand.
Design
First of all, these headphones are significantly smaller than other models. Its finish is of high quality, with aluminum lines, leather, and memory foam on the headphone to increase comfort. They have several joints that make it easy to fold them to a small size to keep them comfortable. This is one of its main advantages, since the compact design allows greater comfort to carry it when we are not using them. When we fold them, they fit perfectly into your small, soft, crescent-shaped plastic case.
As for comfort, they are adjusted but without pressing the ears too much, since they are of the over-ear type. Being of reduced size also decreases the weight, reaching only 150 grams, which means 100 grams or less than many other headphones with noise cancellation. As for colors, they only come in black.
Sound
AKG has achieved very good sound quality in these noise-canceling devices. The bass is heard with sufficient power, and the treble has little distortion. The middle sounds have a very good response.
As a result, the sound quality is up to the standards of great brands, such as Bose and Sennheiser. Yes, the noise cancellation is not as good as Bose’s, but it’s enough to provide us with noise isolation without losing much audio quality.
Battery
Not bad. The battery has the capacity to maintain 30 continuous hours of playback if we only have the noise cancellation mode without the Bluetooth system. If both the wireless mode and the noise reduction system are used, the battery collapses and lasts about 15 hours.
The headphones are charged by a cable with a USB tip and the other with a 2.5mm mini jack, which means that if the cable is lost we could have problems to get a replacement, although this also happens with the Bose headphones.
Conclusion
We can conclude that the price of these headphones with noise cancellation is within the standards of the devices in this segment.
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9
Pros
- Very good sound quality
- Comfortable
- Good noise cancellation
Cons
- Plastic details that can detract from elegance
- Does not use a rechargeable battery
Technical Characteristics
| Battery | SPL sensitivity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 35 hours | 100 dB | 220 gr |
If you are looking for good headphones and cheap eye to the patch, the Audio-Technica ATH-A NC9 is one of the best headphones with high-quality sound on the market.
Design
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9 Quietpoint is made of leather, with cups of foam-padded headphones (memory foam in English). The upper part of the headband is made of leather and quilted material.
It has metallic details combined with plastic materials we assume to reduce the weight of the headphones, but they weigh approximately 220 grams.
These noise-canceling headphones are also wired (1.2-meter cable) and can be used passively in case the battery runs out, although active noise cancellation would not work.
Sound
Audio-Technica has included its Quietpoint noise-canceling technology that cancels up to 95% of ambient noise according to the brand. We have not been able to verify this data, although we can say that they work very well, and the noise cancellation is exceptionally passive.
The Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 headphones meet the Hi-Res audio standard for high resolution. That is, they are compatible to play digital audio formats up to 96KHz / 24bit without distortion.
Its strong points are in the transducer and the pieces that make up the 45mm diaphragm. The triple ventilation system also allows you to decrease the vibration of the pieces, and the distortion in low frequencies and high frequencies is up to 40KHz.
Conclusion: The best headphones with noise cancellation
We have seen that several options are available when buying new anti-noise headphones. There are very good options in the market regardless of whether they have an active noise cancellation system or simply use passive noise isolation with their padded cups or with soft rubber tips inserted into the ear.
It should be noted that Sony, Bose, and Stennheiser are the leaders in this field, although less traditional brands are gaining ground.
We hope that our information will be useful and that you enjoy the pleasure of listening to music to the fullest extent possible.
