Recently, I overhauled our list of the best noise-cancelling headphones by filtering the options down to just under 20 prime candidates across the whole budget range, then testing them all against each other in a series of real-world tests.
The idea was not only to get a feel for how options at different price levels compare to each other, but also to compare them to the options above and below to assess which are really standout value.
I tested the noise-cancellation effectiveness of these headphones in four trials based on real-world use cases. I was testing for both higher and lower frequencies (because performance can be quite different across these areas), and for their ability to handle both consistent droning noises (like a plane engine or air conditioning) and more inconsistent noises (like people talking).
So my tests consisted of the following:
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Droning sound |
Chaotic sound |
|
Higher frequency |
2m away from a hair dryer |
Sitting in a busy café |
|
Lower frequency |
1m away from a microwave |
Standing by road traffic |
And here were my final scores for all the headphones I compared, including the options I’m recommending here (highlighted in bold). I think the ‘chaotic’ tests are the most important for real-world effectiveness, so I weight their scores at double the weight of the droning scores.
|
Model |
Total score |
Hair dryer |
Microwave |
Traffic (2x) |
Café (2x) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) |
29.5 |
4.5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
29.5 |
4.5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Sony WH-1000XM6 |
28 |
5 |
5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
|
Sonos Ace |
28 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
5 |
|
Bose QuietComfort Headphones |
27 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
|
AirPods Max |
26 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4.5 |
|
Sony WH-1000XM5 |
24 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Sony WH-1000XM4 |
23 |
4 |
4 |
3.5 |
4 |
|
Cambridge Audio P100 SE |
23 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
4.5 |
|
1More Sonoflow HQ51 |
22 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
4 |
|
Nothing Headphone (1) |
22 |
3 |
4 |
3.5 |
4 |
|
Sennheiser Accentum Plus |
19.5 |
3 |
3.5 |
3 |
3.5 |
|
Amazon Basics |
17 |
2 |
3 |
2.5 |
3.5 |
|
Soundcore Q30 |
15.5 |
2.5 |
2 |
2.5 |
3 |
|
Soundcore Q20i |
15 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2 |
3 |
|
Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT |
13.5 |
3 |
2.5 |
1 |
3 |
|
Runolim WH301A |
9.5 |
1 |
2.5 |
1 |
2 |
As you can see, the 1More massively outperformed its price – it beat headphones that cost twice as much and performs at about the same level as Sony headphones that go for $200 or more.
The Amazon Basics were easily the best of the more budget bunch, and nearly performed as well as Sennheiser headphones that cost 5x as much – though the Sennheiser headphones naturally have much better sound quality that feels worth the extra money, and lots of extra features up their sleeves, too.
But still, if it’s good-sounding headphones with nice designs, good build quality, and the best noise cancellation you can get at their price brackets, then these two are picks, especially for these prices.
More of today’s best Presidents’ Day sales
- Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
- Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
- Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
- Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
- Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
- Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
- Lowe’s: up to 40% off appliances, furniture & tools
- Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
- Target: 40% off clothing, tech & furniture
- Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
- Wayfair: 54% off furniture, rugs & decor
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