Active noise cancellation is an increasingly common feature of true wireless earphones. If you want to block out the world around you, check out the best noise-cancelling wire-free earbuds we've tested.

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

Apple popularized the true wireless earbud category when it launched the original AirPods back in 2016, so it's no surprise that interest in true wireless pairs with noise cancellation has ballooned since the release of the AirPods Pro. Noise cancellation helps to block out sound around you, both passively by sealing off your ear canal and actively through specialized circuitry; the latter method is called active noise cancellation (ANC).

The good news is that, in 2022, you have many excellent options across a wide range of prices. The unsurprising news is that, just as with standard Bluetooth over-ear headphones that offer noise cancellation, there are definitely some earbuds to avoid. Below, we list our current favorites for pure noise cancellation power, audio quality, and even exercise. And, farther down, we explain what you need to know before you make a buying decision.

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Sony's true wireless WF-1000XM4 earphones pair excellent audio performance with class-leading active noise cancellation.

Noise cancellation took a big step forward in 2022—there are now several affordable, quality options. But the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds still outshine the rest. It’s a close duel between this model and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds for the most effective ANC—both excel at slightly different aspects of noise cancellation. Between the two, though, the Sony model’s got the better app, and its 6mm dynamic drivers deliver a superior audio performance.

These are our favorite overall in-ears with ANC. Their companion app allows you to customize the EQ and fine-tune the already excellent audio experience. There’s Bluetooth codec support for AAC, SBC, and LDAC—so on certain Android phones, you can stream hi-res audio. As for the ANC, the earphones excel at eliminating both low-frequency rumble as well as the more complex mids and highs you might deal with at a noisy cafe. And they add little or no masking hiss to the signal, a rarity for in-ear models.

Apple's true wireless AirPods Pro earphones are vastly superior to the standard model, with solid noise cancellation, quality audio performance, and a far better in-ear fit that justifies the extra cost.

Though they are due for a refresh (perhaps even by the end of 2022), the AirPods Pro are still the best value within the AirPods lineup. They offer the best ANC of the in-ear AirPods, solid audio performance, and seamless integration with iOS. Spatial audio with head tracking is now becoming more common among other in-ears, but it was available here first. Even though spatial audio is ultimately a somewhat gimmicky effect, the AirPods Pro currently get it the most right.

If you want in-ears that work painlessly across the Apple and iOS ecosystem, the Apple AirPods Pro are still the top option, despite being released in 2019. Apple is rumored to be launching a successor soon, so you might want to hold off on a purchase for the interim. The ANC here is merely good by 2022 standards, but no other pair works nearly as well with iOS devices.

The true wireless Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer strong audio performance and the most effective noise cancellation we've tested in the category to date.

Although the Sony WF-1000XM4 is our favorite overall ANC in-ear model because of the combination of its noise cancellation prowess and audio quality, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are arguably as effective in the ANC department. It’s debatable because the two models approach ANC differently—the QuietComfort Earbuds beat the Sony model in some areas, and vice versa. For instance, the Bose pair more effectively cancels the deep low-frequency rumble you hear on a plane or train.

Because of their low-frequency prowess, the QuietComfort Earbuds are best for travelers who spend a lot of time on planes or trains. We also find the ANC to be quite good against midrange and high-frequency noise. Even though better options exist for audiophiles and hi-res streaming, the QuietComfort Earbuds still deliver a strong audio experience, too.

The true wireless Jabra Elite 7 Pro earphones offer quality active noise cancellation and top-notch mic performance in a waterproof build.

This one is tricky—we love the Jabra Elite 7 Pro, but the Jabra Elite 7 Active earphones offer the same IP rating and a slightly more secure fit for $20 less. Both are both fantastic options for running and other high-intensity exercises. We're particularly fans of their great companion apps and solid ANC—complete with a Hear Through ambient listening mode that helps you hear your surroundings.

Beyond providing a bass-forward experience and an app that includes a customizable EQ, the Elite 7 Pro model's Hear Through mode is ideal for runners—you can toggle between ANC and ambient modes, as well as adjust each level with a fader depending on your environment.

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earphones deliver quality active noise cancellation and balanced, detailed audio for a modest price.

At a price of $100 or less, you need to keep your expectations for noise cancellation in check (especially since the best models cost more than twice as much). The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds, for instance, can't cancel out complex mid-range noise and higher frequencies nearly as well as the Sony WF-1000MX4. But for $100, the Anker model's ANC circuitry still effectively dials back low-frequency rumble and does a decent (just not amazing) job against the mids and highs. Meanwhile, the Soundcore app lets you customize both the EQ and the ANC mode.

If you have a strict budget of $100, want quality ANC, and enjoy a balanced audio signature, the Space A40 in-ears are an excellent choice. Out of the box, they deliver a realistic sound signature and even support the high-end LDAC codec for hi-res audio on Android. Rounding out the experience is the aforementioned companion app and strong battery life (depending on your use of ANC and codec choice).

The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 true wireless earphones deliver high-fidelity audio and high-quality noise cancellation in a luxurious package with a price to match.

The luxurious PI7 earbuds put audio performance above all else. Like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, each earpiece features dual drivers—in this case, a 9.2mm dynamic driver and a single balanced armature driver for the higher frequencies. Each driver also benefits from a dedicated amplifier. The ANC is quite good here, and like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, the earpieces provide a decent amount of passive noise isolation, too. We're particularly fans of this pair's classy design.

Because other in-ears with better ANC are available for less, this Bowers & Wilkins model is best for those who care more about audio performance (and style) than any other aspect. And with support for the AptX, AAC, and SBC Bluetooth codecs, the earphones notably let you stream hi-res audio music (up to 24-bit, 48kHz) from streaming services like Qobuz.

The JBL Live Pro 2 TWS earbuds offer strong audio performance for bass lovers, above-average noise cancellation, and a solid in-app experience at a reasonable cost.

The JBL Live Pro 2 TWS earphones aren't the only pair in the $100 rangee on this list—they're part of a growing trend of lower-cost true wireless in-ears with competent ANC. Otherwise, this model delivers some serious bass depth and its app features an adjustable, 10-band EQ. The earphones also have commendable battery life.

If you only want to spend about $100, we currently recommend either the Anker Space A40 or this pair. The former is better for people who prefer a natural sound signature, whereas this model is ideal for bass lovers (though the sound is still balanced overall here). The noise cancellation also handles unwanted noise pretty well for frequent commuters.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro aren’t flawless, but they sound excellent and offer plenty of attractive features for Galaxy phone users.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro back up quality ANC with excellent audio chops. Additionally, the new Samsung Seamless Bluetooth codec allows for hi-res streaming on (some, but not all) Galaxy devices. Listening to a lossless streaming service through the earphones on a compatible Galaxy device is a fantastic experience because of the dual drivers in each earpiece. And the ANC experience is above average for the price.

We wish we could say all Android users, but to get all the capabilities here (including 24-bit hi-res streaming), you need a Galaxy smartphone running Android 8.0 and One UI 4.0 or higher with 1.5GB RAM. If your device meets those base specifications, these earbuds are an obvious choice.

Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3 earphones offer excellent sound quality and good active noise cancellation in a sophisticated design.

The latest ANC in-ears from Sennheiser pick up where their predecessors left off, with excellent audio and high-quality ANC for the price. The earbuds fit securely and the 7mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 5Hz to 21KHz. The Momentum True Wireless 3 earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2, plus support an inclusive array of Bluetooth codecs, including AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, and SBC. This model is also notably more affordable than the B&W PI7, another top-tier ANC favorite for audiophiles.

If you want even the absolute best Bluetooth codec support, look for a model that supports LDAC or Samsung's proprietary hi-res codec. But this Sennheiser pair still offers far more than the minimum Bluetooth support and its drivers sound wonderful. The app offers a customizable (but basic) EQ, too, though you probably don't even need to adjust the sound signature because the earphones sound superb without any tweaks.

Active noise cancellation debuted in over-ear and on-ear headphones first but is now prevalent in both wired and wireless earphones. As the first word of the term suggests, active noise cancellation requires power, as opposed to passive noise reduction. Battery power feeds ANC circuitry that, using microphone signal feeds, creates a live, inverse signal of the surrounding noise. Just as a negative number added to its positive equivalent equals zero, the goal here is to offset the actual surrounding noise with inverse sound waves.

Does it work? That depends on the manufacturer and the character of the surrounding noise. Even good ANC is typically far more effective at tamping down low to mid frequencies, especially unchanging, drone-like sounds such as airplane engines and train rumble, or the whir of an AC unit. The very best ANC does the same for some higher-frequency sounds, like office chatter, keyboard clicks, and the like. But a combination of the active circuitry and an in-ear seal are most effective against these sounds.

Speaking of an in-ear seal, passive noise cancellation (or passive noise isolation or passive noise reduction) uses the physical sealing-off of the ear canal to block out surrounding sound. There are no mics or batteries involved in this method, but it is, in many ways, more effective than active noise cancellation because it helps cut back frequencies across the board. Earplugs still exist for a reason—they work. 

Lower-quality ANC circuitry often reproduces an audible high-frequency hiss—like white noise or tape hiss—that masks some of the higher frequencies it can’t eliminate. The easiest way to tell if this is happening is to activate the ANC in a totally quiet environment—if it seems to make the noise floor louder, it’s adding a hiss. Most pairs we test add in some degree of hiss, but the quality of the ANC dictates its prevalence.

Another aspect of low-quality ANC—especially in wireless headphones and earphones—is the difference in how music (or any audio) sounds when it is active. The ANC shouldn’t change how music sounds at all, but some models we test produce wildly different sound signatures when the ANC is on, such as more bass, more treble, and higher volumes. The effect (in most cases) isn't too disruptive, but quality ANC should have no impact on audio performance.

Plenty of true wireless models include a feature that allows you to monitor your surroundings without removing the earpieces. This is useful in offices and airports, as well as for runners who need to be aware of traffic and car horns. Not all true wireless pairs with an ambient monitoring mode also include noise cancellation, but most of the pairs we’ve tested do.

Many pairs offer on-ear controls that allow you to cycle through ANC and ambient monitoring modes. We note whether a pair of earphones includes this feature—along with how well it works—in each of our reviews.

The best true wireless earphones that deliver audiophile-pleasing audio and excellent ANC can easily cost over $200, but those aren't your only options. We're starting to see some good, budget-friendly alternatives that deliver solid noise cancellation and sound quality for closer to, and even under, $100.

Our recommendations here cover as many different budgets as possible, so you can choose the one that works best for you. Consult our in-depth reviews to find the perfect pair and then head over to our stories on five easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and eight ways you're using your headphones wrong.

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I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

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