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We considered more than two dozen pairs of headphones and tested the best of them by using thousands of dollars’ worth of measurement equipment, consulting an expert listening panel, and flying over 100,000 miles, and in the end we found that the is the best pair of in-ear noise-cancelling headphones. No other in-ear headphones come close to matching the QC20’s active noise-cancellation performance.

Last updated: November 28, 2017 We’ve tested, but we still love the Bose QuietComfort 20 and QuietControl 30 for their excellent noise cancelling. We have a great new, though, in. The came out on top because it provided better active noise cancelling than any other model we tested by far.

In this regard it even bested the larger QuietComfort 25, our pick for the (though the QC25 has additional passive isolation that the QC20 lacks; more on this later). The sound quality is nothing to write home about, but in our tests this set sounded good enough. And we measured the battery life at over 17 hours, which is long enough for the QC20 to outlast almost any flight between recharges. If you want the freedom of wireless, the offers Bluetooth support and only slightly less noise cancelling than the QC20. Despite this model’s collar design, it’s very comfortable. It even sounds better with music than the QC20. However, you have no way to connect this model to any source other than via Bluetooth, it doesn’t work at all if the battery dies (after about 11 hours, in our testing), and the collar design might get you a few funny looks.

It’s also $50 more expensive than the QC20. So this pair is an excellent option if you want or need wireless, but for most people the QC20 is the way to go. Bose also makes, the QuietComfort 25. For an article I wrote for Forbes, appropriately titled “,” I listened to both on a flight to Denver. I found that the QC20 did a little better with lower-midrange frequencies (think whooshing air) but that the QC25 did better with lower and higher frequencies. So overall, the QC25 offers more overall reduction in noise.

But that’s not the whole story. As small as the QC25 folds, that set is still massive compared with the tiny QC20 earbuds. And if you wear glasses, the frames might prevent you from getting a good seal with the QC25, reducing the effectiveness of its noise reduction.

Throwing things out of anger is never a smart move, but it can also lead to more serious consequences. Especially when you’re at an airport and what you’re.

The over-ear design is also a lot harder to sleep in compared with the more-or-less in-ear design of the QC20. If overall noise reduction is all you care about, you don’t mind carrying around something a bit bigger than a paperback book when folded, you don’t wear glasses, and you don’t plan to sleep on a plane, is your best bet. However, if you want something that’s more compact and easier to tote around but isn’t quite as quiet overall, get the QuietComfort 20. For what it’s worth, I travel a lot, and I bought myself the QC20—and I wouldn’t leave home without it. What does “noise cancelling” mean?

Pull Quote You’ll find a big difference between earbuds that claim to be “noise isolating” and those that feature “noise cancelling.” Noise isolating is a passive effect—in its most basic form it’s akin to sticking fingers in your ears. Noise cancelling, on the other hand, is an active process: Microphones on the earbuds work with circuitry in an attached dongle to create inverse sound waves that cancel out incoming noise. Check out my Forbes article “” for more details.

If you can get a good fit (always crucial with in-ear headphones) and the headphones are designed well, noise-isolating headphones can do an okay job lowering ambient noise. Noise cancelling goes one step further, dropping the ambient noise lower than what is possible with basic in-ear headphones. In some cases this makes only a slight difference.

In the case of our Bose pick, it’s a lot. Here’s an objective example of what I mean. To measure overall noise isolation, we can create 75 decibels of and then measure how much sneaks past the headphone. If noise cancelling is in use, that circuit can be measured, as well. So everything below 75 dB here is a reduction in sound (which is what you want).

You can read more detail on how we measure this in the section. Above is a chart illustrating the noise-cancelling capabilities of our four picks, in comparison with one of our favorite non-NC in-ear headphones, the (shown in cyan).

Anything below 75 dB indicates noise reduction. As you can see, the active NC reduces more noise at low frequencies, which for frequent fliers is where it counts, because jet-engine noise mostly consists of low frequencies. Results with higher frequencies, above 1 kHz, will vary depending on fit, your ears, and other factors, so are less comparable. As reflected in the above chart, the Bose QC20 (orange) offered the most overall electronic noise cancelling, followed closely by the QC30 (purple). The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC33iS and the Phiaton BT 100 NC offered remarkably similar amounts of NC in this test. Pull Quote Active noise cancelling is far less dependent on fit and will reduce noise at many frequencies far better than passive noise isolation. Are there some in-ears that might offer more passive noise reduction than the Sony XBA-H1?

Probably, but they will depend significantly more on fit. Some people will get a great seal, others won’t, so it’s impossible to say what will offer better passive noise isolation since all ears are different. Active noise cancelling is far less dependent on fit and will reduce noise at many frequencies far better than passive noise isolation—well, the better NC headphones, anyway, such as our winners here.

Note, too, that noise reduction, electronic or passive (via good isolating headphones), could let you listen to music at a lower volume. This will likely help you preserve your hearing. Or at least, not further contribute to its loss. Managing expectations.

Pull Quote NC headphones are best with low-frequency droning sounds, like those of airplane engines, car engines (and road noise), in-room/in-window air conditioners, and so on. The Bose QuietComfort 20 comes as close to this ideal as any headphones I’ve tested, but even that set won’t completely eliminate mid to high frequencies like voices or babies crying. NC headphones are best with low-frequency droning sounds, like those of airplane engines, car engines (and road noise), in-room/in-window air conditioners, and so on.

How we tested. Headphone-measurement guru and Wirecutter contributor Brent Butterworth is one of the few audio reviewers capable of objectively testing headphone noise cancelling with specialized measurement gear. I dumped the lot in his lap.

We got some interesting results. (Not from his lap.) To measure noise cancelling, Brent sets up speakers and a subwoofer to output at 75 dB.

He then measures how much passive and active noise cancelling a pair of headphones provides using, an M-Audio MobilePre USB interface, and a ear/cheek simulator. For the full explanation, check out his About.com/Lifewire article “.”. Our top picks (first four listings), along with the other headphones we tested this round. Street price is a six-month average via, unless the price was steady for the past three months, in which case we used that (we excluded holiday sales). We calculated average dB reduction using the method described in the text. To aid his testing of NC headphones, and to give us a single number to reference, Brent measured the frequency of four different aircraft cabins in flight.

He found that most of the noise was in the frequency band of 100 to 1200 Hz. Using his measurement software, he averaged what a headphone’s reduction was in this band, to give us a single “NC Average.” This number simplified our discussion (and made for a pretty graph), but it wasn’t a final determinant for our rankings.

While noise-cancelling charts and graphs are extremely useful, they merely give us a guide. Our ears tell the rest of the story. A particular set of noise-cancelling headphones can perform well on the objective test but still not sound very good, so we had a round of subjective testing to find the best in each price category. Some cheap headphones performed great, some expensive headphones performed terribly.

Brent, headphones editor Lauren Dragan, and I listened to each pair of headphones with and without background noise to test their overall sound quality and subjective noise-cancelling quality. Note: Bose uses just a single model name and number (“QuietComfort 20”) but makes two different versions.

One works only with Apple products, while the other works with Samsung and other Android devices. Make sure to select the version that matches your gear. Brent Butterworth measured the using sophisticated objective measurement gear. In his, he notes: “In the lower frequencies, where the noise from jet engines resides, the result is the best I can remember measuring, as good as -45 dB at 160 Hz.” Brent’s full measurements are worth checking out, but the main takeaway is that at certain frequencies, the QC20 drops the ambient sound by 45 decibels. This is an incredible amount. To put this amount in perspective, the average noise levels inside an airplane and a library are roughly 45 dB apart. I’m not saying this Bose pair makes an airplane sound as quiet as a library (it doesn’t drop other frequencies by as much), but this is the magnitude of that maximum difference.

Other NC headphones might offer 10 to 20 dB of reduction at best. The QC20 really is significantly better. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald While objective measurements can tell you a lot, they can’t tell you everything. I wrote a full for Forbes that included using the pair on a round-trip cross-country fight, along with extensive listening tests. I’ve reviewed a lot of noise-cancelling headphones, and this set impressed even me.

For example, if you have a noisy air conditioner in your room, it will practically disappear. If you’re in a car, the engine and road noise will drop to next to nothing. Pull Quote Because of their flattish design, the QC20 headphones are far more comfortable to sleep in than most others. When using the QC20 on a quick flight from LAX to JFK (and back), I found the headphones comfortable to wear the whole flight, and they dropped the roar of the engines (Boeing 757-200 out, 737-800 back) to about the level of the average open office.

Not “silent,” of course—they’re not magic—but much quieter than with other headphones. In my office, where I have an air conditioner practically next to my head, the QC20 drops the AC sound down to the point where it’s barely noticeable.

I can still just make out the highest frequencies in the fan, but the compressor noise is basically gone. Since I wrote that Forbes review, I have flown an additional 100,000-plus miles with the Bose QC20. The battery lasted through a long-haul LAX-Heathrow-Stockholm series of flights. Bose claims 16 hours per charge, and we measured 17.5 hours, which should cover you for.

Because of their flattish design, the QC20 headphones are far more comfortable to sleep in than most others. (They’re not entirely comfortable, as no headphones are comfortable to sleep in, but these are as close to it as I’ve found.) The cord is difficult to tangle, so you can just stuff them back in their carrying case without worry. And they don’t take up much space (something the over-ear headphones certainly can’t say). Who else likes our pick. The is a fantastic set of headphones, well-designed and well-built. It isn’t, of course, perfect. The sound quality is merely average.

Every time I got off the noisy plane, I switched to my B&W C5 pair. The QC20’s sound is a little light on the bass.

It doesn’t sound bad, just average. From David Carnoy’s CNET review: “They don’t sound as good as many competing in-ear headphones in this price range.” You can get if you don’t need noise cancelling, and the QC20 certainly isn’t cheap at $250.

The QC20’s battery pack isn’t small, but it is slim and easily pocketable. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald The battery/electronics pack—well, it exists. Yes, the QC20 isn’t magic and it needs a donglethingy to do its thing.

While this component can be built into the earcup of an over-ear model, headphone makers have no way to maintain the wearability of an in-ear design without moving the guts elsewhere. Some people find the pack excessively large; we find the flat design fits nicely next to a phone or iPod. The issue some people have is that the pack exists at all. If that’s your concern, noise-cancelling headphones aren’t for you.

Lastly, the fit. I find these earpieces fantastically comfortable: very little pressure, but a great soft seal. Not everyone will agree—such is the nature of in-ear headphones. Note, though, that while we call these “in-ear” headphones, they’re more on-the-inner-ear.

It’s a unique design that presses against the opening to your inner ear but doesn’t actually stick inside like traditional in-ear headphones. They don’t look like they’d work, yet for most people they do. Despite all of that, their excellent design and impressive noise-cancelling abilities make the Bose QuietComfort 20 the best set of noise-cancelling headphones.

Long-term test notes. Since our initial recommendation, I’ve put more than 200,000 miles on the Bose QC20 in planes, trains, automobiles, buses, subways, and boats across more than two dozen countries and five continents. On flights, I slept with the QC20 earpieces on.

Most of the time on the ground, however, the QC20 sat in its carrying case, because when I didn’t need noise cancelling, I used other in-ears. (Again, the Bose QC20 doesn’t sound bad.

Plenty of non-NC headphones simply sound better.) This is probably a fairly accurate representation of how most people will handle these headphones—that is, not abusing them, and using them primarily in transit. My QC20 pair has suffered no visible wear or tear and still performs flawlessly. If there’s one thing that could break, it’s the soft silicone earpads. They haven’t worn at all so far, but they’re definitely the part that feels like the weakest link.

These are proprietary to Bose and seem like they could tear if you handle them poorly. They’re (pack of two; make sure to get the right size). A wireless option. As great as the QC20 is, it still has the most annoying part of most headphones: wires. Wireless headphones are one of the fastest-growing headphone categories, so it’s not surprising Bose offers a wireless noise-cancelling version.

The (note the subtle name change; I didn’t at first) features all of its electronics in a partial control collar. The piece is lightweight and has a rubbery surface that feels great. I laughed at the design when I first saw it, but after using this pair, I have to admit it works great. You barely notice you have anything on. The earbuds are essentially the same as the QC20’s, with the excellent silicone hook tips.

The semi-collar component that houses the QuietControl 30’s electronics and batteries looks odd but is very functional. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald Connecting this pair to your phone is basically the same as with any other Bluetooth headphones. If you’d like, you can download an optional app that lets you dial in the amount of noise cancelling, though I can’t imagine too many situations where you’d want less NC. In using the app, I had a minor struggle when the app and the phone decided to argue over the pairing process (eh, it happens).

I’d prefer to skip the app, but since the QC30 automatically reduces the NC at certain times, the app needs to be on your phone so that you can adjust the level back (more on this below). Perhaps the biggest surprise, with my having used the QC20 for three years, is how good the QC30 sounds: fuller bass, clear and lively treble. I wouldn’t say this pair is my favorite-sounding set of headphones, but it is far closer to “good” than previous Bose models. The Bluetooth range is pretty good, though your results will vary depending on where you are, what your walls are made of, and what you’re using for a source. Via my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, I was able to walk around my house listening to music with few problems—far better than with the Phiaton BT 100 NC, our budget pick.

However, the QC30 has a lot of issues. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s a flawed product, just that there are a lot of little caveats to keep in mind (which largely explains why its overall Amazon review score is significantly lower than the QC20’s). Basically, you get decent NC, sound quality, and wireless, but beyond that things start to fall apart. Trittico Botticelliano Program Notes For Classical Concerts. For instance, you have no way to connect a source that’s not Bluetooth. It has no analog input.

So you can’t listen to the in-flight movie through these headphones, or to any older source like an iPod or a non-Bluetooth laptop. If the battery dies, that’s it—these headphones become a silent necklace. Bose claims a battery life of 10 hours, far less than the QC20’s 16 hours.

We measured a battery life of about 11 hours with the NC on and music playing. So that will cover you for any domestic flight, but maybe not all international flights. Hope you brought a. The microphone works okay with calls: The other person can hear you, but you don’t sound particularly clear. The voice via the mic built into an iPhone 6, for instance, sounds clearer. Strangely, and by design, the noise cancelling drops to near-minimum levels any time the mic is active. Ostensibly this is so you can hear your own voice better, but wouldn’t most people want the NC fully active so that they can hear the other person better?

This function is especially odd considering Bose intends the QC30 for use as an office headset, not as a set of travel headphones. You can manually increase the NC back to max using the app, but this extra step seems strange to me., David Carnoy writes, “The QC30 is designed to be used as a wireless headset and it’s very good but not outstanding as a headset. It muffles ambient sounds like wind and crowd noise so callers can hear you better — and you can hear callers better.” However, Carnoy goes on to say, “I made some calls in New York’s noisy streets and most of the time callers said they could hear me fine — and I was able to hear them. But the QuietComfort 35 offered superior performance as a headset.” (That’s our wireless pick in, for what it’s worth.) Overall, though, he likes this pair: “So long as you don’t expect the most powerful noise-canceling, the QuietControl 30 works really well as an everyday headphone.” If you have a Samsung phone, you’ll need to turn the volume up in the app on your phone and on the headphones themselves using the in-line controls. This isn’t a Bose problem but more just a general Bluetooth-headphone issue, since there are no standards on how all these devices should interact. Which is all to say, I’m less confident recommending this model than I am the QC20. The Bose QuietControl 30 is good, certainly, and if you want NC and Bluetooth, this set definitely offers the most NC in that category, but it has some serious drawbacks.

So if you don’t need wireless, the QuietComfort 20 is a far better, and cheaper, option. Dreambox Image Install With Flash Wizard Pro 7020. Wireless on a budget. If the Bose QuietControl 30 is out of your price range but you still want Bluetooth, the is a solid alternative. This pair doesn’t offer as much noise cancelling as the QC30, but it still provides a reasonable amount while costing around 30 percent of the price of the Bose model. This model can also connect via analog, so if the battery dies you can still listen to music. We reviewed this pair in our last update.

We didn’t dislike it then, but now that we’ve had a chance to try other NC and Bluetooth NC headphones, we like it a lot more in comparison. It has also gotten a bit cheaper, making it a great deal. Pull Quote Whereas the QC20 and QC30 elicit a “Wow, these are quiet!” reaction, the BT 100 NC prompts more of an “Okay, yeah, neat” reaction. Whereas the QC20 and QC30 elicit a “Wow, these are quiet!” reaction, the BT 100 NC prompts more of an “Okay, yeah, neat” reaction. This pair takes the edge off the ambient noise, but the Bose bros offer a lot more. Even so, the BT 100 NC gives you more than most NC headphones. The Phiaton model has the same collar design as the Bose QC30, but the earbuds stow in the collar when not in use.

Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald Soundwise the Phiaton headphones have a bass-and-treble-boosted sound that’s lively though not particularly accurate. But they’re enjoyable to listen to. Most of our testers preferred the sound of the BT 100 NC over that of the Bose QC20, though they all liked the sound of the QC30 more. Brent gave this pair a listen and said, “Just the perfect amount of bass, and it strikes a good balance between fat and tight. A trace of extra sizzle around 3 or 4 kHz, but it’s like maybe +2 dB too hot, not really objectionable.

I expect this would do pretty well in a straight IEM shootout.” I liked the amount of bass (though I love bass), and overall I’d rather listen to this set than the QC20 (which is like listening to beige pants). Perhaps the best aspect over the Bose is that the BT 100 NC can still work if the battery dies, thanks to an included cable. It’s not an easy cable to find, if you lose it, but it’s not proprietary. One end is Micro-USB, the other is a standard ⅛-inch headphone jack., since I had lost the included cable between our original testing and now. The sound with the cable is roughly the same as via wireless, which is rare among wireless and NC headphones. The bass evens out a little, but the top end has a bit more sizzle.

John, one of our testers, said he preferred the wired sound to the wireless. I prefer a bit more bass than he does, but the results are close enough that it shouldn’t bother you if you need to go wired. The cable sticks out at a slightly weird angle but doesn’t get in the way too badly. The Bluetooth range is not as good as the Bose pair’s—don’t expect to be able to wander around too far from your phone if you have lots (or any) walls around. Phiaton claims a battery life of 7.5 hours with the NC on and 12 with it off. That’s not as good as the Bose QC30’s battery life, but at least the Phiaton set can still function when it runs out of juice.

We measured only 6.5 hours with BT and NC on, which is in the ballpark of what the company claims (not great, obviously). My joke in the Bose QC30 section about bringing a goes double with this pair. Future versions of Bluetooth NC headphones will doubtless have longer battery life, but for now this is the penalty for portability and battery-hungry features. Although the BT 100 NC is IPX4 water resistant, you’re probably better off getting if that’s what you’re thinking of using yours for. This set also has aptX support, though it’s. Since the BT 100 NC uses traditional earbuds, the sound quality and overall noise reduction will vary depending on how good a seal you can get with your ears.

Everyone’s ears are different, so it’s worthwhile to try all the tips that come with this Phiaton pair to see which ones fit you best. I also tried some Comply foam tips (), and they worked better for my small ear canals than the included silicone options.

This is true with most in-ear headphones, not specifically just the Phiaton pair, so it’s worth keeping in mind. In the end, if you want or need wireless noise cancelling, the Phiaton BT 100 NC is an excellent budget option, trading overall noise-cancelling prowess for analog connectivity and a big chunk of money left in your wallet. Affordable and wired. The is impressive for an inexpensive pair of headphones. These earbuds don’t offer as much noise cancelling as the Bose QC20, but they sound quite good, offer better-than-average NC, and cost a fraction of our main pick. Though their retail price is $70, their average price is about one-third less, and they’re often half that. The textured cable and the small battery pack look and feel higher quality than the price would suggest.

In the package you get four silicone tips and two differently sized optional “wings” that help keep the earbuds secured in your. In our tests, the sound was surprisingly well-balanced for a pair in this price range, though it lacked the sparkle of headphones with better high frequencies and made midrange frequencies (male vocals, for example) a little more prevalent.

The bass was a little subdued too. All told, however, these headphones sounded far better than you might expect for their price, especially considering they’re noise cancelling.

The sound didn’t really change when the NC was active, either. If the Bose QC20’s sound elicits a “Yeah, these are fine” response, most people would probably listen to these headphones and think, “Hey, these are pretty good.” In the airplane band, this Samsung set reduced noise an average of 16.9 dB.

This result is a bit lower than what we got from our previous pick, the (19.1). That model is still available, and still great—the Level In ANC just sounds a bit better, feels less bulky, and is usually much cheaper.

What does that mean, beyond the numbers? Subjectively, compared with the QC20, the Level In ANC offers maybe half as much noise cancelling. Whereas the Bose pair makes a loud space quiet, this Samsung set makes that same space, well, less annoying. The QC20 moves airplane engine noise to the background, while the Level In ANC merely makes it more manageable. What you get from the QC20 is definitely an improvement, and speaks more to how next-level (pun intended) the Bose QC20 headphones really are. Samsung claims a nine-hour battery life, but with our sample we got an impressive 12 hours.

Phone calls sounded clear but very compressed to the caller, and the mic on the Level In ANC picked up a fair amount of wind noise. For occasional travelers or anyone who doesn’t want to spend Bose money, the Samsung Level In ANC is an excellent pair of headphones.

The competition. For the initial testing for this guide, I compiled a list of every noise-cancelling in-ear headphone model from brands I’d heard of and brands I hadn’t. As I mentioned earlier, most noise-cancelling headphones have pretty poor reviews on Amazon; I discarded those that had multiple reviews and an overall score well below 3.5 stars. The rest I called in for testing.

Many of them have since been discontinued, and as such are no longer listed here. The models below are current and were either tested or not considered due to bad reviews. For this update, very few new models were released; those new models are mentioned here, as well.: The noise cancelling was okay, a bit worse than that of the Samsung Level In ANC. They sounded similar too, with a result that was a bit tilted toward the high end but fairly well-balanced overall. This pair has only a Lightning connector, though.: Decent noise cancelling, but as Brent put it bluntly: “Wretched sound. NASTY in passive, just bad in NC mode. They went overboard on the 3 KHz peak.

At least in NC mode there’s some bass to counterbalance it, but still”: Really low reviews (three out of five overall) on Amazon. We didn’t bother.: As mentioned earlier, this model is even cheaper than our Audio-Technica budget pick.

It offers slightly less NC (13.3 dB versus 19.1dB) but sounds decent, perhaps a touch better than the ATH-ANC33iS. We think the extra money for the 33iS is well spent, but if you can’t spend more than $50 for NC headphones, this set is a great choice.: These are fantastic headphones, and were our former budget pick. They don’t sound quite a good as our current budget pick, the Samsung Level In, with less openness and muddier bass. Also, the brains/battery pack is bulkier. They take a single AAA instead of being rechargeable, if that’s your thing.

On the other hand, they offer slightly more noise reduction. A good alternate if the Samsung is sold out or if these go on sale and are cheaper.: Our panel felt that this pair offered decent noise cancellation (16.6dB average), but the fit caused issues for everyone. Lauren found the design to be wonky and didn’t want to wear them.: The noise cancelling on these headphones was pretty good in our tests, averaging a 21.2 dB reduction in our noise band. However, with the NC on they sounded exceptionally shrill; one of our panelists called them “rapidly fatiguing.” For just a bit more, the Bose QuietComfort 20 provides better noise cancelling and even sounds better (one of the few times we can say that).: Solid noise cancelling, roughly the same as from the Audio-Technica 33iS. These are much more expensive, however, and.: Amazon reviews for this set were bad, even by NC-headphone standards. With many people complaining of nonexistent noise cancelling, we didn’t bother. Check out the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 if you want something under $50.: We checked this pair out as a part of our guide and found the sound to be dull and lackluster; the NC was mild too, and the cable created significant noise all on its own.: This pair had an overall rating of 3.2 out of five on Amazon at the time we checked.

Most of the comments complained that the NC didn’t work.: We had hopes for this set as a budget option. In noise cancelling, it landed in between the two Audio-Technica models, but in overall sound quality it was muddy and unimpressive. The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 costs the same and sounds better.: This pair works only with iOS devices that have Lightning connectors. It had okay noise cancelling, roughly the same as that of the Samsung Level In ANC. But it also had a bit more bass than the Samsung, sort of the opposite tilt from the 1More ANC. If you must have Lightning-connector headphones, these are a good option.

And: The former is an old model and the latter is not well-reviewed.: This new version of our budget wireless pick actually has slightly worse noise cancelling, and despite offering a few extra features (none vital), it isn’t worth the much higher price. The BT 100 NC is still available and still fantastic. And: Fairly mild noise cancelling.

The offers a more traditional Bluetooth design (with a battery/circuitry pack, not a collar) but worse noise cancelling than our budget wireless pick, the BT 100 NC.: Compatible only with certain Samsung phones.: Essentially no noise cancelling (6.6 dB average). Disappointing, since other Samsung Level headphones had decent NC in our tests.: These are fascinating headphones. Although their noise cancelling is very good, they’re not specifically “noise-cancelling headphones.” They’re primarily headphones with integral that do some amazing 3D audio recording. On top of that, they have a mode that boosts the speech range, so if you normally have trouble hearing in loud environments such as noisy restaurants, these will help. They even sound great. This is an odd product that’s perfect for a small group of people, namely those who would dig all these things—and who own Apple devices.

These headphones are currently iOS only, but an Android version is on the way.: Brent and I reviewed this pair for Sound & Vision. The sound quality was terrible.: These headphones offer very little noise cancelling—well below average and way less than even our budget pick provides. If noise cancelling is what you need, these headphones are not for you.: These neckband headphones offer less noise cancelling than the Phiaton BT 100 NC and cost three to four times as much.: Very mild noise cancelling. For the same price the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 offers far more.: This pair is essentially the runner-up for our budget pick. It actually offers a bit more noise cancelling, roughly 19 dB reduction on average, and costs about what the Samsung Level In ANC normally does. Its sound isn’t quite as good, however, as the result is a bit muddier, similar to that of the Audio-Technica 33iS.

Also, TaoTronics is a fairly new company, though it was responsive in our communications and its website looks legit. If the Samsung headphones sell out, these are a solid alternative.: These, however, are not. They offer essentially no noise cancelling at all.

Why not earplugs? We get occasional reader questions inquiring about even cheaper options—namely, asking what would happen if they bought earplugs and used over-ear headphones to blast through the earplugs.

This approach poses a few problems. First off, you’re losing out on the convenience, small size, and travel friendliness of in-ear headphones. (This is also why we don’t recommend wearing industrial noise protectors over the cheap in-ears you already have.) The bulk isn’t worth the savings, especially versus our budget pick. Also keep in mind that earplugs don’t reduce the sound evenly. You’d be cutting out some frequencies more than others, which defeats the purpose of decent headphones.

This may or may not be a concern for you, if you’re looking for the cheapest option. You can get custom-fitted earplugs that reduce all sound equally, but they cost at least as much as some of the NC headphones in this article. Another issue is wearing earplugs for five to six hours or longer. I’ll gladly wear earplugs for the length of a concert, but even after those few hours, I’m ready to get them out. And then there’s the biggest issue: In order to get the sound past the earplugs, you’d have to crank the volume on your headphones.

In addition to draining your portable’s battery faster, you’d be annoying the crap out of anyone next to you on the plane or train. As I said before, I fly a lot, and if my seatmate were playing music loud enough for me to hear, I’d certainly cause a ruckus worthy of an air marshal’s attention. If you don’t mind the reduction in sound quality, the bulk of carrying over-ear headphones, and the discomfort of wearing earplugs on a long flight—and you aren’t sitting next to me—this is a cheap option. For everyone else, we recommend either the Bose headphones or the Audio-Technica set. Wrapping it up.

The cancels far more noise than the competition. In addition, it’s well-built, and for most people it’s an exceptionally comfortable pair of headphones.

The sound is only average, but the superb NC ability more than makes up for that. As such, the QC20 is the best set of noise-cancelling in-ear headphones. If you want to go wireless, the is the best choice. And though the wired and the wireless don’t offer nearly as much noise cancelling, they are a lot cheaper for anyone who doesn’t travel as much.

Note: Bose uses just a single model name and number (“QuietComfort 20”) but makes two different versions. One works only with Apple products, while the other works with Samsung and other Android devices.

Make sure to select the version that matches your gear. Just saying I’ve been wearing earplugs in planes for 20 years.

Also on my motorcycle and at concerts. I’m an audiophile and I protect my ears. Yypical foam earplugs drop the ambient noise 20-30db and I’ve found you can pop the headphones on over them and hear very nicely. Obviously, this requires over the ear headphones, and it’s possible you could turn it up enough to annoy your neighbor. But it works fine. So, bill555, I’m saying just that, assuming you don’t high volume music. And actually, Yogi, I’m just suggesting it’s something I’d like compared.

These days I don’t wear the cheap foam ones anymore, I wear $300 custom made musicians earplugs, so it’s not about cost. When noise cancelling phones work better, I’ll buy them. I’m just curious if they are really as good, or really even better. And I’m doubting it. (PS, I’ve done the same thing in my vintage car, earplugs in and turn the stereo up. Gotta buy some quality buds. But I mowed the lawn today with the samsung buds that came with my phone and ear protection.

It worked fine, but since I have never used real audio NC headphones, I can’t compare them. I live in the middle of nowhere, so I’ll have to take a trip to a best buy to check out a pair. BTW i saw JT in Jacksonville in the early 70’s. Not as memorable as seeing Zappa up close at the Image in Miami Beach in 1969.

Or Iron Butterfly at the same place. It was a reconverted bowling alley, so you were pretty much standing on the stage with the performers. Just need to chime in here. I used to do all of this research myself before I found this site. Before I discovered The Wirecutter, I independently researched and purchased the Bose QC20’s, the Simple Human trash can (thesweethome.com), the Tumi Alpha 2 carry-on (the Wirecutter recommends the Alpha, but is currently testing the Alpha 2), among many other products.

I was elated when I discovered a site that does as much and far more research than I do (they also do their own testing, something I can’t do). The fact that we both often come to the same conclusions is also reassuring (sometimes I disagree; I especially get won over by design and styling more than the Wirecutter.) This site saves me SO much time. That was a very in-depth article about noise cancelling. That’s great and all but it would have been nice to see a little more attention paid to sound quality. Unless, you’re using the noise cancelling just to sleep on the plane without music, listening to your media is still the primary function of these devices, is it not?

The noise cancelling just allows you to do it easily in noisier environments. It’s understandable that a single pair of earphones might not be able to provide both amazing cancellation and audio quality, but a healthy balance of both would make them a good pair in my opinion.

For $300 I don’t think I would purchase a pair of phones that are “just average” in the sound quality department. After all, what good is blocking out a lot of sound if the sound you want to hear comes through tinny and shallow? My basic premise with this article is that someone shopping for noise cancelling headphones would want the best noise cancelling headphones.

This seemed like a logical start. As you can see from the extensive testing, there is no step down in NC with a corresponding step up in sound quality.

The Headtrip Hush sort of does this, but it’s a much larger step down in NC than step up in sound. The Bose sound fine, and are not bad sounding headphones. There are just other headphones that sound better for the price (but don’t have noise cancelling.

Also, FWIW, the Bose do not sound “tinny and shallow.” •. I wish you had access to the Denons. Here in the Asian market they are very much available for purchase and they have really positive reviews for sound quality, average noise cancellation, but user reviews say the build quality feels poor. I guess what I learned is that the in-ear noise cancelling headphone market is still a bit young.

A little disappointing because I wanted to get my friend a pair for our upcoming cross-Pacific flight. But really I can’t justify paying $300 for phones that are described as average sound quality. A $300 pair of regular headphones, while not top end, can get you something pretty damn decent and I’m not sure noise cancellation is worth that much. Anyway, thanks for the review, it’s still quite helpful to know which pairs have good cancellation.

For sound quality I will probably hit the shops to see what they have available and just try them out myself. As much as any headphone, I guess. Also probably largely depends on how you sleep.

I’ve only slept with them on planes, and they were OK pressed into a tiny pillow: noticeable, but better than many headphones I’ve used in a similar situation. If you toss and turn a lot, the cord would worry me.

There’s a company called SleepPhones that makes headphones specifically designed to sleep in. They don’t have noise cancelling, but they do have a cool form factor (headband) and there’s a wireless version: I reviewed the wired predecessors and found them comfortable, except for the wire. Ok, I bought these and with tax and delivery the tally was $379.00 and yes, the noise cancelling is astonishing.

If that’s all you’re looking for in your in ear headphones than these are probably a good way to go. However, if you’re looking for superior sound quality than (imo) there are better in ear headphones on the market. I bought a pair from a major competitor, complete with mic before I bought this pair of bose and have switched back to the competitors. I found the bose to have a thin, slightly tinny sound quality and every once in a while I’ve noticed this sharp high frequency squeal that seems appear out of nowhere.

On another note, the battery pack is a nuisance. It’s the size of a rectangular lighter and has a small cord attachment to your device. I can easily see how overtime the cord would most likely short out, especially if you’re using these headphones for any athletic running or jogging.

Also, does anyone really want to have to charge their headphones? I’m not condemning bose but I think there are some design flaws that need improvement. Here is my take on the device and the ability to survive long enough to be worth 300 bucks – if you plan on sharing them or changing the ear buds, expect the cheap plastic retention piece to break off – mine did after trying each size during testing (three sizes, three times, broken piece, not cool). It didn’t make the headset useless, but it was a concern for me as the owner of a 300 dollar piece of hardware that should survive basic functions and traveling stresses. Also, the previous pair of Bose I owned was rendered useless when the connector became damaged and this unit is of particular concern as the battery pack is so close to the headset adapter that wear will definitely be an issue. The cable simply isn’t reinforced or appear to be sturdy enough to compensate for the weight of the battery pack.

Either wrap the section between the battery and the plug with reinforcing tape or purchase “insurance”. Numerous twists and turns with the weighted battery not secured on your phone/computer and the cable will be damaged and render the headset useless. That said, they are awesome headphones and the NC functionality is truly impressive. Bass was next to non-existent, like the review states.

Listening to music without the noise canceling turned on is poor, but that is all covered in the review pretty well. From your work, can you make any subjective comments as to these sets’ suitability for use on motorcycles inside of a helmet?

My specific priorities would be 1.) ability to reduce high magnitude noise, 2.) ability to reduce the high frequency area, such as wind noise which dominates, probably 3 kHz and above (as a pure guess), and 3.) sound quality as a relevant but lesser goal. I’m thinking from your graphs that the AMPs and AKGs might score well in that realm? I have yet to find ANYTHING that allows me to hear the music over 80 mph highway wind noise so would be very interested. If the price was good, so much the better. Would love to see if any of these “max out” on noise reduction at higher levels, say 95 dB incoming noise.

And by that, I mean that they don’t have enough anti-sound power to cancel high amplitude noise. No noise cancelling headphone can actively reduce noise that high in frequency. The reduction in the charts is largely from the noise isolation properties (and a better seal with the measurement device). I don’t ride, but if it’s safe to use earplugs on a motorcycle, I’d recommend checking out noise isolating headphones: I haven’t reviewed too many cheap ones, but the Shure SE846 were incredible: I’m not saying you need to spend a grand, those are just the most recent noise isolating headphones I’ve reviewed and they were great. They make cheaper models.

I heard some Westones at CES that also sounded good. Again, I’m not sure about the safety aspects of heavy noise isolation plus music on a bike. I know driving with headphones is technically illegal (but people do it anyway). Well that is disappointing. I have tried a multitude of noise-isolating earphones to no avail. Truthfully, the best noise reduction I’ve found is with foam earplugs, and although not extremely comfortable on a multi-day trip, they are still not really quiet enough either.

I have thought about the custom made isolating earphones, but got soem fo the custom made earplugs and they don’t reduce as much as the foam. As far as safety, not sure if it’s allowed or not, but without them I can’t hear anything but wind. It’s like being in the center of a hurricane.

Ride down the road some day at 80 mph and stick your head out the window. So is the technology not able to cancel noise at higher frequencies? Not sure I understand that, but wish I could. Maybe I should just keep trying more and more noise-isolating headsets and hope something good happens. I have not tried any of those that you mention, but hard to imagine any that isolate as well as foam earplugs, which are marginally adequate themselves. Thanks for your feedback. I have the Bose QuietComfort in-ear headphones and they perform very well in my office.

Even without the noise-canceling function, the cushioning muffles the sounds of voices a little. Turning on noise-canceling muffles voices even more and makes them sound a bit distant. But to re-iterate what was said in the review, they are not the best for variable sounds, like people talking; you will still hear other people around you, just not as much. I mostly use them on the subway. It cuts the sound of the train (but does not eliminate it). Actually, Noise-Cancelling is the superior technique.

We mention it above in detail: “There is a big difference between earbuds that feature “noise isolating” and “noise cancelling” so don’t get the terms confused. The terms are often used interchangeably, which is incorrect. Noise isolating is a passive effect—in its most basic form it’s akin to sticking fingers in your ears. Noise cancelling, on the other hand, is an active process. Microphones on the earbuds work with circuitry in an attached dongle to create inverse sound waves that cancel out incoming noise.

Check out my article Noise-Cancelling vs. Noise-Isolating Headphones for more details. Here is the main part: “noise-isolating headphones can do an effective job lowering ambient noise.

Noise-cancelling goes one step further, dropping the ambient noise lower than what is possible with basic in-ear headphones” •. Very informative review of the models available at the time of the review.

However, there are new models that i think should be measured to know about their technical aspects. I’m right now about to purchase replacement for MDR-NC33 that were ok, but the NC died after 2 years of sports use. NC in those was enough for me, but better NC and sound quality would be of course better.

I’m trying to decide between Sony MDR-NC13, Audio Technica ATH-ANC33 and Sony XBA-NC85D. It is very hard to get any measureable comparsion between these models. They all now cost 50$-149$, since Sony is getting rid of XBA’s. I do not believe Amazon reviews on NC performance, because that is COMPLETELY subjective and what poor is for someone else, might be very good for me. On Sony XBA’s case everyone is saying that they are not good enough for 500$ and think they are poor, just because of that. Now they are 150$, so what’s the situation now? Is their NC better than in NC33, if it is then not having AAA box to stick to pocket is worth paying for.

Then, I can’t find any info if NC13 is inferior to NC33 IE will I be disappointed with NC13 since I’m used to NC33. It’s hard to buy NC33 anymore and they cost close to 100$ which is close to XBA’s if they are better. I have used NC22 in before NC33 and they were a lot worse in my opinion than NC33, so I’m not going back to that sound quality. May seem unenchanting, however its study is a necessity for anyone wishing to intellectually advance beyond their childhood. Cited by many as the single most important influence on post modern micro eco compartmentalize, Bluetooth Headset is featuring more and more in the ideals of the young and upwardly mobile.

Inevitably feelings run deep amongst the easily lead, which are yet to grow accustomed to its discombobulating nature. Keeping all of this in mind, in this essay I will examine the major issues. Hello, I am ignorant in the field and would like some advice. I am looking for headphones (ideally in-ear) which will allow me to listen to loud music at work without disturbing my colleagues. My problem is opposite to that of cancelling (or isolating) noise coming from the environment. From a fast reading of this article I don’t think that the same criteria would apply. Can you recommend a range of products (or even better a set of selection criteria) which suit my requirements?

Thanks a lot in advance! Hi Geoff, Thanks for the brilliant article.

I’m just wondering, I use headphones mostly on the subway. Would the bose cancel out significantly more noise than the sony NC13 for this mode of transport? I don’t mind paying more if there is a noticable difference in terms of quality.

I’ve been sceptical of bose ever since owning the QC3’s to deal with an extremely noisy air conditioner. The QC3’s were actually not as good as the sony MDR-NC33’s (which I believe are the old version of the NC13) at cancelling the noise.

But reports of the new QC20’s seem to be extremely favorable. So do you think the Bose will be better than the sony NC13’s at cancelling subway noise? Any feedback would be much appreciated •.

I have Comcast Triple Play. I had Comcast TV/ Internet before they offered phone. So I have a separate cable modem and also in my garage a Arris TM502G/CT modem that is for my phone service only. Comcast is telling me the SB6141 will work just like my SB5100 Modem has been working since I started the Comcast with just internet and TV Service, since I have a separate Comcast Arris TM502G/CT modem for the phone.

Is Comcast correct? I don’t pay a monthly fee for the Phone Modem since that is all this is used for. Comcast reccomends that I upgrade my cable modem for better performance with my current plan or end up upgrading to a better plan. The SOHO NC II are crap! I just bought those as I lost my beloved Bose QC20i. Im not an audiophile by no means, but the SOHO NC II just dial up loudness. I received them yesterday and just got the return sticker, as they are no competition – Virtually any silicon tip in ear will provide as good NC capabilities as the Harman:((( Went to the nearest apple store, to pick up the bose.

– They are now obi on generation 2, as the pouch is not so soft anymore, and the cord is now blue/black instead of white/black – There´s also an entire white model. I’ve been looking all over the web for in-ear headphones with “noise-canceling mics” instead of noise canceling earbuds to no avail, and this article actually disheartens me rather than inform – and it confuses google by talking about “noise canceling earbuds” instead! Seems like nobody – manufacturers and reviewers – care about providing good clear voice quality to the caller on the other end when it comes to in-ear designs. Nothing about voice quality is talked about in this article. Active noise canceling is unnecessary with in-ear buds when a good fit will do as good if not a better job. If professional musicians don’t need it, neither do you.

If anyone really cares about noise isolation from the environment – look for professional in-ear monitors rather than subpar consumer models. I would urge the article writer to look into calling voice qualities of these earbuds and make that a priority rather than worrying about getting the last bit of noise isolation out of subpar earbuds that aren’t used by musicians. Finally found some. (no thanks to wirecutter. Where are you guys, the “experts”?) I haven’t tried it yet but a friend if mine who has a convertible car uses “The Boom”. Pricey but it completely eliminates background noise using directional microphones.

I am also trying a Platronics Focus. It seems to be doing a good job and has both active noise canceling (ok) for my ears and a noise canceling microphone for background noise so folks can hear me. So far so good. It is over the ear on both ears and Bluetooth.

I was looking for non Bluetooth to eliminate one more charger! But it seems to have long battery/talk time. Also expensive. It appears that Bose has recently released a new version of the QC20. Confusingly, this new version has the same model number, but it has a new black/green, white/green design.

It also appears that the previous version (The Wirecutter’s pick) have been discounted in response. There are some comments on the Amazon product page about the differences, but nothing seems reliable. Could you reach out to Bose and update the guide?

I recently lost my pair of QC20s (I loved them), and I’m trying to figure out the new version is worth the extra cost. Details here: •. I’ve done this. Looks silly but there are some slim ear muffs now which work pretty well and don’t look much different from average on-ear headphones. You don’t have to look like the guys on the tarmac at the airport (really). That said, the Bose QC 20 are definitely more stylish, overall. Based on what I heard in the showroom, I am very impressed with the Bose QC 20 noise canceling for engine noise or car sounds.

It works less well to reduce talking, as mentioned in the article. Also, the Bose sound quality is adequate for more people, but doesn’t touch high end in ear monitors. Regardless, if you want to drown out talking (say, in a Starbucks), I /highly/ recommend listening to recorded ocean waves crashing on the beach. I bought my track online and it works great.

Mine has a bit too much seagull, but I digress. FYII’ve bought the Bose set based on your recommendation and love them. It did however lose sound in the right ear within the one year warranty period. I was surprised because I try to baby thesethey are pricey! I went online and put in my serial number (they’re super tiny on one of the earbuds) and was surprised to see that they were not under warranty anymorethey offered discounted QCs$120-$150 range.

I then called in and Bose took care of me under warranty. I hope the new ones don’t go bad within a year.maybe I should have opted for an extended warranty! Hi I am a loyal customer of Bose products. I bought the QuietComfort® 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones — Android version. I have been using them and I have no complaints regarding the product. Noise Cancellation is perfect, quality of product is great. But recently I found out that the cord is cracked from 2 ends and split open showing all the wires inside.

The first cracked end is where the cord is connected to standard 3.5mm headphone jack. And second is where the wire is going from volume/mic button to the control module. This is my 4th Bose product (different products). I gave Bose a call telling them that the length of the cloth pouch they provide is shorter than the length of control module + cord to jack + the jack itself. If you try there is no way you can put that thing inside the pouch straight.

You will have to bend some part get it properly inside and zip it. I called customer care and they were prepared to send me a new set on lower price (~200$) but I will have to pay for shipping. My point is tear and wear of a product over time is acceptable but in case there may be a slight design flaw. Even from very beginning, I found it very hard to put the whole thing in the pouch.

(My earlier MIE2i came with a leather pouch and it was big enough to store the headsets comfortably) I will again buy Bose product for sure, but I just want to bring this into Bose’s consideration. I have taken pictures of the cracks but I cannot find any email address for Bose Customer Support where I can attach pictures and tell the whole story. Anyways, I guess, I will keep using them with noise cancelling and static noise entering the headphones and dancing together. Bose customer from Canada •. First of all, you have no clue what the silence means really (no offence, explanation further down), my son and I both have autisme, and when we have to many things going on in our life, we get trouble canceling out noise. It is the noise from a fork scrapping on a plate, it is from people chewing their food. The sound is just multiplied by a lot (don’t have a number really), for many years people told me i had super hearing (since i could hear peoples conversation 50 meters away), today i know better.

The point is, i got the Q25’s and I really love the them, now i want to lower the noise when i am moving around (i fear the Q25’s will get wet in rain, plus since they are a little big, they tend to get warm on the ears after some time). So thank you for your long explanation, it helps make my choice (Q20 is the one to aim for), now I just need to find a cheap retailer here in Denmark. But once again thanks for the review, makes my decision easier 😀 •.

Highly appreciated to the details on the professional review about top cancelling in ear headsets,we guys really know what the differences between the unique headsets and other knock offs and how to and why to and where to pick one affordable but preferred, Lol, I came across a well known YCCTEAM UK Amazon store releasing a huge of 10%~40% off deals,i bought a high praised High Performance In-Ear Earphone w In-line Mic, Metal Housing, Mic Control for my iPhone 6S Plus at, it is a pretty good earphones with metal housing looking pretty stylish and smart. They are very comfortable and stay in my ears real well.

The music comes out of the earphones is very smooth and clear, and as described, the high bass sound effect is very satisfying,more importantly,these earphones is that they allow amazing phone conversations. I shelled out $300-350 (forgot how much exactly) for these a few months ago at BestBuy. I am thoroughly disappointed with the sound quality. If you don’t use the noise cancelling feature they sound like sh*t. You’d think noise-cancelling would be an added-bonus on a pair of $300 ear buds, and that they should sound good without it and even better with it. But you’d be wrong.

Even WITH the noise cancelling, It’s so-so performance for me. They also feel cheaply made, so it’s a good thing I bought the extended warranty. I do not recommend. As I type this I just realized the lithium battery isn’t replaceable. So I guess I’m expected to shell out another $300-$350 when it dies?

I will have to, but not on another Bose product. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good a product is if the company that sells it is incompetent. I bought a 40″ Vizio TV around Christmas 2014 based on an online review (not Wirecutter).

The TV was set up on Christmas day and immediately started shutting off by itself if I was using one of the TV apps. I called Vizio on December 28 and was told that Vizio knew about the problem would deliver a new, replacement TV to me and take the bad one away. I got an e-mail from Vizio with my case number and link to a web site where I could inquire about the status of my case. I called Vizio a few times over the next 10 days to check on the status because the web site never had ANY information about the status. The last time I called was January 7, 2015.

I was told that Vizio had to contact someone else and it might take up to 48 hours to get a response. On January 9, Vizio left me a v-mail. I called back to find out what they wanted to tell me. After being on the phone with a rep for 15 minutes she hung up on me. I called back and was told that Vizio couldn’t do what they promised. They couldn’t replace my TV with the same model. They offered me a 42″ TV but a 42″ TV won’t fit where I have my TV so I told them I’d take the TV back to Best Buy and get something else.

Bottom line: Vizio took almost two weeks to find out that they couldn’t do what they promised, replace my TV with the same model. It’s hard to believe that a company these days doesn’t have a better inventory system which allows them to know in an instant whether they have what the customer wants. It’s crazy to think that it will take almost two weeks to find out. It gets better. On January 13 I got the following e-mail from Vizio “Please be advised that your VIZIO product has shipped for Service Request#: OSS1375864 – TV – E420i-B0” On January 14 I got an e-mail from Manna Distribution Services “Your shipment is on its way. From: Vizio” On January 20 I got a call from Lykes Cartage to set up delivery of my new Vizio TV.

I told them I didn’t want the Vizio TV that Vizio told me they didn’t have. I’m thinking of getting this, especially given how it’s currently on sale.

But I just had two questions (which I think other readers might have too): 1. How good are these in an office or university cluster computer lab-type setting, where there might be other students or colleagues talking or laughing in the vicinity? The review says that it won’t totally drown out voices, but will it at least do a good enough job that music will take care of the rest? I’ve seen Amazon reviews that criticize these for being shorter-lived than one might expect (e.g.

In particular, multiple reviews seem to have reported problems with the ear enclosure. Would you say that this is a problem? Thanks very much! Electronic noise cancelling isn’t going to do anything for voices. You might get a little better passive isolation with the QC25 or QC35 over-ears. If music drowns out voices in your lab with regular headphones, then it probably will with the Bose. Research any headphone and you’ll find people who have had problems.

It’s impossible to say how many are actual issues, and how many are people who just broke their headphones (by sitting on them, etc). I’ve been using mine with no issues for nearly 2 years, and I’ve put a LOT of miles on them.

Bose also has a 1 year warranty. These won’t work for that. Custom-fitted isolation earbuds are the only way to go.

The reason is music is broad spectrum and rapidly changing sound. Noise cancelling headphones can’t do that. They can reduce droning, steady, lower-pitched sounds really well, like an airplane or car engine. They won’t do anything for cymbal crashes, vocals, etc. I mean if the bassist hits one note and holds it, the QC20s might be able to make that quieter than some isolation earbuds, but everything else would be as loud as if you didn’t have anything in. EDIT: Just seen a previous comment answering my question.

Pardon the needless comment. I’ve referenced this and other articles for a couple of years now, going back and forth on whether to purchase NC headphones, and if so which ones. The QC 20s look the best bet for me, as I constantly wear my Apple headphones about and the QC 25/35s would be too bulky. My concern are the higher frequency noises. How good are they at blocking out the random background chatter of an office?

Am I better off getting builders earmuff’s to wear over my Apple headphones (or a higher sound quality alternative) or are they effective at blocking distracting background voices? Thanks Geoffrey for your great work 🙂 •. Are you aware of any issues with the noise cancelling aspects of the earbuds if they are plugged into 2, 3, or 4 pole audio contacts?

I’m very confused as to whether I will lose the noise cancelling if I plug some of the Sony NC13 replacements into a non-Sony phone, or if it’s only the call-handling capability you lose. My impression from your article is that they should do their thing across all types, but wanted to check.

Also, why is there a difference between the models for Samsung/Android phones and Apple? The noise cancelling is internal, so you won’t lose it no matter what you plug it into.

You should also always get music/audio no matter what the source. The main potential issue is the controls and mic.

If something is made for Apple (and is labeled to work with iOS) then the remote and mic probably won’t work with Android phones. If you have some other type of phone (i.e. Not Android and not Apple) then you may have the same issues. It’s not possible for us to test every source device for comparability. The short version: don’t by an Apple-specific headphone if you don’t have an Apple phone. Our main pick has two versions so you can choose. Other headphones just have a single button and mic, which will work with most phones.

I, on the other hand, LOVE my QC20’s. I recently purchased a set of the wireless 30’s from Bose, but returned them because I found the collar awful to wear (and if it wasn’t aligned properly on my neck it pulled on the ear buds). I don’t run, but I work out a lot in the gym.

Never had the ‘cord noise’ problem as described, and this is doing squats, deadlifts, and other olympic lifts. I would absolutely prefer a wireless in-ear version, but not at the expense of noise canceling or battery life. We aren’t there yet, so the QC 20’s are where I will (pretty happily) remain. Just picked these up for the markdown to $200 they had going on for a while and all I can say is they will be replacing my QC-15s not only as my daily commuting pick, but for air travel as well. Did an A/B test with them on a couple flights recently and the 20s bested the 15s ANC in many situations, though not all. Def enough to put the over-ears away for now and shrink down my EDC bag. However, BUYER BEWARE, Bose has changed their out-of-warranty replacement policy this summer.

It used to be you could get an replacement past the 1 yr warranty period by paying $90 and trading in your old set. I did this for my QC-15s. Now that price has more than doubled to $190 (AND still requires turning in old set) per my visit to a retail Bose store. You can make your own conclusions about what this says for Bose customer service. Additionally the call center appears to have moved to the Philippines.

For fun I called in to see what they would say on replacement and the guy literally said it would depend on who I talked to. He confirmed the system said it should be $199 (discrepancy from store) for an out-of-warranty replacement but said he could make it $100, but another tech might stick with the $199. It was a little surreal and confusing – he wasn’t able or willing to explain why the price would vary. I may just opt for the Asurion coverage Amazon offers a 3 or 4 year option. Love my BC20 for iphone but just switched from ipod to an android Digital Audio Player (XDP-100R) so will need to get the android version of the earbuds.

Unfortunately, many reviews say that the volume control won’t work as the XDP-100R (and many DAPs) have a physical volume control. Shame, but I can live with that. However, will the other inline remote controls work (eg play, pause, next track)?! The reviews aren’t clear and I’ve not found anything to say that they will. Is there an app workaround? There’s no point me buying earbuds/headphones that have an inline remote control if that’s the case. All suggestions welcome!

I listen to a wide range of music, ranging from classic to alternative rock to video games So I’m basically looking to buy some new headphones, and the most important thing is comfort. Comfort is a huge issue with me, especially since I also wear glasses. The old bose headphones I had were pretty comfortable, yet after about an hour or so I would start getting some slight discomfort that would slowly increase.

The sony ones I have now become uncomfortable after about 20 minutes, and they produce quite a bit of heat. So I’m basically looking for the most comfortable headphones in my price range, but I also care about the quality of the sound as well as the headphones themselves (the bose ones I got were kinda flimsy and broke on me after about a year). I’m a sucker for sound quality, and a sucker for bass quality. Will BoseQuiet 20 be good for me? Interested in the Authors opinion between the QC20 and QC30. I bought the quietcontrol 30 to use as noisecancelling and as a bluetooth phone. The phone is probably only 30% of the time; but 80% of the importance.

The QC30 echos and has really strange sounds for the person on the other end. I attribute it to the poor microphone placement and likely the lack of noice cancelling tech for the microphone. It is so bad that I can’t use them 90% of the time for phone calls. Bose replaced my first one under warranty hoping that I just had a bad set. My second set is no different. The QC20 has the microphnoe farther away. Is it better for calls?

I test drove the Apple Airpods. No noise cancelling for me; but people on the other end could hear me perfectly even in very noisy environments. If they were available in black, I’d probably already have bought them.

I hate the toothbrush in my ear look. Hi everyone, I bought QC20i (the Apple version) a few months after they ve been on the market, which is like how much, 3-4 yrs now? An European working in Asia, I tend to travel more than George Clooney in Up in the Air. Also, i take thirld-world taxis and stay in the hotels, which are sometimes pretty noisy too. I like running. So you can imagine the amount of abuse my pair of QC must withstand and recently, they started to fall apart mechanically, but as I’ve said, it is due to all that amount of abuse they are getting from me: i listen to music with them, I sleep wearing them both on planes, trains and in bed too, I run with them etc.

So I was actually surprised to see them last SO long, coz I am the person who was able to destroy a pair of KOSS Porta Pro in less than 8 months (tell me about the “life warranty” 😀 ) Both NC *AND* sound quality is so good (from my perspective) that I would buy them without hesitation, but there is one problem, and that is called Apple. What the (^$!@^$(!@$(!@s were smoking when they were making the decision about wiping out the 3.5mm jack is simply beyond anything my neurons can process, to put it VERY mildly. I test-heared QC30 and they are not as good in NC, also I am REALLY hesitating about wearing the neck-collar in hot climate for a full day, and last, when the battery dies, it is game over. I h*a*t*e to use the iPhone dongle, but since it seems that the next iphone will also be w/o the good ole’ reliable jack, then i will have to go for a pair of new QC20 and a dongle to connect it to the stupid jack-less iphone. (I wish SO much someone from Apple reads this instead of listening to their self-appreciatory marketing BS Koolaid, and feels HOW MUCH we hate them for that!). Anyway, just wanted to say that QC20 is really FANTASTIC. Hello – here is my dilemma.

I want to use noise cancelling wireless headphones for my Sony Bravia TV (2014). Sony says the TV only accommodates RF. I’m aware of people plugging 3rd party BT transmitters into the TV headphone jack (or digital audio out via Toslink), but there are ALWAYS audio latency/lag issues (“low latency” claims aside, it seems to be built into the BT conversion process). I’ve been testing Bose QC 35s (also Sony MDR 1000X). I may keep the QC 35s for listening to music on my MacBook. But my TV problem remains.

Is there such a thing as RF headphones or earbuds with ANC? I even thought of wearing RF earbuds under industrial strength ear muffs, but that sounds uncomfortable, at best. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I have no doubt that the options listed are higher quality, but even the “budget” option is more than I’m willing to pay. Personally, I’m a big fan of Plugfones (). They’re among the only earbuds that have an NRR (Noise Reduction Rating, rated at 25), and are acceptable for use in environments requiring that. The audio won’t match the quality of the top choices here, but if you want decent audio with excellent noise isolation for cheap ($30, often on sale at amazon for $20), they’re an excellent option. These do prioritize noise reduction over audio quality, but they’re effective enough that you can use them mowing the lawn or riding a motorcycle. For $20 or $30, I’m loving them. FWIW, I loved my Bose QC20 for all the reasons you’ve stated until I started getting loud random static noises from the right earbud while noise cancelling was turned on.

I only use the QC20 when I fly, which comes out to two trips per year and have never dropped/stepped on them. I went the local Bose store and was told that since I am out of warranty, my only option with Bose was to buy a new pair (I could get $60 or so off with trade-in). I was also told to look to see if there might be a slight gap/crack in the right earbud along the seam, that could have compromised the microphone. Try pressing the earbud housing together a bit or seal any noticeable gap. I haven’t tried that yet; but, I these earbuds were too expensive and used too infrequently for me to want to replace them with another pair. I’ll go back to my QC25 headphones for now and start looking into the other options.

What I need is a good Noise Cancelling in-ear pods which will be used only when I am mowing the lawn. I am not so naive to think that any in-ear solution will block out all the noise of the lawnmower but it would be great to block out enough that I can actually hear the music. So, since I am only wearing while I cut the grass, the noise cancelling feature is more important that the sound quality (it still needs to be “good” sound but not audiophile). For sound quality I own a pair of Bose in-ear pods and Audio-Technica over-headphones. Any suggestions?