It’s no news that best noise cancelling earbuds also have active noise cancellation, which is not as advanced as for on-ear and over-ear headphones, but still gets the work done pretty well.
The trouble is, which noise cancelling earbuds do it better? We have a list of 4 noise cancelling earbuds with full reviews to make it easier for you to pick. Let’s check them out!
1. Bose QuietComfort 30
- Noise Cancellation: Active
- Battery life: ~ 10 hours
- Wireless: Yes
- Price: $299.95
Source: bose.com
Design & Comfort: 4/5
These earbuds are wireless which eliminates the trouble of detangling cords. The overall look on the neck gives a subtle feel. On the other hand, it isn’t relatively lightweight and comfortable to wear given the fact that there’s a neckband that connects the earbuds together.
Ease of use: 5/5
There are 5 buttons which include the volume controls (Up, Down), playback controls (Play/Pause/Skip) and 2 buttons to adjust the level of noise cancellation that fits you best. There are 2 LED lights that indicate the Bluetooth connectivity and battery life.
You can use NFC to connect your device to the earbuds. There are 3 sizes available, and you won’t experience your earbuds popping out and random times.
Sound quality & ANC: 4/5
Not the absolute best sound quality, but these earbuds compensate it with strong adjustable ANC. Overall the mids and highs sound very balanced while you can slightly feel the bass in the lows. The trouble is, it’s difficult to keep track of all the highs as soon as all the instruments step into the game.
Verdict: Consider Bose QuietComfort 30 if you value noise cancellation over sound quality.
2. Plantronics Backbeat Go 410
- Noise Cancellation: Active
- Battery life: 8-10 hours
- Wireless: Yes
- Price: $120.36
Source: Plantronics.com
Design & Comfort: 5/5
The earbuds are lightweight and compact with a soft and bendable neckband made of silicone. The earbuds are magnetic and can stick to each other. It’s comfortable to wear and doesn’t feel heavy on the neck. Although it’s not quite fit for working out as it can easily bounce on your neck as you jog.
Ease of Use: 5/5
There are 3 buttons. You can toggle the smart magnets using 2 buttons (minus and multi function buttons) which in its turn will turn the active noise cancellation On or Off.
Sound Quality & ANC: 4/5
You can use the Backbeat application to EQ the sound either “Bright” or “Bass”. You can also use the app to toggle the noise cancellation to On/Off. Overall, the highs are distinctly audible, mids are balanced and lows can be a little overbearing at times. Despite the decent sound quality, the ANC is still average being able to cancel nearby conversations, low frequency rumbling and such.
Verdict: Plantronics Backbeat Go 410 earbuds function better in terms of providing good sound quality rather than perfect active noise cancellation.
3. B&O Beoplay H3 ANC
- Noise Cancellation: Active
- Battery life: 20 hours
- Wireless: No
- Price: $172
Source: bang-olufsen.com
Design & Comfort: 5/5
The earbuds are minimalistic and lightweight. They are made of metal and look elegant on the ears. Different sizes of the foam plugs will help keep the earbuds in your ear and not fall out at anytime. They are fit for walking and running. If you value exceptional design in earbuds, you will appreciate the looks of these earbuds.
Ease of use: 4/5
There is a circular control unit on the cable close to the headphone jack for active noise cancellation. There are also 3 buttons for volume controls (Up/Down) and taking calls.
Sound quality: 5/5
Mids and highs are both audible and distinct, the bass is punchy. The overall sound quality is rich, detailed and solid. The earbuds provide only subtle active noise cancellation by blocking out partial external noise.
Verdict: B&O Beoplay H3 ANC will be a great pick for you if you care for design and sound quality.
Meet Krisp!
If you’re using your noise cancelling earbuds during work or in noisy environments, or maybe you’re a digital nomad who has a conference call to join from a coffeeshop, we got a better idea! Upgrade your noise cancelling earbudsto a new noise cancelling level with even bigger opportunities with Krisp. (Psst! We won a Golden Kitty Award on Product Hunt recently)
It’s a noise cancellation software that will help you get rid of noise during calls with just one click.
You switch on 2 buttons in the Krisp application and leave them switched on the entire time, and all the background noise during the call is removed in real time.
It works for both sides – no noise from you, no noise from other participants. That way you won’t even need exceptional noise cancellation in your earbuds, or ANC headphones. Let Krisp do the entire job!
4. AKG K391 NC
- Noise Cancellation: Active
- Battery life: ~ 40 hours
- Wireless: No
- Price: $199.95
Source: akg.com
Design & Comfort: 4/5
The design of these earbuds is minimalistic and plain. They’re all about comfort and simplicity. They fit in the ear canal nice and don’t fall out. The wires with the control panel on the cable can take extra time to manage on the go. But overall it’s fairly comfortable for use.
Ease of use: 5/5
There are volume controls (Up/Down), microphone for calls and a separate compartment with a switch for active noise cancellation. Simple feel that is similar to regular earbuds except for the easy controls for noise cancellation.
Sound quality & ANC: 4/5
Clean audio performance with distinct and rich sounding bass, and balanced mids and highs. There is no sound distortion and the sound quality is crisp. Noise cancellation is average, it reduces external noise however you can hear a hissing sound throughout the music every now and then.
Verdict: AKG K391 NC is certainly for bass lovers. Although that’s not a limitation, since they provide crispy sound quality and ANC.
We hope this article will help you pick the earbuds that fit you best and make your every day life experience much more pleasurable. Don’t forget to use Krisp to level up in your noise cancellation game!
