Now that most new headphones and earbuds offer at least a modicum of noise cancellation, it would be impossible (and unproductive) to list everything we love above. If you haven’t found your fit yet, here are some other favorites worth considering.
Soundcore Life Q30 for $60-85: Anker’s Soundcore line is nothing if not price conscious, and the Life Q30 delivers an embarrassing list of extras for their often bargain-basement price. You’ll get clear and warm sound, great features, plenty of battery life, and noise-canceling that gets the job done even on a long flight, though it can’t keep up with flagship pairs. When they cost hundreds less, it’s hard to complain, especially with sale prices that sometimes leave them above $50.
Soundcore Space A40 for $60: Anchor’s Soundcore brand, Space A40 (8/10, Wired recommends) are some of our favorite cheap earbuds, especially since they keep dropping in price. You’ll find a great design for their class, tons of features, quality sound, and excellent noise cancellation.
Apple Beats Fit Pro for $199: The Beats Fit Pro are an aging but still knock-out pair of wireless buds, with great sound, easy-access physical buttons and solid noise cancellation to boot. Add to that six-hour battery life, spatial audio compatibility with Apple Music and other services, and you’ve got one of the best pairs of “designed in California” earbuds.
Sony WF-1000XM4 for $290: Sony’s WF-1000XM4 (7/10, Wired recommends) still have some of the best noise cancellation we’ve heard from a pair of earbuds and offer the same super-tuned sound we love from Sony’s over-ear headphones. They’re getting harder to find, and they’re a bit too big for little ears, but the extra size makes for great battery life.
Amazon Echo Buds for $45: Amazon’s second-gen Echo Buds (8/10, Wired recommends) don’t offer quite the same silence as the top buds on our list, but they’re still a great low-cost option. Amazon’s built-in Alexa voice assistant lets you set timers, check the weather and control your Buds hands-free. The buds also look great, making them worth considering for many years.
Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 for $152: Want great sound, a comfortable fit, and high-quality noise-canceling technology for less than what you’d pay for Sony or Bose headphones? Check out this collaboration between Epos and Sennheiser. Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 (8/10, Wired recommends) sound great, and are some of the lightest noise-canceling headphones I’ve ever worn. They also offer excellent microphones for excellent silence on calls and zooms.
