Powerful noise cancellation no longer requires bulky over-ear headphones. The latest wireless earbuds pack sophisticated active noise cancellation (ANC) into a small package, allowing you to block out noise so you can hear your favorite songs and podcasts clearly. After 15 years of testing hundreds of models at various price points, I’ve found great performers that eliminate unwanted ambient noise without compromising on sound quality or comfort. From premium flagships to surprisingly capable budget options, here are my top picks for the best noise-canceling earbuds of 2025.
Which are the best noise-canceling earbuds overall
If I had to pick a few models, some of the best options include the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and Sony WF-1000XM5 Buds. The AirPods Pro 2 were updated with USB-C charging and other minor improvements, while versions from Bose and Sony launch in 2023. Plus, I recently added to my picks the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and the Apple AirPods 4, the first open-design earbuds with effective active noise canceling.
Not only do all of these earbuds have great sound and noise-muffling capabilities, but they also deliver a comfortable fit and mostly strong voice-calling performance. Aside from pricing and value, these are the main factors I consider when choosing products for this list.
The best noise canceling products can mask a wide range of frequencies and do so on the fly (“adaptive” noise canceling) with sophisticated software algorithms and powerful but still energy-efficient processors. Apple, Sony, and Bose remain the leaders in this category, but they have a lot of competition. Keep in mind that this list focuses on the best noise-cancelling earbuds, not over-ear headphones. For a mix of both, check out our roundup of the best noise-cancelling headphones with active noise cancellation.
The QC Ultra earbuds aren’t a huge upgrade over Bose’s excellent QC Earbuds 2 released in 2022, they’re just slightly better. They should fit very well in most ears, and they have fantastic noise canceling, arguably the best around.
A natural-sounding transparency mode with a new ActiveSense feature turns on some ANC if the sound around you gets too loud (it’s similar to the AirPods Pro’s Adaptive Audio feature). They sound a little better overall, with a little more clarity, and their new Immersive Audio feature opens up the sound a little.
When Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds arrived in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors’ Choice. They’re great, but we had some complaints — they’re big and not great for some ears.
Sony took these complaints to heart when designing its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. The XM5 are not only smaller, but they also offer better performance across the board, with improved noise canceling, sound quality, and voice calling.
Apple not only swapped out USB-C for Lightning connectivity in its new iPhone 15 models, but made the switch with the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). The new AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe (USB-C) are nearly identical to their Lightning predecessor, delivering the same excellent sound, noise canceling, and voice-calling performance.
If you’re able to get a tight seal with any of the three included sizes, there’s little to complain about with Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (read our full review). Yes, the noise cancellation could be a little better, but the earbuds’ excellent sound quality is clearly a step up from the Buds 2 Pro.
Plus, they have a strong feature set, and their voice-calling performance is truly top notch. Google has redesigned its Pixel Buds Pro 2 to fit more ears. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are not only smaller than their predecessor, but Google has equipped them with its new Tensor A1 chip, which provides more processing power and enables its new “hands-free, eyes-free” Gemini virtual AI assistant.