The primary concern of music lovers when buying headphones is whether they will be able to block out the rest of the world when listening to music. A truly relaxing experience is when you are able to enjoy your favorite song without any outside interference. Noise cancellation is perhaps the primary reason why some headphones are chosen over others. The ideal solution to the dilemma of such interference is the invention of noise-canceling headphones. Such headphones can block out the external noise by extra padding and active noise canceling mechanisms. Let's have a look at the best noise cancelling headphones under 300 of 2021.
Quick Answer: Top-Rated 8 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under 300 in 2021
- Best Overall: Sony WH1000XM3 Noise-cancelling Headphones
- COWIN E7 Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- JBL LIVE 650BTNC Wireless Noise-cancelling Headphones
- COWIN E7 PRO (Upgraded) Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless Bluetooth Headphones
- Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones WHCH710N
- Sony MDRZX110NC Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Cancelling headphones
Best Overall: Sony WH1000XM3 Noise-cancelling Headphones
Ratings: 4.6/5
- These headphones will never exceed the sound limit of 85 dB, best suitable for children.
- They provide relaxation and comfort to the children with the help of padded headphones.
- It has customization availability; kids can customize the headphones according to their own will.
- It has a set of kids stickers with the help of them customization can occur.
- Comes with a case.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
Design
If you love listening to music without any external interference, these are just the headphones for you. Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3 gives you a virtually soundproof and personalized experience. These come with a portable carry case, audio cable to enable wired connection and a charging cable.
Performance
You can customize your soundproof experience by the Smart Listening technology; the ambient sound can be adjusted to offer varying degrees of noise-cancellation. The in-built mic allows you to receive calls hands-free. In addition to that, you can also activate the Quick Attention Mode simply by covering the right earcup and converse easily with others.
Specifications
| Drivers: | neodymium Magnet |
| Sensitivity: | 104.5 dB/mW |
| Frequency: | 4-40kHz |
| Impedance: | 16 Ohm |
| Battery | 1 Lithium Ion Battery (included) |
| Dimensions: | 7.31 x 2.94 x 10.44 in |
| Weight: | 0.56lbs |
| Support: | 1 year warranty. |
- The touch controls and voice assistant Alexa make them user-friendly.
- One-touch for music tracks, volume, attend phone calls and activate Alexa.
- The earpieces are foldable to allow for easy portability.
- With a battery life of up to 30 hours, you need not worry about it dying on you on your long journey.
- The highs in the songs appear overwhelmed by the bass.
- Carry case is big to keep in a small bag.
COWIN E7 Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Ratings: 4.4/5
- Efficient Bluetooth connection.
- Comfortable with swivel-ability.
- Soft texture.
- No distraction in a rush.
Design
With COWIN E7 Active Noise-cancelling Headphones, you do not have to worry about distractions during work or while listening to music while traveling. The built-in mic for making hands-free calls, together with efficient Bluetooth connection, will improve call quality. It has comfortable over-ear earcups with 90-degree swivel-ability
The built-in 600mAh battery gives a 30-hour playtime during the Bluetooth mode, which means you can listen to music all day long. It produces a powerful and crisp sound, with effective noise-canceling to further enhance the experience.
Performance
Efficient noise-canceling to block all sorts of external ambient noise. You are guaranteed the most comfortable experience with the protein earcups with 90-degree swivel. The material is very lightweight, and the texture soft.
Exceptional sound quality with all volumes to guarantee a good listening experience. You can use these headphones not only to listen to your favorite music but also to attend calls in peace.
With COWIN E7 Active Noise-cancelling Headphones, you do not have to worry about distractions during work or while listening to music while traveling. The active noise-canceling mechanism ensures that even sounds as difficult to quell as airplane whirs, or city traffic, will not interfere.
Specs
| Battery Life | 30-hour battery life |
| Weight | 0.85 lbs |
| Dimensions | 76.54 x 3.62 x 7.13 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | Built-In |
| Connection | Wireless |
- Long Battery life and playback time
- The Exceptional sound quality with deep bass.
- Protein ear cups are very snug and comfortable to wear.
- Sometimes slides off the head as it does not fit well.
- Noise-cancelling can be problematic in a rush as music cuts in and out.
JBL LIVE 650BTNC Wireless Noise-cancelling Headphones
Ratings: 4.4/5
- Effective Noise-cancelling mechanism
- Alexa-enabled
- Enhanced bass
- Long battery life
Design
With a quick tap on the earcup, you can play the music, check the weather report, or even send a message to your friend. On a 2-hour single charge, these headphones will last for up to 30 hours.
The headphones come with a detachable cable and a remote/mic, which allows you to listen to music even when the headphones run out of battery.
Performance
If you are a music-lover and listening to music is a part of your life, try these JBL LIVE 650 BTNC headphones to experience music with no external interference. Alexa-enable, these headphones are much more than simple headphones. If you want to focus on nothing but the music, with these headphones, you can block out all external ambient sounds.
These headphones are equipped with the best 40mm drivers to give amazing sound quality, enhance bass, and maintain quality at all volumes.
Specs
| Battery Life | 30 hours playtime |
| Weight | 9.1 ounces |
| Dimensions | 8.07 x 3.15 x 8.78 inches |
| Charging Time | 2 hours |
| Mic | In-built |
| Connection | Wireless |
- Efficient noise-canceling
- The 30-hour battery span means you can enjoy music all day long.
- The best 40mm drivers give excellent sound quality.
- Alexa-enable, these headphones are much more convenient to use than simple headphones.
- Sound quality and EQ are not very exceptional.
- Bass can sound shaky and distorted
COWIN E7 PRO (Upgraded) Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Ratings: 4.4/5
- Efficient noise-canceling
- Ideal sound quality
- Soft ear cushions with 90-degree swivel-ability
- Bluetooth-enabled microphone
- Wireless Bluetooth connectivity
Design
The earcups are upgrading to make them extremely comfortable to wear, and the 90-degree swivel feature allows you to adjust the earcups over your ears.
Morever, the in-built, Bluetooth-enabled microphone, with much better quality, will allow you to receive calls hands-free and without any interference. The 800mAh battery gives a much more stable, 30-hour battery life.
Performance
Whether in a busy airport or stuck in a noisy traffic jam, with these headphones, no external noise will bother you anymore. Couple this with excellent sound quality, and you have just the right headphones. The professional, crisp, and powerful sound quality, accurate, and deep bass response guarantee the once-in-a-lifetime experience
Comfortable and soft upgraded ear cushions with 90-degree swivel-ability will guarantee a great music-listening experience.
Specs
| Battery Life | 30-hour battery life |
| Weight | 0.8 ounces |
| Dimensions | 6.54 x 3.62 x 7.13 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | Built-In |
| Connection | Wireless Bluetooth connectivity |
- High-quality sound production
- exceptional sound quality
- Long battery life
- sound is sometimes muffled, and high notes feel dead.
- Slight audio delay when paired with a computer.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Ratings: 4.6/5
- Volume-optimized EQ
- Alexa-enabled
- Audio-augmented reality experience
- With motion sensor
- Comfortable fit
Design
These noise-canceling headphones can effectively block out external ambient noise. With the motion sensor, Bose QuietComfort headphones give a splendid sound quality depending on the context. Being Alexa-enabled, these headphones can monitor your entertainment, information, and everything else, without even touching your phone.You are promised a user-friendly experience with 20-hours battery life, a comfortable fit, and easy pairing.
Performance
Concentrating solely on music can improve the experience tenfold. Complete focus on music is only possible when there is absolutely no external noise distraction. With Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones, you can experience exactly that. The headphones are Bose AR-enabled, an audio-only augmented reality experience, and also have a multi-directional motion sensor.
You can also adjust the noise-cancellation levels with the Bose Connect App and Action button at your convenience.With these headphones, you are guaranteed perfect sound quality at all volumes with Volume-optimized EQ, and clear calls with the dual-microphone system to cancel noise interference.
Specs
| Battery Life | 20-hours playtime |
| Weight | 8.3 ounces |
| Dimensions | 3.2 x 6.7 x 7.1 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | Built-In |
| Connection | Bluetooth |
- Splendid sound quality
- You can monitor everything with a simple touch as it is Alexa-enabled.
- Volume-optimized EQ promises great sound quality at all volumes
- Clear, interruption-free calls with dual microphone
- Occasional glitches occur when paired with laptop or computer
- When paired with a laptop while you are on call, other activity alerts can interrupt and break the call.
Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones WHCH710N
Ratings: 4.4/5
- Efficient active Noise-canceling
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Available in Blue color
Design
These active noise-canceling headphones have Dual Noise Sensor Technology to sense all external sounds, and then “anti-noise” sound waves are produced to cancel out the incoming sound waves.
You can also use these headphones to receive calls, hands-free, in complete silence, and use the voice-assistant to improve your experience. It has easy Bluetooth pairing with NFC One-Touch. The earcups have a metal slider, which makes them very comfortable to wear.
Performance
Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones WHCH710N is just the headphones for you if you are a fan of listening to music in absolute silence. Easy Bluetooth connectivity makes them very user-friendly without any hassle of wires. The 35-hours battery life will ensure that you can enjoy music, uninterrupted, all through the day.
Specs
| Battery Life | 35-hours playtime |
| Weight | 14.1 ounces |
| Dimensions | 7.84 x 2.09 x 9.02 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | In-built |
| Connection | Bluetooth connectivity |
- Bluetooth connectivity ensures that these headphones are user-friendly by removing any hassle of wires.
- With long battery life, you can enjoy music all day long.
- Quick charging
- The earcups, with metal sliders, are incredibly comfortable to wear.
- Bass quality is basic
- Noise-cancelling is not very effective
Sony MDRZX110NC Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Ratings: 4.0/5
- 95% ambient noise-canceling
- Black in color
- Very little sound-leakage
- Well-designed and elegant
Design
These headphones have been proven to reduce ambient noise interference by 95% with the help of 12-22000 Hz frequency response for all types of sounds, bass, mids, treble, etc. The low-frequency noise-canceling offered by these headphones is more effective than its high-frequency noise-canceling.
Performance
With these headphones, you can forget external noise distractions while listening to music. You can forget having to listen to annoying low frequency sounds like fan whirs while listening to music. With these headphones, you can forget external noise distractions while listening to music.
The astonishing 80-hours battery life will give you a fantastic experience without interference.
Specs
| Battery Life | 80 hours |
| Weight | 5.3 ounces |
| Dimensions | 7.4 x 5.8 x 2 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | N/A |
| Connection | Wired |
| Drivers | 30mm Neodymium driver |
- Excellent noise-canceling
- 80-hour battery life to ensure non-stop entertainment
- Well-designed and elegant
- Very little sound-leakage
- Over time, noise-canceling can get less effective
- Not a very snug fit over the head
Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Cancelling headphones
Ratings: 4.2/5
- Noise-canceling headphones
- 6 microphones
- Water-resistance
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Compatible with iPhone and Android
Design
The customizable music settings ensure that you receive excellent sound quality in different levels of ambient noise. The SmartSound audio system evaluates the sounds from the environment, applies your personalized audio to it, and gives the sound quality you love.
Another amazing feature of these headphones is that they are waterproof. Being water and rain resistant, you can enjoy music even in the middle of the rain.
As for call quality, 6 out of 8 microphones ensure crystal clear sound without any interference.
Performance
Are you looking for headphones that cancel out background noise completely? These headphones can give you that. The Smart Active noise-canceling mechanisms ensure that all kinds of external noise are canceled out. Even in the middle of the rain, you can enjoy music with great sound quality.
Specs
| Battery Life | 36-hour battery life |
| Weight | 2.05 ounces |
| Dimensions | 10.2 x 8.2 x 3.25 inches |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Mic | In-built |
| Connection | Bluetooth |
- With 36-hour battery life, these headphones allow you to enjoy music all day long.
- For instant charging, it takes just 15 minutes to charge the headphones for 5-hours of playtime.
- Crystal clear sound quality when attending calls
- Perfect sound quality in varying levels of external ambient noise.
- Weak call quality
- Is known to reset automatically at random times
Buyers guide
Passive noise-cancellation
Passive-noise cancellation includes noise-cancellation with the help of the materials used to make the headphones themselves, without any additional mechanisms involved. Much like earmuffs, these headphones use padding to block out external noise interference. Since all headphones have some form of padding, all headphones passively block noise to different degrees.
Passive noise-canceling lowers noise by filtering out high-frequency interference. One way of passively blocking noise is to use earmuffs that entirely cover the ear.
Active noise cancellation
Active noise-canceling headphones eliminate low-frequency waves, in addition to passively canceling noise. They do so by producing their own sound waves to cancel out the effect of the interfering noise. For this reason, these generated waves are often referred to as “anti-noise” waves. The only difference between these waves and the incoming waves is that the produced waves are out of phase by 180 degrees. The cancellation of incoming noise by produced sound waves is called destructive interference.
The active-noise canceling mechanism is most effective in canceling low-frequency sounds, which are steady, such as those produced by an engine or a fan. This noise-canceling technique can reduce external interference by 70 percent, and this makes them very useful in places with plenty of external noise.
How do active noise-cancelling headphones work?
Noise-canceling headphones use a sophisticated mechanism to produce “anti-sound” waves which cancel out the external low-frequency noise. These headphones rely on the following features to cancel noise in this way.
- Battery: the noise-cancelling procedure requires a power source, and this leads them to be named “active.” The power input is typically by a rechargeable battery.
- Microphone: the first step to active noise-cancellation is the reception of external noise interference so that the sound waves can then be mimicked.
- Noise-cancelling circuitry: each cup has a noise-cancelling circuitry fitted inside it. This helps determine the frequency and the amplitude of the sound waves received. A “fingertip” sound wave is produced, identical in all respects to the incoming wave. This sound wave is 180 degrees out of phase, which enables it to cancel out the incoming noise interference.
- Speaker: the produced sound wave is then inputted to the speaker.
Selecting the best noise-canceling headphones
When the time comes to make the music lover’s life-changing decision of which headphones to buy, there are too many options to go over. There are several factors to consider, and given below are several tips that you should keep in mind.
- Decide the type and broad category of headphones you want to own
The first step to choosing the right noise-cancelling headphones is deciding how to go about the search. This includes selecting between active and passive noise-cancellation, and whether you want ear pads, earbuds, or full-size headphones.
- Keep in mind your budget
The budget for every individual varies, and you should decide beforehand how much you are willing to pay for your headphones so that you look in the right places. Different types of headphones have different price ranges depending on their features. The premium noise-cancelling features, active noise cancellation, in particular, make headphones more expensive than others. The quality and type of audio processor used in active noise-cancelling headphones will also influence the overall price of the headphones. In addition to these factors, size, shape, quality, and internal drivers also affect the price.
- Remember to test the features for yourself
The only way to ensure that you are being given exactly what you are promised is to test the features for yourself. If you are given the opportunity, you should check the quality of sound produced and noise-cancelling efficiency by trying the headphones. For passive noise-cancelling headphones, you can do this by wearing them to see if it is a snug fit. As for active noise-cancelling headphones, turn them on without playing any music and see if the external noise is cancelled out sufficiently. Also, make sure that the model you choose is comfortable enough for you before you finalize the decision.
- Test the rest of the features
The remaining features are equally important when buying noise-cancelling headphones. Download any song you want and play it on the headphones to check the audio quality, among other features.
- Remember to take into consideration the battery life and audio quality
Active noise-cancelling headphones are powered by a battery because the audio processor needs a power input. This makes battery life and important warranty considerations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q - Can noise-canceling headphones cancel all ambient noise?
Different noise-cancelling headphones can guarantee different levels of noise cancellation, but in general terms, 100% ambient noise cancellation is not possible. Higher-frequency noise cancellation is considerably harder and, thus, high-frequency noise cancellation might not be entirely possible. Best noise-cancellation for any headphones is only possible when music is being played.
Q - Do in-ear noise-canceling headphones exist?
Although not very common, in-ear headphones that cancel noise do exist. These headphones are not, however, as effective as over-ear headphones in cancelling noise. This is primarily because padding will not be as effective in in-ear headphones as in headphones that completely cover the ear.
Q - How do noise-canceling headphones cancel noise?
Noise-cancelling headphones rely on the use of digital signals to cancel noise. This involves the reception of the interfering ambient noise, analyzing by the audio processor, and production of sound waves to cancel out the external noise. The sound waves produced are identical to the incoming sound waves except that they are 180 degrees out of phase. This means that the produced waves completely cancel out the incoming waves.
Q - Are noise-canceling headphones able to cancel out noise in busy terminals (train stations or airports, for example)?
Yes, most of the noise-cancelling headphones were initially designed for this very purpose, i.e., with travelers and commuters in mind. This means that these have the ideal mechanisms needed to cancel out such noise. Other models have an additional mode, which enables you to hear necessary external sounds like PA announcements by lowering the volumes or pausing the songs.
Q - How does noise-cancellation differ from noise-isolation?
Noise-isolation refers to blocking external noise by the help of earcups that cover the entire ear and act as earmuffs. This is also referred to as passive noise-cancellation. Noise-cancellation, on the other hand, uses an internal microphone and audio processor to listen to the external noise and then produce “anti-noise” sound waves. These sound waves cancel out the incoming waves.
Contents
- 1 Best Overall: Sony WH1000XM3 Noise-cancelling Headphones
- 2 COWIN E7 Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- 3 JBL LIVE 650BTNC Wireless Noise-cancelling Headphones
- 4 COWIN E7 PRO (Upgraded) Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- 5 Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless Bluetooth Headphones
- 6 Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones WHCH710N
- 7 Sony MDRZX110NC Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- 8 Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Cancelling headphones
- 9 Buyers guide
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)