If your earbuds aren’t providing the audio oomph that you need, you’re looking to upgrade your current cans to something a bit more modern or you want some top-notch sound quality, you can’t really go past a pair of over-the-ear headphones.
However, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, buying a new pair of headphones can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. When a good pair of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones can set you back a few hundred dollars, you really want to be sure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
To help you cut through the noise so you can nab a pair of headphones, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites that’ll give you a solid audio experience. These are Gizmodo Australia’s picks for the best wireless, noise-cancelling headphones.
Anker Soundcore Life Q35 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
As you get deeper into this list, one thing will become plainly obvious: wireless noise-cancelling headphones are expensive. If you’re after a pair of Bluetooth cans that won’t break the bank, then Anker’s Soundcore Life Q35 headphones are worth your attention.
The Soundcore Life Q35 is a comfortable fit with a solid build and, for a mid-range pair of headphones, sound quality that’s both robust and balanced. It also includes built-in sensors that’ll detect when you remove the headphones, which will automatically pause your music.
These headphones are lightweight, support multipoint Bluetooth connections for up to two devices and have a battery life that’ll last for 40 hours with ANC on. You can also get four hours of battery off of a five-minute charge, which is handy if you’re the type of person who constantly forgets to charge your headphones before you need to head out.
Where to buy Anker Soundcore Life Q35 headphones:
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sennheiser has a pretty solid reputation when it comes to high-quality audio (even its earbuds sound great), and the Momentum 4 does an impressive job of upholding that. To say we were impressed when reviewing the Momentum 4 would be somewhat of an understatement:
“The audio quality, active noise cancellation and battery are some of the best I’ve experienced, they’re comfy to wear over long periods and I’m impressed by a lot of the intuitive features.”
Regardless of what you listen to, these headphones deliver dynamic and clear audio. The Momentum 4 uses Sennheiser’s Adaptive Noise Cancellation technology, so it will automatically adjust itself depending on the ambient sounds of your surroundings. With its ANC active, the Momentum 4 has an impressive battery life of up to 60 hours.
Its touch-sensitive controls can be a bit finicky at times, but they get easier once you get a handle on the specific movements you’ll need to operate the headphones without pulling your phone out. It also has an incredibly responsive on-ear sensor, which will automatically pause whatever you’re listening to the moment you lift the right cup off your head.
You can read Gizmodo Australia’s full review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones here.
Where to buy Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones:
Bose QuietComfort 45 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Are the Bose QuietComfort 45 a good pair of headphones? Well, let’s put it this way, the QC 45 are the favourite headphones of Gizmodo Australia’s Managing Editor. In her review of the Bose QuietComfort 45, Asha was hugely impressed with how comfortable these headphones are to wear, along with their top-notch sound quality. Regardless of which genre of music you prefer, the QC 45s deliver some incredibly crisp and balanced audio”
“The darkest screams, the highest female vocals and a track straight from an EDM playlist I found just to test the Bose QuietComfort 45s all sound fantastic. You won’t get much better music quality from a pair of over-ear headphones.”
Its active noise cancellation and full transparency modes also do a fantastic job of controlling how much of the world around you that you can hear (that is, nothing or everything). In terms of specs, these Bluetooth headphones have a battery life of around 22 hours, with the ability to get 2.5 hours of playback off a 15-minute charge.
You can read Gizmodo Australia’s full review of the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones here.
Where to buy Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones:
Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
When it comes to over-ear headphones, Sony has a pretty fantastic track record. We’ve loved the previous iterations of its wireless headphones line, and the latest model, the Sony WH-1000XM5, is no different.
In Gizmodo Australia’s review of the WH-1000XM5, we were blown away by how well it lives up to the high bar of sound quality and noise-cancelling abilities set by Sony, and then some.:
“The sound out of the Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones is rivalled only by the Bose QuietComforts. Both are kicking ass when it comes to noise-cancelling headphones that deliver near-perfect sound across any genre.”
The XM5s sound phenomenal and do a fantastic job of drowning out the world around you (thanks to its eight built-in mics). With a battery life of around 30 hours and plenty of extra features like 360 Reality Audio and Adaptive Sound Control, it really lets you customise your immersion.
If the pair of headphones you’re rocking have gotten quite long in the tooth and you want to get the most bang for your buck, then the XM5s are well worth the investment.
You can read Gizmodo Australia’s full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones here.
Where to buy Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones:
AirPods Max Noise-Cancelling Headphones
It wouldn’t be a list of wireless headphones without an Apple inclusion. In our review of the AirPods Max, we were big fans of its high-fidelity sound quality, noise-cancelling abilities, and sleek design.
“Don’t get me wrong, the AirPods Max are more than a shiny piece of Apple tech. They have the quality to back it up. For a first gen product they’re annoyingly impressive. The sound and noise cancellation alone are stellar.”
The AirPods Max also has the added bonus of being available in a range of colours, not just the standard black, grey or white that the majority of other brands offer. The AirPods Max has a battery life of up to 20 hours with ANC enabled.
However, the major turn-off for the AirPods Max is its considerable price tag. Even by wireless headphone standards, $900 is a lot. These headphones are also a tad on the heavier side, so you might feel some discomfort after wearing them for extended periods of time.
You can read Gizmodo Australia’s full review of the AirPods Max here.
Where to buy AirPods Max headphones:
If you prefer earbuds over headphones, you can check out Gizmodo Australia’s picks for the best noise-cancelling earbuds here.