Best Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Headphones and Earphones in India

We've witnessed the 'democratisation' of active noise cancellation (ANC) technology in recent years, with a variety of low-cost headphones emerging with this capability. A respectable set of active noise cancelling true wireless earbuds (TWS) can now be purchased for less than Rs. 3,000, while neckband-style wireless solutions with ANC are frequently available for less than Rs. 2,000. Budget TWS devices with ANC are available from brands such as Realme and OnePlus.

Active noise cancellation technology in headphones is a godsend for anyone who frequently travels by plane. It relieves ear discomfort by blocking out the loud hum of airplane engines, and it also makes listening to audio through headphones much simpler. Although the technology works best in an airplane cabin, there are numerous other applications for it, such as when traveling by rail or bus, in an office setting, or even at home where sounds like a ceiling fan or an air conditioner might be distracting.

Naturally, high-end goods have the strongest ANC performance, with Sony, Apple, Samsung, and JBL dominating the market recently. This feature is no longer limited to over-ear headphones; we've lately seen some great in-ear and true wireless earphones with active noise cancelling, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and OnePlus Buds Pro 2, as well as the capable and affordable OnePlus Nord Buds 2.

What precisely is active noise cancellation?

Before we get into the list, we should first go over the technology and how it works. Active noise cancellation works by detecting sounds in your environment and generating'reverse' frequencies to block them out. The headphones produce sounds with the same volume but an inverted phase as the original sound. This interacts with the waves of the background music to generate new waves in a process known as 'interference,' effectively canceling out the sound entering your ears.

Why should you invest in active noise cancellation headphones?

The greatest method to listen to music is with no other sounds in the background, so you can focus on what you're hearing and pick up on finer details in the track that could otherwise be drowned out. Unfortunately, this isn't always achievable, especially with headphones; outside noises will infiltrate and detract from the experience regardless of how excellent the passive noise isolation is. Noise cancellation attempts to address this by removing noises that can pass through even the finest cushioning and isolation.

The best active noise canceling headphones are as follows: WH-1000XM5 by Sony

The Sony WH-1000XM5, which is part of the well-regarded 1000X family, is the latest and best wireless over-ear noise cancelling headset you can buy right now, in our opinion. The WH-1000XM5 boasts class-leading performance that truly distinguishes it from the competition, thanks to a more comfortable and efficient design, as well as advancements in sound quality and active noise cancellation.

Runner-up - premium experience: Apple AirPods Max Active noise cancelling headphones are rarely seen as luxury items, but the Apple AirPods Max aims to change that. The AirPods Max is costly, but it offers a lot if you're already in the Apple ecosystem. It's officially priced at Rs. 59,900, which is much pricier than much of the similarly positioned rivals. This includes simple and rapid networking, as well as the ability to easily switch between Apple devices, customisation features, good sound, and highly effective active noise cancellation.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are the best true wireless noise canceling headphones.

Even though the original Apple AirPods Pro are still extremely popular, our suggestion for the best true wireless earphones is the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen). Although the new earbuds do not appear to be very different, there are major adjustments under the hood that make the 2nd Generation model so fantastic.