In-ears with ANC: The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2023

The best in-ear headphones 2023 in comparison

	Editorial pick	Alternative	Best Apple option	Best option under $150	Best sub-$120 option
Product
Picture
Design	Format: Intra | port detection | touch controls	Format: Intra | wearable sensing | touch controls	Format: Intra | port detection | touch & haptic controls	Format: Intra | port detection | haptic controls	Format: Intra | port detection | physical controls
	Weight per earpiece: 7.3 g | Case weight: 41 g	Weight per earpiece: 5.8 g | Case weight: 66.4 g	Weight per earpiece: 5.3 g | Case weight: 50.8 g	Weight per earphone: 4.5 g | Case weight: 51.9 g	Weight per earpiece: 4.6 g | Case weight: 33.4 g
	Case dimensions: 40 x 67 x 30 mm	Case dimensions: 77 x 76 x 19.9 mm	Case dimensions: 45.2 x 60.6 x 21.7 mm	Case dimensions: 55.5 x 55.5 x 22 mm	Housing dimensions: 64.15 mm x 28.47 mm x 34.6 mm
IP rating	IPX4				IP55
Audio	Driver 6 mm | Audio 360° | DESS Extreme	Driver 7 mm	Driver 11 mm | H2 Chip | Audio Spatial	Driver 11,6 mm	Driver 6 mm
Frequency Response	20-40.000 Hz	5-21.000 Hz	Pitch indicated	10-40.000 Hz	20-20.000 Hz
ANC	Yes, auto or manual Adjustable	Yes, auto or manual Adjustable	Yes, auto or manual Not adjustable	Yes, auto or manual Not adjustable	Yes, auto or manual Not adjustable
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.3
	SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX adaptive codecs	SBC and AAC codecs	SBC, AAC, and LHDC codecs	SBC, AAC, and aptX codecs
	Multipoint	Multipoint	No multipoint (but can be switched from one Apple device to another)	Multipoint	Multipoint
Battery life	12h without ANC 8h with ANC		6h without ANC 5,5h with ANC and/or spatial audio	6h without ANC 5,5h with ANC	7h without ANC 5,5h with ANC
	28h with the recharge box	28h with the recharge box	30h with the recharge box	20,5h with the recharge box	28h with the recharge box
Wireless charging	✔️				❌
Good	High-quality sound Great ANC performance Has LDAC and DSEE Extreme functions Very easy and convenient to use Up to 12-hour battery life	Very good sound quality Effective ANC High wearing comfort High quality workmanship Very nice companion app	Ergonomic and comfortable design Excellent active noise reduction (ANC) Faithful audio signature Good battery life Very nice spatial audio IPX4-rated wearable sensor Wireless charging supported	Design identical to Ear (1) but still very cool Completely reworked hardware Hi-Res certified, LHDC codec Dual Bluetooth 5.3 pairing Very complete Nothing X application (Android & iOS) Qi Wireless Charging	Excellent passive noise isolation Rich and accurate sound IP55 rating Solid battery life Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity aptX codec supported Full-featured Jabra Sound+ app (Android and iOS)
Bad	Fit in ear takes a little getting used to No AptX (HD) support Sony needs to revamp their app 360 Reality Audio is cool to have but impractical	No multipoint pairing Strong wind noise in transparency mode Tends to fall out Aesthetics of the USB-C port found wanting Some features only available with a Sennheiser account	Lossless audio is not supported No HD codec, only AAC Customization is too limited Almost unusable on Android	Average battery life Unchanged design from the Nothing Ear (1) Inefficient microphones outdoors	Average ANC performance No wireless charging supported ANC is not manually adjustable Controls are not customizable Disappointing microphone quality
Rating	Read the Sony WF-1000XM4 review	Read the Momentum TW 3 review	Read the AirPods Pro 2 review	Read the Nothing Ear (2) review	Read the Jabra Elite 4 review
Offers*

This selection is about in-ear headphones. The open fit format is not really recommended if you want a good noise reduction (even if there are models with ANC, notably from Huawei).

Noise reduction is not the only criterion taken into account to make this selection. The audio quality of the tested and compared headphones, the intuitiveness of the controls, the customization of the user experience (equalizer, app), the waterproofness, and the connectivity have also influenced this comparison.

We don’t recommend buying the AirPods Pro 2 if you don’t have an iPhone or other Apple source. The features are too limited. On the other hand, if you have an iPhone but don’t want AirPods, all the models selected here are compatible and functional with an Apple smartphone.

Buying guide: What you need to know about in-ear headphones with ANC

Sound quality

If you spend more money on a pair of headphones, you’ll usually get better sound. Of course, there are exceptions, like the legendary Koss Porta Pro on-ear headphones, but you can use this rule of thumb as a guide. As for technical data regarding the evaluation of sound quality you will find the following information online and on the packaging:

However, it is not advisable to judge the sound quality of a pair of headphones solely because of these technical characteristics. After all, preferences in sound quality are as varied as your taste in music. It is therefore very practical if you can adjust the sound to your listening habits via equalizers and sound profiles.

ANC

The term “ANC” stands for Active Noise Cancellation and describes a technique for reducing background noise. Unlike the classic, passive noise-canceling headphones used in the industry, ANC is active noise cancellation.

However, since ANC is a very popular feature, manufacturers try to integrate the function into their headphones by hook or by crook. The result is grotty ANC features in cheap headphones. So be sure to check out our reviews, because of course we test the effectiveness of noise cancellation in every new pair of headphones.

Battery life

The battery life of in-ear headphones comes down to two components. One is the runtime of the headphones themselves and then there is the capacity of the charging cases that come with them. Make sure that not only the total runtime is long, but also that of the individual earbuds.

Generally, though, it’s a plus that you can still get 1-2 full charges via the charging case when you’re on the go. Features like Quick-Charging or Wireless-Charging, which works with some smartphones even by putting it on the phone, are practical functions.

Design

When we mention in-ear headphones with ANC, we usually mean models that sit directly in the ear canal. If you don’t like this design, there are models like the OnePlus Buds or the Apple AirPods. These sit in front of the ear canal and are not inserted directly into your ear holes.

NextPit recommends: The best in-ear headphones with ANC

Best true wireless earphones with ANC: Sony WF-1000XM4

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the most complete high-end wireless headphones on the market in 2023. Sony is consistently one of the champions of active noise reduction.

As for the audio quality, it is excellent via Sony’s HD LDAC codec. There is also a DSSE Extreme function to “upscale” mp3 tracks and improve their quality.

The companion application of Sony is also very complete. The autonomy is in the top of the basket and the wireless recharge is part of the game. Sold for 300 euros when they were released, the Sony WF-1000XM4 can be found for less than 200 euros new now. This is without a doubt the best choice for true wireless headphones with ANC in 2023.

Sony WF-1000XM4 comprehensive review by NextPit

Top alternative: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3

The Sennheiser brand speaks for itself when it comes to headphones. The “Momentum True Wireless 3” earbuds also live up to this reputation. You get an ingenious studio sound, as you already know from the predecessor, but this time with a slight price reduction. The adaptive hybrid ANC is one of the best on the market, although wind noise was unpleasant in transparency mode.

But the German manufacturer has also ensured a particularly secure fit in terms of seating comfort with the new “ear fins”. Ben Lucks gave the wearing comfort the grade “very good”, as well as the workmanship, by the way. However, the lack of multipoint Bluetooth is unsatisfactory at a price of 250 dollars—so you can only connect to one sound source at a time. The compulsion to create a Sennheiser account to really use all features is also rather suboptimal for a German company in 2023.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 review

The best true wireless earphones with ANC for Apple: AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 are the best Apple headphones for listening to music on your iPhone via Apple Music with your Apple account. In short, if you’re carefree bathing in Apple’s ecosystem, this test won’t change anything for you. Buy the AirPods Pro 2, it’s the simplest and most logical solution.

The noise reduction is simply excellent. It’s at least as good as the Sony WF-1000XM4, if not better. Apple has really achieved a tour de force, although the ANC is unfortunately not adjustable.

And that’s the real flaw of the AirPods Pro 2. Everything is on autopilot, you can hardly customize anything. The audio quality is very good but also very basic with the simple AAC codec. Lossless audio is not supported, which makes no sense to me.

Spatial audio, on the other hand, is a real success. When you have an iPhone, the user experience is very “seemless”. The pairing is automatic, the equalizer is automatic, and the active noise reduction is automatic. Everything is done for you. It’s easy. It’s plug-and-play.

NextPit’s full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2

Under $200: Nothing Ear (2)

The Nothing ear (2) are surely the best value wireless active noise canceling earphones on the market. For less than $150, you have adaptive ANC, wireless charging, and an HD audio codec with LHDC.

Of course, the active noise reduction is not as good as the more premium headphones in this selection. But the ANC remains very correct for this price range.

The audio quality is considerably improved thanks to the HD codec which was cruelly missing in the Nothing ear (1) of last year. The autonomy of 6 hours is also rather correct.

In short, the Nothing ear (2) are balanced, complete, and affordable true wireless earphones. In addition, they have a transparent design. How cool is that? Look, you can see what’s inside! It’s just so freaking awesome and cool, isn’t it? No?

The Nothing ear (2) complete review by NextPit

Under $120: Jabra Elite 4

The Jabra Elite 4 are a rare find. These true wireless headphones are sold for less than $120, with the ANC included! It’s very unusual to find active noise reduction in this price range.

And above all, it’s rare to find a pair of wireless headphones with quality ANC on this price range. aptX codec support is also a good selling point for the true wireless earbuds.

The audio signature is accurate and the lack of bass can easily be corrected via the otherwise comprehensive Jabra Sound+ app. Multipoint Bluetooth is another very good point for these affordable earphones. Even the $250 AirPods Pro 2 don’t offer true multipoint, that’s for sure.

The Jabra Elite 4 are not without their flaws, however. The quality of the microphones is a big black mark, the design is not the most attractive. And the customization of the controls and noise reduction are absent. But for less than $120, it is the best choice, in my opinion.

NextPit’s full review of the Jabra Elite 4

How did NextPit test the best in-ear headphones?

This best list represents the market overview from May 2023. We’ve been trying to get our ears on new models or untested earbuds all year. In this list, we’ve been able to try out all the models ourselves. Thus, a recommendation comes from our own impressions and not a stringing together of numbers.

However, there are recommendable alternatives, which we do not want to withhold from you. For completeness, here are a few:

What do you think of this selection of the best true wireless headphones with active noise reduction? Is ANC an important buying criteria for you, as it is for me? Which brand or model do you think deserves a place in this selection? Do you think we should test and compare even more expensive models, at more than $300?

Article updated in May 2023 with a complete rewrite, previous comments have been preserved.