The best over-ear headphones with active noise cancellation

As part of the series, JBL has found an ideal headphone recipe for itself, their overall build quality and materials have noticeably leveled out, the signature bass sound now does not sound so rough and straightforward, and the average cost of around 100 Euros looks much more attractive than the 300 - 400 Euros they are asking for for on-ear headphones with ANC from Sony and Bose. Introduced in the summer of 2023, the JBL Tune 770NC headphones adhere to the same formula for success - these are quite comfortable closed-back headphones with a combined connection (Bluetooth 5.3 + minijack), excellent battery life (up to 70 hours of music without ANC), a simple but effective noise reduction system and fast charging.

Visually, the JBL Tune 770NC is almost no different from the previous devices in the line - Tune 720BT and Tune 670. They also look minimalist and neat, there is a huge JBL logo on both cups, and in addition to black and white, the user can choose a purple or dark blue option. The leatherette ear pads are small and do not completely encircle the ear, but are tactilely pleasant, do not press and are almost not felt on the head. The quality of the lining is average, there is a suspicion that it will quickly wear off. The assembly of the case is reliable, all elements are made of high quality, there is no feeling of cheapness. The design is foldable, and the cups rotate so that they can be hidden even in a jacket pocket.

JBL Tune 770NC supports Multi-Point for simultaneous connection to two sources. Although the built-in noise reduction system is called adaptive, its effectiveness and adaptability are questionable. In particular, it constantly misses low frequencies such as the monotonous hum of a refrigerator. But I was surprised by the quality of the connection with the smartphone: the signal via Bluetooth v 5.3 confidently penetrated even through several walls, and the headphones literally refused to lose contact with it. In terms of sound, the headphones are practically no different from their predecessors: they sound balanced and with sparkle, without strong distortions in the bass area, from which many of the company’s headphones previously suffered.

Literally any top closed headphone with ANC starts with the legendary Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 that replaced them. These are all-around great, but still quite expensive headphones that have some more affordable alternatives recently. One of them is a closed model Sony WH-CH720N with a combined connection, Dual Noise Sensor noise reduction, built-in voice assistants and fast charging.

Naturally, if you compare them with Sony’s flagship headphones, the plastic here is worse, although the sound is excellent, the stereo scene is not as sophisticated, and ANC lets in a little low-frequency noise. However, for their 100+ euros, these are one of the most interesting and balanced mid-range closed-back headphones. The combined connection (Bluetooth + 3.5 mm audio) frees up your hands when choosing a sound source, the built-in battery lasts up to 35 hours and supports fast charging, and the conversation microphone is equipped with Precise Voice Pickup technology.

In terms of build quality and level of comfort, the body and design are practically not inferior to Sony headphones that cost 2–3 times more. The difference is that the cups here are not rotating, and the upholstery material is simpler. At the same time, the headphones themselves weigh only 192 grams, which is one of the lightest models on the market. As for the sound, small 30 mm drivers can pleasantly surprise you with a bright, cheerful and rollicking sound with good elaboration of the entire frequency spectrum and a slight, barely noticeable distortion of the lower frequencies. They are especially good at genres like rock, hip-hop, techno and drum and bass, which rely on intensity and energy.

SoundCore Space Q45 are stylish, high-quality sounding, comfortable and long-lasting closed-type on-ear wireless headphones with a combined connection (Bluetooth 5.3 + minijack) and a high-tech Adaptive ANC active noise reduction system. They feature carefully optimized ergonomics, balanced, accurate sound, support for the LDAC codec for listening to lossless audio, and excellent battery life (up to 65 hours or 50 hours with active noise cancellation).

Thanks to the advanced adaptive noise reduction system, they are perfect for listening to audiobooks, podcasts and music on an airplane or public transport, on a busy street or in a shopping center. The quality of noise reduction is not as high as that of Bose and Sony, but for its price it’s very good. But the acoustic transparency mode, which allows you to communicate with others without removing your headphones, is implemented perfectly and works better than in the same Sony WH-1000XM4.

In addition to the ANC system, the design of the headphones also deserves praise: an elastic headband with a seamless sliding design ensures a secure fit on the head without any discomfort, aluminium hinges bend to better adapt to the shape of the head, and large soft eco-leather ear pads carefully and unobtrusively cover the ears. The folding and rotating earcups make the headphones easier to carry.

Classic 40 mm dynamic drivers with an extended frequency range (from 20 to 40,000 Hz) are responsible for the sound. Overall, the headphones sound pleasant and musical with a good balance of frequencies, but in terms of detail and panning they do not reach Hi-Fi levels.

Bose is known for its active noise canceling headphones. But traditionally, only wired speaker systems were produced under this brand. The original QuietComfort 35 and its Mark II modification are perhaps the most popular active noise-canceling headphones you can find during air travel. In the winter of 2021, Bose released a sequel - the QuietComfort 45 model, which, compared to the QuietComfort 35 II, received an improved ANC system with an improved transparency mode, a stronger die-cast case and faster charging.

The active noise reduction system copes well with monotonous noise (the rumble of an airplane, train, crowd noise) and drowns it out without any problems. Sharp screams and claps are muffled better than before. Overall, this is one of the best noise cancelers, on par with ANC in the Sony WH-1000XM4. It should also be noted the high level of comfort when using these headphones in headset mode. The voice is picked up by a microphone and filtered from noise electronically; you can speak in a normal tone without raising it. The control consists of three buttons collected in a single group on the right earpiece. Pairing is simple, especially if the smartphone has NFC support. As an alternative to the Bluetooth receiver, a regular audio cable is provided.

As before, the headphones sound clean and natural: the entire frequency spectrum is well-developed, the instruments do not blend into mush, the stereo stage is wide and natural, and the bass sounds distinct and accentuated, but does not stick out from the overall picture. If you loved the sound of the QuietComfort 35, you'll love this model even more. The design is neat and laconic. The design leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The bowls are large, covering the entire ear. The ear pads are soft and even with a relatively tight press to the ears, 3-4 hours of listening do not cause discomfort. Overall, this is a more than successful continuation, which claims to be the best closed-back headphones in the category under 250 Euro.

Sennheiser HD 450BT are quite interesting closed-type wireless headphones with built-in ANC, long battery life and support for popular codecs. They have a convenient folding design and moderate weight (238 g), which greatly simplifies their storage and transportation. Although, it still does not reach the level of the Sennheiser PXC 550-II.

For their price, the Sennheiser HD 450BT look very interesting. They are equipped with pretty good microphones and ANC algorithms that provide high-quality noise reduction. If desired, they can be used as classic on-ear headphones for home by connecting to a receiver or audio card using a 3.5 mm cable. They also have excellent autonomy - the built-in battery can provide up to 30 hours of continuous music playback. And the headband design is quite comfortable.

However, as is often the case with a German manufacturer, the most interesting part of the story concerns the sound. And belonging to the HD series obliges this. The 32-inch dynamic drivers play quite briskly and persistently, while at the same time emphasizing subtle details and nuances of sound. They can easily cope with any musical genre from jazz and folk to hip-hop and drum and bass. The last case is especially interesting, since for once the German manufacturer decided to slightly tint the bass, turning up the frequencies in the region from 20 to 100 Hz. Slightly is the key word. The bass serves as the foundation for the composition without obscuring the rest of the frequency spectrum.