Noise cancelling headphones all promise quiet, but they differ in the details that matter day to day: how much noise they really remove, how long the battery lasts with cancelling switched on, whether they stay connected to a laptop and a phone together, and how you sound on a call. This guide takes each feature as Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Soundcore and Apple describe it, for over-ear headphones and earbuds, then sets out five picks for travel, the office and home working.
For most people, an over-ear pair with multipoint and a strong battery figure with ANC on covers travel and the office. Sony's help guide says noise cancelling works mainly on low frequency noise such as vehicles and air conditioning, and reduces it rather than removing it. Compare battery life with ANC on: Sony quotes up to 30 hours for the WH-1000XM6 over AAC, against 40 with it off.
Key Takeaways
- Sony's help guide says noise cancelling works primarily on low frequency noise such as vehicles and air conditioning, and reduces it rather than cancelling it completely.
- Battery figures fall with ANC on: Sony gives the WH-1000XM6 up to 30 hours on and 40 off over AAC, and Soundcore gives the Space One 40 and 55.
- Multipoint is not always automatic, because Sony says the WH-1000XM6 needs Connect to 2 devices simultaneously turned on in its Sound Connect app.
- LDAC, aptX and AAC only apply when the phone or laptop sends them, and Sony says LDAC is off in the WF-1000XM5's factory connection mode.
- Microsoft says classic Bluetooth switches to mono hands-free audio while the microphone is in use, which is why Windows calls sound worse than music.
Noise Cancelling Works Best on Low, Steady Sounds
Active noise cancelling, or ANC, uses microphones to hear outside noise and plays sound back to cancel it. Apple's support page describes outward-facing microphones that detect external sounds, which AirPods then counter with anti-noise, plus an inward-facing microphone that does the same for unwanted sound inside the ear. Sony's help guide for the WH-1000XM6 calls it antiphase sound and is candid about the limits: it works primarily on low frequency noise such as vehicles and air conditioning, and while noise is reduced, it is not completely cancelled.
That makes engine drone and office air handling the easy case. Voices are the harder job, and Soundcore's Space One page makes its pitch there, claiming stronger mid to high frequency reduction and twice the voice reduction of its older Q30. Fit plays a part as well. Bose's QuietComfort Headphones page says some of the effect is passive, from the earcup fit, design and clamping force, and Apple says its listening modes work best when AirPods Pro fit well. Sony adds that in a very quiet room the effect may not be noticeable.
Battery Life Falls When Noise Cancelling Is On
Every maker quotes a battery figure, but the conditions behind it vary. Sony's help guide for the WH-1000XM6 gives up to 30 hours with noise cancelling on over AAC or SBC and up to 40 hours with it off, dropping to 26 and 36 hours over LDAC. Soundcore lists the Space One at 40 hours with ANC and 55 hours in normal mode, tested on an iPhone at half volume. Bose gives only an ANC-on figure for its QuietComfort Headphones: up to 24 hours, tested at a loudness of 75 dBSPL. Sennheiser's spec list rates the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless at up to 60 hours via Bluetooth with ANC, tested on an iPhone at mid volume.
Earbuds work on a smaller scale. Sony's WF-1000XM5 help guide gives up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on over AAC and 12 hours with it off, and Apple lists up to 8 hours for AirPods Pro 3 with ANC, or 24 hours with the charging case. Compare the ANC-on numbers. Sony also warns that the equaliser and DSEE Extreme shorten the time.
Multipoint Keeps a Laptop and a Phone Connected at Once
Multipoint means the headphones hold two Bluetooth connections at the same time, so a call on the phone can break into music or a video on the laptop without any re-pairing. Bose's QuietComfort Headphones page gives the example of an iPad and a smartphone: the headphones pause the video to answer the call, then switch back to the iPad when it ends.
It is not always on out of the box. Sony's WH-1000XM6 help guide says the headset connects to two devices only once Connect to 2 devices simultaneously is turned on in the Sony Sound Connect app, and that connecting a third device drops whichever of the two did not play music last. Soundcore says multipoint is enabled automatically on the Space One, with a double press of the power button to pair the second device, but that it cannot enter multipoint pairing while in LDAC mode. Sennheiser's launch announcement for the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless says its Bluetooth device management allows multiple devices to be connected at the same time.
Codecs Only Count When the Phone Sends Them
A codec is the format audio is packed into for the trip over Bluetooth. Sony's help guide explains the common ones: SBC is the standard that Bluetooth devices support, AAC is mainly used in Apple products such as the iPhone, and LDAC is Sony's own format for high-resolution audio, carrying roughly three times the data of SBC at its highest bitrate. The headset switches to whichever codec the connected device sends, and Sony notes that the phone or laptop may need setting up first.
The makers list different sets. Sony gives SBC, AAC and LDAC for both the WH-1000XM6 and the WF-1000XM5, plus LC3 for LE Audio. Sennheiser lists SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive for the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) page lists Snapdragon Sound with aptX Adaptive, while the standard QuietComfort Headphones page names no codec, and Apple's AirPods Pro 3 spec page lists Bluetooth 5.3 without one. Settings matter too: Sony's WF-1000XM5 guide says LDAC will not play in the factory Prioritize Stable Connection mode.
Call Quality Depends on the Microphones and on Windows
For calls, the microphones matter as much as the speakers. Sennheiser lists four digital beamforming microphones on the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, two per side, with automatic wind noise suppression. Bose says the QuietComfort Headphones use an adaptive microphone system that isolates your voice from background noise and wind, and that it works with internet calling apps such as Zoom. Soundcore lists three microphones with AI on the Space One.
The laptop has its say as well. Microsoft's Windows blog explains that classic Bluetooth audio has two profiles: A2DP for high quality sound without the microphone, and the Hands-Free Profile, which allows the microphone but plays audio in mono at lower fidelity. That is why music sounds fine and a Teams call sounds muffled. Soundcore's Windows advice is to select the Hands-Free AG Audio entry for both input and output in calling software. Microsoft's fix is LE Audio, which needs LE Audio headphones, a supported PC, Windows 11 version 24H2 and an updated Bluetooth driver. The guide to connecting AirPods to a laptop walks through the Windows side.
Weight and Fit Decide Comfort Over a Long Day
Comfort is hard to put on a spec sheet, but weight is a start. Sony lists the WH-1000XM6 at approximately 254 g, and Soundcore gives 265 g for the Space One. Bose quotes 0.520 lb for the QuietComfort Headphones, roughly 236 g. Sennheiser's UK spec list for the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless gives no weight, describing instead a lightweight design with a padded headband and a low-friction hinge that avoids excess pressure. Bose says the QuietComfort keeps a stable fit with minimal clamping force, and Soundcore points to ear cups that rotate 8 degrees to follow the head.
Earbuds trade weight for fit. Sony lists each WF-1000XM5 earbud at approximately 5.9 g, and Apple gives 5.55 g for each AirPods Pro 3 earbud. The catch is the seal. Sony's guide suggests a larger earbud tip if the ears do not feel sealed, or if noise cancelling and bass seem weak, and Apple ties its noise control to a good fit. Over-ear headphones suit long desk days and flights, while earbuds suit commutes and a coat pocket.
Five Picks for Travel, the Office and Home Working
One honest limit first. Headphones change how a call sounds, not whether it drops, so a call that freezes in a spare room or a garden office points to the connection, which the guide to garden office video calls dropping covers. For a desk-first headset, the site's own review of the Dell WL7024 looks at a different kind of product: Dell's UK store lists Microsoft Teams (Open Office) and Zoom certification, seven microphones and up to 60 hours of listening with ANC on and the busy light off. For games, the gaming headset guide is the better starting point.
The table covers the common needs. The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the all-round pick, with LDAC, LC3 and multipoint switched on in the app. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones carry the lowest listed weight of the over-ear picks that give one. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless has the longest rated battery with ANC on. The Soundcore Space One is the budget choice, and the Sony WF-1000XM5 covers earbuds.
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Sony WH-1000XM6 Our pick | Travel and office use with the widest codec support | 30 hrs ANC on (AAC), 254 g, LDAC, AAC, LC3, multipoint | Check price → |
 | Bose QuietComfort Headphones Light fit | Long wear with a light clamp and two-device multipoint | Up to 24 hrs with ANC, multipoint, about 236 g | Check price → |
 | Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless Longest battery | Long-haul trips and long gaps between charges | Up to 60 hrs with ANC, aptX Adaptive, 4 beamforming mics | Check price → |
 | Soundcore Space One Budget | Adaptive ANC and multipoint for a smaller outlay | 40 hrs ANC, 55 hrs normal, LDAC, 265 g, 3 mics | Check price → |
 | Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds | Pocketable noise cancelling for commutes and flights | 8 hrs ANC on (AAC), 5.9 g per earbud, LDAC, multipoint | Check price → |