JBL Tour One M3: JBL’s new flagship noise-canceling headphones, the Tour One M3 Smart Tx, are a nice step up from the company’s earlier Tour One M3. Not only are the more comfortable (they weigh 278 grams and have an upgraded ear cup design), but they feature better noise cancellation, slightly improved sound quality and good voice-calling performance. The headphones also come with an accessory that isn’t included with competing premium noise-canceling models: the JBL Smart Tx audio transmitter, which enables you to wirelessly deliver audio to the Tour One M3 from any USB-C or analog audio source such as an inflight entertainment system, PC, tablet or television. It has a touchscreen LCD that allows you to control the Tour One M3’s features, including music playback, call management and EQ Settings. JBL says the Smart Tx — it’s rated for up to 18 hours of battery life — also has the ability to broadcast any audio source to an unlimited amount of Auracast-enabled devices.
Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC: We reviewed Skullcandy’s wired Aviator Roc Nation headphones all the way back in 2011. Now Skullcandy’s brought the Aviator design back in a wireless noise-canceling model called the Aviator 900 ANC headphones. They kind of surprised me because Skullcandy is better known for its Crusher headphones, which deliver bone-rattling bass but not so-called premium-sounding headphones. However, the Aviator 900 headphones, developed in partnership with THX, deliver surprisingly impressive sound. They’re not so great out of the box, but after you make some tweaks to the EQ in the app and turn on the THX spatial audio, the sound improves dramatically and is arguably more exciting than the new Nothing Headphone (1)‘s sound and more fun to listen to.
CMF Headphone Pro: Nothing started out with a few different wireless earbuds but has now branched into the over-ear headphones market with its eye-catching Nothing Headphone (1) and the budget-oriented CMF Headphone Pro, which also have a pretty unique look and feature interchangeable ear pads in a few different color options.cI was expecting all that much from these headphones, but after using them for a week, they check a lot of boxes for a top value headphone, including a comfortable fit (they pretty lightweight at 283 grams), decent build quality and good sound quality that’s highlighted by powerful bass that can be dialed up or down with a slider control on the left ear cup (you can also tweak the sound in the companion app). The Skullcandy Crusher 2 headphones have a similar slider, but the CMF’s bass doesn’t get to head-rattling levels (the Crusher 2’s bass literally makes the headphones vibrate).
Earfun Wave Pro: Earfun has made some very solid budget earbuds, and it entered the full-size ANC headphone space with its Wave Pro headphones in 2024. They sell for $80, but click the $20-off instant coupon on their product page and add the code EWPROCNET at checkout for a sweet discount.While they may not sound as good as premium noise-canceling headphones from Bose or Sony, they’re comfortable to wear, feature decent sound with punchy bass (they’re a bit lacking in clarity and bass definition compared to more expensive models), and they offer respectable noise canceling (you can toggle between two levels of ANC) and voice-calling performance. I found them to be a step up from the Soundpeats Space headphones, which sometimes cost a little less.
Edifier W830NB: The Edifier W830NB remain a good value noise-canceling headphone pick. They look slightly more premium than their predecessor, W820NB Plus, and and are fairly lightweight (265 grams) and comfortable, with cushy memory foam ear pads. They also sound very good for their price, offering decent clarity and fairly well-defined bass with an amply wide sound stage (they lack the refinement and depth of higher-end headphones, but you can’t expect the world from sub-$80 headphones). You can tweak the sound profile in Edifier’s companion app for iOS and Android.
QCY H3 Pro: QCY is another Chinese brand like Tribit, Earfun and plenty of others that make budget-priced headphones that sound better than you’d think they would for their relatively low price (the company says the Q stands for quality, C stands for creative and Y stands for youth). Its new-for-2024 H3 Pro headphones are similar to models in this price range from 1More, Tribit and Edifier, but they arguably sound a touch better and I found them relatively comfortable to wear, as they feature a lightweight design and memory foam ear pads.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2: Bowers & Wilkins released the PX7 S2 headphones in 2022 with some significant improvements over the first-generation version. That was followed by a slightly upgraded version, the PX7 S2e ($400), with the “e” standing for evolved. The audio quality has been slightly upgraded thanks to improved digital processing (the headphones have been retuned), which we assume involves an upgraded chip. You may see this model nicely discounted because Bowers & Wilkins has released the PX7 S3 ($450) in 2025 with both design and performance upgrades.
1More SonoFlow: The design of 1More’s SonoFlow headphones reminds me a little of some earlier Sony headphones and also the newer Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4. They’re a bit generic looking, but they’re sleek enough, and more importantly, they’re comfortable to wear. They also feature very respectable sound quality. Though it doesn’t quite measure up to the sound quality of what you’ll get with more premium models like the Momentum Wireless 4, it isn’t that far off. The SonoFlow headphones deliver smooth sound with good clarity and relatively well-defined bass (they’re just not quite as rich or dynamic sounding as those premium models I mentioned). They also have support for the LDAC audio codec.
Google Pixel Buds Pro: The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it’s nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a while, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and makes them worth considering — particularly for Android users — is their distinct design and winning fit. That helps enhance their performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. While not quite elite for voice-calling, they also performed well as a headset for making calls. Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro review.
Soundcore by Anker Space One: Available in three colors, the Soundcore Space One are Anker’s latest noise-canceling headphones and a good value for around $100, offering a strong feature set along with good sound quality and performance. They can’t quite compete sound-wise with many of the premium noise-canceling models, but you don’t feel like you’re giving up that much on the sound front to save a good deal of money. They lack a bit of that natural, refined quality you look for in a great set of cans, but the Space Ones sound respectable, with decent clarity and bass definition and measure up well to the more expensive Soundcore Space 45. Noise-canceling and voice-calling performance are also good for headphones in this price range, though the transparency mode is only OK. Anker has developed a version of Sony’s Speak-to-Chat feature — Anker calls it Easy Chat — that automatically pauses your music and enters a transparency mode when you walk up to someone and start a conversation. The headphones are equipped with wear-detection sensors, a feature not usually found at this price, and include a carrying pouch. LDAC audio codec support is available for Android users.
Shure Aonic 50: A lot of us liked Shure’s original Aonic 50 headphones, but they had pretty middling noise cancellation. Well, the 2nd-gen version addresses that issue — the noise canceling is much improved — and Shure has more than doubled the the battery life to around 45 hours (they now have a quick-charge feature) and also shrunk the headphone’s carry case a bit, though it’s still not that compact. Those upgrades make the Aonic 50 Gen 2 a top noise-canceling headphone. While the Aonic 50 Gen 2s are pretty heavy at 334 grams, they’re built sturdily and are also comfortable to wear, with nicely padded ear cups. They feature excellent sound quality with very good clarity and well-defined bass. Shure call them a “studio headphone,” so the sound profile is fairly neutral, but you can add more bass in the EQ settings in Shure’s companion app for iOS and Android (engaging the Spatializer setting in the app expands the soundstage slightly but doesn’t make a big difference).
Mark Levinson No. 5909: The No. 5909 are premium audio brand Mark Levinson’s first headphones and, yes, they’re really expensive at $999. But they’re also really good. They have a sturdy design without managing to feel hefty on your head (read: they’re substantial but not too heavy) and they’re comfortable to wear over long periods thanks to their nicely padded (and replaceable) leather-covered earcups and headband. Read our Mark Levinson No. 5909 hands-on.
Focal Bathys: French audio company Focal is known for its high-end speaker systems and headphones. You might call it the Bowers & Wilkins of France. And now it’s finally done what a lot of high-end audio companies have had to do in this age of on-the-go wireless music listening: make active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. These $699 cans sound fantastic and are great overall but their noise-canceling is fairly light, so don’t buy them for their ANC. Learn more about the premium model in our full Focal Bathys hands-on.
Master & Dynamic MW09: Master & Dynamic headphones and earbuds have always featured unique, eye-catching designs that include premium materials like aluminum, sapphire glass and Kevlar. Its latest MW09 flagship earbuds look pretty similar to its earlier MW08 buds, but have some upgrades on the inside that deliver better performance, particularly when it comes to battery life and noise canceling (it’s now very close to what Bose and Sony offer, though not quite at their level for ANC).
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise canceling along with very good sound and voice-calling performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you’re a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. That said, their biggest upgrade may be their new design and smaller size, which make them a better fit for more ears. Aside from their somewhat high price tag, their only drawback is that some of their key features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices. So if you’re a Galaxy user or otherwise interested in the model, you can read more in my full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review.
Beats Studio Buds Plus: Alas, for those of you who bought the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market for now, I’m sorry to report that these new Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance. If you’re interested in making the upgrade, check out my full Beats Studio Buds Plus review.
Beats Fit Pro: While the Beats Fit Pro technically aren’t AirPods, they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats’ earlier and less expensive Studio Buds and 2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. Read more about the model in my full Beats Fit Pro review.
Technics EAH-A800: There’s a bit of an old-school vibe to the Technics EAH-A800 — and it’s not just the Technics brand, which Panasonic resurrected in the last few years. Their design is something of a throwback but the headphones are comfortable and both fold up and fold flat. They feature a big, energetic sound with powerful bass and good detail (however, they take a day or two to break in).
Technics EAH-AZ80: Panasonic has done a nice job of creating an all-around top-performing set of buds that offer an improved fit with terrific sound, good noise canceling and a robust feature set.
