JBL Live 670NC: The JBL Live 670NC is one of the relatively small on-ear headphones that offers active noise cancellation. It’s a decent value — it doesn’t come with a carrying case — but it does have memory foam ear cushions that give you a comfortable fit for an on-ear headphone. Delivering clear sound with a punch of bass, it has 32mm drivers and improves on the battery life of its predecessor, offering an impressive 70 hours (or 44 hours with ANC on), with an additional three hours of life from just a five-minute charge. This model features the latest Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. It also has JBL’s Ambient Aware (transparency mode) and TalkThru capabilities. It comes in black, white, and blue, and ships with a cord for wired listening.
Master & Dynamic MW75: The MW75 are Master & Dynamic’s best full-size headphones yet. Needless to say, they’re pricey at $599; most people will be quite happy with the $400 Sony WH-1000XM5 , which are lighter and more comfortable and have best-in-class voice calls and noise cancellation. The MW75’s build quality is tough to beat, and they offer top-notch sound for a wireless model (I thought they sounded better than Apple’s AirPods Max headphones) plus strong voice calls and noise cancellation performance. Their aptX Adaptive support makes them an extra appeal for Android users, who can get slightly better sound with the right setting. I was also very happy streaming music through my iPhone 13 Pro using the AAC codec.
Master & Dynamic MW09 (Update: Sold out): Master & Dynamic headphones and earbuds have always featured unique, eye-catching designs that make use of premium materials like aluminum, sapphire glass, and Kevlar. The latest MW09 flagship earbuds look quite similar to the earlier MW08 earbuds, but come with a number of upgrades inside that deliver better performance, particularly when it comes to battery life and noise cancellation (it’s now very close to what Bose and Sony offer, though not quite on their level for ANC).
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro bring improved noise cancellation along with very good audio and voice call performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you’re a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. Arguably their biggest upgrade is their new design and smaller size, making them a better fit for more ears. Aside from their slightly high price tag, their only downside is that some of their key features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices.
Beats Studio Buds Plus: Sadly, for those of you who purchased the original Beats Studio Buds, which are still on the market for now, I’m sorry to report that these new Plus earbuds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise cancellation, and battery life. Plus, they now deliver top-notch voice call performance.
Beats Fit Pro: While the Beats Fit Pro aren’t technically AirPods, they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats’ earlier, cheaper Studio Buds and the new 2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro pack Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the features found in the AirPods Pro, including active noise cancellation, spatial audio, and Adaptive EQ. I’d go so far as to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted.
Google Pixel Buds Pro: The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first earbuds to feature active noise cancellation. While it’s nice to finally have a feature that most 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 distinctive design and winning fit. That helps improve their performance in both the audio and noise cancellation departments. While they’re not exactly elite for voice calls, they performed well as a headset for taking calls, too. Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro review.
