Technologies

Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for 2022: Top ANC Picks

In need of actvie noise-canceling headphones? Here are our favorites.

People looking for noise-canceling headphones have no shortage of options. Bose pioneered the function, but there are now a variety of headphones that offer noise cancellation that are comparable. Noise-canceling headphones help you listen to your music or podcasts while reducing outside noise. The space is competitive, which is good news for all of us as that means there’s no shortage of great noise-canceling headphones out there — and if you prefer noise-canceling Bluetooth earbuds, you can find them, too.

The best noise-canceling headphones tend to cost more than $200 — and some premium models cost double that or more — but you can find plenty of good ANC (active noise canceling) headphones and earbuds at more affordable prices. So, while some of the models on the list are indeed expensive, I’ve also included some value models that perform decently for not too much money. I’ve fully reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all the headphones on this list, which gets updated regularly as new models hit the market.

Is it ‘noise canceling’ or ‘noise cancelling’?

Short answer: both. Either spelling is correct, as «canceling» is more common in American English while «cancelling» is more common in British English. CNET uses «noise canceling» since the company is based in the US, but the noise is canceled just the same, regardless of spelling. If you’re looking to see what different noise-impacting technology is out there for headphones, check out our article on noise-canceling versus noise-isolating headphones, which highlights differences in function (and not just a difference in spelling).

Honorable mentions

Sennheiser 450BT— Sennheiser updated its well-regarded 4.50BTNC noise-canceling headphones in 2020. The new headphone model is called the 450BT and it has some notable upgrades, including better battery life (up to 30 hours with noise canceling on), USB-C charging, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX support for devices like the Samsung Galaxy smartphones that support it and more comfortable earpads. The 450BT noise-canceling headphones list for $200, but usually cost around $150 although they have dipped to as low as $100 in flash sales (they’re a very good value at that price).

The 450BT headphones don’t have quite the clarity or bass definition of Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 3 headphones, but they cost much less and deliver very good well-balanced sound that’s easy to listen to for long periods. I thought the 450BT model also worked quite well as a headset making calls, with the sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice inside the headphones.

The only potential downside is that regular headphones may not be the most comfortable for some people. I have a smaller head, so they worked fine for me, but they do clamp a bit and those with larger heads may find that to be an issue. Also, while the earpads have been upgraded, they’re still covered in a faux leather material that doesn’t breathe quite as well as some earpad coverings. Still, if you can’t afford premium models in the $300 to $400 range, this is a more affordable option that’s well built and delivers premium sound. The headphones fold up to fit into an included soft carrying case.

More headphone recommendations

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AI-Voiced Darth Vader Can Swear, Say ‘Skibidi Toilet’ in Fortnite: How to Find It

Expletives are apparently not off the table as a foul-mouthed AI Darth Vader is added to Fortnite.

It didn’t take long after Epic Games unleashed famous Star Wars Sith lord Darth Vader into the game Fortnite — complete with the AI-enabled voice of late actor James Earl Jones for conversations with players — for Vader to drop the F-bomb.

As seen on multiple social-media videos, Vader can be prompted to say lots of things you wouldn’t find in a Star Wars script, such as curse words, «Skibidi toilet» and to share his thoughts on breasts.

A representative from Epic Games pointed to a post on X saying that the company has already addressed the apparent lack of language filtering. The post reads, «We pushed a hotfix immediately and this shouldn’t happen again.»

But gamers were apparently able to capture footage of inappropriate banter from Vader in the time before the fix was issue. Epic is asking gamers to report any additional problems.

Safety filters to stop the swearing

A representative for Epic Games told CNET on Friday that there are three layers of safety filters built into the feature to prevent this from happening again.

Also, parents must enable the option to «allow voice and written communication with AI features» for kid accounts to speak with Vader.

And even the Dark Lord of the Sith can still get kicked out of the game.

«If a player is repeatedly attempting to get Darth Vader to violate our settings and instructions, he will eventually leave the squad, and the player will be unable to recruit him again in that gameplay session,» the representative said. «If we become aware or receive a bug report that Darth Vader in Fortnite responded in a way he shouldn’t, we investigate it and if needed, make adjustments to avoid similar responses in the future.»

Where is this F-bomb dropping Vader?

It’s likely you’ve missed the window to have an R-rated conversation with Luke Skywalker’s father — although you can find clips that others have saved and posted on social media.

But Vader can still be found in Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode in the Samurai’s Solitude area in the southwest of the map. Your party can recruit the new Vader, who replaced Samurai Vader, and have an AI chatbot conversation with him. Epic used Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model for the responses.

The family of Jones, who voiced the character since the first Star Wars movie, gave Epic permission to use his voice with AI models.

«James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it,» the family said in a statement. «We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.»