Technologies

Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Under $100 for 2022

You don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordability with these great noise-canceling headphones.

If you’re a commuter or just want that extra something to help you focus, noise-canceling headphones are the way to go. Headphones with active noise cancellation make it easier to focus in on your music, podcasts or audiobooks by blocking outside noises. This can make noisy commutes on the bus or train much more bearable. Active noise cancellation (or ANC) is achieved by microphones on the headphones that detect noise and work to eliminate it before it reaches your ears. They’re particularly good at canceling out continuous droning sounds like jet engines or railway tracks, making them a favorite of frequent commuters and travelers.

The truth is that budget headphones aren’t as great for listening to music and other audio as premium noise-canceling headphones from Sony, Bose and others, but you can find some pretty decent noise-canceling models for far less money. Here’s a look at some of the best cheap noise-canceling headphones I’ve tried, all of which cost less than $100, and a few even come in under $50. All of these headphones offer decent sound quality, active noise cancellation and a comfy earcup to boot (not an earbud to be seen on this list).

Looking for the best ANC headphone for audio, regardless of price and style? Check out the best noise-canceling headphones and the best noise-canceling true wireless earbuds. This story was recently updated.

More Headphone Recommendations

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 30, #553

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 30 No. 553.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. You’ll need to know a little about four very different sports in order to solve it. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Make a racket.

Green group hint: Goooooal!

Blue group hint: Baseball stars.

Purple group hint: Toss the pigskin.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Tennis Grand Slams.

Green group: Premier League teams.

Blue group: Last four World Series MVPs.

Purple group: ____ football.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Tennis Grand Slams. The four answers are Australian, French, U.S., and Wimbledon.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Premier League teams. The four answers are Chelsea, Leeds, Liverpool and Sunderland.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is last four World Series MVPs. The four answers are Freeman, Peña, Seager and Yamamoto.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ football. The four answers are American, fantasy, flag and total.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, March 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 30.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

I’m unfamiliar with «wax apples,» so 2-Down was a mystery to me until the other answers filled in. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: 1975 Spielberg film that’s considered the first summer blockbuster
Answer: JAWS

5A clue: «Oh okay, gotcha»
Answer: ISEE

6A clue: Athlete from New York (in one sport) or San Francisco (in another)
Answer: GIANT

8A clue: Declare publicly
Answer: AVOW

9A clue: Emperor who didn’t actually fiddle while Rome burned
Answer: NERO

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: «The ___ is up!»
Answer: JIG

2D clue: Like lotus root and wax apples
Answer: ASIAN

3D clue: Drive dangerously in traffic
Answer: WEAVE

4D clue: Spanish title
Answer: SENOR

7D clue: Scrabble value of D or G
Answer: TWO

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 30 #757

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 30, No. 757.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is tough, but in the end, it’s a fun one. And the spangram makes a fun themed shape! Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: For a rainy day

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Singin’ in the rain.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

CANT, CALL, ROUT, RILE, SIRE, LIRE, BAIL, MAIL, TALL, MALL, HALL, BAND, PANE, TAPAS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

RIBS, VENT, PANEL, SHAFT, BUTTON, CANOPY, HANDLE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is UMBRELLATERM. To find it, start with the U that is three letters to the right on the bottom row, and wind up, forming … kind of an umbrella shape?