Noise cancelling headphones listen to the room with small microphones and play a quiet, inverted copy of what they hear. The two sounds cancel each other out, which is why steady noise such as an aircraft engine or an air conditioner fades the most.

Three kinds to know

  • None: the cups block some sound by their fit alone, and the battery lasts longest.
  • Standard: one fixed level that suits a commute.
  • Adaptive: the headphones measure the room all the time and change the level on their own.

Which to pick

If you travel or work in an open office, adaptive is worth the extra money: the ANC 700 and the Pods Pro use it. For a quiet desk, the Studio 2 gives 50 hours without it.