Active noise cancellation is the height of headphone technology. ANC headphones work by essentially producing a mirror image sound wave in your ear to electronically counteract (or "cancel out") external noise. The technology works best in environments where there's a sustained din of noise, like the droning of a jet engine -- which is why Bose ANC wireless earphones became a status symbol at airports.

The technology used to be restricted to full-size over-ear headphones. But in just the past few years, it's been shrunken down to earbud size. Sony's 2018 models, the WF-SP700N and WF-1000X, were the trailblazers, but Apple's AirPods Pro have taken noise-canceling earbuds mainstream. To that end, we've rounded up the best true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, all of which I've personally used. As more competitors keep coming after Apple this year, we'll see many more models hit the market, and we'll update this list accordingly.

Looking for ANC headphones in all styles, including on-ear headphones or over-ear headphones? Check out the best noise-canceling headphones of 2020. Keep reading here to find out which models I consider to be the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds.

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David Carnoy/CNET E D I T O R S ’ C H O I C E Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating -- splashproof) The second-gen Momentum True Wireless 2 pair of headphones, available now, aren't cheap at $300, but they're better all around than the originals. These wireless headphones come with a slightly smaller, more comfortable design, active noise cancellation rivaling that of the AirPods Pro, improved battery life (up to 7 hours versus the originals' 4) and better noise reduction and ambient noise blocking during calls. And if you don't like them in black, a white version is available as well. Most importantly, though, the Momentum True Wireless 2 have the same stellar sound -- for true wireless earbuds, anyway -- clearly superior in sound quality to the AirPods Pro. That makes them arguably the best true wireless earbuds on the market today and earns them a CNET Editors' Choice Award. These use Bluetooth 5.1 with support for the AAC and AptX codecs (for devices that have AptX like Samsung's Galaxy phones). Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 review.

David Carnoy/CNET Water-resistant: Yes (IPX7 waterproof) The Mpow X3 earbuds play loud and sound shockingly good for their low price of $60, with good clarity, powerful bass and active noise canceling that's fairly effective. Mpow seems to be regularly tweaking its earphones, and the X3 model was briefly taken off Amazon for an update: "The new version upgraded the volume control [and] optimized its active noise-canceling function and call effect," the company told me. "It also added the supersoft ear caps, which [are] more comfortable to wear for a long time." They did fit me comfortably and securely and I got a tight seal from the XL ear tips. They're fully waterproof (IPX7) and get up to 7 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels with USB-C charging, in a charging case that looks like a fat version of the standard AirPods case. Call quality is good -- they have a sidetone feature that lets you hear your voice in the 'buds -- but I've used other models with better noise reduction during calls. I noticed a touch of audio lag when streaming a YouTube video but I had no issues when streaming iTunes movies. The touch controls are a little wonky and take some getting used to, and it didn't help that the instructions in the box seemed to be for the old X3 (I found the current instructions online, which helped me figure things out). But aside a few minor downsides, the X3 is a great value.

Sarah Tew/CNET E D I T O R S ’ C H O I C E Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating -- sweat-resistant and splashproof) Even if they don't sound as magical as you'd hope a $249 model would, the AirPods Pro still manages to be a great pair of true wireless noise-canceling earphones. That's largely due to their winning design and ear fit, improved bass performance, effective noise cancellation and excellent call quality. Yeah, these high-quality headphones are expensive, but the good news is you'll use them all the time. It is worth noting that you'll probably wear the battery down -- it does degrade over time and isn't replaceable -- and have to buy a new pair of earbuds in 18 to 24 months, if you don't lose these first. Regardless, man, will you look good when listening to your music. Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.

Sarah Tew/CNET Water-resistant: No Sony hadn't been much of a player in the true wireless (AirPod-style) headphone arena, but its WF-1000XM3 model changed that. While this pair isn't cheap, as far as audio quality, they're the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds at this price, matching and perhaps even exceeding the quality and performance of pricier competitors from Sennheiser, Beats, Master & Dynamic and Bang & Olufsen. They also have a feature that those competitors don't have: active noise-canceling headphone technology to reduce ambient noise in your ear as you rock out on your devices. No earbuds are perfect, and the WF-1000XM3's have a handful of drawbacks. The case is larger than those of competitors like the AirPods Pro, and they're not the best for making calls, especially in noisier environments. But the biggest red mark is that they're not rated as sweatproof or waterproof. That said, I've worn them for light workouts with a bit of ear sweat at the gym without a problem. It offers Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC but not AptX. Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.

David Carnoy/CNET Water-resistant: Yes (IP55 splashproof) Sony's WF-1000XM3 model is considered one of the best sets of true wireless noise-canceling earbuds. But to the dismay of some people, it lacks any sort of water resistance, making it unsuitable for sports. It took a while, but now we finally have a new true wireless noise-canceling sports model from Sony: the WF-SP800N. This isn't quite the WF-1000XM3 with a water-resistant body. It's missing Sony's QN1e processor, but there's still a lot to like about it, including very good sound, solid noise cancellation and good call quality. It's definitely a nice upgrade over the WF-SP700N, which came out in 2018, and its "arcs" (sports fins) lock the buds in your ears. Just make sure you get a tight seal from one of the included ear tips or else both the sound and noise canceling will be lackluster. Read our Sony WF-SP800N review.

David Carnoy/CNET I can't remember the last time I reviewed a Technics product -- it's been that many years -- but the venerable audio brand, which Panasonic brought out of retirement in 2014, appears on the company's line-topping noise-canceling earbuds. The Technics EAH-AZ70W earbuds' list price of $250 puts them squarely up against Apple's AirPods Pro ($250), Sony's WF-1000XM3 ($230) and Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 2 ($300). While they're a little large, they stack up well against that stiff competition, with impressive sound and noise cancellation. Read our Technics EAH-AZ70W review.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating -- sweat-resistant and splashproof) Amazon doesn't call the Bose noise reduction feature in its Echo Buds "active noise canceling." However, it does turn on and off and helps muffle ambient sound (there's also a hear-through or transparency feature). Your ear can definitely tell the difference in audio when the noise cancellation is on and when it's off. The other signature feature is always-on, hands-free Alexa -- you just say, "Alexa" and Amazon's voice assistant should be activated (it doesn't always work, but you can read our full review for that info). While the Echo Buds' audio isn't fantastic, it's good (again, a tight seal makes a big difference). There's a presence boost, or treble push, at the default setting, but the earphones have decent clarity and Amazon says they're equipped with Knowles dual-balanced armature drivers. It's not going to be a bass lover's headphone, but it had enough kick for my tastes. You can tweak the audio with the EQ settings in the Alexa app -- I lowered the treble and raised the bass -- and most people should find that the Echo Buds offer a pleasant listening experience. Read our Amazon Echo Buds review.

Sarah Tew/CNET Water-resistant: No (While a PR rep says they should be fine for light workouts, 1More hasn't provided a water resistance rating yet) 1More made a name for itself with its wired earbuds, the Triple Drivers, which sound great and were a good value when wired headphones were still a thing. I gave 1More's Stylish True Wireless earbuds, which list for $100 but were selling for $70 to $80 during the 2019 holidays, high marks for their sound at their price. This new model has a list price of $199, but that price has been inching downward lately. The 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds fit pretty comfortably and securely in my ears, so I was able to get a tight seal, which is crucial for sound quality and noise canceling. This model has a physical control button as well as touch controls. What's interesting is that using the touch controls you can toggle between four modes: no noise cancellation; a pass-through "transparency" mode that lets ambient noise in; and two levels of active noise cancellation. Each mode changes the sound of the headphones. When you have ANC off, there's a little treble boost, so they sound clearer and brighter. But when you engage the ANC sound becomes a little fuller and warmer. (1More says a firmware upgrade is coming to make the sound profiles more uniform when changing modes.) I ended up preferring the ANC modes -- the strongest did a decent job of muffling noise in a loud Las Vegas casino. Battery life is rated at 5 hours with noise canceling on and 6 with it off. There's a quick-charge feature that gives you 2 hours of use from a 15-minute charge.

Sarah Tew/CNET Water-resistant: Yes (IPX5 rating -- withstands sustained spray) The Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus is the second generation of the company's MW07 earbuds. They feature greatly increased battery life (10 hours versus 3.5 hours), Bluetooth 5.0 and active noise cancellation with two microphones on each 'bud, though the noise isolation is fairly light, not as strong as the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds' noise-isolating feature. They may not fit everyone's ears equally well, but they certainly have a distinct look, as well as very good audio and a great listening experience if you can get a tight seal. These in-ear headphones are known for more of an audiophile sound profile, with smooth, well-balanced audio and well-defined bass, and the MW07 Plus model delivers that kind of high-res audio. Available in seven color options for $199, these wireless earbuds include a swanky chrome charging case that comes with a secondary pouch for safekeeping (yes, the case can get scratched up if you leave it in a bag). The case, which has a built-in battery that charges via USB-C, gives you an additional three charges. These have support for AAC and AptX and have an extended range of more than 20 meters, according to Master & Dynamic.

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