The best noise-cancelling headphones in Australia for 2025

The best noise-cancelling headphones are designed to step in and limit the interference of ambient sounds so you can enjoy your music, podcast or movie-on-the-go to the fullest.

Yet not all noise-cancellation tech is equal, with different brands offering varying degrees of ANC, thus making your choice of noise-cancelling headphones that much harder.

Fortunately for you, we've tested many of the best noise cancelling headphones, looking at their sound quality, noise-cancellation ability, battery life, price and all other factors to come to a conclusion on our picks for the pairs most worth your money. Whatever your needs might be, you’re sure to find the right option for you below. And, if you're not keen on the over-ear or on-ear fit, then be sure to check out our round-up of the best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy right now.

Our current top pick of the best noise-cancelling headphones is the Sony WH-1000XM4. They might be a few years older than other headphones in this guide, but this means you can often find them with dramatic discounts, which only adds to their overall value and appeal.

The quick list

The best noise-cancelling headphones in Australia for 2025

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Below you can find more in-depth reviews of our choices for the best noise-cancelling headphones, and you can click through the full reviews of each, written by TechRadar's team of audio experts.

The best noise-cancelling headphones overall

Not surprisingly, the headphones that top our list for the best headphones overall manage to achieve the same feat here as the best noise-cancelling headphones. The Dual Noise Sensor tech of the WH-1000XM4 makes use of two mics in each ear-cup to take sound in for analysis with the QN1 noise cancelling processor, which then allows the headphones to adjust noise cancellation response at a swift, dynamic piece and tailor to your needs.

Elsewhere, the audio quality offered by the WH-1000XM4 headphones is exceptional, particularly thanks to their support for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format, which delivers spatial audio on stereo headphones, plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. Vocal clarity, bass levels and dynamic recreations of instrumentals seal the deal to make the sound quality of the WH-1000XM4 nothing short of top notch.

Unfortunately, these headphones can be prone to some sound leakage, making them not necessarily the best options for listening at higher volumes in quiet settings. And the lack of water resistance means that they also aren't suitable options for the gym.

Still, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones do not fail to impress in every category and particularly with noise-cancellation, and coming at a lower price to the newer Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones while maintaining most of the same features and assets sees them take top spot.

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones review

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The best budget noise cancelling headphones

The 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 over-ear headphones prove you can get great ANC for not a lot of money... AU$130 not a lot of money, to be precise. Plus, with regular discounts, it's no wonder they're our top pick if you're on a budget but still want immersive sound – and a way to drown out the world while you're at it.

Naturally, the ANC isn't class-leading by any means, but that's to be expected given the price. However, it does still do a grand job and is a noticeable upgrade from previous 1More models. There are three noise-cancelling modes, which you can toggle in the 1More app. It's also in the app where you’ll find EQ presets and an option to activate hi-res streaming. With ANC switched off, you’ll get a mammoth 100 hours of battery life. But if you're on this page, you're looking for headphones with ANC, and with it turned on, you can expect around around 65 hours, which is still great for the category (and actually beats the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless at #5 on this list).

Now, the Sonoflow Pro HQ51 aren’t the best noise-cancelling headphones money can buy, but if you don't have a lot of money to spend, they are the best in their class. The sound isn’t high-end audiophile territory, but in our tests, we were impressed by the clarity across tracks and the rich, punchy bass – courtesy of the Sonoflow’s dual 40mm drivers. There’s support for Sony’s LDAC hi-res audio format too, though you’ll need a compatible device and hi-res audio content to make the most of it.

Design-wise, they’re simple but sleek, with a matte-like finish to the plastic casing. The ear cups are soft and adjustable, making them comfy to wear, and they’re lightweight at just 246g. Physical buttons on the earcups handle controls, but they do feel a little plasticky, and the build overall lacks durability – there's no water or dustproofing here. That said, the included hard carry case is a nice touch, and the sturdy folding hinges make them ideal for travel.

In short, the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 headphones are great value for money. We rated the battery life and comfort highly, especially given the price. They feel more premium than they should, thanks to the sleek finish, decent ANC, and that solid carry case. Sure, there are better headphones out there, but not at this price.

Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review

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The best premium noise cancelling headphones

Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones were hotly anticipated and fortunately, the hype has paid off. They combine the travel-friendly, foldable design of Sony WH-1000XM4 with the modern, sleek looks of the WH-1000XM5, and they usher in much-improved noise cancellation. Sony has also tinkered, to great effect, with the sound quality – in fact, the company claims they’re “better in every way” and we'd absolutely have to agree.

While they're brimming with features, you're here because you want the best noise-cancelling headphones, and these are them. Thanks to 12 strategically placed mics, powered by the QN3 processor, the XM6s create a near-silent cocoon even on the noisiest train and airplane rides. In our comparison tests, they were even slightly better than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones at #6 on this list, which should tell you all you need to know about their performance.

Battery life still sits at 30 hours, which is a little disappointing, considering some other, cheaper pairs offer at least double. But, they do get fast charging, whereby three minutes plugged in gives you three hours of listening time. You can also use Bluetooth while charging now, which is nice. The companion app has always been a solid area for Sony, and once again here it's well-designed and feature-packed, offering EQ adjustments, adaptive sound, and high-res audio support via LDAC, which DSEE Extreme upscaling of lower-quality streams to make them sound better.

It's not just ANC where the XM6 shine though, as audio quality is outstanding. The redesigned 30mm drivers deliver an expressive, balanced profile with rich mids, lively treble, and a satisfying low end. The soundstage feels wide and nuanced – great for both casual listening and critical tracks. Call quality is also excellent, with all those mics pulling double duty for voice clarity.

Comfort is clearly a priority, too. They’re lightweight with a more ergonomic fit and a wider headband. The hinges feel more robust, and the styling is even more polished than before. The case is also smaller.

The WH-1000XM6 headphones are undeniably pricey, with a cost that climbs above previous models. But for the combination of high-end sound, unbeatable ANC, and thoughtful design improvements, they easily justify their premium price tag.

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones review

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The best mid-range noise cancelling headphones

It's not just the premium market where Sony shines best, as it proves it can go toe-to-toe in the equally competitive mid-range space. This pair of Sony WH-CH720N cans delivers impressive noise cancellation, considering the price you're paying. Don't go expecting it to trouble the brand's own XM4 or XM5 headphones further up, but if you're on a budget and you want a pair of headphones to drown out external sounds, they do a fine job.

This is a pair of headphones that really do benefit from various tweaks in companion smartphone app too, as we found out the box, the default setting made them sound a little too brash. A quick change of some settings, however, and we were delighted with what we listened to. Songs are afforded good energy, and we were able to happily while away the hours listening to our favourite tracks – which was also easy since they're so lightweight, coming in under 200g on the scales.

Read our full Sony WH-CH720N review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for battery life

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless have incredible battery life, extensive feature set, and zealous sound that'll have you nodding your head happily wherever you go, not to mention some very talented noise cancellation that adapts to your surroundings.

These are an evolution to the November 2019-issue Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless headphones, which we commended for their excellent sound, feature set and active noise-cancellation (ANC) while feeling disappointed by its underwhelming 17-hour battery life. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless now boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, eliminating our main downside to the third generation Sennheiser Momentum headphones entirely.

The sound quality and battery life are excellent here and the ANC truly shines, particularly as it is so easily adjustable with the ability to control it by 'pinching' the right ear cup in the same way you would to pan in and out of photos on your smartphone. If you want fantastic noise-cancelling in a design that boasts strong battery life, these are for you.

The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 are a worthy alternative here with a mammoth 100-hour battery life, but they're hard to come by in Australia right now. If that changes, they'll earn themselves a spot on this list.

Read our full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for Bose fans

Whether you're a Bose loyalist or have always wanted to give the brand a try, then the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the ones to get. For a long time, these cans dominated our 'best premium noise cancelling headphones' entry, but the new Sony XM6s just edge them out where outright ANC performance is concerned. But, the Bose Ultras are still a formidable set, and you'll be mighty pleased with your purchase.

That's especially true as, at the time of writing, they've received some significant discounts at a variety of retailers, making them much greater value than the Sonys in the process. If you can grab a pair with a discount, you're winning.

One of their standout features is Immersive Audio, which is Bose's take on 3D audio – such as Apple's Spatial Audio or Sony's 360 Degree Reality Audio – but without discriminating by audio source. The idea is no matter what you're listening to, or whatever you're listening to it on, you'll be treated to an expanded soundstage. It definitely works, but the jury is still out as to whether it should be used for all songs, or whether it should be activated only in certain moments.

As for general sound quality, the QC Ultras sound fantastic. In fact, our review said that they "deliver some of the most alive, exciting, textured, finely resolved, deeply engaging music I've ever heard from a pair of wireless headphones."

There are a couple of moot points to them, however, including their 24-hour battery life, which is well below average, and they only support Snapdragon Sound for higher-quality audio. There's no regular aptX or LDAC support, and there's no USB-C audio input for fully Hi-Res Audio, which you get from other options here, such as the Sonos Ace.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for Apple fans

If you're an Apple user and you want a pair of noise cancelling headphones that cover up your ears, the Apple AirPods Max are simply sublime. Not only are they effective noise cancellers, but they sport a design that sets them apart from most other pairs on the market. During our testing we were truly impressed by these headphones, but admit they're not for everyone.

Audio performance is exceptional and class-leading ANC impresses, but they're let down by their eye-watering price, lack of support for Hi-Res Audio codecs and lack of a 3.5mm audio port – audiophiles will be disappointed. If you're an Android user, then you can still revel in their impressive audio and ANC performance, but we don't think their high price would make them totally worth it.

However, if you've already bought into the Apple ecosystem, you have a lot of money to burn, and you don't care about hi-res audio, you won't find headphones that sound better or are easier to use than the AirPods Max.

Read our full Apple AirPods Max review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for sound

The Focal Bathys over-ear headphones are a top pair of wireless over-ear headphones that sound fantastic when used wirelessly, but listen in wired USB-C DAC mode for 24bit/192kHz decoding and you'll get exceptional sound, which is why they're our top pick for audiophiles. They cost just a bit more than the Apple AirPods Max, but their ability to support high-resolution audio (combined with superb sound) makes their price tag more justifiable.

There's a five-band EQ, which includes presets or you can tweak it manually. We'd have expected a little more battery life, but 30 hours does beat some of the top rivals on this list, including the Bose NCH 700.

We'd ultimately recommend listening to the Focal Bathys via USB-C wired DAC mode for glorious hi-res audio whenever you can. But, if you want to go down the wireless route, you're still in for a treat. Removing the cable still sees the Bathys bringing detail, refinement, expanse and clarity to your favourite tracks. They really are a delight for sound quality, although ANC isn't the best of the bunch. Having said that, they do block out some sounds, they just don't wrap you in a cocoon of silence like other rivals on this list.

Read our full Focal Bathys review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for design

Bowers & Wilkins has always excelled in balancing sound and style and the newest Px7 S3 over-ears are no exception. In fact, they could just be one of the brand’s best offerings yet. They’re not the cheapest option and don’t quite silence the world as completely as Bose or Sony, but it's certainly an improvement over the previous S2 model. Where they claw back points, though, is through their premium level of design and build.

If you're looking for headphones, you want them to sound good, and the Px7 S3 sound absolutely stunning. In our review, we called the sound “balanced, entertaining and thoroughly convincing,” and we stand by it. The newly reworked internals – redesigned suspension, upgraded magnets, and a dedicated headphone amp – deliver an experience that’s open, expressive, and remarkably detailed.

Design-wise, Bowers & Wilkins has taken what was already premium about its previous headphones and made these even more refined. The Px7 S3’s slimmer design means you’ll no longer feel like your head looks huge when you wear them outside. And the pleather-covered memory foam padding makes long sessions blissfully comfortable. The fabric-wrapped finish and precision build still ooze quality. And yes, they look expensive, because they are.

But although these headphones are our top pick for style and design, Bowers & Wilkins manages to marry luxury with genuine tech improvements. Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Lossless, multipoint pairing, and 30 hours of battery life make them more than just a pretty face. Noise-cancellation has had a serious upgrade, too. And while it won’t leave Bose engineers sweating, it’s impressive by everyone else’s standards.

There are a few trade-offs. Controls are still a bit limited and wind noise can get through if you’re caught in a gust. But these are minor gripes in a package that’s otherwise impressively complete. At their AU$699 asking price, they match the Sony XM6, so you'll need to design if you want the best looking set of headphones, or the outright best for ANC. But, with the Px7 S3 offering solid noise cancellation, superb sound, comfort, and an overall look that makes them an object of desire rather than just another gadget, the'yre hard to beat. Pound for pound, we think they're Bowers & Wilkins’ best headphone effort yet – and that's not a statement we make lightly.

Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review

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Best for smaller heads

Sennheiser's February 2024-issue over-ears sit nicely between the company's entry-level Accentum and flagship Momentum 4 Wireless listed above – and if you're stuck trying to decide which to get, allow us to tell you that sonically and for active noise cancellation, these represent excellent value for money.

As with their Momentum 4 bigger brother, we're not totally sold on the design, but as we've also shown in this guide, you need to spend Bowers & Wilkins-like money to get something truly beautiful.

What you do get is aptX compatibility, a whopping 50 hours of battery life – which is excellent for the price – and a 3.5mm jack for wired listening. Considering we loved their more expensive siblings, this is very very good news.

Any issues? Well, that depends. Some of us often struggle to find over-ears that don't fall off or head down to the back of our crown at their earliest convenience. That won't happen here – in fact, if your skull is on the smaller side you will love these. Larger headed? You may find the clamping force just a little heavy here.

Read our full Sennheiser Accentum Plus review

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The best noise cancelling headphones for movies

Sonos' very premium headphones come with some very premium features that have earned them their place on this list: in particular, their highly effective noise cancellation, and their superb head-tracked spatial audio. The Sonos Ace deliver the best sound balance for watching movies, based on our testing that directly compared them with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the AirPods Max. And they do this over Bluetooth from any source that decodes Dolby Atmos, or using a special connection to any of Sonos' current crop of soundbars.

With movies, we found that the sound mix on the Sonos Ace allows speech to come through really clearly, while still providing plenty of power for bassy elements, such as explosions. But everything stays in its own lane – the bass power doesn't overwhelm other aspects. And the feeling of surround sound is really strong, with elements moving around the room around your head convincingly. Tied to that, the head-tracking is accurate and lag-free.

The fact that there's a button to instantly switch from listening via Bluetooth to the Sonos soundbar connection makes it really convenient as well – just grab and instantly to your TV to watch movies or play games with really dynamic and big sound, without disturbing anyone else (or being disturbed by them, thanks to the ANC). The only thing to note is that the 30 hours of battery life over Bluetooth drops to around just 10 hours (based on our measurements) when connected to a Sonos soundbar.

Beyond this, the Sonos Ace are very well-featured headphones, packing in lossless Hi-Res Audio over USB-C, aptX Adaptive for CD-quality wireless audio, and a transparency mode (that's very transparent, a little too much in our opinion). The design feels very very premium and is generally extremely comfortable, though we found that glasses wearers had a harder time than others.

However, the music playback quality isn't quite where it needs to be, considering the high price. It's very good, but it should be amazing. The noise cancellation is also weaker than the Bose Ultra headphones, though is better than almost anything else. So, as the ranking in this guide suggests, we'd steer most people towards the Bose Ultra, but if movies are a particular priority, the Ace are worth serious consideration.

Read our full Sonos Ace review

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How to choose the best noise-cancelling headphones for you

When it comes to headphones of any description, getting an accurate idea of your needs and what you hope to find from your new headphones is an essential first step to helping you track down the right pair for you.

For those who expect to wear their headphones for longer periods, design and comfort will be important factors to consider, making the best over-ear headphones the top candidates for consideration. Being designed to sit over the ear rather than on them or pressed into them, over-ear headphones have an edge from the get-go when it comes to comfort. And when it comes to noise-cancellation, there's a good reason many of the top over-ear headphones are also some of the best noise-cancelling headphones.

Over-ear headphones by virtue of their design generally offer the most effective and impressive noise-cancellation, with the closed, over-ear design working in concert with the built-in noise cancelling technologies to more totally close off your listening experience from the interference of exterior noise.

But over-ear headphones might not necessarily be the best for everyone, particularly if they're hoping to have a pair of noise-cancelling headphones they can take with them while exercising. For this purpose, earbuds are typically the better pick in being smaller and therefore less intrusive while also not overheating your ears during exercise (or trapping in sweat).

The best noise-cancelling earbuds might also be the preferred pick for those who expect to need their headphones while constantly on the move, as they'll save on space both wherever you need to store them and also while you're using them.

Beyond the design, another important factor to consider when picking the best pair of noise-cancelling headphones for you is your budget, with top options coming in at a variety of price points. Ultimately, to help you find the right option for you, we've put together the list above to get you across all the relevant details and what they offer.

The best noise-cancelling headphones: FAQ

How we test the best noise-cancelling headphones

We've tested every pair of the best noise-cancelling headphones on this list and to include them here, we were looking for each product to excel at a number of things.

The first, of course, is effective noise-cancellation. We tested for headphones that were able to block out sound effectively, no matter whether you're on a daily commute or simply taking a walk. We also looked at additional features like multiple noise cancellation modes or how well their transparency mode worked.

Audio performance was a key consideration too. Good noise cancellation should never have to mean poor sound quality – and we made sure to check thoroughly until we were satisfied that each pair of headphones here offer clear and powerful sound, irrespective of the deployment of ANC.

From there, we looked at Bluetooth connectivity. We tested for stable and reliable connections. After all, there's nothing worse than losing a track just as it reaches the good bit.

Next up, we wanted to ensure the headphones were designed with comfort and style in mind. We tested how comfortable they were for long periods of time and assessed their looks, too, from minimal to suitably stylish, while appreciating that everyone has different taste.

We also considered additional features, such as voice assistant integration and app support. Not all of the headphones in this list have perks such as these, but it's nice to know which extras you can pick up, regardless of your budget.

Talking of budget, we also considered whether the noise-cancelling headphones in this list were good value for money. That doesn't mean we only looked at budget headphones – far from it – but we wanted to make sure that each pair offered something that made their price worthwhile.

Our ultimate goal is to make sure you buy a set of noise cancelling headphones you'll be over the moon with. We want them to furnish you with good quality music, free of extraneous noise, for years to come. We hope we've achieved this