The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones of 2025

There are few modern luxuries as quietly divine as the noise-cancelling headphone. It is civilisation’s answer to chaos: a portable cone of silence amid the commuter symphony of coughs, podcasts, and unsolicited TikToks.

To the uninitiated, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) might sound like a technical flourish. To the rest of us, it is the twenty-first century’s version of the stiff upper lip: the art of keeping one’s composure while the world loses its mind.

And 2025, dear reader, has brought us the golden age of auditory serenity. The newest headphones no longer just cancel noise; they cancel despair. They make jet engines sound like distant applause, city streets like polite drizzle, and office chatter like the faint hum of contentment.

At The Gentleman’s Journal, we have spent several blissful weeks testing this year’s finest offerings. We listened to symphonies in Soho cafés, silence on the Central Line, and experimental jazz in Dubai duty-free. We even took calls from people we did not like, simply to marvel at the microphone clarity.

The verdict is simple: the world has never sounded so good when you cannot hear it.

Let us begin with Sony’s WH-1000XM6, because that is where everyone else ends. The latest incarnation of Sony’s reigning monarch of silence is as close as one can get to auditory invisibility without becoming a ghost.

The XM6 improves upon its legendary predecessor in every conceivable way: new AI-assisted noise cancelling, twelve microphones per cup (enough to host a small dinner party), and a custom sound app so advanced it might as well have opinions.

The sound signature is a triumph of balance, with bass that rolls, mids that breathe, and highs that shine like cut glass. The noise cancellation borders on biblical. Sit in an airport lounge, engage ANC, and the world dissolves; you can watch the chaos through the glass as if it were a nature documentary.

Comfort remains sublime: memory foam cushions, a headband lighter than optimism, and a foldable design that slides neatly into its case like origami. Battery life? Thirty hours of bliss. Thirty hours in which even your own thoughts sound well-produced.

If perfection has a frequency response, Sony has found it. The WH-1000XM6 does not merely silence noise; it silences complaint.

For those who live half their lives at 35,000 feet, there is Bose. The QuietComfort Ultra continues the company’s long tradition of making the world tolerable. Its active noise cancellation remains the gold standard for human voices; if you can still hear the baby in 14B, you have simply forgotten to switch them on.

The sound is warm and natural, with a neutrality that flatters every genre. Bose does not impose character; it simply polishes reality until it gleams. The comfort level is remarkable, with ear cups that feel like tailored cashmere and clamping pressure that suggests reassurance rather than restraint.

The ANC performance is outstanding. Whether it is the steady drone of an aircraft or the low hum of the Piccadilly Line, the QuietComfort Ultra reduces it all to a gentle whisper.

Battery life runs a reliable twenty-four hours, enough for a London to Tokyo round trip and back again. The design is understated luxury with smooth lines, intuitive controls, and the quiet confidence of a company that has mastered the art of calm.

If Sony is the studio engineer’s dream, Bose is the diplomat’s choice: civilised, subtle, and effortlessly dependable.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is the sensible German of the group, impeccably engineered, restrained, and quietly excellent. It offers sixty hours of battery life, which feels less like a specification and more like a statement of intent. That is enough power for a transatlantic voyage and still time for the return playlist.

The sound is unmistakably Sennheiser, balanced, spacious, and beautifully detailed. Vocals are rich, instruments distinct, and everything sits in a mix that feels honest and alive.

Noise cancellation is strong, though not quite as absolute as Sony or Bose. You may still sense a faint trace of the world outside, as if Sennheiser refuses to shut the door completely out of politeness.

Build quality is superb, with refined materials and a secure, elegant fit. The Momentum 4 is the choice for those who value craftsmanship, composure, and quiet confidence over flash or flair. It does not make a scene; it simply performs.

Then there is Bowers & Wilkins, the aesthete’s choice. The PX7 S3 is less a headphone than a piece of sculpture. One imagines it was designed by someone who sketches yachts for fun.

The materials, woven fabric, brushed aluminium, and leather accents, speak in the language of Savile Row. Slip them on, and you look like a man who commissions his stationery.

Sound is the PX7’s true seduction: rich, dynamic, and indulgent. It has that B&W warmth, with a velvet bass, a charming midrange, and treble like champagne bubbles. The ANC is formidable but not ferocious. It subdues the world rather than banishing it, perfect for those who prefer their silence with a touch of texture.

Battery life is a respectable thirty hours. The app interface is elegant, and the build feels weighty in the most reassuring way. The PX7 S3 is not merely about blocking noise; it is about refining it. This is the headphone for the aesthete, the man who appreciates that technology can also be tailored.

For those who prefer subtlety, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds deliver all the serenity of the WH-1000XM6 in a fraction of the size. They are the noise-cancelling equivalent of a secret door in a townhouse library.

The ANC performance is astonishing for something that disappears into your ears. Each bud houses multiple microphones, a processor smarter than most of Parliament, and drivers that produce exceptional clarity. Bass is muscular yet restrained, treble crystalline, and the fit secure.

Battery life of eight hours per charge may not sound like much, but with the sleek charging case you are ready for long-haul flights and emotional journeys alike.

Sony’s app lets you adjust soundscapes, EQ profiles, and even the level of noise cancellation, which is ideal for those who occasionally wish to hear the waiter.

These are the definitive travel earbuds. Slip them in, cue your playlist, and the world recedes like London in the rear-view mirror of a Rolls.

For the faithful of Cupertino, the AirPods Pro remain the most elegant act of magic money can buy. Their design is now as iconic as the martini glass, instantly recognisable and effortlessly correct.

Apple’s latest iteration refines the formula further. The noise cancellation is excellent, the sound richer than before, and the integration with iOS so seamless you suspect witchcraft. Transparency Mode, which lets you hear the outside world when necessary, feels almost telepathic, as though your headphones know when you are about to be hit by a bicycle.

Battery life is around six hours. That may not be heroic, but the charging case adds many more and fits neatly into the pocket of a tailored jacket.

The AirPods Pro are not for the tweaker or the technophile; they are for the minimalist, those who crave simplicity dressed in white. Their sonic performance is impressive, their noise cancellation genuinely useful, and their design timeless.

They are, in essence, the Hermès cufflinks of the audio world: understated, precise, and reassuringly Apple.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are for the traveller who values comfort as much as quiet. They are larger than Sony’s, yes, but the fit feels custom-poured. Once in, they do not move.

The noise-cancelling performance here is exceptional, perhaps the finest in-ear cancellation short of genuine sorcery. Aeroplane rumble disappears. Office chatter fades into polite murmurs of civilisation. The bass is confident, the treble precise, and the mids natural. It feels like listening through velvet.

Battery life reaches eight hours, with quick charging to rescue the forgetful. They may not be dainty, but they are dependable. One gets the sense that, if they were people, they would be quietly running the Foreign Office.

Not every act of sonic isolation requires a second mortgage. For those who prefer their tranquillity under three digits, there are two exceptional options.

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro proves that peace need not cost a fortune. Priced under £100 or $100, they deliver impressively strong noise cancellation, bold sound, and an app that lets you adjust EQ settings to your heart’s content. The battery lasts a solid eight hours, and they look far more expensive than they are. It is the audio equivalent of wearing Uniqlo cashmere, modestly priced yet unreasonably good.

Then there is Sony’s WH-CH720N, the over-ear dark horse. They are light, comfortable, and provide cancellation so capable you will forget you did not spend £300. Perfect for commuting, long walks, or pretending not to hear colleagues discussing house prices. Battery life is exceptional, and while the materials are not haute couture, they are durable and attractively understated.

Both models remind us that serenity is not the preserve of the wealthy. One can, it seems, buy silence on a sensible budget.

Behind the glamour lies extraordinary engineering. Modern noise-cancelling headphones use multi-microphone arrays, up to twelve in Sony’s latest models, to detect ambient sound and generate equal and opposite frequencies. The result is cancellation so precise it borders on the philosophical.

Artificial intelligence now refines this process in real time, learning your surroundings and adapting to environments ranging from aircraft cabins to coffee shops. The effect is quietly intoxicating, creating a world that grows calmer with every passing hour.

Foldable, portable designs have returned to prominence. After years of rigid minimalism, 2025 has rediscovered the joy of travel-friendly design. You can now slip the finest headphones into a carry-on bag without dismantling them like flat-pack furniture.

Battery life has become the new measure of mastery. Sennheiser’s sixty-hour endurance is remarkable, but even mid-range contenders now push past thirty hours, long enough for multiple long-haul flights and a minor existential crisis in between.

It is tempting to view noise cancellation as a mere luxury, but it is really a philosophical statement, a declaration of one’s right to curate reality.

In an age of endless chatter, to block out the world is not antisocial; it is self-care. A pair of premium headphones says, I will hear what I choose, when I choose it, and not a syllable more. It is a quiet rebellion against chaos, the modern equivalent of drawing the study curtains and pouring a whisky.

And perhaps that is why we adore them. Each pair represents a small triumph of civility over noise. A wearable boundary, crafted from leather and aluminium. A promise that serenity can, in fact, be bought, preferably with noise cancellation included.

For the traveller, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra remains unmatched. It is the headphone equivalent of first class: indulgent, refined, and eerily effective.

For the audiophile, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 offer texture and truth in perfect balance. They make even silence sound expensive.

For the perfectionist, the Sony WH-1000XM6 stands as the undisputed benchmark, the all-rounder that continues to define the category.

In the realm of earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5 leads the field, while the AirPods Pro continues to rule the Apple faithful with quiet grace. Bose’s Ultra Earbuds remain the connoisseur’s secret weapon, and for the value-conscious listener, Anker’s Liberty 4 Pro and Sony’s WH-CH720N are quietly heroic.

The truth is that each of these devices delivers something essential, the gift of selective hearing. And what greater modern luxury could there be?

One evening, after testing every model in succession, we removed our headphones and stepped into the London night. The city roared, honked, and chattered. We felt, briefly, assaulted by reality. Then we smiled, put the Sony's back on and walked home in blissful silence.

There is something almost spiritual about hearing nothing at all, a luxury once reserved for mountaintops and monasteries, now available via Bluetooth.

Noise-cancelling headphones in 2025 have perfected that ancient art of serenity, not escaping the world but elegantly ignoring it.

And if that is not progress, we do not know what is.