The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones For Airplanes, Gaming, and Music 2025

Let’s play a game. Imagine stepping into a crowded airport lounge and instantly tuning out the chaos—no roar of planes, no chatter, just pure audio serenity. That’s exactly what the Sony WH‑1000XM6 brings to the table. These flagship over-ear headphones deliver the most advanced noise cancellation Sony has ever offered, and they do it with elegance, power, and smarts. The WH-1000XM6 headphones easily won our “Best Noise-Canceling Headphones” award this year.

At the heart of the WH‑1000XM6’s magic is the upgraded QN3 HD Noise-Canceling Processor, which operates nearly 7x faster than the previous generation’s chip. This powerhouse handles data from 12(!) external microphones (up from 8 on the XM5 model), analyzing ambient noise in real time and sending anti-noise waves that cancel it—before it even reaches your ears. The result? A peace-creating performance unparalleled by any current noise-canceling headphone. It’s truly something to experience.

What makes this next-level ANC so effective isn't just raw power—it’s intelligence. The Adaptive NC Optimizer fine-tunes cancellation by monitoring air pressure, wearing style, even if you’re wearing glasses or a hat, and dynamically adjusts in real-time. Meanwhile, Auto Ambient Sound Mode shifts seamlessly between maximum quiet and safety-aware modes—so you can stay tuned for announcements or conversations while automatically returning to deep silence. With built-in support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, you can keep up-to-date with phone calls, text, managing smart devices, or even just checking the weather.

Sony didn’t stop at silence; they also tuned sound quality to match. Co-developed with mastering engineers from major studios, the WH‑1000XM6 deliver studio-level audio clarity—rich bass, crisp mids, and glistening highs—perfectly complemented by LDAC and Hi‑Res wireless support. Plus, Edge-AI DSEE Extreme breathes new life into compressed tracks with intelligent upscaling.

Outside of ANC and audio, Sony focused on comfort and usability. The headband is now wider and padded, ear cups fold into a sleek magnetic case, and multipoint Bluetooth lets you switch seamlessly between devices. Battery life hits an impressive 30 hours with ANC, and a quick 3‑minute charge gives you 3 extra hours. Like it’s predecessor, the XM6 is available in a silver finish.

The WH‑1000XM6 are not just headphones—they’re personal sound sanctuaries. From urban travel to focused work or just tuning into your new playlist, they blend cutting-edge noise cancelation with beautiful audio and smart design.

Pros:

• Great sound quality
• Industry-leading noise cancellation
• Comfortable/Lightweight
• Great battery life

Cons:

• Higher price point
• Mic quality is just okay

Focal headphones are a statement piece; they stand out visually just as much as they do audibly. And the Bathys are no exception. They are both fashionable and functional. Making the Bathys travel-friendly was a primary concern for Focal. They had a target weight of 350g, so components were designed and decided on specifically for that point. The Bathys are made with a Black/Silver aluminum and magnesium construction and have been designed to share the same aesthetics as their fellow Focal closed-ear headphones, like the Celestee or Stellia.

For the sound, they chose to invest in magnesium for the driver and then use aluminum mechanical construction. The Bathys are tuned to the Focal sound so the naturally are dynamic. They reproduce a nice full sound and when the bass hits it’s present but not too boomy. You can listen to them for hours at end without feeling ear fatigue. However, you don’t have to listen to them loud to enjoy them.

Technologically, the Bathys are Bluetooth 5.1 with multipoint (meaning it can connect to multiple devices so you can pick up a call from your phone and listen to music from your computer) and they’ve moved to some of the latest Bluetooth Codecs. The Bathys have the standard SBC connection (which is universal among Bluetooth headphones), AAC for iPhone connectivity, and AptX as well as AptX Adaptive for Android devices (with AptX Adaptive being capable of up to 24bit/96kHz sources). The Bathys have 8 microphones for their Active Noise Canceling and they can be used for phone calls or virtual meetings. There (4) mics per ear cup. (1) for Bluetooth. (1) for ANC and (2) set inside to monitor the output of headphones to reduce total harmonic distortion per ear cup.

The Bathys are an exceptional set of Bluetooth headphones and sound great wirelessly. But if you want to be extra, Focal created a DAC mode. Just connect the Bathys to your phone or computer via a USB-C cable, and you can listen to music up to 24bit/192kHz. Focal wanted to make sure they weren’t just making one of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market, but they wanted to make sure the Bathys didn’t disappoint if you went deep into listening to them.

Focal. The industry expert. The leader in clear sound… the most perfect sound. Ok. Enough about Focal the manufacturer and let’s talk about the Focal Clear MG Open-Back headphones.

Where do we start? Let’s start with the fact that the MG Open-Back headphones deliver just plain and simple the most outstanding sound performance using the most sophisticated design-led features. Those features? If you’ve made it this far, you know that Focal’s manufacturing process is unrivaled in the audio industry and these headphones are no exception. The MG open-back headphone drivers are composed of a unique magnesium cone, a material that enables sharp, precise impactful playback that results in the most impressive sound.

If you’re just entering the conversation and you want to talk about comfort, well the MG Open-back headphones are designed with a chestnut and mixed metal design, combined with the precision comfort of a leather headband and microfiber ear cushions. The yoke is made of a solid aluminum, that flawlessly wraps around the contour of the listener, and follows a smooth curve regardless of the head size of the user. The aesthetic mixed with the astounding comfort and superior sound quality is what makes the Clear MG the best high fidelity headphones we’ve found.

You know you’re dealing with a top-notch pair of headphones when the manufacturer lets you know that the headphones themselves require a break-in period in order to reach their maximum operational potential. This break-in period will stabilize the speaker drivers and allow the user to get the very best out of their purchase.

These ultra-stylish headphones are a sure-fire winner and should not be passed up when considering an open-back headphone purchase.

Pros: Weighing in at under 1 pound, these lightweight headphones provide super-heavyweight sound.

Cons: I honestly can’t find one.

Sennheiser is practically synonymous with pro audio and music production. They’ve been creating audio gear for the professional world for decades and there’s hardly a Grammy given to a project that didn’t involve their stuff.

So, it’s almost no surprise that the Momentum 4 headphones sound completely clear, transparent, and natural. Sometimes, headphones that offer Bluetooth connectivity and noise cancellation can sometimes have bass that’s boosted and vocals that are emphasized, the Momentum 4 delivers music the way it was intended by its producers and engineers. Highs and lows are perfectly balanced. Center elements such as guitar solos and vocals are right where they should be: Comfortably nestled in the mix. That right there is why we’re calling the Momentum 4 the Best Headphones for Music Production.

You’re not going to want to take them off when you leave your studio, however. The adaptive hybrid circuitry and four-mic noise cancelling system deliver a new level of quiet, analyzing your surroundings and quite literally making the world go away. Your commute will turn into an opportunity for close listening, rather than simply rocking out. The latest Bluetooth technology makes the Momentum 4’s wireless connection unbelievably clear, especially when you’re making phone calls. It also lets you stream high-definition audio in aptX and AAC formats — something pro mixers, audiophiles, and YouTube addicts alike will appreciate.

The sleek industrial design isn’t just attractive, it also facilitates some advanced touch technology for controlling settings and accessing features. Like a multi-touch tablet, the right ear cup has a touch pad that responds to single- and two-finger gestures to control volume, noise cancelling vs. transparency ratios, playback controls, phone controls, and other handy functions. The touch pad is pretty cool, but it may take a bit of practice to get just the right swipe distance or double-tap strength. Sennheiser’s Smart Control app gives you a very powerful set of controls to adjust the sound to your liking, though you may fall in love with the sound you get the moment you first put the Momentum 4s on.

Pros: Classic Sennheiser pro audio sound. Superior noise cancellation. Smart Control app very thorough and useful.

Cons: Touch control is very clever, but can take time to master.

Focal headphones are a statement piece; they stand out visually just as much as they do audibly. And the Bathys are no exception. They are both fashionable and functional. Making the Bathys travel-friendly was a primary concern for Focal. They had a target weight of 350g, so components were designed and decided on specifically for that point. The Bathys are made with a Black/Silver aluminum and magnesium construction and have been designed to share the same aesthetics as their fellow Focal closed-ear headphones, like the Celestee or Stellia.

For the sound, they chose to invest in magnesium for the driver and then use aluminum mechanical construction. The Bathys are tuned to the Focal sound so the naturally are dynamic. They reproduce a nice full sound and when the bass hits it’s present but not too boomy. You can listen to them for hours at end without feeling ear fatigue. However, you don’t have to listen to them loud to enjoy them.

Technologically, the Bathys are Bluetooth 5.1 with multipoint (meaning it can connect to multiple devices so you can pick up a call from your phone and listen to music from your computer) and they’ve moved to some of the latest Bluetooth Codecs. The Bathys have the standard SBC connection (which is universal among Bluetooth headphones), AAC for iPhone connectivity, and AptX as well as AptX Adaptive for Android devices (with AptX Adaptive being capable of up to 24bit/96kHz sources). The Bathys have 8 microphones for their Active Noise Canceling and they can be used for phone calls or virtual meetings. There (4) mics per ear cup. (1) for Bluetooth. (1) for ANC and (2) set inside to monitor the output of headphones to reduce total harmonic distortion per ear cup.

The Bathys are an exceptional set of Bluetooth headphones and sound great wirelessly. But if you want to be extra, Focal created a DAC mode. Just connect the Bathys to your phone or computer via a USB-C cable, and you can listen to music up to 24bit/192kHz. Focal wanted to make sure they weren’t just making one of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market, but they wanted to make sure the Bathys didn’t disappoint if you went deep into listening to them.