Here are the best noise cancelling headphones under $100 you can get today. We tested their ANC (see tests) and examined audio quality, comfort, battery life, mic clarity, and more.
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| Rating | Price | Battery | Connection | Mic & Controls | More info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anker Soundcore Life Q30
Best overall
|
4.6
|
Under $80
|
60 hours (ANC off)
|
Bluetooth 5.0 & 3.5mm
|
 
|
|
|
Edifier W820NB Plus
Runner-up
 
|
4.5
|
Under $80
|
33.5 hours (ANC on)
|
Bluetooth 5.2 & USB-C
|
|
|
|
Treblab Z2
Best for sports
 
|
4.3
|
Under $90
|
35 hours (ANC off)
|
Bluetooth 5.0 & 3.5mm
|
|
|
|
1MORE SonoFlow
Great value
 
|
4.2
|
Under $100
|
60+ hours (ANC on)
|
Bluetooth 5.0 & 2.5mm
|
|
|
|
EarFun Air Pro 3
Best true wireless for ANC
 
|
4.4
|
Under $80
|
8 hours + 36h in case (ANC on)
|
Bluetooth 5.3
|
|
|
|
Edifier W240TN
True wireless alternative
 
|
4.5
|
Under $80
|
7 hours + 14h in case (ANC off)
|
Bluetooth 5.0
|
|
|
|
Panasonic RP-HTX90N
Best design
 
|
4.2
|
Under $80
|
24 hours (ANC off)
|
Bluetooth 4.2 & 3.5mm port
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
Under $70
|
25 hours (ANC off)
|
Bluetooth 5.0 & 3.5mm
|
|
You can stop your search for the best noise-canceling headphones under 100 dollars now. We’ve scoured all the available resources to come up with this list of the best ones.
You may have been perusing the internet, getting sucked into the vortex of YouTube, and forgetting what you were looking for. Your search is over.
We also don’t like to spend ridiculous amounts of money on best headphones, so we made this guide.
Here are the best quality ANC cans your money can buy – and it’s not always about the fancy brand names.
Related:
Best noise cancelling earbuds – in-ear headphones
Best noise cancelling headphones (more expensive)
Best noise isolating headphones
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones under $100
1. Anker Soundcore Life Q30
BEST ANC HEADPHONES UNDER $100
Anker Life Q30 are the best noise cancelling headphones under $100 with app support.
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 review
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
16-40.000Hz
- Excellent sound quality (after EQ)
- Great ANC with 3 modes
- Comfortable fit
- Companion app with EQ
- Outstanding battery life
- The bass isn't very fast
- Looks bulky on your head
Hear the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 ANC Test:
Bass lovers can enjoy a powerful bass impact with overall natural tonality in the mid-range and treble.
In-app EQ customization, you can bring their audio quality to an almost neutral sound. That brings out even more detail in your favorite tunes, which start to sound great.
There are 3 different ANC modes, each made for a specific occasion. In general, the active noise-cancelling performance is outstanding, especially in the price range. It can rival the likes of Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700.
These wireless headphones support multipoint, which is useful if you use multiple devices at home.
They’re also very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions and boast impressive 60 hours of playback (fast charging adds 4 hours in 5 minutes of charging). If they run dry, you can still use them with an audio cable.
2. Edifier W820NB Plus
CLOSE SECOND FOR BEST ANC HEADPHONES UNDER $100
The second-best pair of budget noise-cancelling headphones under $100 with a Hi-Res certification.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.2
Driver size:
40mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-40.000Hz
- Balanced, natural, and decently detailed sound
- Long battery life of 33.5h per charge with ANC
- Strong indoor Bluetooth range of 65 feet
- Decently comfy and removable earpads
- Splendid call quality in quiet enivornments…
- … but muted and distorted in louder environments
- Average passive & active noise cancellation
- All-plastic design, no protective case
Hear the Edifier W820NB Plus ANC Test:
Edifier headphones have a forward sound with a relatively balanced response. You get just the right amount of bass, and the midrange sounds natural and crisp. Interestingly, they sound the best when using Ambient Sound mode. Also, instead of the headphone jack, you plug them using USB-C.
Regarding noise cancellation, the W820NB Plus are more effective with higher frequencies and speech than lower ones. Don’t worry, they can reduce sounds like engine noises, just not quite as much as competitors.
Frequent commuters will appreciate decent quality build and lightweight construction. Included ear pads are sufficiently padded and replaceable if they get damaged over time.
They have a great battery life that can last up to 49 hours on a single charge if you don’t use ANC. Otherwise, expect more around 33.5 hours of playtime.
Related:
Bluetooth headphones under $100
Best budget noise cancelling headphones
3. Treblab Z2
BEST BUDGET ANC HEADPHONES FOR SPORTS
Treblab Z2 budget headphones have a lot going on, from punchy sound, sweat resistance, and noise-canceling technology, all for a reasonably low price.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Comfortable, plush earpads
- Great noise isolation
- Good build quality
- IPX4 water-protection
- Great sound performance
- Hard carrying case
- 35-hour battery life
- Micro-USB port
- Average ANC performance
- Earpads get a bit sweaty
Turn ANC off and the sound profile gets quite bass-heavy, suitable for hip hop, EDM, etc. While it can be enjoyable to most people, not everyone will like the bass covering all the fine details.
On the other hand, when noise canceling is on, the audio quality gets cleaner and tighter, but the bass is almost gone.
Expect around 35 hours of battery life (20 hours with ANC), while it takes 3 hours for a full charge (sadly still uses Micro-USB charging cable).
Active noise reduction depth, on top of already good passive isolation, is pretty good and it makes sure you don’t have to live with ambient noise around you. It does a decent job eliminating air conditioning and other constant noises.
Fit is also above-average. They’re IPX4 water-resistant, similar to some of the best workout headphones. The build is easily comparable to more expensive models.
Related: Best bass headphones
4. 1MORE SonoFlow
GREAT VALUE HEADPHONES WITH ANC
1MORE is known for making one of the best in-ear monitors. The SonoFlow are a fine example they can also make excellent noise cancelling headphones.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-40.000Hz
- Great sound quality (especially after EQ)
- Comfortable fit with soft pleather earpads
- Exceptional battery life (up to 50h with ANC)
- Robust Bluetooth connection with an LDAC audio codec
- Hard-shell carrying case for improved protection
- Decent active noise cancelling performance
- Bright and thinny transparency mode
- Bloated, muddy sound when in wired mode
Even by default, 1MORE SonoFlow sound close to natural, with just a tiny boost in bass and a peak at 8 kHz.
Thankfully, the 1MORE Music app offers fully custom EQ, which makes the sound much closer to reference tuning (you can find our EQ settings in the full review).
Of course, headphones can also reduce outside noise with pretty good results. However, they aren’t as good as some competitors like Anker.
One thing worth noting is that to ensure the best sound quality, you have to enable ANC. While that means more battery drain, fear not since headphones last more than 60 hours with noise cancelling.
To safely store them during long travels, headphones come with a hard-shell carrying case.
5. EarFun Air Pro 3
BEST TRUE WIRELESS FOR ANC UNDER $100
For quite some time, EarFun Air Pro 3 have remained the most effective ANC earbuds under $100.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.3
Driver size:
11mm wool composite dynamic
Frequency range:
n/a
- Natural sound (after EQ)
- Comfortable & lightweight design
- Customization via companion app
- Bluetooth 5.3, LC3 codec, & multipoint
- Excellent battery life of over 8 hours per charge
- Effective active noise cancellation & ambient sound mode
- Not stable enough for sports activities
- Background hiss when in ANC mode
Hear the EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC test:
The sound a is bit dark and bass-heavy out of the box. Fortunately, you can make it much more natural using custom EQ. It could use more detail, but for the price, you can’t expect an audiophile-grade performance.
The Air Pro 3 uses the latest noise-canceling chip with surprising results.
They can block environmental noises to a similar degree as more premium models like Sony WF-1000XM4 or Apple AirPods Pro. Even ambient sound mode works admirably well.
These earbuds offer a pretty solid Bluetooth connection with up to 40 feet of range. That makes it easier if you like walking around the house listening to music. They also support LC3 Bluetooth codec, the latest and greatest standard codec from Bluetooth.
Moreso, earbuds are sweatproof and incredibly comfortable to wear. Due to their minimalist aesthetic, they weigh only 4 grams and don’t create any pressure point. However, they don’t have the stability for extreme sports.
6. Edifier W240TN
TRUE WIRELESS ALTERNATIVE
Little wireless earbuds with 2 dynamic drivers in each earbuds, and the best option for noise-canceling under $100.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.3
Driver size:
10mm woofer + 6mm tweeter
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Great sound quality (after EQing)
- Comfortable & stable fit for long listening sessions
- ANC and Transparency mode performance rivals the best
- Solid build quality with an IP55 rating
- Edifier app packed with features and customizations
- Average battery life of 6+ hours per charge with ANC
- ANC makes the sound noticeably bright and thin
- Mediocre indoor Bluetooth range of around 40 feet
Hear the Edifier W240TN ANC test:
Edifier earbuds have a great sound out of the box, but it can be further improved using a custom EQ. That way, you can make the 2 dynamic drivers inside the buds sound even more natural.
On top of great sound, you also get excellent active noise cancellation. It works almost as good as the premium Sony WF-1000XM4, which cost nearly 3 times as much.
Furthermore, they have a fuller-sounding transparency mode as Sony’s, although not as good as Apple AirPods Pro. However, for the price of $80, that’s still high praise.
Similar to the Sony earbuds, the transparency mode has 7 different intensities you can choose from.
Also, check the best bass earbuds to satisfy your basshead needs.
Check related:
7. Panasonic RP-HTX90N
MOST CLASSIC DESIGN
Great-looking wireless headphones that take you back to the previous century.
Connection:
Bluetooth 4.2
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
8-25.000Hz (with cord) / 20-20.000Hz (over BT)
- Intimate, detailed sound
- Comfortable ear pads
- Cool, retro design
- Solid noise cancellation
- Only SBC Bluetooth codec
These can be somewhat intimate sounding and bright, but with good detail retrieval.
While the bass is a bit shy at first, you can bring it up with a simple click of the “Bass Enhancer” button. Upon doing so, the low-end wakes up and starts to rattle your skull.
Design-wise, RP-HTX90N noise-canceling headphones look very retro. Each ear cup has thick earpad padding, which ensures excellent comfort. Fit is also quite okay but don’t you expect to exercise with these.
The ANC works respectably. While it can’t reach the likes of Sony WH-1000XM4, they’re still impressive at canceling out lower-frequency sounds.
8. OneOdio A30
Active noise cancelling was once a domain of the more expensive headphones. Thanks to audio brands like OneOdio, you can get a good ANC performance at the $60 price point.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Great, clean sound
- Excellent call quality
- Good comfort & fit
- Decent ANC performance
- Foldable & rotatable earcups
- Sibilance can get annoying
- Not fully over-ear earpads
- Hissing noise when you enable ANC
Hear the OneOdio A30 ANC Test:
If you like a punchier, V-shaped sound signature, leave noise canceling off. Otherwise, enabling active noise cancelling flattens the bass and makes the response much clearer. Although, some might find it a bit too bright or possibly sibilant.
Nevertheless, these are surely the best ANC headphones for sound quality at this price point.
As for noise cancellation, the A30 can reduce a fair amount of background noise. As with most budget headphones, these, too, work best with lower frequencies.
Over-ears are made well and have a generous amount of padding. That comes in handy since they tend to sit on your ears instead of around them.
Another thing worth mentioning is that these noise-canceling headphones are a great choice for voice calls. Mics can capture your voice clearer than more expensive headphones.
Honorable Mentions
Anker Soundcore Life Q20
These ANC cans’ low frequency sounds great. Punchy, deep bass makes the sound very warm. Thankfully, they can also block the outside noise with the help of noise cancelation, helping you to focus better on music.
Moreover, the battery is nothing short of brilliant. You can squeeze 60 hours of playtime out of these.
iTeknic IK-BH005
The IK-BH005 over-ear headphones are a great commuting companion, offering quality noise cancellation that blocks around 80% of ambient sound and a sleek, foldable design.
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
Earbuds have a very sculpted sound (bass and treble-heavy) that will suit hip-hop lovers more than anyone. Also, thanks to their good ANC performance, they can make your daily commutes free of annoying surrounding noise.
Read more on the advantages and disadvantages of sub-$100 headphones.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does an active noise-canceling headphone do?
An ANC headset has a tiny microphone in the actual headset that measures ambient sound (plane engine noise, air conditioners, etc.).
Then the electronics inside produce a reverse sound, send it to the drivers, which can reduce background noise.
Can you sleep with active noise cancelling headphones?
In short, yes. If you also have a snoring significant other, you can also use the headphones to make snoring less annoying (but aren’t comfy).
We suggest that you combine ANC with playing white noise (ocean sounds, nature sounds, etc.). There’re many options to choose from that can help you get some sleep.
Can noise-cancelling headphones damage your hearing?
No, they can actually protect your hearing from plane noise that can eventually damage your hearing. However, if you’re blasting super loud music through your headphones, then the answer is yes.
Read more about safe headphone use.
Why are noise-cancelling headphones so expensive?
Noise-canceling headphones require a dedicated chip that accepts the audio from microphones and converts it into an opposite signal. The better chip, the more effectively it can reduce background noise.
That’s why affordable noise-cancelling headphones can’t quite compete with premium ones. And, of course, additional hardware does bring up the overall cost.
Matija Ferjan is a seasoned audio enthusiast reviewing headphones since 2015. He has personally tested hundreds of headphones and earbuds. He’s an active member of the Headphone Audio community and a true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.
