Noise Cancelling Headphones are a must-have for anyone using public transport or living in a noisy area, providing a barrier from the outside chatter. Whether you choose to relax and listen to music or want to block out your neighbour’s pet, these headphones are a necessity. Furthermore, they are known to enhance focus, optimize sleep, reduce anxiety, and add to the overall media experience. Nevertheless, finding good Noise Cancelling Headphones under $150 can be daunting.
Luckily, there are some decent pairs of Noise Cancelling headphones available for under $150. Here are our top picks for some of the best Noise Cancelling Headphones under $150 that you can buy to block outside world.
Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones under $150!
1. Sony WHCH710N Noise Cancelling Headphones
Sony is already pioneering the ANC headphone space with its XM series. But if you are tight on budget, Sony WH-CH710N headphones are absolute beasts to have. These headphones come in a sleek rounded design, that looks as good as they sound. You can hear everything — from low beats to high vocals comfortably for longer sessions.
And the best part? Their Noise cancellation adjusts to the environment with dual noise sensor technology. This ensures that you get the best possible audio experiences on all frequency ranges, with clear sound and instrument separation.
Sony WH-CH710N also comes with a hand-free button to activate your smartphone’s voice assistant. And with up to 35 hours of battery life on a single charge, they make a perfect companion for frequent travelers.
2. Soundcore by Anker Life Q35
Anker Life Q35 is hands-down the most feature-rich noise-cancelling headphones in this list. The Q35 comes with a physical noise-cancelling button to easily switch between various noise-cancelling and transparency modes. Even without the ANC turned on, Q35 does a really good job at noise isolation and effectively blocking high-frequency sounds.
Besides the headphones, you will also get a hard-shell protective case, a USB type-c cable, and 3.5 mm cord, and an airplane adapter inside the package. Anker Q35’s amazing battery life and focus on portability, make them great on-the-go noise cancelling headphones under the $150 price mark.
3. Beats Studio 3 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The Apple-owned Beats has made its comeback in the noise-cancelling headphone space with the Beats Studio 3. Studio 3 by Beats is an over-the-ear headphone equipped with Apple’s own W1 chip for easy and fast connectivity with other Apple devices.
It also has ANC that actively blocks external noise and uses real-time calibration to preserve clarity and range in the audio. Studio 3 is made up of soft matte plastic and has up to 22 hours of listening time.
The Beats Studio 3 usually retails for $349, but currently, you can get them for as low as $169 for the Matte Black color. And at this price, these are an absolute steal deal.
4. Sennheiser HD 450BT
The next noise-cancelling headphones in this list are from Sennheiser. The Sennheiser HD 450BT is one of the most affordable ANC-equipped headphones with good sound quality. They come with high-quality Bluetooth codec support like AAC and aptX, which ensures a lag-free music listening experience.
With its 30 hours of battery life, the Sennheiser HD 450BT is more than enough to accompany you through plenty of roundtrip commutes. Whether you are listening to music with or without ANC, you will get superb battery life on these.
Sennheiser also has a Smart control app to tweak the sound and ANC of your headphones as per your listening preference. HD 450BT is listed at $199, but the discounted $91 price makes them one of the best affordable noise-cancelling headphones in the market.
5. Skullcandy Hesh ANC Headphones
Skullcandy Hesh is an over-the-ear ANC-powered headphone. They are made with high-quality memory foam cushions wrapped in soft faux leather ensuring comfort without compromising style.
Mesh ANC headphone delivers a 4-mic digital active noise cancelling experience. Alongside a powerful ANC, they also have an Ambient mode that allows users to listen to outside sound without removing the headphones.
With powerful 40mm drivers, solid acoustics, and a 20+ hours battery life, Skullcandy Hesh is one of the stylish pairs of noise cancelling headphones under $150.
6. JBL Live 460NC
If you are looking for a budget on-the-ear noise cancelling headphone, Live 460NC from JBL is the one to go with. These are the only on-the-ear type headphones in the list with active noise cancellation feature.
With JBL Live 460NC you are getting up to 50 hours of playtime with ANC off, and up to 40 hours with ANC on. But due the style of headphone, the noise cancelling isn’t as strong as an over-the-year headphone. Yet you will be able to filter out 80% of the ambient noise.
On the surface, they have a neutral sound profile, which users can tweak with the help of the companion app to get desired sound output. For on-the-ear headphone nerds, Live 460NC is the only choice for a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones.
7. Cleer Enduro ANC
Cleer Enduro ANC are the first noise cancelling wireless headphones with claimed 60 hours of battery life with ANC turned on. It uses multiple mics to filter out the unwanted outside noise. These mics uses feedforward and feedback process to cancel out 25dB of environmental sound in noisy environment – especially Airplanes.
Enduro ANC is also good for talking calls. It has 2 dedicated mics powered by Qualcomm’s cVc 8th gen noise suppression for keeping your voice clear and consistent during calls in crowded area.
If brand name isn’t something you are looking for, Cleer Enduro ANC might just be the best value pair of noise Cancelling headphones on the market.
8. Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR
Last but not the least, we have Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR, with its finely tuned 32mm neodymium driver that delivers exceptional sound output. It is a closed-back style over-the-ear ANC headphone.
For active noise cancelling, Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR features two feed-back forward microphones for filtering out low frequencies. It detects ambient noise and inverts the sound wave, effectively cancelling it out and converting background noise to silence.
Moreover, you also get multi-point feature that allows users to connect their Philips headphones with two Bluetooth enabled devices. An audiophile hermit would, no doubt, fall in love with these headphones.
How to tell good ANC headphones from bad?
Some headphones have good ANC, and some are outright bad at Cancelling noise. It’s necessary to choose right one for the best noise Cancelling experience. But before figuring that out, let’s understand how ANC works.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is a system that utilizes specialized microphones, a noise cancelling chip, and speakers to block out unwanted background noises. The microphones pick up sound inside and outside of the headphones. The noise cancelling chip inverts the soundwave, and the speaker inside the earphones neutralizes the sound from the outside by cancelling out the sound waves.
In simple words, it is basically cancelling out the outside noise by analyzing the sound and inverting the soundwave to cancel it.
Now let’s see all the things that you should look out before buying a noise Canceling headphones, in any budget.
- Efficiency of ANC – Testing ANC is very easy. Simply go out in a noisy environment and put the headphones on. The effect should be immediate with noises significantly reduced. A dramatic way to tell if they work is to bring them aboard a plane the next time you fly. If the ANC manages to cancel out the constant ‘hum’ of the airplane, it is simply the best
- Sound Quality – Since ANC technology compresses and enhances sound to counter background noise, it may affect sound performance. If you hear a constant ‘hiss’ while listening to an audio when ANC on, then the sound quality has been compromised. However, good quality headphones should be able to minimize sound degradation to almost minimal.
- Design and Build – While many do ignore this aspect, a well design ANC Headphone will work better at cancelling background noise. The style, build, and feel can affect ANC since it needs to be able cover your ears properly to block out the noises. It should also be comfortable enough to stay for a long while without causing any pain or discomforts.
- Battery Life – Active Noise cancellation has a bad reputation for using up battery life. This is because they do two times as much work with the ANC on and the audio playing as well. An extended battery life is a convenient factor in choosing the best ANC headphones for you so that you travel with them everywhere. Modern headphones also have automatic power-off system in place to ensure preservation of battery.
Also read: 10 Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers (2022)
Wrapping up: Best Noise Cancelling headphones under $150
Active Noise Cancellation is a great feature and there are several affordable options when it comes to buying a pair of ANC headphones. If you have a strict on budget and want best noise cancelling headphones under $150, then the ones discussed in the article should be more than enough to satisfy your need of noise cancellation — without breaking the bank.
If you are looking for an all-in-one ANC headphone, Sony WH-XB900N should be the right pick, while Soundcore by Anker Life Q35 is the best-value pair of headphones in the noise Cancelling market.
