Best Noise Canceling Earbuds Under $250 | Trending in 2023

From the 3.5mm audio jack to Bluetooth and truly wireless earphones, the evolution of the headphones market is not hidden from anyone. The most recent entrant into the market makes a lot of noise in the name of the Best noise canceling earbuds.

Unlike the traditional headphones, the best noise canceling earbuds offer better isolation to the ears and ensure no noise during the playback.

The demand for the best noise canceling earbuds is increasing, so is the competition. There are more than 20 Brands that are currently selling their earbuds with ANC. In this article, I have sorted the list into the 5 best Best noise canceling earbuds that you can buy in 2022. 

5 Best Noise Canceling Earbuds You Must Try

Here is my recommended list of the 5 best noise canceling earbuds that are trending in 2022 and fall under the budget of $250. All the earbuds are exceptional in terms of build quality and offer seamless Bluetooth functionality.  

1. Beats Fit Pro | $179.95 | 4.5 out of 5 stars

Beats Fit Pro earbuds by Apple give you the best of both worlds – Android and iOS. These earbuds bridge the gap between the two platforms and offer absolute compatibility through the mobile application. If you are in the market for a punchier base and treble, then Beats Fit Pro earbuds are the right choice. For even better call quality, you may choose Airpods Pro 2.

Pros of Beats Fit Pro: 

• Apple H1 Headphone Chip for balanced audio output 
• IPX4-rated
• Supports Spatial audio and Dolby atmos for an enhanced sound experience
• Sits deeper inside the ear to block more noise and is comfortable even during the workout
• Provides deep bass 
• The audio stops playing automatically when you take either of these buds out of the ears
• Offers up to 6 hours of battery life with ANC

Cons of Beats Fit Pro:

• Lacks Wireless charging compatibility
• Lacks volume control functionality through touch

2. Apple AirPods Pro | $179.99 | 4.7 out of 5 stars

Apple Airpods Pro definitely have a lot to mention before I crown them with exceptional call quality against all the competitors in the market. It has Active Noise Cancellation in the market with the transparency mode to let you hear the external sounds. In the package, you get 3 sizes of silicone ear tips that perfectly sit in your ears. You can answer or end calls or change the track using the force sensor just by tapping on the Apple Airpods Pro. With ANC enabled, you can get up to 4 hours of playback time and 5 hours with ANC disabled. Quick charging gives you upto an hour of listening time or talk time.

Pros of Apple AirPods Pro: 

• Operates on Bluetooth 5.0 
• The spatial feature gives you a surround sound
• Comes with an integrated H1 headphone chip
• Bluetooth range: 800 feet
• Rated IPX4 water resistance 
• Easy to connect and operate with Apple devices
• Up to 6 hours of battery backup
• The case supports Magsafe and Qi wireless charging 
• Fits easily into the ears

Cons of Apple AirPods Pro:

• USB C to lightning cable basically means that your old adapter will be incompatible
• Only AAC codecs are supported
• Low battery life compared to the competition

3. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds | $199.00| 4.4 out of 5 stars

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are popular as the king of the ANC market. They offer three levels of noise-cancellation, including the transparency mode, just to keep you aware of the surroundings. The quick charging case can provide you with 2 hours of playback within 15 minutes of charge. Perfect for working out, taking calls, or enjoying the bass. You can get up to 5.5 hours of playback time if you enable the ANC. 

Pros of Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds:

• Reliable Bluetooth connection
• Crisp call quality
• Snug and comfortable fit for ears
• 10 levels of adjustable ANC

Cons of Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds:

• Battery life not as expected
• Does not support LDAC codec
• Not the most ergonomically designed earbuds in the market
• Heavy and bulges out of the ear 
• No functionality of adjusting the volume by touching the earbuds 
• Bulky charging case

4. SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro | $229.99 | 4.5 out of 5 stars

SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are Samsung’s flagship wireless earbuds with ANC backup of up to 5 hours and up to 8 hours without ANC. You can get up to 4.5 hours of playback time if you enable the ANC. The earbuds are known best for the ANC during calls; trust me, not every earbud can do that. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro flaunts the most iconic design and is a cute but sturdy case to charge. These earbuds basically can fit almost every ear size.

Pros of SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro:

• Best in class design 
• IPX7 rating; Only earbud in the industry
• Comfortable fit even after long hours of use
• Codec support: SSC, SBC, and AAC
• Offers deep bass and without losing clarity
• Performs exceptionally during voice calls 
• Supports wireless charging

Cons of SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro:

• Low battery backup
• Bixby responses are inconsistent; No Google Assistant or Siri integration
• Supports most of the features only with Galaxy phones
• Does not support LDAC Codec 

4. Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds | $248 | 4.4 out of 5 stars

Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds are the best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds on my list and against the overall competition. These earbuds can provide a massive battery life of up to 12 hours with playback or 6 hours with calls, provided that the ANC is turned off. If you enable the ANC, you can get up to 8 hours of playback time and up to 5.5 hours of call time. Because of 6mm drivers, these best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds offer great sound at all levels. These earbuds can save your location data with your ANC level preference and can switch to it as you move to the same environment. 

Pros of Sony WF-1000XM4:

• Operates on Bluetooth 5.2 
• Bluetooth range: 30 feet
• Codecs supported: LDAC, AAC, SBC
• Rated IPX4 for water resistance
• Supports Qi Wireless charging
• Control through Sony Headphones Connet App (Android/iOS), the EQ, Turn ANC on/off, and a lot more.
• Use Alexa built-in
• Integrated processor V1 for world-class ANC
• Immersive sound quality at all levels, thanks to Integrated processor V1 
• Sony’s dedicated “Speak to chat” feature pauses the playback as you start talking
• It can be found through Google Find My Device App

Cons of Sony WF-1000XM4:

• Not lightweight 
• Build out of ears 
• The app is the least intuitive
• Uncomfortable foam tips 
• Quite expensive
• No function of adjusting the level of ANC

How do Noise Canceling Earbuds Function?

The concept of Active Noice Cancellation is not new in the headphones market. It has emerged from Passive Noise Cancellation (PNC), in which the headphones (in-ear or over-the-ear) block the external noise by blocking the ear canal. On the other hand, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) requires a battery to operate, and it cancels the ambient noise actively by producing the same amount of noise, also known as inverted noise. 

ANC technology sounds great both in terms of performance and ease of use as it is almost always effective. However, it has a few downsides, too –  for example, the Best noise canceling earbuds are expensive, requiring continuous charging because ANC drains the battery relatively faster. 

Smartphone manufacturers have stopped putting the 3.5 mm audio jack in their devices, perhaps to promote the sale of Truly Wireless Earphones (TWS) that now offer noise-cancellation features as well. Frankly speaking, you need not shell out extra money only for matching the trend of buying ANC earbuds, until and unless you really need them for your calls in the field or perhaps playing videos daily in a metro or a noisy area every day.

Wrapping Up

This completes my recommended list of the 5 best noise canceling earbuds under $250. For more buck-saving tips, keep scrolling PathofEx.