There was once a pretty popular question on “ask Reddit”, regarding the best thing you’ve ever purchased for yourself. Over 8000 redditors left a comment.

ask reddit about best item purchased

Here’s the number one answer with more than two-thousand upvotes.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones

As you can see, buying yourself noise cancelling headphones is a great investment.

And today I’ll show you the best noise cancelling headphones Reddit is recommending. Updated for 2023, with clear most-upvoted answers.

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Reddit

I’ve checked tons of different Reddit posts and subreddits. After reading through the most recent posts, here’s what redditors recommend the most.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023
reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023

And here’s the answer for budget noise cancelling headphones.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023

The Verdict

The best noise cancelling headphones according to Reddit are the SONY-MX4 or the Bose QC35. Both noise cancelling models are being upvoted the most on Reddit. If you’re looking for a budget option, make sure to check out the Soundscore QC 30.

Disclaimer: The Amazon links you’ll find here are affiliate links.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones mx4 vs mx5

As of March 2023, SONY already upgraded their MX4 model to the MX5 version. But I’ve found divisive opinions on whether the upgrade is worth it or not.

I’d say if you’re looking for new noise cancelling headphones, go get the MX5 version. Otherwise there’s no need to upgrade from the MX4 model to the MX5. As this redditor pointed out already, the MX4 are one of the best headphones ever made.

Sony MX4

MX4s noise-cancelling technology is impressive. Depending on where you use your headphones, you can simply adjust the settings according to your surroundings. For instance, if you’re traveling by train, and you still would like to hear the announcements, it’s really easy to set this up and to turn down noise-cancelling.

This is possible with SONYs “Headphones Connect” app. Adjusting the noise cancelling level is not the only thing you can do there. You’re also able to use an equalizer or to use SONYs 360 Reality Audio setup.

The MX4 headphones come with an airplane adapter, a jack plug, and a really nice looking case, perfect for traveling. You’ll also get an USB cable to charge them. That’s one disadvantage with noise-cancelling headphones, they need to be charged. But the MX4 smoothly transform this into another selling point. The battery life lasts more than 30 hours.

And the best thing?

10 mins of charging is enough to provide you up to 5 hours of listening to your favourite music. And if that’s not possible, you can simply use the jack plug.

Once you give the MX4 a try, you’ll quickly realize that there is a reason behind Reddits recommendation.

The Advantages of Noise Cancelling Headphones

There are many different reasons why you should get noise cancelling headphones. You can focus way better on your work, they can help you relax and even the music sounds better. Noise-cancelling headphones are worth it because they block out unwanted noise and give you a better listening experience.

They are especially useful in noisy environments like traveling or working, as they let you better focus on your music or work and help you be more productive.

By eliminating or reducing ambient noise, you can hear and enjoy music or podcasts more clearly. Also, when making calls, you can hear and be understood better by the person you are talking to.

If you’re in a loud environment, this can be life-changing.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones reasons

And just as this Redditor said, let’s not forget how useful they are on flights or in other loud environments. For instance, if you’re someone who travels a lot by train, they should give you the exact same benefit as for someone who’s flying a lot.

Are Noise Cancelling Headphones Worth It?

reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023

This is not only helpful for work.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023

Hearing Protection

Noise cancelling Headphones offer Hearing protection. If you often work or listen to music in a noisy environment, it can affect your hearing. Noise-cancelling headphones help protect hearing by helping to reduce the volume of music or other audio content.

Any disadvantages?

As with every product, there is always something people don’t like. I guess with noise-cancelling headphones it’s the amount of money you have to pay. They are definitely on the more expensive side. Other than that, the only thing I can think of is the fact that you need to charge them. However, all of the headphone recommendations from Reddit will bring you through the day without missing a beat.

Over-ear, On-ear or In-ear?

There are three types of noise cancelling headphones. In-ear, over-ear and on-ear. I’ll focus on the difference between in-ear and over-ear since on-ear is currently not in demand.

As always, it really depends on your personal preference. But the general consensus is that over-ear headphones are better in terms of active noise cancelling. But you still may be someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with them.

Just to show you how it differs from one person to another. I’ve found opinions like this on Reddit,

reddit post about in ear noise cacelling

but also like this:

reddit post about in ear noise cacelling part two

So, you have to decide for yourself what you’re more comfortable with wearing.

Over-ear headphones are being worn on the entire ear cup, providing comprehensive sound isolation.

Over-ear advantages:

Over-ear disadvantages:

On the other hand, in-ear headphones with the noise cancelling function also come with soem advantages and disadvantages:

In-ear advantages:

In-ear disadvantages:

How Does Noise Cancelling work?

There is this “explain me like I’m 5”post on Reddit, which explains it really good.

reddit best noise cancelling headphones 2023

It’s really fascinating and since you know which ones to pick now, you can easily get yours. Who knows, maybe it will be also the best thing you’ve ever bought. In case you still have questions, here are the most important subreddits related to headphones:

Subreddit Description
r/headphones headphone discussions & reviews
r/audiophile High-quality audio discussions
r/HeadphoneAdvice Recommendations for headphones
r/headphonereviews headphone reviews
r/headphoneporn Pictures of headphones
r/IEMs Reviews of in-ear monitors (IEMs)
r/DIEMs DIY building and customization
r/Headsets Discussions gaming headsets

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