Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Sennheiser flagship noise canceling headphones
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2
Next generation Bowers & Wilkins noise canceling headphones
Bose QuietComfort 45
The latest Bose noise canceling headphones
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Even better Apple wireless noise-canceling headphones
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
The best noise cancellation with premium sound
Soundcore by Anker Space Q45
Premium noise canceling headphones for less
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Apple headphones, such as the AirPods Max, are popular despite their high price. With a superior design, impressive audio quality, and excellent noise-canceling technology, the AirPods Max scored top marks in my review. As you’d expect from a pair of Apple headphones, they’re designed to work seamlessly with iPhone and iPad, with outstanding features like spatial audio and hands-free Siri.
The list of AirPods Max for $549 at Appleand although you can often find them on sale for less (currently $480 at Amazon), not everyone wants to drop nearly $500 on a pair of headphones. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best AirPods Max alternatives you can pick up for hundreds less. Below are my current top picks, all of which I have either fully reviewed or had hands-on experience with for several weeks.
And for those who want AirPods Max alternatives, price be damned, check out ours list of the best high-end Bluetooth headphones and earbuds.
Battery life With an estimate of up to 32 hoursNoise reduction Yes (ANC)Multipoint YesHeadphone type Wireless over-ear headphonesWaterproof No IP rating
When you have a product that many people like, change can be risky. Such is the case with Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have grown in popularity as they improve with each generation.
The previous generation of Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless headphones always had a pretty distinct look that was part retro/part modern and stood out with the exposed metal on the headband. For better or worse, that’s gone now, and the new Momentum 4 Wireless, Sennheiser’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones, seem a bit more muted and also a bit more like some of the competition.
Available in three color options (grey, blue and black), the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 headphones offer some significant improvements over the first generation version. Not only are these headphones more comfortable – they tip the scales at 307 grams – but they sound better and have better noise cancellation and voice calling with improved noise reduction. I don’t necessarily think they’re a better option than the lighter and even more comfortable Sony WH-1000XM5. But the PX7 S2 certainly looks and feels luxurious with its rugged design and delivers very good sound with better voice call performance thanks to an improved microphone setup.
Sony’s improved entry-level noise-canceling headphones, the CH-720Ns, have a bit of a plastic budget vibe, but they’re light and very comfortable. Part of me expected them to sound pretty average, but I was pleasantly surprised. No, they don’t sound as good as the WH-1000XM5s. But they sound more premium than they look (and feel), and their overall performance is a nice step up from their predecessor, the CH-710Ns.
Battery life With an assessment of up to 25 hoursMultipoint YesHeadphone type Wireless over-ear headphonesWaterproof No IP rating
The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people considered to be one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones – if not on most convenient. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but noticeable changes. First, they thankfully have USB-C instead of Micro-USB.
Battery life With an estimate of up to 6 hoursNoise reduction Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone type Wireless HeadphonesWaterproof Yes (IPX4 — splash proof)
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, which provides more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The H2 chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, enables improved sound that offers better clarity and depth.
Battery life With an estimate of up to 6 hoursNoise reduction Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone type Wireless HeadphonesWaterproof Yes (IPX4 — splash proof)
Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are not only about 30% smaller than their predecessors, but their case is about 40% smaller and truly pocketable. They feature best-in-class noise cancellation and improved sound, thanks to Bose’s new CustomTune sound calibration system that customizes the sound for your ears. Voice call performance is also significantly better than the original QuietComfort Earbuds.
If you can’t afford Sony’s WH-1000XM5 or Bose QC45, Anker’s Soundcore Space Q45 (yes, there’s a bit of a rip-off here) is a good alternative for $150, and we occasionally see discounts pop up (currently $10 off with an instant party on Amazon). While it may not fit some smaller heads, it’s comfortable to wear, with well-padded ear cups and a double-hinged folding design. Sound quality is very good, and the headphones offer better noise cancellation than the lower-end Q35s, as well as multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they’re equipped with Bluetooth 5.3) and LDAC audio codec support for streaming high-resolution music over Bluetooth if you have a device that supports LDAC. Many Android phones do, although Samsung’s Galaxy phones do not.
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