Best Noise Canceling Headphones 2024

Bose QuietComfort Line

• Offers long battery life, comfortable wear for extended periods, and great sound quality.
• Some users have had issues with customer service and product quality slipping.
• QC35 model provides excellent battery life for long flights and is well-recommended by users.
• NC700 model has faced firmware issues for some users, causing frustration.

Sony XM4

• Known for long battery life and USB-C port, but might lack physical buttons for some users.
• Users prefer Sony XM4 over Bose for various reasons, including battery longevity.

Noise Isolating vs. Noise Cancelling Headphones

• Noise isolating headphones block outside noise with a barrier, while noise cancelling headphones produce opposite sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise.
• Noise cancelling headphones need batteries to function and may sound worse due to "anti-sound."

Effectiveness of Noise Cancelling Technology

• Noise cancelling headphones are not always able to cancel out high-pitched screaming or sudden noises.
• Users with sensitivity to noise still experience disturbances, especially with loud and irregular sounds like kid tantrums.
• Noise cancelling headphones may not fully block out screaming children on planes, leading to frustration for users.

Parenting and Noise Pollution

• Discussion on how parents should teach children to regulate their emotions and manners, rather than relying solely on noise cancelling technology.
• Criticism towards parents for expecting others to adapt to their noisy children, advocating for better parenting instead.

User Recommendations

• Users share preferences for noise isolating earbuds for certain tasks, such as using circular saws or mowing the lawn.
• Information on how noise cancelling headphones can affect hearing over time, especially for individuals with tinnitus.

By summarizing the Reddit comments, it is evident that while products like Bose QuietComfort and Sony XM4 offer excellent features like battery life and sound quality, users still face challenges with noise cancelling technology in blocking out specific sounds, especially high-pitched noises or irregular disturbances like children's screaming. Furthermore, the discussion highlights the importance of effective parenting to address noise pollution rather than solely relying on noise cancelling headphones.