Best Premium Noise-Cancelling Headphones Over $400 (2026)

TL;DR

Top pick: Sony WH-1000XM6 — RTINGS' best noise-cancelling headphones, with "remarkable overall noise isolation performance", and What Hi-Fi?'s best noise-cancelling headphones overall, a five-star What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winner whose call quality it calls class-leading. The catch RTINGS flags: shallow earpads that don't always seal, especially if you wear glasses. What Hi-Fi? tested it at $450. [src1, src2, src9]

Best value: Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless — five stars from What Hi-Fi?, whose noise-cancelling guide lists it as cheaper than the Sony with "a marathon battery life of 57 hours"; SoundGuys scored its noise cancelling 8.6 out of 10, ahead of 79% of the over-ear headphones it has measured. Sennheiser's US store listed it at just under $400 when we checked on 2026-10-14, right at this card's $400 floor. [src2, src10, src11, src28]

Best audiophile: Sennheiser HDB 630 — RTINGS' best-sounding noise-cancelling headphones and What Hi-Fi?'s best for audiophiles, five stars for "Sony XM6-beating sound performance". A USB-C dongle in the box gives your phone, iPhones included, the aptX Adaptive codec. Both outlets say its noise cancelling trails the leaders. Sennheiser's US store listed it at about $500 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src1, src2, src13, src27]

Best noise cancellation: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — the best noise-cancelling headphones overall at Tom's Guide ("The best ANC ever, bar none") and at Engadget, joint top of TechRadar's noise-cancelling tests, and What Hi-Fi?'s best Bose pair; What Hi-Fi? and RTINGS still rank the Sony first overall. What Hi-Fi? tested it at $449. [src3, src5, src4, src2, src1, src15]

Best for Apple users: Apple AirPods Max 2 — RTINGS' suggestion for Apple device users, "neck-and-neck with the Sony WH-1000XM6 for noise isolation performance", and in What Hi-Fi?'s words "the best wireless headphones Apple users can buy"; Tom's Guide gave it an Editor's Choice. The battery is still rated at 20 hours. What Hi-Fi? tested it at $549. [src1, src2, src16, src18]

Best for Sonos systems: Sonos Ace Ultra — new to this card: Tom's Guide's best alternative, with noise cancelling it puts "solidly above Sony, and only marginally behind Bose", where Trusted Reviews rates it "arguably just short of Sony and Bose". It swaps TV sound to and from a Sonos soundbar. Sonos's US store listed it at $449 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src3, src21, src29]

Best for sound and style: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 — Tom's Guide's best-sounding and Engadget's best sound quality noise-cancelling pick, five stars from What Hi-Fi?; TechRadar says it "blows away the Sony" for sound but its noise cancellation is "far behind". Bowers & Wilkins' US store listed it at $429, reduced from a $479 MSRP, when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src3, src5, src22, src4, src30]

Also on the card, for listeners who put sound and build before noise cancelling: the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, the former audiophile pick, whose noise cancelling What Hi-Fi? says "should be better for the money" [src6]; the Focal Bathys, whose noise cancelling Tom's Guide compares to the older Sony WH-1000XM5 [src3]; and the Dali IO-8, which What Hi-Fi? lists as a pricier alternative to the Sony [src2].

This revision re-checked every product on the card against the outlets that test noise-cancelling headphones, and the picks changed. The Sony WH-1000XM6 stays the top pick. RTINGS calls it the best noise-cancelling headphones it has tested, and What Hi-Fi? names it its best overall [src1, src2]. The testers do not agree on noise cancelling alone: Tom's Guide and Engadget put the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) first, TechRadar's real-world tests scored the Bose 19.5 to the Sony's 19, and Tom's Guide has moved the Sony to its "also tested" list [src3, src5, src4]. RTINGS found the reverse, the Bose's noise cancelling "slightly worse than the Sony's in optimal conditions" [src1]. The Sony keeps the top spot because RTINGS and What Hi-Fi? both rank it first; the Bose becomes the noise-cancellation pick.

Three products are new. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless replaces the Momentum 4 as the value pick: What Hi-Fi? gives it five stars and lists it as a cheaper alternative to the Sony, SoundGuys calls it "compelling value", and Trusted Reviews calls it "the best over-ears yet in Sennheiser's Momentum series" [src2, src10, src11, src12]. The Sennheiser HDB 630 replaces the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 as the audiophile pick: it is RTINGS' best-sounding noise-cancelling pair and What Hi-Fi?'s best for audiophiles, with five stars against the Px8 S2's four [src1, src2, src13, src6]; TechRadar, which had named the Px8 S2 its best for audiophiles, has since rewritten its guide without it [src4]. And the Sonos Ace Ultra replaces the original Sonos Ace: Tom's Guide makes it its best alternative, and TechRadar found it far more musical than the Ace [src3, src19].

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 stays as an alternative. What Hi-Fi? still calls it "luxurious, hugely capable wireless headphones with outstanding sound quality", and RTINGS measured excellent noise isolation [src6, src23]. The Bose, the AirPods Max 2 and the Px7 S3 each take a named use case, and the Focal Bathys and Dali IO-8 stay as alternatives [src3, src1, src5, src24, src25].

Removed. The Sennheiser Momentum 4, the former value pick: What Hi-Fi? now lists its successor, the Momentum 5 Wireless, among its alternatives [src2, src10]; Sennheiser's US store listed the Momentum 4 at $229.95 when we checked on 2026-10-14, well under this card's $400 floor [src32]; and the Amazon listing we linked had no purchasable offer in three consecutive checker runs up to 2026-10-13. Our under-$400 card covers it. The original Sonos Ace, which Sonos's US store listed at $349, beside the $449 Ace Ultra, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src33]. And the Mark Levinson No. 5909: What Hi-Fi? dropped it as its audiophile pick in February 2025 [src2], and none of the current guides we read from RTINGS, What Hi-Fi?, Tom's Guide, TechRadar or Engadget recommends it.

TechRadar's top pick is not on this card. TechRadar picks the first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, on price: its tests scored the first and second generations level, and it says the original "can be bought for around $100 / £100 less" [src4]. What Hi-Fi? has replaced that model with the 2nd Gen in its guide, and Tom's Guide and Engadget recommend the 2nd Gen [src2, src3, src5].

Top pick: Sony WH-1000XM6 — Check price

RTINGS calls the XM6 the best noise-cancelling headphones it has tested: they cut low bus-engine rumble and high-pitched A/C whine, and unlike most rivals they also reduce mid-range noise such as office chatter [src1]. RTINGS measured 31.75 hours of battery with noise cancelling on [src7]. What Hi-Fi? gives them five stars and its best overall spot, for "exceptional levels of detail" and "superb ANC and call quality" [src2, src9]; Engadget counts 12 noise-cancelling microphones and a new QN3 chip [src5]. Codecs are SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3; What Hi-Fi? notes there is no aptX HD and no audio over USB-C [src9]. The catch, per RTINGS: shallow earpads that don't always seal, especially if you wear glasses [src1]. What Hi-Fi? tested them at $450 [src9].

Best value: Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless — Check price

Sennheiser's fifth-generation Momentum arrived nearly four years after the Momentum 4, and What Hi-Fi? gave it five stars for a "rich, smooth and refined presentation" and a "beautifully expressive and detailed midrange"; its noise-cancelling guide lists it as cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM6, with a 57-hour battery [src10, src2]. SoundGuys scored its noise cancelling 8.6 out of 10, ahead of 79% of the over-ear headphones it has measured, and calls it "compelling value"; Trusted Reviews calls it "the best over-ears yet in Sennheiser's Momentum series" [src11, src12]. The battery is user-replaceable, and the codecs run to aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive [src11, src10]. The catches: Trusted Reviews found the noise cancelling "can get stressed in loud environments", and What Hi-Fi? notes the headphones don't fold away completely [src12, src10]. Sennheiser's US store listed it at $399.95 when we checked on 2026-10-14, right at this card's $400 floor [src28].

Best audiophile: Sennheiser HDB 630 — Check price

RTINGS' best-sounding noise-cancelling headphones: a balanced tuning by default, a parametric EQ, and a USB-C Bluetooth dongle in the box that lets your phone or computer reach the headphones' higher-resolution codecs [src1]. What Hi-Fi? names them its best for audiophiles and gives them five stars for "Sony XM6-beating sound performance"; the dongle gives the source aptX Adaptive, iPhones included [src2, src13]. Sennheiser rates the battery at up to 60 hours with noise cancelling on, What Hi-Fi? says 45 hours with the dongle in use, and RTINGS measured 54 hours [src27, src2, src14]. The trade-offs: What Hi-Fi? finds them "beaten for ANC intensity", RTINGS found they let in more mid-range noise such as voices than the Sony and that the earpad fit is inconsistent, and they don't fold [src13, src1, src14]. Sennheiser's US store listed them at $499.95 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src27].

Best noise cancellation: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — Check price

Tom's Guide's best noise-cancelling headphones overall: "Of all the headphones I've used, even other Bose options, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones gen 2 are the very best for blocking out noise" [src3]. Engadget also ranks them first, saying Bose's updated ActiveSense gives them "a slight edge over the competition", and in TechRadar's real-world tests they scored 19.5 out of 20, level with the first-generation Ultra and half a point ahead of the Sony [src5, src4]. RTINGS measured "superb" noise isolation and a 37-hour battery, and found the earpads fit more head shapes than the Sony's [src8, src1]. What Hi-Fi? gives them four stars: they add lossless audio over USB-C and keep a folding design, but are "convincingly beaten for sonic transparency" [src15]. Tom's Guide calls the touch controls "woeful" [src3]. What Hi-Fi? tested them at $449 [src15].

Best for Apple users: Apple AirPods Max 2 — Check price

Apple's second generation keeps the aluminium-and-mesh design and adds the H2 chip [src17, src16]. RTINGS suggests them to Apple device users: "neck-and-neck with the Sony WH-1000XM6 for noise isolation performance, but their functionality is limited outside of Apple devices", and their microphone does better paired with Apple devices [src1, src17]. What Hi-Fi? calls them "the best wireless headphones Apple users can buy" and gives them four stars, but says "rivals in this premium space have moved things along considerably" [src2, src16]. Tom's Guide gave them an Editor's Choice for a sound it calls "rich, complex, and, most importantly, fun" [src18]. The weak points are unchanged: a 20-hour rated battery (RTINGS measured 22 hours), the same case, and a weight of 386.2 g; over Bluetooth they support only SBC and AAC, so higher-quality sound needs a USB-C cable [src16, src17]. What Hi-Fi? tested them at $549 [src16].

Best for Sonos systems: Sonos Ace Ultra — Check price

Sonos's second headphones join a Sonos system: one press of the Content Key moves TV sound from a compatible Sonos soundbar to the headphones and back, and Headphone Linking, in Early Access, does the same with Sonos speakers; Sonos says no other headphones do this [src29, src20]. Tom's Guide makes them its best alternative: "The new algorithm and improved microphones move them solidly above Sony, and only marginally behind Bose" [src3]. Not every tester agrees: Trusted Reviews rates the noise cancelling "arguably just short of Sony and Bose" [src21]. TechRadar found them far more musical than the original Ace, though "some rivals still offer more detail", and What Hi-Fi? gives them four stars as "a marked improvement in sound quality" that is "still not quite on the level of the class leaders" [src19, src20]. The battery is rated at 35 hours with noise cancelling on and can be swapped out; the headphones don't fold away completely, and What Hi-Fi? found voice calls not class-leading [src29, src20]. Tom's Guide says they are hard to justify if you don't own Sonos home speakers [src3]. Sonos's US store listed them at $449 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src29].

Best for sound and style: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 — Check price

Tom's Guide's best-sounding noise-cancelling headphones, with "some of the best audio quality at their price", and Engadget's best for sound quality: "If you seek to pair excellent sound quality with capable ANC performance, the Px7 S3 are the best option" [src3, src5]. What Hi-Fi? gives them five stars ("Lovely to look at and a pleasure to listen to") and calls them "arguably more stylish" than the Sony and "similar in sonic ability" [src22, src2]. TechRadar goes further on sound, "the best sound in this kind of price range", but puts their noise cancellation "far behind" the Sony and Bose [src4]; Tom's Guide also found "slightly better ANC elsewhere" [src3]. Codecs include aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive, USB-C and 3.5mm cables come in the box, and they don't fold away [src22]. Bowers & Wilkins' US store listed them at $429, reduced from a $479 MSRP, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src30].

Alternative — luxury build: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 — Check price

The former audiophile pick. What Hi-Fi? gives the Px8 S2 four stars: "Luxurious, hugely capable wireless headphones with outstanding sound quality, although ANC could be better, and we did experience connectivity issues" [src6]. Nappa leather covers the headband, earcups and earpads, and the 40mm carbon cone drivers get aptX Lossless and 24-bit/96kHz aptX Adaptive [src6]. RTINGS measured excellent noise isolation, though the lowest airplane-engine rumble stays audible, and found the fit may be a bit tight for larger heads [src23]. Bowers & Wilkins' US store listed it at $749, reduced from a $799 MSRP, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src31].

Alternative — audiophile sound: Focal Bathys — Check price

Focal's first wireless noise-cancelling headphones earned five stars from What Hi-Fi? for a "compellingly big, spacious, clear sound", with USB-C wired listening as a bonus and plasticky buttons as the complaint [src24]. Tom's Guide calls them "the perfect option for an audiophile looking to get the best sound possible", with noise cancelling that matches the older Sony WH-1000XM5 [src3]. RTINGS suggests them to glasses wearers and to people whose heads other headphones don't fit, but notes their 29-hour battery falls short of the HDB 630's 54 hours [src1]. What Hi-Fi? tested them at $799 [src24].

Alternative — works passively with a flat battery: Dali IO-8 — Check price

Five stars from What Hi-Fi? for "clean, crisp and detailed sound" and a classy build, with no control app [src25]; its noise-cancelling guide lists them as a pricier alternative to the Sony, saying "the ANC and musical, expressive sound quality justify the huge outlay" [src2]. TechRadar, also five stars, puts the noise cancelling in the "very good" category rather than Bose's, and found that from the 3.5mm input they play as passive wired headphones when the battery is flat [src26]. TechRadar gives a US price of $899, and What Hi-Fi? tested them at $900 [src26, src25].

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

The testers split. RTINGS ranks the Sony first for noise cancelling and finds the Bose "slightly worse than the Sony's in optimal conditions", while Tom's Guide and Engadget rank the Bose first and TechRadar scored it 19.5 to the Sony's 19 [src1, src3, src5, src4]. On sound, What Hi-Fi? says the Bose "block sound marginally more intensely but are second best when it comes to sound quality" [src2]. The Bose plays lossless audio over USB-C and supports aptX Adaptive; the Sony supports LDAC and LC3 and has no audio over USB-C [src15, src9]. RTINGS measured 37 hours of battery for the Bose and 31.75 for the Sony [src8, src7]; What Hi-Fi? lists them at 250 g and 254 g [src15, src9].

Pick the Sony if: you want the better-sounding all-rounder, class-leading calls, or LDAC on an Android phone.
Pick the Bose if: noise cancelling comes first, or the Sony's earpads don't seal on your head.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM6

What Hi-Fi? lists the Momentum 5 as cheaper than the Sony, "with a rich and smooth presentation, and a marathon battery life of 57 hours", and tested it at $400 against the Sony's $450 [src2, src10, src9]. What Hi-Fi? notes that the Sony folds up and the Momentum 5 doesn't fold away completely [src10]. On noise cancelling, Trusted Reviews found the Momentum 5's "can get stressed in loud environments", while RTINGS calls the Sony WH-1000XM6's the best it has tested [src12, src1].

Pick the Momentum 5 if: you want five-star sound and the longer battery for less.
Pick the Sony if: noise cancelling and calls matter most.

Sennheiser HDB 630 vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

What Hi-Fi? gives the HDB 630 five stars and the Px8 S2 four, and names the HDB 630 its best for audiophiles [src13, src6, src2]. The Px8 S2 is the luxury object, with nappa leather and cast aluminium arms; the HDB 630 has the longer rated battery, 60 hours against 30 [src6, src13]. What Hi-Fi? marks both down on noise cancelling [src13, src6]. Sennheiser's US store listed the HDB 630 at $499.95, and Bowers & Wilkins' listed the Px8 S2 at $749, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src27, src31].

Pick the HDB 630 if: sound for the money and battery life matter most, or you listen on an iPhone and want the dongle's aptX Adaptive.
Pick the Px8 S2 if: you want luxury materials and will pay for them.

Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6

RTINGS rates them "neck-and-neck" for noise isolation [src1]. The Sony is lighter, 254 g against 386.2 g, is rated for 30 hours against 20, and supports LDAC where the AirPods Max 2 have only SBC and AAC over Bluetooth [src9, src16]. The AirPods Max 2 add features such as Live Translation and head gestures, and RTINGS notes their functionality is limited outside Apple devices [src18, src1]. What Hi-Fi? tested the Sony at $450 and the AirPods Max 2 at $549 [src9, src16].

Pick the AirPods Max 2 if: you use an iPhone, iPad and Mac and want Apple's features.
Pick the Sony if: you use Android or mixed devices, or want a lighter pair with a longer battery.

Decision Logic

If budget is $400–$550

→ The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the default: RTINGS and What Hi-Fi? both rank it first [src1, src2]. If noise cancelling matters most, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) [src3, src5]. If sound matters most, the Sennheiser HDB 630, which Sennheiser's US store listed at $499.95 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src1, src2, src27]. To spend less, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless at $399.95 [src10, src28].

If budget is $550–$800

→ Spend the extra on the Apple AirPods Max 2 only if you are in Apple's ecosystem; RTINGS rates the cheaper Sony neck-and-neck for noise isolation [src1, src2, src9, src16]. For luxury materials, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 ($799 MSRP) [src6, src31]; for audiophile sound with good noise cancelling, the Focal Bathys [src24, src3].

If budget is $800+

→ TechRadar warns that "spending more doesn't automatically mean the noise cancellation will be better": it names Bose, Sony, Apple and Sonos as the leaders, and says hi-fi brands including Dali make headphones that "sound amazing, but don't have as strong noise cancellation" [src4]. The Dali IO-8, $899 in TechRadar's review, is for listeners who want its sound and the option to play passively [src26, src25].

If primary use is commuting/travel

→ Noise cancelling first: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) or the Sony WH-1000XM6 [src3, src1]; What Hi-Fi? notes that both fold up [src15, src2]. RTINGS measured 37 hours of battery for the Bose [src8]. If bag space is tight, avoid the Sennheiser HDB 630: it doesn't fold and its case is large [src14]. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless is rated for 57 hours [src10].

If primary use is audiophile listening

→ The Sennheiser HDB 630 [src1, src2]. With an iPhone its dongle matters: iPhones support only SBC and AAC, and the dongle gives them aptX Adaptive [src13, src2]. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 costs less than the HDB 630 and still has five stars from What Hi-Fi? [src22, src30, src27]; the Px8 S2, Focal Bathys and Dali IO-8 add luxury materials at higher prices [src6, src24, src25].

If primary use is office/work calls

→ The Sony WH-1000XM6: What Hi-Fi? calls its call quality class-leading, and RTINGS rates its microphone very good [src9, src7]. RTINGS rates the Bose's microphone decent [src8], What Hi-Fi? found the Sonos Ace Ultra's calls not class-leading [src20], and the AirPods Max 2's microphone does better paired with Apple devices [src17].

If user is in the Apple ecosystem

→ The Apple AirPods Max 2 [src1, src2]. If sound matters more than Apple's features, the Sennheiser HDB 630's dongle brings aptX Adaptive to an iPhone [src13].

If user owns a Sonos system

→ The Sonos Ace Ultra, which swaps sound with Sonos soundbars and speakers [src29, src3].

Default recommendation

→ Sony WH-1000XM6. RTINGS and What Hi-Fi? both rank it first [src1, src2, src9].

• The noise-cancelling race is close enough that testers disagree. RTINGS ranks the Sony WH-1000XM6 first; Tom's Guide and Engadget rank the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) first; TechRadar scored the two half a point apart [src1, src3, src5, src4].
• Sennheiser splits its range. The HDB 630 is its audiophile flagship, and What Hi-Fi? calls the Momentum 5 Wireless "a notch cheaper than their more audiophile bigger brothers" [src13, src10, src11].
• Audio over USB-C is spreading. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Apple AirPods Max 2, Sonos Ace Ultra and Sennheiser HDB 630 all play audio over USB-C; the Sony WH-1000XM6 does not [src15, src16, src29, src27, src9].
• Batteries you can replace. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless's battery is user-replaceable, and Sonos sells a replacement battery kit for the Sonos Ace Ultra [src11, src12, src29, src33].
• Apple's and Bose's second generations are refinements. What Hi-Fi? found the AirPods Max 2's sound only slightly different from the original's, with the case and battery unchanged, and the Bose 2nd Gen's sound gains "small but meaningful" [src16, src2].

• List prices in the text come from the outlet or maker page cited beside each one; street prices move, and the picks table at the top of the page has today's price, seller and stock.
• Noise cancelling depends on fit. RTINGS found the Sony WH-1000XM6's shallow earpads don't always seal, especially with glasses, and that the Sennheiser HDB 630 also has an inconsistent earpad fit [src1].
• Codecs only help when the source supports them: iPhones support only SBC and AAC [src13]. What Hi-Fi? says the HDB 630's bundled dongle offers "something no other headphones can match" [src2].
• The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless's $399.95 list price sits right at this card's $400 floor; it is here as the value pick because What Hi-Fi? reviews it against these headphones, noting that most of its competition "comes at higher prices" [src10, src28].
• Battery figures in the comparison table are the ratings What Hi-Fi? lists; RTINGS' measurements differ, for example 31.75 hours for the Sony WH-1000XM6 and 22 hours for the Apple AirPods Max 2 [src7, src17].
• TechRadar's top noise-cancelling pick, the first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, is not on this card; see the Summary [src4].