Ask HN: Recommendation for noise cancelling headphones?

The Wirecutter noise-cancelling headphone guide [1] is pretty good.

The Bose QC35 is commonly recommended for open office work. They recently released a new Series II ($350). They aren't too different from the Series I which is discontinued but you may still be able to find some places for less.

Bose also has variants on this model, such as a wired one, as well as their top end in-ear headphones that are similarly recommended.

One thing to note is that active noise-cancelling in general isn't super great for conversation type noise. You'll probably have to combine active noise cancellation and/or noise isolation with some sort of audio playing to really not hear the office talk.

Anker also just came out with an ANC over-ears that look competitive for our use case for $100. I haven't tried them myself yet but am planning to.

[1]: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-head...

[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Soundcore-Wireless-Cancelling-Headpho...

After losing my beloved QC-25s on a plane years ago, I picked up some creative HN-900s on the cheap. They aren’t as good, but you can also pick up a set refurbished set for under $40 at Amazon. If I ever end up flying a lot again or back at a noisy office I might upgrade back to some Bose headphones, but the creatives have largely gotten the job done and the other brands I’ve tried (mono price on ear, an audio technica set) weren’t as comfortable.

If you are trying to cancel out office noise, definitely go with over ear headphones. They are more comfortable for long wear periods

One thing to consider as you are deciding- in my experience noise cancelling headphones block out distractions better when actually playing audio. If you want to work in total silence, even the higher end Bose’s won’t get you there, as you can still make out the noise.

You can still frequently find the old corded Bose QC25 on fire sales for around $150-$170.

They work pretty well at blocking out sound and use a removable AAA battery and use a user-replaceable cord, so they should last you a bit longer than a few years.

I use Bose QuietComfort 35 https://amzn.to/2M3nXGY and it keeps me sane.

I'm thinking of experimenting with 3M Peltor X-Series Earmuffs https://amzn.to/2AL91c7 though these are earmuffs, not headphones. It may be a nice backup for when there's just too much noise.

Noise cancelling headphones do a good job with "regular" noise; not so great when your neighbor is hammering something in his garage. Earmuffs are better for that kind of noise.

If you do not want to spend upwards of $300 on headphones, I would recommend cowin E7. I am using one everyday for last year or so, and I love them.

https://www.amazon.com/Cancelling-Bluetooth-Headphones-Micro...

Another upvote for QC35. I had cheaper noise cancelling headphones before and they worked well.

But when I got QC35, it changed my perspective on what was possible with noise cancelling technology. Also they are really light and comfortable. I wear them 6+ hour continuously at office. And with music at very low volume I cannot hear anyone in the office.

I have a QC35 (the google assistant version) and it does keep away the noise and is super comfy.

If comfort is a big reason when you pick your headphones, if you have big ears or glasses like I do, then this is the way to go.

Audio quality is meh. I tried out my friends Sony WH1000XM2 and it has way better audio quality.

I use the Sony WH-H900N (h.ear 2) and absolutely love them, since I bought them (and a second set for my wife recently) three different colleagues ordered one after trying mine for < 10 minutes :-)

They cost around €220,-

I have the Bose QC35 and they are excellent.