The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for Every Budget

The best noise-cancelling headphones seem to work like magic. But really, it's just simple physics. When an audio signal is paired with the inverse waveform, the two waves cancel each other out, and silence is the result. Noise-cancelling headphones use tiny microphones mounted on their exterior to constantly eavesdrop on the world around you; advanced audio processing then generates an opposite signal, cancelling out the unwanted noise—and letting you focus on enjoying your music. Just as importantly, it lets you listen to music at a lower volume, without needing to crank it up to blot out the unwanted sonic interference. And that, in turn, protects your ears.