Airplane engine noise, snoring passengers or screaming babies can make flying less than peaceful. Likewise, travelling to work on public transport, surrounded by chatting commuters and noisy students, can add stress to a daily commute. Investing in a pair of quality headphones with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) are essential for a quiet journey. For anyone who finds in-ear headphones uncomfortable and prefers the on-ear type, here are some of the most comfortable and stylish options, all with noise cancellation.
1.Master & Dynamic M65, £449
New York based company Master & Dynamic have been making some of the most stylish headphones since launching in 2014. Their designs and range of colors are stellar. And their on-ear and over-ear headphones are comfortable, lightweight and provide a rich sound. Ideal for commuting or travelling further afield, the MW65s are their lightest over-ear noise-cancelling wireless headphones and feature custom 40mm Beryllium drivers and Active Noise-Cancelling technology. The Bluetooth signal range is three times the industry average and they have a 16-hour rechargeable battery. In terms of style and comfort, the headband features heavy grain premium cowhide leather on headband with soft lambskin on headband interior and ear pads. Ear cups fold flat for portability and comfort.
2.Marshall Monitor II ANC Bluetooth £279
Another stylish option are the Monitor II headphones from Marshall, the British company loved by the music industry since it was founded 60 years ago by drum shop owner and drummer Jim Marshall. Marshall’s heritage of providing amplifiers for big stage performance has been ably used for their range of headphones for professional and personal use. Monitor II ANC Bluetooth offer over 30 hours of wireless playing time with Active Noice Cancelling, or 45 hours without. The headphones also make it easy to answer, reject or end calls with the control knob. Two built-in microphones allow you to have conversations on the go, or get help on the go with the inbuilt Google Assistant. And the collapsible design make them ideal for travel.
3.Sennheiser PXC 550-ii: £199
Created with the frequent traveller in mind, the new PXC 550-II Wireless offers 30 hours of battery life, great sound quality and active noise cancellation. A voice assistant button provides one-touch access to voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The headphones’ adaptive noise cancellation adjusts to suppress ambient noise – even in outdoor environments, thanks to a new Anti-Wind ANC setting. The ergonomic design and rotating earcups makes these headphones nicely compact and portable.
4.Bang and Olufsen BEOPLAY HX, £449
Offering Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, a comfortable, lightweight build, impressive call quality and up to 35 hours of play time, the Beoplay HX are another excellent choice for travel headphones. The Danish Hi Fi brand offer style, comfort, and superb sound in all their headphones. The HX model has lambskin coated ear cushions that are super soft and features adaptive memory foam that forms to the shape of the ear for extra comfort. They’re ideal for sleeping on long-haul flights.
5.Bowers & Wilkins PX7 £349
British company Bowers & Wilkins has been producing top consumer and professional loudspeakers and headphones since 1966. The PX7 are impressive noise-cancelling over ear headphones that sound, look and feel great. They offer three tiers of noise-cancelling, depending on whether you want to block out background noise completely, or just a bit. If you want to hear a plane announcement or chat to your companion without having to take the headphones off, you can use the noise cancellation button to initiate an ambient mode. In terms of sound quality, the 43.6mm drivers in the PX7 are the largest in their headphone collection and were developed and tuned by the same engineers behind the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers found in Abbey Road Studios.
