If you are looking for the best Sony noise cancelling headphone, you’re in the right place.
In this comparative review, we take a look at all Sony noise cancelling headphones to determine which one delivers the best noise cancelling and sound quality. We tested out each headphone to see how much sound and background noise that each headphone can eliminate, and provide a quiet listening experience. Our results indicates that the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones provide the best noise cancelling out of all the other Sony headphones, with the ability to block out 96-98% of background noises including higher-pitched frequencies.
Which is the best Sony Noise cancelling headphone? – Our Top 3 Picks
| Top 3 Best Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones | ||
| Sony WH1000XM4 | Sony WH1000XM3 | Sony WHCH710N |
 |  |  |
| ✔️Up to 98% noise elimination ✔️Deep bass, solid highs ✔️30 hours battery
| ✔️Up to 90% noise elimination ✔️Wide frequency range ✔️30 hours battery
| ✔️Up to 85% noise elimination ✔️Powerful bass response ✔️35 hours battery
|
Compare the Best Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones
| Picture | Headphone | Driver Size | Battery Life | Noise Cancellation |
| Sony WH-1000XM4 | 40mm | 30 hrs | 10/10 Superb |
| Sony WH1000XM3 | 40mm | 30 hrs | 9/10 Excellent |
| Sony WHCH710N | 30mm | 35 hrs | 8/10 Very good |
 | Sony WHXB900N | 40mm | 30 hrs | 8/10 Very good |
 | Sony MDR1000XB | 40mm | 20 hrs | 7/10 Good |
 | Sony WHH900N | 40mm | 28 hrs | 6.5/10 Good |
 | Sony WH1000XM2 | 40mm | 30 hrs | 7/10 Good |
 | Sony MDRZX110NC | 30mm | 30 hrs | 5/10 Average |
View the Best Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones below
#1 Best Overall: Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 10/10 Superb
Driver Size: 1.57”
Battery Life: 30 hours
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are currently the best Sony noise cancelling headphones you can find that can effectively cancel up to 96% background noise. These headphones are equipped with industry-leading noise cancelling and dual noise sensor technology that effectively eliminates background noises. The headphone is equipped with Sony’s HD noise cancelling processor QN1 which applies noise cancelling processing in real time to a range of environments.
When we compared the Sony WH-1000XM4 to the WH-1000XM3 headphones, you can actually hear the difference. The WH-1000XM4 headphones seem much quieter and effective at blocking ambient noises including conversational noise which the XM3 does not seem as effective as blocking out. The WH-1000XM3 also uses digital noise cancelling which is less effective than the WH-1000XM4’s integrated dual noise sensor technology when it comes to blocking out ambient noises.
We liked the fact that the Sony WH-1000XM4 is equipped with Edge-AI which is co-developed with Sony Music Studios Tokyo for crisper sound and more clarity. The headphones also come with a built-in battery that delivers up to 30 hours of playtime with quick charging capability – a 10 minute charge provides 5 hours of playback time.
Sound-wise, the Sony WH-1000XM4 delivers really pristine sound quality with crisp highs, smooth midranges and good bass. The bass from the XM4 headphones has plenty of depth and punch – this makes these headphones great for EDM, rock and hip-hop music performance. Vocal performances and instrumental music also sounded surprisingly natural without any distortion.
Furthermore, these headphones come with touch sensor controls to pause/play/skip soundtracks and control volume easily. You can also activate voice assistant and answer phone calls on the go, with speak-to-chat technology which automatically reduces volume during conversations. We also liked the wearing detection which automatically pauses playback when the headphones are removed.
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM4 definitely takes the top spot for the best Sony noise cancelling headphone for its superb noise cancellation capabilities. The noise cancellation and audio quality exceeded our expectations with crystal clear highs, detailed midranges and powerful bass performance. They are ideal for traveling or home office use where you can block background noises and concentrate on your work and music at the same time.
#2 Runner-Up: Sony WH1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 9/10 Excellent
Driver Size: 40mm
Battery Life: 30 hours
The runner-up headphone to the Sony WH1000XM4s is the Sony WH1000XM3 headphones. They are the second best Sony noise cancelling headphones available and use digital noise cancelling to block ambient background noises. While they aren’t as effective as the latest Sony WH1000XM4s, they are still pretty formidable headphones with really good noise cancelling that can block up to 90% of ambient background noises.
Like the Sony WH1000XM4s, the XM3 headphones come with a HD noise cancelling processor QN1 which eliminates most background noises around you. The headphone drivers are also excellent and have a wide frequency range of 4 Hz to 40 kHz, allowing you to hear almost every single detail in the audio spectrum. The personalized noise cancellation also allows you to adjust the ambient sound to your activity for the best noise cancellation.
The sound quality of the WH1000XM3 headphones is excellent, and you can also use the headphone app to change the bass and other EQ settings. These headphones really shine when you turn on the noise cancelling and play music at the same time – music performances sound very realistic with good soundstage and separation. You can hear almost every single detail in the music, while the bass from rock and EDM genres really stand out.
In addition to the sound performance, the Sony WH1000XM4s comes with a built-in microphone for you to take hands free calls on the go. We also liked the voice assistant control with Alexa enabled for voice access to music and weather information – all you have to do is activate this with a simple touch. The headphone also supports quick attention mode by covering the right ear cup to turn down your music for an easy conversation.
Finally, the Sony WH1000XM4 headphones come with a built-in battery that delivers up to 30 hours of playtime on a single charge. We liked that these headphones have quick charging capability where a 10 minute charge provides an additional 5 hours of playtime.
Overall, the Sony WH1000XM3 comes as the runner up to the best Sony noise cancelling headphone in the Sony line of headphones, and we highly recommend them.
#3 Sony WHCH710N Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 8/10 Very good
Driver Size: 30mm
Battery Life: 35 hours
Coming in at third place is the Sony WHCH710N noise cancelling headphones. While they don’t have the strong noise cancelling amongst all Sony headphones, they sound really good and are quite effective at reducing background noises. Just like the Sony WH1000XM4 headphones, the WH-CH710N uses dual noise sensor technology which automatically detects your surrounding environment and eliminates background noises quickly. While the noise cancellation is not the best in its class, it does take care of the low noises like roadside noises and low-humming fan noises, although you can still hear the chatter of people around you.
We liked the fact that these over-ear headphones are very comfortable to wear. They deliver powerful beats wherever you travel and have crystal clear sound quality. Sound-wise, these headphones really deliver in terms of quality and volume. The highs and midranges feel crisp and smooth, while the lower-bass ranges feel deep and punchy. Vocal performances on these headphones are smooth and crisp, and we actually enjoyed listening to audiobooks and podcasts through these headphones. You can also tweak the EQ settings including the bass to enhance the overall music experience. For a set of wireless Bluetooth headphones, the WH-CH710N outperforms expectations.
These Sony headphones come with a built-in long lasting battery that delivers up to 35 hours of playtime on a single charge with quick charging functionality. It also features smartphone capability for hands-free calls with voice assistant support. The headphones have wireless NFC one-touch which automatically connects the headphones to your smartphone when turned on. Furthermore, these headphones are very comfortable to wear and have adjustable metal sliders. There’s also a Sony app which you can use to tweak the EQ settings on the go.
Overall, the Sony WH-CH710N are some of the best Sony noise cancelling headphones that you can find apart from the WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3 with really good sound quality and overall noise cancellation. While you can still hear people talking with the noise cancellation turned on, they are still rather effective cancelling lower-frequency background noises.
#4 Sony WHXB900N Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 8/10 Very good
Driver Size: 40mm
Battery Life: 30 hours
Coming in at fourth place is the Sony WHXB900N noise cancelling headphones. These are really good noise cancelling headphones from Sony, but the emphasis of these headphones is more towards bass reproduction. The headphones are designed with Sony’s Extra Bass functionality to boost the lower-end frequency range. The XB900N uses digital noise cancellation which isn’t as robust as the dual sensor technology found on the WH1000XM4s, but still provides adequate noise cancellation.
How does the WHXB900N compare with other Sony noise cancelling headphones? We would say that these headphones are able to easily block out easily 60% to 70% of the XM4s and XM3s. You can still hear some outside noises such as loud fans, voice chatter and neighbours talking, but they can eliminate low-end frequency rumbling noises. While they clearly aren’t as good as the Sony 1000XM3 or XM4s, they are still a value choice if you are looking for headphones with more bass. It’s possible to block out more volume with the WHXB900Ns if you increase the volume on these headphones.
We really liked the sound quality and bass performance of the Sony WH-900Ns. These definitely have more bass than the other headphones in the Sony line, and deliver crisp highs and good midranges. There are less neutral sounding and have a more V-shaped sound signature with an emphasis on the highs and the bass. You can also get bass down to the level of the Skullcandy Crushers if you adjust the EQ settings and crank up the volume.
Overall, the Sony WHXB900N is one of the best Sony noise cancelling headphones available. While they aren’t the best, they support digital noise cancellation with extra bass functionality. We also liked the integrated microphone and Bluetooth connectivity and come with a built-in battery that delivers 30 hours of playtime on a single charge.
#5 Sony MDR1000XB Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 7/10 Good
Driver Size: 40mm
Battery Life: 20 hours
The Sony MDR1000XB is one the best Sony noise cancelling headphones with noise cancelling on roughly equal level to the Sony WHXB900N. They come with digital noise cancellation technology that isolates external noises and low-end frequency ranges. While these headphones aren’t as good as the Sony XM4 and XM3s in terms of noise cancelling, they do produce some pretty solid sound performance for a comfortable listening experience with nice bass response.
When we first tested out the noise cancelling on the Sony MDR1000XB headphones, we felt that you actually need to tweak the noise cancellation settings before getting reasonably good effects. The noise cancelling works nicely to cancel out low-end frequency rumbling noises, but you can still hear conversational speech and higher-pitched sounds (such as the sound of a dog barking). The controls on the Sony are intuitive to use and fine tune, so you can adjust the noise cancelling levels as required.
Audio-quality wise, the Sony MDR1000X delivers really good sound that’s on par with the XM3 and XM4. The sound quality actually surpassed our expectations – they have a really balanced and crisp sound signature with less warmth and more realistic frequency response. You get really good soundstage with these headphones and you can pick up details in the music which you might not have heard before. They have the clarity of studio headphones, but also packs a tonne of bass output that feels full bodied and not too overpowering. The sound quality from the MDR1000X feels like what you’d get from reference / studio quality headphones, but with the added advantage of more bass.
The MDR1000X headphones has a very wide frequency range from 4 Hz to 40 kHz. It also uses an aluminium coated LCP for faster frequency response. These are over-ear headphones that feel comfortable to wear, but it does take some time for the headband to loosen up for a less “gripping” feel. These headphones come with a built-in battery that delivers 20 hours of playtime on a single charge.
Overall, the MDR1000X are really good Sony noise cancelling headphones with superb sound quality. They are fully wireless Bluetooth headphones with a solid and sturdy built quality, and are definitely one of the better sounding headphones in the Sony line of headphones.
#6 Sony WHH900N Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 6.5/10 Good
Driver Size: 40mm
Battery Life: 28 hours
The Sony WHH900N are pretty good on-ear noise cancelling headphones from Sony. While they don’t have as good noise cancelling as the Sony WH1000XM3 and XM4s, they are still able to cancel out some background noises and ambient sounds with digital noise cancelling. Furthermore, these headphones are equipped with Dsee HX upscale compressed music to high-resolution and sound quality. They also support AAC, aptX and apt HD codecs which are not supported in the Sony WH1000XM3 and XM4 headphones.
We really enjoyed the sound performance of the Sony WHH900N headphones. They deliver really good sound performance with crystal clear highs, detailed midranges and solid bass. While the bass doesn’t come across as strong straight out of the box, you can easily fix this by adjusting the EQ settings. The sound from this headphone feels realistic and lifelike, with really nice highs and smooth vocals. The sound is almost studio-like where you can appreciate every single detail in the music. If you are looking for a Sony headphone just for the sound performance alone, the Sony WHH900N is definitely a great choice.
The build and design of the Sony WHH900N headphones is sturdy and durable. The cans and the headband does protrude a little but they are relatively lightweight. We also liked that these headphones have a touch sensor control panel for easy operation, and you can even fine-tune the headphone sound using the Sony connect app.
While the Sony WHH900Ns aren’t necessarily the best Sony noise cancelling headphones around, they are really nice headphones with great sound performance. They also come with a carrying pouch, connection cable, USB cable and a built-in battery that provides up to 28 hours of playtime.
#7 Sony WH1000XM2 Over Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 7/10 Good
Driver Size: 40mm
Battery Life: 30 hours
The Sony WH1000XM2s are the old predecessors of the Sony WH1000XM3 and XM4s, but are nevertheless some of the best Sony noise cancelling headphones available. These headphones are equipped with digital noise cancellation which can remove some distracting background noises, although they don’t work as well to cancel conversational speech and high-pitched sounds. Although these headphones are rather outdated at the time of writing, they are still pretty good options based on their sound performance and comfort. You can also adjust the level of noise cancellation and music quality using the Sony app.
The noise cancelling on the WH1000XM2 is pretty good – you also have the option of turning the NC on or off depending on your preference. You can also hear your voice easily during hands free calls with voice focus mode, which makes these headphones suitable for hands video conferencing and calls. The Sony headphone connect app also allows you to change the setting of the NC based on your activity. You can set the level of noise cancelling according to your level of activity, or even adjust the pressure of the headphones depending on your listening preferences. This is useful if you need to use these headphones in the office so that you can still hear your colleagues voice if required.
We really liked the sound quality of the 1000XM2 headphones. In fact, these headphones sound much better than the Bose QC35s with crisp highs, smooth midranges and solid bass performance. They don’t sound as artificial as the QC35s with an electronic sound signature – the sound feels natural and well-defined. When we tested these headphones with EDM, rock and hip-hop music, we really enjoyed the level of clarity and detail that these headphones provide.
Apart from the sound quality, one thing that we found with the Sony 1000XM2s is that your ears start to get hot after prolonged use. Because the ear cans are slightly smaller with more clamping force, they may cause your ears to start after hours of listening. The design of the headphone itself is sturdy and durable. We particularly liked the touch controls on the Sony 1000XM2 headphones – you can control your tracks and volume or activate your smartphone’s voice assistant with a swipe of your fingertips.
Back in 2016, the Sony 1000XM2s were considered the best Sony noise cancelling headphones, although they are now considered “old” due to the newer releases of the XM3s and XM4s. That being said, we still like their sound performance and quality, together with their 40mm driver pairs.
#8 Sony MDRZX110NC Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise Cancelling Rating: 5/10 Average
Driver Size: 30mm
Battery Life: 30 hours (requires AAA batteries)
The Sony MDRZX110NC are over-ear noise cancelling headphones from Sony that deliver pretty good sound performance. While they aren’t the best Sony noise cancelling headphones (coming in 9th on this list), they have crisp sound performance and wide frequency response. These headphones are equipped with a 30mm neodymium driver with 110dB/mW sensitivity and a wide frequency range of 12 Hz to 22 kHz.
When we first tested out these headphones, we found that the noise cancelling feature is effective in low-frequency ranges but not as effective for higher-frequencies. This means that you’ll still be able to hear high-frequency sounds from voice chatter or loud fan noises. One good thing about the Sony MDRZX110NC is that they are noise isolating headphones, which naturally block some outside noises from being heard while wearing these headphones. They are pretty decent headphones to use in a small office space to block external noises.
Despite its small size, the Sony MDRZX110NC does deliver some pretty decent sound performance. They have crystal clear highs, detailed midranges and solid bass that feels tight and punchy. That being said, the trebles can get a little harsh and need to be adjusted by the EQ settings – the sound can also feel pretty hollow at high volume levels. These headphones are wired, but the active noise cancellation requires AAA batteries.
If you are looking for the best Sony noise cancelling headphone on a tight budget, the Sony MDRZX110NCs are actually not a bad choice. They have plenty of power with noise cancelling and good sound isolation, although there are certain drawbacks with their design and sound performance.