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active noise cancellation - page 2

Get AirPods Pro-style noise cancellation for just $32 with these bargain earbuds

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For Black Friday, these $32 earbuds are normally $250.
Skip AirPods for these black friday wireless earbuds for $32.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You don’t have to shell out for AirPods Pro if you’re looking for a nice pair of noise-canceling earbuds. xFyro Active Noise Canceling AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds deliver the clarity and comfort of Apple’s earbuds. But they only cost $31.99 (regularly $250) when you use the coupon code BFSAVE20 during our extended Black Friday Sale.

These earbuds check all the boxes for less than $100 [Review]

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EarFun's Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds offer a comfortable fit and good sound at an affordable price point.
EarFun's Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds offer a comfortable fit and good sound at an affordable price point.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In my recent review of Earfun’s Air Pro 2 wireless active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds, I said they packed good enough features — sound quality, active noise cancellation, comfortable fit —  to be worth their affordable price tag. With the new EarFun Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds, that’s even more the case. Especially because the same high quality comes in an even smaller package.

AirPods 3 are the best earbuds in Apple’s lineup [Review]

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AirPods 3 with Funko
With AirPods 3, Apple proves it can create a magical experience, even in a tiny package.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

AirPods are arguably one of Apple’s most popular products. Over the last five years, the wireless earbuds have become so common that it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone wearing them.

And now, with the third-generation AirPods, Apple has improved them in almost every way. That makes the latest AirPods one of the best, if not the best, all-around earbuds you can get.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro ANC earbuds are worth top dollar but cost less [Review]

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At $199, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro ANC earbuds offer great sound, customization and comfort.
At $199, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro ANC earbuds offer great sound, customization and comfort.
Photo: David Snow / Culf of Mac

With the new Jabra Elite 7 Pro earbuds, I seem to have found near-ideal audio with active noise cancellation (ANC) for both music and phone calls. The compact earbuds offer surprisingly expansive sound and are incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Upgraded AirPods gain spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and more

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The new AirPods 3 are $179.
The new AirPods 3 are $179.
Photo: Apple

Apple Unleashed event bug Apple used part of its “Unleashed” event on Monday to announce a major refresh of it signature earbuds. The new AirPods 3 feature spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking and come with a redesign that makes them look more like AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips).

They won’t be Cupertino’s entry-level earbuds, though, as the company said AirPods 2 will remain in the lineup.

EarFun Air Pro 2 ANC earbuds deliver quality sound at a low price [Review]

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EarFun Air Pro 2 ANC Wireless Earbuds offer good sound for the price.
EarFun Air Pro 2 ANC Wireless Earbuds offer good sound for the price.
Photo: David Snow

If you’re looking to save a few bucks on true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, you could certainly do worse than the recently released EarFun Air Pro 2 ANC Wireless Earbuds. They deliver quality sound and a solid feature set for $79.99 — much cheaper than a lot of premium buds. And sometimes you can get them at an even lower price (see below).

Anker refreshes flagship Liberty Pro earbuds with compact design, sound upgrades

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Soundcore by Anker's new Liberty 3 Pro earbuds have a compact, stemless design and a more powerful driver than their predecessor.
Soundcore by Anker's new Liberty 3 Pro earbuds have a compact, stemless design and a more powerful driver than their predecessor.
Photo: Anker

Soundcore by Anker rolled out the new version of its top earbuds, the Liberty 2 Pro set. The new Liberty 3 Pro Earbuds are 30% smaller and, like their predecessors, have no stem. But they feature a more powerful driver, personalized active noise cancellation (ANC) and a more comfortable fit, the company said.

Ex-Sennheiser engineer Axel Grell rolls out affordable audiophile earbuds

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A stylized image of some stylish Grell Audio earbuds.
A stylized image of some stylish Grell Audio earbuds.
Photo: Grell Audio

Audio engineer Axel Grell designed Sennheiser’s much-admired HD580 and HD800 headphones. Then he left the company in 2019 to start Grell Audio. And now he offers a pair of premium, true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) called Grell TWS-1 for the not-too-lofty price of $199.99.

OnePlus guns for AirPods Pro with new $149 ANC earbuds

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OnePlus Buds Pro will feature active noise cancellation and support for Dolby Atmos.
OnePlus Buds Pro will feature active noise cancellation and support for Dolby Atmos.
Photo: OnePlus

OnePlus is rolling out another Apple-esque product at a lower price point — a new set of Buds Pro that improve on its original Buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) and some upgraded audio features. They look a lot like Airpods Pro, actually, except with silver stems rather than white ones.

FCC leak suggests Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones coming soon

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The Bose QuietComfort 45s look like 35s on the outside, but audio and Bluetooth improvements are expected on the inside.
The Bose QuietComfort 45s look like 35s on the outside, but audio and Bluetooth improvements are expected on the inside.
Photo: FCC/Bose

A Federal Communications Commission certification reveals Bose may be about to roll out a long-awaited new version of its classic noise-canceling headphones. The company’s popular but long-in-the-tooth QuietComfort 35 and 35 II headphones appear to have a new sibling or, more likely, replacement: new Bose QuietComfort 45 over-ear headphones with active noise cancellation.

And the new headphones could arrive quite soon, bringing no telling what sort of upgrades to ANC, Bluetooth and audio quality.

Nuheara earbuds work like the bionic ears you always wanted [Review]

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Nuheara IQbuds 2 Max review
Nuheara IQbuds 2 Max are a bit larger than many rival earbuds, but they do much more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Nuheara IQbuds 2 Max aren’t typical wireless earbuds. Sure, they let you listen to music and podcasts, but that’s just the start. They have active noise cancellation when you want quiet. Or they help you hear in-person conversations better by filtering out background sounds.

I did real-world testing of these in-ear headphones designed for people whose hearing isn’t quite good as it used to be.

Is noise cancellation fixed in latest AirPods Pro firmware? Nobody knows.

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Apple reportedly adding another supplier for its ultra-popular AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro users can't agree whether active noise cancellation is fixed by the latest firmware update.
Photo: Apple

Apple updated AirPods Pro to firmware version 2D27 on Tuesday. Users of these truly wireless headphones have since had a chance to install it, but there’s no consensus about whether it makes active noise cancellation as good as it was when this product first launched.

Marshall brings active noise cancellation and USB-C to over-the-ear headphones

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Marshall
These are some of the best looking headphones we've seen.
Photo: Marshall

Marshall’s best over-the-ear headphones finally gained active noise cancellation (ANC) with a big update that pushes the vintage-inspired cans into the modern age.

The new Monitor II ANC headphones were revealed by Marshall this morning and along with adding ANC to put them on par with AirPods Pro, the headphones also have a nifty multi-directional control knob that lets you easily control music and phone functions without touching your phone.

Pro or no: Which AirPods should you get?

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AirPods vs. AirPods Pro: Which is better? Feature-packed, or sleek and simple?
Which is better? Feature-packed, or sleek and simple?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods are brilliant. They’re incredibly convenient, sleek and offer pretty good sound. They also add a layer of functionality you don’t get with many other Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. And I’m not even talking about the new AirPods Pro.

So, now that Apple expanded the AirPods line to include both the standard AirPods, and the pricier (although more feature-packed) AirPods Pro, choosing the right option might not seem so clear. How do you choose the AirPods that are best for your life?

The new AirPods Pro are fandabbydosey [An appreciation]

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AirPod Pro
Apple's new AirPods Pro earbuds are a super-great update to the original.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Hot dang, Apple’s still got it. The new AirPods Pro are fantastic.

They’re truly great headphones, and every major new feature improves on the old AirPods in big and significant ways.

  • The sound is fantastic — a big upgrade.
  • Their active noise cancellation is as good as Bose and Sony headphones (and maybe even better). Finally, you can use AirPods on airplanes.
  • Transparency mode is weird magic.
  • Best of all are the new Force Sensor touch controls, which take a minute to get used to but are way better than tapping. They’re my favorite new feature, and I burst out laughing with delight when I got the hang of it.

I freakin’ love the new AirPods Pro!

Why I’m returning my AirPods Pro

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Just a few cents-worth of silicone can ruin your new $250 earbuds.
Just a few cents' worth of silicone can ruin your new $250 earbuds.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Why am I returning my AirPods Pro just a day after receiving them? If the AirPods Pro don’t fit in your ears, then tough. There’s pretty much nothing you can do about it short of returning them to Apple.

However, if you’re prepared to wait, there might be some hope.

AirPods Pro are a steal — even at $249 [Review]

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AirPods Pro are so popular Apple is struggling to keep up with demand
AirPods Pro are so popular Apple is struggling to keep up with demand
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

It has taken me just over a day to realize AirPods Pro are the best accessory I’ve ever purchased from Apple. They sound terrific, work exceptionally well with other Apple products, and feel great.

They might be pricier than their siblings at $249. But with new features like active noise cancellation and Transparency mode, they’re worth every penny.

Here’s our full review of AirPods Pro.

AirPods Pro controls: How to customize & more

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Apple's AirPods Pro, and a dongle for scale.
Control your AirPods Pro by squeezing the stems to play or pause music and noise cancellation.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Your AirPods Pro controls are cleverly incorporated in the earbuds’ stems. The stems are touch-sensitive, and various squeezes or strokes will play or pause music, adjust the volume, answer phone calls, launch Siri, change noise cancellation settings and more.

Here’s how AirPods Pro controls work, and how to customize their settings.

Beats Solo Pro headphones drop with active noise cancellation

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Beats Solo Pro
Beats Solo Pro come with “Hey Siri” support, Active Noise Cancellation, and a carrying case.
Photo: Apple

An Apple subsidiary has stolen a march on the AirPods line by launching Beats Solo Pro, headphones with active noise cancellation.

But this isn’t a set of tiny eabuds, though. It’s for people who want larger, on-ear headphones.