active noise cancellation

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on active noise cancellation:

Coming ‘ultrasonic’ revolution could change wireless earbuds forever

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xMEMS Cypress
The Cypress ultrasonic speaker promises a leap in digital sound quality.
Photo: xMEMS

xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.

The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.

That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.

New Edifier ANC earbuds offer solid sound at a good value [Review] ★★★

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Edifier's new W240TN wireless earbuds have a bit of an industrial look going.★★★
Edifier's new W240TN wireless earbuds have a bit of an industrial look to them.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds that cost under $100 jostle in a competitive field. One company that consistently stands out from the crowd with high-quality goods that are a great value for what they cost is Edifier.

And the company, based in China, has done it again with the Edifier W240TN true wireless earbuds. They launch Thursday for a price of $79.99. Edifier sent me a pair to try out.

There really aren’t many reasons not to buy these if you want good earbuds for well under $100. But there are a couple of potential reasons, depending on your priorities.

Edifier NeoBuds S offer decent ANC and articulate sound [Review] ★★★★☆

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Edifier does a nice job with presentation, including seven sets of eartips.★★★★☆
Edifier does a nice job with presentation on both NeoBuds Pro and NeoBuds S, including seven sets of eartips and a nice travel pouch.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Known for speakers and headphones with high-quality sound at affordable places, China-based Edifier plans to release a new set of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) this month, the NeoBuds S. They closely track the look and feel of the well-regarded, high-resolution NeoBuds Pro the company rolled out in July 2021 — but with some promised improvements.

Edifier sent Cult of Mac a set of NeoBuds S to try out and see how well the company’s beefed-up noise cancellation and sound quality perform, among other features.

Ugreen T3 ANC wireless earbuds: OK bang for the buck [Review] ★★★☆☆

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The Ugreen T3 HiTune earbuds will get the job done for many folks on a budget.★★★☆☆
The Ugreen T3 HiTune earbuds will get the job done for many folks on a budget.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In a world awash in earbuds, it’s not easy for lower-end products to keep their heads above water. But some manage to do it through solid overall quality and a good feature spread, like the new Ugreen T3 HiTune ANC Wireless Earbuds.

They’re not going to compete with many products at mid-to-high price points, like AirPods Pro and competitors. But the T3s offer bass to burn, an OK fit and a range of solid features at $40.

What you don’t get is top-notch sound across all frequencies, stellar ANC or a sense of tremendous build quality.

Another set of top-shelf ANC cans takes on AirPods Max

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Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be.
Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be.
Photo: Master & Dynamic

The new Master & Dynamic MW75 over-ear headphones will undoubtedly compete with top cans from Apple, Sony, Sennheiser and others. They boast up to 28 hours of battery life and adaptive, environmentally aware active noise cancellation.

But the premium Master & Dynamic headphones actually make AirPods Max look somewhat affordable. They cost an eye-popping $599.

Sony pushes comfort with its new lightweight LinkBuds S earbuds

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Sony's new lightweight LinkBuds S with ANC cost $199.99.
Sony's new lightweight LinkBuds S with ANC cost $199.99.
Photo: Sony

Sony brought out its latest earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) Wednesday, the $199.99 LinkBuds S. The consumer electronics giant appears to be going for “Goldilocks” buds here, fitting a super-lightweight option for comfortable, long-term wear just below its flagship WF-1000XM4 ANC earbuds in both price and quality level.

Sony makes its flagship over-ear headphones even better

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The new Sony flagship cans improve on their predecessors and cost about $50 more.
The new Sony flagship cans improve on their predecessors and cost about $50 more.
Photo: Sony

Few would dispute that Sony’s flagship wireless WH-1000XM4 active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones have been among the best on the market since they came out in August 2020. But Sony has improved upon them, offering its fifth-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones on Thursday.

The redesigned cans flaunt several impressive improvements over the previous model, making the XM5s an even worthier competitor to AirPods Max and other premium headphones.

Updated Sennheiser flagship earbuds boast improved features and lower price

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The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless buds have a sleeker design, better ANC and a wireless charging case.
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless earbuds have a sleeker design, better ANC and a wireless charging case.
Photo: Sennheiser

Sennheiser first put out its top-tier Momentum True Wireless earbuds in 2018 to rave reviews about sound quality. Next came a 2020 update and now, with a new release, we see a substantial redesign with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds.

They offer substantial upgrades at a lower-than-expected price, compared to the starting price of their predecessors.

The German maker released the new flagship buds along with its new Sport True Wireless earbuds for athletic types who want to filter out the sound of their own huffing and puffing.

Leak of Sony’s next flagship headphones shows sleek design, longer battery life

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Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Photo: Nils Ahrensmeier/TechnikNews

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ear noise-cancelling wireless headphones are considered one of the best sets of cans in the business. Now a new leak shows what may be in store for the audio giant’s next version, the WH-1000XM5, in terms of a sleek new design and key specs.

Bang & Olufsen’s pricey new ANC earbuds borrow AirPods Pro design

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Nice stems on those. But $400 nice?
Nice stems on those. But $400 nice?
Photo: Bang & Olufsen

Danish audio legend Bang & Olufsen has struck out in a new yet familiar direction with its latest true wireless earbuds, the Beoplay EX. It’s the company’s first set of earbuds with stems, which makes them look a lot like AirPods Pro.

As a premium offering, Beoplay EX boasts all of the expected features, like active noise cancellation (ANC). The buds also claim top-notch sound and demand a high price for it — $399, considerably more than AirPods Pro and other major contenders.

Leak of flagship Sennheiser ANC earbuds reveals upgrades and price

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Sennheiser's new Momentum 3 True Wireless Earbuds popped up on a shopping site early.
Sennheiser's new Momentum 3 True Wireless earbuds popped up on a shopping site early.
Photo: Sennheiser/Lufthansa WorldShop

A while back, German audio powerhouse Sennheiser began teasing the April release of its new, top-tier Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds. But then retailer Lufthansa WorldShop went ahead and (briefly) posted a detailed listing for the new buds ahead of Sennheiser’s official, and yet to come, release.

So now we know a bunch of the new buds’ specs as well as pricing details.

Enjoy big bass and 20 hours of playback with Audio-Technica’s new earbuds

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Twenty hours of playback between charges? Not bad.
Twenty hours of playback between charges? Not bad.
Photo: Audio-Technica

One of the impressive features of the growing number of moderately priced, high-quality earbuds on the market is just how long playback lasts between charges. That’s in part because the case where you store them also charges them. But Audio-Technica just rolled out a new set of earbuds that really moves the needle on battery life.

The company’s new ATH-CKS50TW Solid Bass Truly Wireless Earbuds claim up to 20 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, or 50 hours counting the case’s charge. All that, plus the new buds feature low latency and active noise-cancellation (ANC).

Belkin seriously challenges AirPods Pro with its new ANC earbuds

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Belkin's new ANC earbuds look like they match up pretty well with AirPods Pro.
Belkin's new ANC earbuds look like they match up pretty well with AirPods Pro.
Photo: Belkin

Building on other versions of ANC earbuds released in 2021, Belkin rolled out its new SoundForm Immerse Noise Cancelling Earbuds in Las Vegas this week — and they promptly became a CES Innovation Award 2022 Honoree.

The new buds challenge aging champ AirPods Pro, due for a revamp, not only with hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) with Hear-Thru mode, but they work with Apple’s vast Find My network. And they flaunt a number of premium features.

Belkin introduced other products at CES, too, of course.

Yobybo X-Boat Pro ANC earbuds: If the buds fit, (maybe) wear them [Review]

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The Yobybo X-Boat Pro earbuds come with a USB cable and a sleek
The Yobybo X-Boat Pro earbuds come with a USB cable and a sleek "open" charging case.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

I think it was a Kickstarter campaign that first drew my attention to the Yobybo X-Boat Pro noise-cancelling earbuds, “the first open-casing true wireless stereo headphones with LDAC,” the company said, referring to Sony’s hi-res codec. Well, while the sleek “open” case is super-cool and the buds’ sound is vibrant, some earbuds just aren’t for everyone.

Nothing’s new black transparent earbuds look totally badass

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Nothing's new
Nothing's new "Black Edition" Ear 1 buds retain the cool transparent design.
Photo: Nothing

Nothing released its first Ear 1 earbuds in late summer 2021 with a partially transparent design, a cool transparent case, good sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and wireless charging. Now the company’s rolling out the new Ear 1 “Black Edition,” which retains the interesting design and tech elements in a cool new look.

And Nothing, created by OnePlus founder Carl Pei, added the product is now carbon neutral and you can buy the product — still $99 — with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. So there’s that.

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.