I tested all the top ANC headphones in 2025 — this is the clear winner

Wireless headphones had a big year in 2025, with Sony and Bose updating their flagship active-noise canceling (ANC) over-ears. Plus, other competitors like the AirPods Max and Sonos Ace are still going strong, so there’s plenty of room for consumer choice. Apple even came out with the AirPods Pro 3, a pair of wireless earbuds with ANC good enough to rival the best over-ear headphones. There has never been a better time to invest in a great pair of headphones, but which one should you buy?

I tested all the best headphones and earbuds in 2025, totaling over 20 models. While there’s no completely perfect pair, one model stands out compared to the rest: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2. They provide the perfect mix of comfort, portability, ANC, and, of course, sound quality. At 449ドル (and often selling for less), the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones are my favorite over-ears of the year.

What I look for in a pair of wireless headphones

And what I like best about the top options from Bose, Sony, Apple, and others

Entering the year, the AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace were the two pairs of over-ear headphones I used most. However, they are both flawed headphones, hence why I turned to a mix of the two pairs for my audio needs. AirPods Max sound great and have the best ANC strength, conquering flights and reducing pressure with ease, but they’re ridiculously heavy — to the point the discomfort nearly negates the benefits, and many folks say they're not worth buying.

The Sonos Ace isn’t much better. Although the comfort is top-notch and the sound quality is great, the ANC power leaves something to be desired. They seem to be incapable of handling plane trips without letting crackles and pops through. As someone who suffers from ear pain and headaches on flights normally, that’s a dealbreaker for me. Additionally, neither the Sonos Ace nor the AirPods Max sports a folding mechanism, allowing them to collapse for easy storage, which is frustrating for travel.

It takes a lot to make a fantastic pair of wireless headphones, but there are a few things I always look for. First, a stellar set of headphones needs to deliver great sound, with either a balanced profile out of the box or a user-customizable EQ. They also need to have great ANC. For me, that means blocking out unwanted noise with ANC on and the volume set to 50%. It’s also important that I can hold a brief conversation in transparency mode without removing the headphones. Finally, comfort is paramount — I should be able to wear them during a cross-country flight without discomfort.

By these standards, I’ve found the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 to be the most complete pair of wireless headphones yet.

What's great about the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2

Comfort, sound quality, customization, and portability are excellent

Bose is competing with Sony's WH-1000XM6 for the title of best ANC headphones released in 2025. Those were the top headphone models released this year, and they're only priced 10ドル apart. Surprisingly, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 take very similar approaches in challenging Apple's AirPods Max. The Sony and Bose headsets are lighter, more compatible, and easier to stow, and both offer active noise-canceling and transparency modes that aren't quite as good as Apple's.

Sony meets audiophiles where they are with support for its LDAC audio codec, whereas Bose only supports the SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs. Some might not like the Bose assortment of customization settings for the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2, but I love them. There's a simple EQ if you need to adjust the sound — I find the tuning to be near-perfect out of the box — as well as support for custom ANC modes.

I particularly enjoy the "immersion" mode on the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones, which is effectively a mix of ANC and spatial audio. However, since the headphones are handling the spatial feel themselves, your source content doesn't need to be mastered in Dolby Atmos or anything of the sort. You can connect virtually anything to the Bose headphones, and it'll add a spatial feel to the content you're listening to.

In terms of sound quality and ANC, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 came with me on multiple cross-country flights, and it was a capable AirPods Max replacement. Sure, the AirPods Max's noise canceling might be a bit stronger, but the Bose headphones were more comfortable to wear. And with the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2's collapsible design and included case, it's easy to carry in my travel bag.

I'd describe the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2's sound as balanced, with a bit of extra punch in the low-end. The bass isn't overpowering, but it is deep and full. Bose managed to provide this booming sound without overpowering the mids and highs, which I enjoy. If the bass is too much, there's a Bass Reducer EQ profile that'll prioritize vocals.

What's not great about the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2

Apple still has the advantage in ANC power

Compared to AirPods Max, which I still consider the gold standard for ANC, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones are still a step behind. AirPods Max are better at mitigating airplane noise and wind, but make no mistake, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 are still solid in this regard.

There are a few quirks about the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 that could hamper the experience for some. It supports USB-C for wired audio, but its onboard headphone jack is a 2.5mm port. No, that’s not a typo — you’ll need to use the included 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable to connect the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones to your favorite audio devices. The headphones need to have a charge to work in wired mode, unlike Sony's WH-1000XM6, which can work completely analog over a 3.5mm cable.

There’s also one button that handles both power and Bluetooth pairing, and I think they should each have dedicated buttons instead. The battery life, while certainly solid at 30 hours with ANC on, isn’t outstanding compared to some of the other options on the market.

Why Bose sits at the top of the ANC headphone market

Doing most things right while offering a compelling value proposition

While the Sony WH-1000XM6 or AirPods Max may be better alternatives for some, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 has proven to be the most well-rounded set of headphones on the market in 2025. I find them to be better than Sony's offering at roughly the same price, and only slightly behind Apple in certain areas, while costing 100ドル less. It's a great sign that Bose is already discounting the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 by 50ドル — it makes these headphones an even better value.