The Best Cheap Noise Cancelling Headphones Are Worth Every Penny
The Best Cheap Noise Cancelling Headphones
TaoTronics noise-cancelling headphones
> $50, Buy now at Amazon
We can all agree that noise cancelling headphones are among the very best inventions of all time. But they are not cheap. Want to sink into a private world of silence on an airplane while a neighboring baby human shrieks directly into your face? It'll cost you at least as much as you paid for the plane ticket, right?
Wrong. There are actually some excellent cheap noise cancelling headphones out there. And I am here to tell you that you needn't blow a significant portion of your rent check to obtain them.
If you’re like me—a person constantly trying to sequester themselves from the rest of the world with your favorite tunes—then, you’ve probably already considered wireless bluetooth headphones. But the idea of dropping $400 on a pair of them might sound downright laughable. Which is why I tip my cap to several friends who recommended these impossibly cheap but incredibly effective noise canceling bluetooth headphones from TaoTronics.
If you're new to bulkier over-ear headphones, you'll see a noticeable difference in weight immediately. Stick with it. It’s weird at first, and certainly takes up more space in your bag or briefcase, but a few hours of wear does far less damage on my ears than shoving hard plastic inside my ears.
As for the the more expensive competition: Yes, there is definitely a noticeable difference between these cheap headphones and a luxury manufacturer such as Bose or Beats by Dre. But if you’ve never experienced either, well, ignorance is bliss. The TaoTronics do exactly what they advertise: they minimize sound via an active noise control (ANC) switch. Maybe not as well as more expensive models. They're, like, halfway there, but for an eighth of the price. They come with surprisingly solid battery life (I usually go several days without recharging). Also, they come with a decent built-in microphone with excellent sound clarity, which means that you can comfortably take calls without fear of looking like a person talking to themselves (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Best of all, at $50, you don't feel like you have to baby them quite as much as one inevitably does with investment headphones. Toss 'em in your carry-on before your sit on it to zip it up. Wear them running and fear no sprinkler or neighbor washing their car. Just live your messy—albeit slightly less messy now that you've gone cordless!—life in these headphones.
TaoTronics noise-canceling headphones
$55.00, Amazon
TaoTronics noise-canceling headphones
$40.00, Amazon
Originally Appeared on GQ
