the Elite4 earbuds come with active noise cancellation

Noise-Cancelling Headphones: Momentum Wireless 4 versus the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Marshall Monitor II ANC

If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones with terrific battery life, Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 4 is your best option. The headphones can last up to 60 hours on a single charge. Our favorite noise-canceling headphones are also compatible with them. They may not boast physical controls or the stylish, retro-inspired design their predecessor has, but they do offer improve noise-cancellation (though still not on par with rivals like Sony’s or Bose’s).

They aren’t a huge departure from the previous model, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 is still our favorite pair of noise-canceling headphones. The XM5 improves on all of the features that made the WH-1000XM4 so awesome by providing better active noise cancellation, improving the voice call quality, and boosting the overall sound of the already excellent headphones. While the lack of new features is a bit disappointing, the Sony XM5s are one of our top recommendations for anyone looking for a premium pair of noise-canceling headphones.

While we couldn’t recommend these to anybody outside of the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio 3 Wireless could be a decent alternative if you want a pair of over-ear headphones for an Apple device but find the AirPods Max to be too expensive. The headphones feature Apple’s last-gen W1 wireless chip, which still allows you to quickly connect and switch between Apple devices, aswell as being comfortable to wear. Note, however, that unlike those built with Apple’s newer H1 chip, the headphones lack hands-free Siri support. They also charge via a Micro USB port instead of a Lightning port or USB-C.

The Marshall Monitor II ANC will certainly capture the attention of those shopping for noise-canceling headphones. The Monitor IIs stand out for their unique looks, and come with a gold joystick that makes it easy to control your headphones. They offer warm, textured sound and silence. While they may not match some of the other headphones on this list in terms of noise-canceling effectiveness or sound quality, they can last up to 45 hours with the noise cancellation turned off. With it on, they still last up to 30 hours, beating many of their rivals.

Multi-purpose people will like the Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 because they have a wonderful multipoint wireless support, which allows you to pair them with multiple devices and switch between them with ease. The headphones also offer intuitive dial controls for both volume and noise cancellation, as well as improved sound quality and battery life over their predecessor. The Surface Headphones 2 adequately silences outside noises so you can focus, even though Microsoft’s noise-canceling tech isn’t quite as effective as Bose and Sony’s.

The Beats Studio 3 has Apple’s W1 wireless chip, which allows them to switch between any Apple Devices you may own. The wireless, over-ear headphones connect via Bluetooth and also support 3.5mm for a wired connection.

The Elite 4 has addressed both of these weaknesses. In addition to ANC, the Elite 4 now come with Bluetooth multipoint, allowing them to connect to multiple devices at the same time, making it easier to switch between your phone, laptop, or another device as your audio source. The company also added support for Microsoft Swift Pair for faster pairing between the buds and a Windows PC, in addition to the Google Fast Pair feature the Elite 3 already offered.

The two generations have not changed much, apart from the new features. Seven hours without ANC and only 28 hours with the case is comparable to the battery life of the Elite 4 earbuds, though with 6mm speakers and the same amount of speakers. They also share the same four-microphone setup, along with an IP55 rating for limited protection from dust and water.

The Elite 4 aren’t to be confused with the Elite 4 Active, which Jabra released last year. The Elite 4 Active cost slightly more at $119.99 and come with similar specs, save for a higher IP57 rating and better battery life with ANC switched on. They don’t have multipoint connectivity like the standard Elite 4.