4 Noise Canceling Headphones Consumer Reports Say You Should Avoid

Fortunately, Consumer Reports (CR) constantly has its finger on the pulse of the portable audio industry and maintains several lists of the best and worst consumer tech devices. To that end, we’ve gone through the CR headphones roundup to find four of the worst pairs of noise-canceling headphones that you should avoid at all costs. We were surprised by a few of our selections, and even more shocked to discover that more than a pair of these inferior cans cost over $100.

If you’re looking for cheap HDMI cables, the Amazon Basics label isn’t the worst option. If you’re shopping for noise-canceling headphones, your hard-earned money shouldn’t be spent on a pair of $32 Amazon Basics hybrid ANC headphones. CR wasn’t too fond of the sound quality and noise cancellation of these cans, and many Amazon buyers share this disdain. At first glance, the product’s 4.3-star rating (based on over 700 reviews) might suggest otherwise, but we dug a little deeper.

Many 2- and 3-star user reviews mention lackluster sound quality (one person comparing them to free in-flight headphones) and ANC that performs too lightly. One of the most recent reviews mentioned that the earbuds’ controls stopped working after just six months, forcing the user to plug them in to turn them off because the button-based “off” feature no longer worked. We also read several complaints about call quality, with the general consensus being “muffled and slow.”

If there’s one positive with the Amazon Basics Hybrid ANC, it’s the $32 price tag for a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Amazon also claims that you’ll get up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on and 45 hours with ANC off. Still, an extra $20-30 puts you in a much better position, at least in terms of performance and reliability.

Similar to Amazon Basics, Onn (Walmart’s in-house brand) offers low-cost electronics that often punch above their weight class. But when it comes to ANC headphones, your funds are better spent elsewhere. The $49 Onn Wireless Over-Ear Headphones are budget-friendly and hard to ignore, but they rank at the top of CR’s most-hated headphones. The Walmart site has a rating of 3.9 stars out of 5, based on more than 270 reviews, and one particular problem kept coming up: ear detection being too sensitive.

This is a common feature for modern headphones and earphones that automatically pause media when the built-in sensors cannot detect skin. Unfortunately, Onn’s version of this technology is far too aggressive, with users reporting that the music stops simply by turning their head a little to one side. With some humor, one reviewer even said, “I can’t listen with one ear uncovered because it pauses continuously. When chewing, it stops. When speaking, it stops.”

Many Walmart shoppers also mentioned low master volume, poor sound quality, and ANC that leaves a lot to be desired. They’re also not foldable, making them harder to carry around than other pairs of ANC headphones. On paper, $49 sounds attractive, but not if you end up returning the earbuds within a few days.

Anker’s Soundcore sub-label is hailed by industry experts as one of the best options for cheap headphones and earbuds. But not every model can measure up, and CR flagged the $150 Soundcore Space Q45 as cans you’ll probably want to skip. When we looked at user reviews on Amazon (4.3 stars out of 5, based on over 13,700 reviews), we were surprised by how many users complained that the headphones were literally falling apart.

It seems like everything from the plastic chassis to the seams on the earcups is at risk of breaking, with a handful of customers reporting defective units right out of the box. One astute reviewer said the hinges collapsed and speculated that the cause might be the earbuds’ own weight. Beyond these design flaws, many also took issue with the default sound quality being too fuzzy, though you can choose a different preset or create your own EQ in the free Soundcore app.

Anything over $100 is typical mid-range territory for noise-canceling headphones, but it seems like the Soundcore Space Q45 functions more as an entry-level product. One review even noted that the $80 Soundcore Q30 sounded better than the Space Q45 and was also over $100 cheaper. When a brand’s older, less advanced headphones are recommended over a bigger, better purchase, it’s hard to understand what the extra $70 you’re spending is for in the first place.

On the one hand, the $240 Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 brings a beastly amount of bass to the table; so much so, in fact, that a few publications reported the bass output as a drawback rather than a benefit. At CR, the Crusher ANC 2 fares better than other headphones we’ve discussed, but at $240, it’s not a set of ANC cans that’s nearly perfect.

On Amazon, users have given it a 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on over 3,900 reviews. But as we’ve learned, the real “dirt” is hidden in the 3 and 2-star presentations. A handful of reviews mention that the Crusher ANC 2 is too heavy and that the earbud buttons lack controls such as track skipping. One user also reported super ineffective ANC that did nothing to drown out the noise of a lawnmower.

Another user reported a fair amount of sound leakage, suggesting that these Skullcandy cans might be distracting coworkers. Our advice: If you’re willing to spend up to $240 on a pair of ANC headphones, buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 on sale instead.

We also relied on professional, hands-on reviews from a few other publications that reflected CR’s low polling, and did our best to include solid alternatives that sound better, are more comfortable, and cost less.