38
EARPHONES
SONY WF-1000XM4
$279.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE
Sony is giving Bose a run for its money in active noise
cancellation (ANC) and sounding great to boot. The
WF-1000XM4 true wireless earphones are pricey at
$279.99, but they block out most outside noises while
pushing deep bass and crisp highs with ease.
39
BUDGET EARPHONES
ANKER SOUNDCORE LIFE P3
$79.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE
You don’t need to spend a lot of money for true wireless
earbuds with good sound and even ANC. The Anker
Soundcore Life P3 earphones cost only $79.99, and they
do an admirable job of reducing distracting noises while
offering some strong bass in the process. They don’t
sound as good or block out as much as high-end models
from Bose and Sony, but they also cost less than a third
of the price of either.
40
HEADPHONES
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 45
$329.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE
Apple and Sony are catching up, but Bose is still a slight
step ahead in over-ear noise cancellation. The $329
QuietComfort 45 headphones are the company’s most
impressive ANC model yet, blocking mid- and high-
frequency sounds almost as well as low-frequency ones
(which are the easiest to dampen). They don’t offer
granular adjustments as Sony does or fancy microphone-
based audio tweaks as Apple does, but they don’t need
to when they work this well.
The Anker
Soundcore Life
P3 earphones do
an admirable job
of reducing
distracting
noises.
