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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, Samsung-friendly wired earbud with passive sound isolation that disappears in a pocket, choose 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones; if you need an over-ear wired headphone with a 40mm dynamic driver, a microphone, volume control and a foldable frame for long listening sessions, choose AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones. Both are wired, both run off a 3.5 mm jack, and both lean on physical noise isolation rather than powered circuitry — so the real decision comes down to fit, driver size and how you actually listen.
• 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones — biggest strength: earbud-style sound isolation tuned for the Samsung Galaxy line, with high-performance speakers built to keep distortion low at higher volumes. Its biggest trade-off is that it's a single-purpose backup set — no microphone, no inline controls, no over-ear cushioning.
• AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones — biggest strength: a 40mm DLC dynamic driver inside protein-leather over-ear cushions, plus a built-in mic, push-button volume control and a foldable, tangle-resistant nylon cable. Its trade-off is bulk: over-ear cups and a 0.3 kg frame are simply more to carry than a pocket pair of earbuds.
• Pick the 4XEM if you mainly want a spare, no-fuss wired earbud for a Samsung phone or tablet and you value a tiny footprint over features.
• Pick the AILIHEN if you want one wired headphone for laptop work, study, gaming and travel, and you'd rather have an inline mic and volume buttons than the smallest possible size.
The 4XEM set is an earbud, not a headphone, and it's honest about that. It's designed specifically around the Samsung product line — the Galaxy S2, S3, S4 and Samsung tablets — which tells you the target buyer is someone with an older Samsung device who wants a wired connection that just works. The 3.5 mm jack is the only connectivity here, and the noise control is sound isolation: the tip physically blocks outside noise rather than cancelling it electronically.
The spec sheet leans on three ideas: a rich sound experience, high-performance speakers that extend the frequency range with minimal distortion, and that noise-isolating fit. In practice, that's the classic earbud bargain — seal the ear canal, cut some ambient hum, and get a direct, efficient sound without any battery or charging to think about. It's black, it weighs about 22.68 g, and it ships as a single item with a one-year limited warranty.
AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones: Who It's For
The AILIHEN C90-1 is the more feature-complete wired option here, and the spec sheet makes that clear. The headline is a 40mm DLC dynamic driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency range — the full span of human hearing — which is the kind of hardware that gives you deep, punchy bass, bright highs and balanced mids from a passive wired connection. No battery, no pairing, no latency.
Around that driver sits a real comfort story: over-ear, circular earpieces in faux leather and plastic, with soft protein cushions and a sturdy headband. AILIHEN also adds an extra noise-isolating pad, which it describes as superior passive noise cancellation compared to regular headphones — worth noting it's still passive (the sheet lists it as Passive Noise Cancellation), so it's blocking sound through materials and fit, not processing it. The frame folds, the whole thing weighs about 7 ounces, and it comes with a carrying pouch. The cable is upgraded tangle-resistant nylon, which matters more than people admit when a headphone lives in a backpack.
Then there's the practical stuff: a built-in microphone, push-button volume control, and a gold-plated 3.5 mm jack aimed at laptops, computers and tablets. The listed themes — movie and video game — hint at the intended use: long sessions at a desk or on a couch. It's grey, listed for teens and adults, and carries a one-year warranty.
Buy it if you want one wired headphone that covers work calls, study, gaming and travel. Skip it if portability is your top priority, or if you specifically need earbuds that vanish into a pocket — at 0.3 kg with full-size cups, this is a bag item, not a pocket item.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for pure portability → 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones. At roughly 22.68 g, it's a fraction of the AILIHEN's 0.3 kg and needs no pouch.
• Best for sound hardware → AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones. A 40mm DLC dynamic driver with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range is the more substantial audio engine of the two.
• Best for older Samsung devices → 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones. It's explicitly designed around the Galaxy S2, S3, S4 and Samsung tablets.
• Best for long desk sessions → AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones. Over-ear protein-leather cushions and a soft headband spread pressure across the head instead of inside the ear canal.
• Best for travel storage → AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones. Foldable frame, included carrying pouch and a tangle-resistant nylon cable.
• Best as a spare or backup set → 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones. It's positioned as exactly that: a replacement pair for a Samsung device.
• Best for blocking background noise passively → AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones, in my view, because the combination of over-ear cups plus the extra isolating pad covers more of the head than an earbud tip can.
In my opinion, the AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones are the better buy for most people reading this. The 40mm dynamic driver, the over-ear protein-leather cushions, the built-in mic, the volume control and the foldable tangle-resistant cable make it a single wired headphone that handles music, calls and study without compromise. I'd only steer you to the 4XEM Noise Isolating Earphones if you specifically want a tiny, Samsung-oriented backup earbud and you don't need a mic or inline controls. If price is the deciding factor, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you commit.
what is the best wired noise cancelling headphones
Honestly, "noise cancelling" is the wrong word for both of these — neither uses powered active noise cancellation. The 4XEM lists Sound Isolation, and the AILIHEN lists Passive Noise Cancellation, so both block sound through fit and materials. If you want the deeper physical seal of the two, the AILIHEN's over-ear cups plus its extra isolating pad cover more surface area.
is there wired noise cancelling headphones
Wired headphones with active noise cancellation do exist, but these two aren't them. What you get here is isolation: the 4XEM seals the ear canal with an earbud tip, while the AILIHEN uses over-ear faux-leather cushions, a soft headband and an additional noise-isolating pad. Both run from a plain 3.5 mm jack with no battery involved.
how to noise cancelling wired headphones
If by "noise cancelling" you mean cutting background noise, the method with these two is fit first. Push the 4XEM buds in for a proper seal, or adjust the AILIHEN cups so the protein cushions sit flat around your ears. Neither has a power switch or ANC button, so there's nothing to charge or toggle — the isolation is purely mechanical.
what are the best wired noise cancelling headphones
Based on the specs alone, I'd frame it as a fit question rather than a winner. The AILIHEN gives you the larger 40mm DLC driver, a mic, volume control and over-ear cushioning; the 4XEM gives you a 22.68 g earbud explicitly built for Samsung Galaxy S2, S3, S4 and tablets. Pick by whether you want cups or buds — that choice matters more than any spec on the page.
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