We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is my top pick for most people who want active noise cancelling headphones: it pairs adjustable 4-mic ANC and a genuinely unusual dual-driver bass system with up to 60 hours of battery life when ANC is off, plus multipoint pairing for two devices at once.
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 — best for bass lovers and long-haul listening; pick this if you want adjustable 4-mic ANC, up to 60 hours of battery with ANC off, and multipoint pairing for a laptop and phone.
• ZIHNIC Active Noise Canceling — best for all-day comfort on a budget-minded commute; pick this if you want memory foam earpads, 90° swiveling cups, Bluetooth 5.0 and a quick 10-minute charge for several hours of use.
• L LTGEM Case Compatible — best for protecting a set of Anker Soundcore Life headphones you already own; pick this if you need a hard EVA shell sized for the Q20i, Q20, Q30 or Q45.
• PLT Poly — best for work calls and home-office focus; pick this if you need three-level hybrid ANC, Acoustic Fence mic technology and a USB-A adapter for PC or Mac.
This is an over-ear Bluetooth 5.2 headphone built around two ideas: noise cancelling you can adjust, and bass you can feel. The driver setup is the headline — two full-range 40mm drivers plus a pair of dedicated bass drivers, which Skullcandy calls multi-sensory Crusher Bass. That's not marketing fluff in the specs; it's a real second set of drivers doing low-frequency work. If you listen to hip-hop, EDM, action-heavy films or games, that architecture is the reason to look here rather than at a flatter, more neutral headphone.
The noise cancelling side is equally specific: four microphones dedicated to ANC, with adjustable levels. In practice, adjustable ANC matters more than people expect. Full strength is what you want on a plane or a train; a lighter setting is easier on your ears during a long study session or when you still need to hear a boarding announcement. The Skullcandy App adds a 5-band EQ, a Personal Sound profile, and a Stay-Aware mode, so you're not stuck with one tuning forever. There are also on-headphone preset EQ modes for music, movie and podcast if you'd rather not open an app at all.
Battery is the other big number: up to 60 hours with ANC off, and a rapid charge that gives roughly 4 hours of listening from a 10-minute top-up. That combination is what makes these a realistic travel companion — you can leave the cable at home for a week of commuting and still not think about charging. Multipoint pairing lets a laptop and a phone stay connected simultaneously, which is the feature I'd miss most if it were gone.
ZIHNIC Active Noise Canceling
The WH-930 is the comfort-first option in this group. It's an over-ear wireless headphone in beige with memory foam earpads wrapped in protein leather, and the earcups swivel 90°, so they lie flat and sit at whatever angle your head actually wants. At around 0.3 kg with a lightweight adjustable headband, this is the pair I'd hand to someone who wears headphones for a full workday and hates that clamped, hot feeling after hour three. There's no headphone jack here, so plan on wireless-only use.
Audio is handled by 40mm DLC composite dynamic drivers with a 40 Hz–20,000 Hz range and 32-ohm impedance. The tuning is described as balanced with deep bass, clear mids and crisp highs — a general-purpose profile that suits music, films and podcasts rather than one genre. Active noise cancellation is on board for crowded commutes and open-plan offices, cutting down the drone rather than erasing it entirely. Bluetooth 5.0 handles the connection, and the built-in microphone is there for hands-free calls.
Battery is the practical selling point beyond comfort: all-day life with a quick-charge function that gives several hours of playback from a 10-minute charge. A full charge takes about 2 hours. That's a sensible, low-fuss setup — plug in while you make coffee, walk out the door with hours of listening.
The honest trade-off is that ANC on a headphone in this class is usually a reduction tool, not a silence machine, and the spec sheet doesn't promise the kind of multi-level control you get from the Skullcandy. Bluetooth 5.0 is also a generation behind 5.1 and 5.2, which mostly matters if you're juggling several devices. In my opinion, this is the pick for someone who prioritizes soft earpads, a light headband and swiveling cups over bass theatrics or advanced connectivity.
This one isn't a headphone — it's a case, and the listing says so plainly. It's a hard EVA shell in blue, sized at roughly 9.1 by 8.8 by 2.8 inches outside, built specifically to fit the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i, Q20, Q30 and Q45 hybrid active noise cancelling headphones. It's shockproof, semi-waterproof, dustproof and waterproof-rated, with a soft interior lining. If you already own one of those Soundcore models and you've been carrying it loose in a backpack, this is the missing piece.
The details are aimed at daily handling: a strong rubber hand strap for carrying it on its own, a 360-degree zipper that opens wide, and an inner mesh pocket for a charging cable or an audio cable. The EVA material is the same family of foam used in a lot of protective cases, which is why it can absorb a drop or a knock without transferring the impact to the ear cups.
Two things to be clear about. First, the case only — no headphones are included, so this is a purchase for people who already have a compatible Soundcore Life pair. Second, "compatible" and "perfectly fitting" aren't the same thing; the product imagery itself notes that a headphone may not sit perfectly in the case, and the design is built around those four specific models rather than universal sizing. I'd treat this as a solid, practical accessory for a known headphone rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. If you own a Q20i, Q20, Q30 or Q45, it's an easy call; if you own anything else, measure first.
The Voyager Focus 2 UC is a different animal: a dual-ear stereo headset with a boom mic, designed for calls rather than music listening. The ANC is Advanced Digital Hybrid with three selectable levels — high, low and off — which lets you dial in how much of the office you want to shut out without taking the headset off. On the microphone side, Poly's Acoustic Fence technology uses multiple mics to keep your voice clean and push background noise away from the person on the other end. If you've ever had a call where you sounded like you were in a cafeteria, that's the problem this solves.
Small workday features carry a lot of weight here. Dynamic Mute Alert tells you when you're talking while muted — a genuinely useful nudge in back-to-back meetings. At roughly 175 g with a lightweight headband, a sling and plush ear cushions, it's built for wearing all day, and the battery is rated up to 19 hours of talk time with a 2-hour charge. Connectivity covers both worlds: the included BT700 USB-A adapter connects to a PC or Mac, and Bluetooth 5.1 handles a mobile phone, so you can move from a video call to a cell call without re-pairing.
The trade-off is focus. This is a headset first — the boom mic, the certified compatibility with Teams and Zoom, the PC adapter — so it's the wrong choice if you mainly want immersive music or movie sound. It also uses USB Type A rather than USB-C for the adapter, which is worth checking against your laptop ports. In my opinion, this is the pick for anyone whose "active noise cancelling headphones" are really for work: home office, open-plan desk, or a day that's mostly meetings.
I compared the published specifications and feature lists for each product — driver type and size, ANC implementation and adjustability, battery figures, connectivity versions, materials and included accessories — and ranked them by how well those specs serve specific, everyday jobs. This ranking is our independent editorial opinion, based on what the data sheets say, not on hands-on testing. No brand paid for placement, and no company reviewed or approved these picks before publication.
how to active noise cancelling headphones work
ANC headphones use microphones to sample the noise around you, then generate audio signals that cancel out that incoming sound before it reaches your ears. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, for example, uses four dedicated external microphones for this job, and the PLT Poly headset uses a multi-microphone hybrid system with high, low and off settings.
how to activate noise cancelling headphones
Typically you switch ANC on with a physical button or a control in the companion app. On the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 you toggle between Active Noise Canceling and Stay-Aware modes and fine-tune the EQ in the Skullcandy App; on the PLT Poly you pick high, low or off. The ZIHNIC WH-930 lists active noise cancellation as its noise-control method.
how to activate noise cancelling jbl headphones
I can't answer that one from these data sheets — none of the four products here is a JBL model, so I have no verified steps to give you. Check your JBL model's own manual or app for the exact button sequence.
how to activate noise cancelling sony headphones
Same situation: no Sony headphones appear in the data sheets for this guide, so any instructions I gave would be guesswork. Your Sony model's manual or the companion app is the right place to look.
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