We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a familiar noise-cancelling over-ear set from a brand you already know, choose Sony; if you need an affordable wired pair with a microphone, passive noise isolation and a foldable travel design, choose AILIHEN Over Ear Headphones. Both sit in the same "wired, over-ear, noise-isolating" conversation, but they get there in completely different ways — and one of them is aimed at a very different listener than the other.
• Sony's biggest strength: the ZX110NC is a dedicated noise-cancelling model (MDRZX110NC) sold as a two-piece bundle with a protective hard case, so the carrying solution comes in the box.
• Sony's biggest trade-off: the listing itself is bundled and confusingly worded — it reads like a kids' Bluetooth headphone blurb even though the model number points to a wired noise-cancelling set, so you have to know what you're buying.
• AILIHEN's biggest strength: a clean, straightforward wired spec — 40 mm dynamic driver, 20 Hz–20 kHz range, in-line volume control, mic, foldable frame and a tangle-resistant braided cable at roughly 7 ounces.
• AILIHEN's biggest trade-off: noise control is passive only. There's no active circuitry, so isolation depends entirely on the protein-leather cushion seal.
• Who Sony is for: buyers who specifically want active noise cancellation and a protective case, and who don't mind a bundle listing.
• Who AILIHEN is for: teens and adults who want a simple plug-in headphone for laptops, tablets and commutes, with a mic and volume control on the cable.
Sony's entry here is the ZX110NC — a black, plastic, over-ear noise-cancelling headphone built around the MDRZX110NC platform. The headline feature is exactly what the "noise cancelling" name says: this is an active noise-cancelling design, not a passive one. That's the single most important distinction on this page. Active cancellation means the headphone uses electronics to reduce steady background noise — the low drone of a plane cabin, a bus engine, an air conditioner, a fan. Passive isolation, by contrast, can only block what the physical seal blocks.
What it does best is the thing it was designed to do: quiet the room. If you fly, take long train rides, or work near constant mechanical hum, an active system is doing work that no amount of cushion density can replicate. Sony also bundles a protective headphone case with this listing, which matters more than it sounds — over-ear headphones are bulky, and a case is the difference between tossing them loose in a bag and actually keeping the hinges and cushions intact over time.
Who should buy it: someone who specifically wants noise cancellation as a feature, not just a marketing word, and who wants the case included rather than bought separately. Someone who values a known brand name and a simple black finish that matches everything.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants a mic and in-line controls for calls and video meetings — that isn't part of the spec here. Anyone who wants a lightweight, foldable, toss-in-a-backpack set should also look elsewhere, because the ZX110NC is a standard over-ear form factor rather than a compact folding one. And a careful shopper should read the listing closely: the descriptive copy on this bundle reads like a Bluetooth kids' headphone blurb, which doesn't match the ZX110NC model number at all. In my opinion that's a listing-quality issue rather than a product issue, but it's a reason to verify what you're actually ordering before you commit.
AILIHEN takes the opposite approach. The C90-1 (model name C90NEW-2025) is a wired over-ear headphone with a fixed 3.5 mm gold-plated jack, a built-in microphone, and push-button volume control on the cable. There's no battery, no pairing, no charging — you plug it in and it plays. For a lot of people that's not a downgrade, it's the whole point.
The audio side is built around a 40 mm dynamic DLC driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency range — the full audible band, which is what you want to see on paper for a general-purpose headphone. AILIHEN describes the tuning as deep bass, sparkling highs and balanced mids, with an added noise-isolating pad that it claims outperforms regular headphones. I'd treat that last claim as a design description rather than a lab result: the noise control field on the spec sheet says passive noise cancellation, which means the isolation comes from the cushion seal and that extra pad, not from electronics. It will soften a noisy room. It won't erase a jet engine the way an active system aims to.
Where it clearly wins is practicality. It weighs about 7 ounces (0.3 kg), folds up, and ships with a carrying pouch, ear cushions, a cable and a user manual. The cable is a braided, tangle-resistant nylon type, which is a genuinely useful detail — thin rubber cables on budget headphones are the first thing to fail. The frame is a modern grey design with faux-leather ear cushions and a circular over-ear earpiece shape, and AILIHEN positions it for movies and gaming as well as music. It's rated for teens and adults and carries a one-year warranty.
Who should buy it: students, remote workers, commuters and gamers who want one cable, one jack and zero setup. Anyone plugging into a laptop, desktop, tablet or phone with a headphone port. Anyone who wants a mic for calls without paying for a headset.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for active noise cancellation → Sony. It's the only one of the two that cancels noise electronically.
• Best for a microphone and in-line volume control → AILIHEN. Both are on the cable, ready for calls and meetings.
• Best for travel packing → AILIHEN. It folds, weighs about 7 ounces and comes with a pouch; Sony's protection is a hard case instead.
• Best for a known audio brand → Sony. Straightforward brand familiarity if that's what you're after.
• Best for plug-and-play simplicity → AILIHEN. 3.5 mm jack, no battery, no pairing, no charging.
• Best for teens, students and shared household use → AILIHEN. A one-year warranty, low-fuss build and grey finish suit daily abuse.
• Best for long-haul flights and constant engine drone → Sony. Active cancellation is the correct tool for steady low-frequency noise.
• Best for buyers who want a case included → Sony. The bundle includes a protective headphone case.
If noise cancellation is the actual reason you're shopping, I'd buy the Sony. Active cancellation is a fundamentally different capability from passive isolation, and no cushion on earth substitutes for it on a plane. But if you're the more common shopper — someone who wants a reliable wired over-ear headphone with a mic, a tangle-resistant cable, a folding frame and a pouch, for a laptop, a commute or a study desk — I'd buy the AILIHEN C90-1. In my opinion it's the more honest, more complete package for everyday wired listening, and the spec sheet tells you exactly what you're getting. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since that's the one thing that can genuinely swing this call.
what is the best wired noise cancelling headphones
There's no single answer, because "noise cancelling" gets used for two different things. If you mean active cancellation — electronics that reduce steady background noise — the Sony ZX110NC is the one of these two that fits. If you mean passive isolation from a good cushion seal, the AILIHEN C90-1 fits, and it adds a mic and volume control on the cable.
what are the best wired noise cancelling headphones
In my opinion, "best" depends on your priority. For quieting engine drone and constant hum, choose Sony — it's an active noise-cancelling design. For a folding, lightweight wired headphone with a 40 mm dynamic driver, in-line volume control, a microphone and a braided tangle-resistant cable, choose AILIHEN.
is there wired noise cancelling headphones
Yes, and both of these are wired. Sony's ZX110NC is wired and actively noise cancelling. The AILIHEN C90-1 is wired with passive noise isolation, which the spec sheet lists as passive noise cancellation — meaning it relies on the ear cushion seal rather than electronics.
how to noise cancelling wired headphones
Plug them in and use them the way the design intends. On the Sony, the active circuitry handles the cancellation once powered. On the AILIHEN, the isolation comes from the protein-leather cushions and the added noise-isolating pad, so getting a proper seal over your ears is what actually reduces outside sound.
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