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If you want a wired work headset that handles calls on almost any device you own, choose Wantek USB-A/USB C/3.5mm; if you need passive hearing protection that physically blocks loud environments for a child, choose Dr.meter EM200. These two products both get filed under "noise cancelling," but they solve completely different problems, and picking the wrong one means returning it. Here's how I'd separate them.
• Wantek's biggest strength: one headset with three connection options (3.5mm, USB-A and USB-C adapter) plus a noise-reducing mic, so it moves between a work laptop, a personal PC and a phone without dongles.
• Wantek's biggest trade-off: it's a wired, on-ear headset built for voice calls and meetings, not for blocking out a loud room — its "noise cancelling" work is done in the microphone, not on your ears.
• Dr.meter EM200's biggest strength: genuine passive attenuation rated at SNR 32dB / NRR 26dB, with memory foam cushions, foldable ABS shells and a headband that adjusts from toddlers up to adults.
• Dr.meter EM200's biggest trade-off: it's earmuffs, not a headset — no microphone, no audio playback, and it deliberately reduces noise rather than eliminating it.
• Who Wantek is for: anyone who spends the day on calls and needs one headset that fits a mixed-device desk.
• Who Dr.meter EM200 is for: parents of noise-sensitive kids heading to fireworks, concerts, air shows or a noisy classroom.
This is a business-grade wired headset, and the spec sheet makes that clear: on-ear placement, rounded earpieces, a professional theme, and a bundle that includes the headset, cable, manual and the 3.5mm/USB/USB-C adapter in the box. The whole pitch is flexibility. You can plug into a USB-A port on an office laptop, switch to USB-C on a newer machine, or use the 3.5mm jack on a phone or tablet — no drivers required. That single detail is what separates it from most cheap headsets, which force you to pick a connector and live with it.
The microphone is where the noise handling actually happens. Wantek builds a noise-reduction sound card into the mic, and the description references DSP (digital signal processing) to clean up voice capture during calls. Read that precisely: this headset reduces noise going out to the person you're talking to. It does not silence your office or your roommate. If you're buying it hoping to disappear into quiet during a flight, you're looking at the wrong category.
Buy it if you bounce between a work laptop, a home PC and a phone, and you want one wired headset for Skype, conference calls, call-center work or online courses. Skip it if you want to block out ambient sound for yourself, want wireless freedom, or need a headset for a child — this is sized and styled for adults, and it ships with a 2-year warranty.
Dr.meter EM200: Who It's For
The EM200 is a different animal entirely, and it's worth being blunt about that: it's a pair of kids' ear defenders with cat ears and stickers, not a listening device. There's no mic, no cable, no Bluetooth. What it does is reduce sound pressure before it reaches a child's ears, and it does so passively — triple-layer sound-dampening foam inside ABS shells, with a stated SNR of 32dB and NRR of 26dB.
That rating matters, and so does the caveat that comes with it. Dr.meter states plainly that it reduces noise but does not completely block it, and that's the right way to read any passive protector. Voices stay audible, which is exactly what you want when you need to hear "Mommy, look!" at a monster truck rally. It's aimed at noise-sensitive kids, concentration support during study, and autism sensory use — situations where a child needs the world turned down, not switched off.
Comfort and practicality look well thought out. The cushions are memory foam wrapped in soft PU leather, and the ABS outer shells are there to hold the shape and spread pressure so kids don't end up with pinched ears or red marks. Surfaces are easy to wipe clean. The headband is adjustable enough to fit toddlers through teenagers and adults, and the whole thing folds down to roughly palm size so it disappears into a school bag, handbag or suitcase. The package includes two stickers for personalization. Dr.meter also notes a fitting tip: if it feels tight, stretching it over a size 3 soccer ball for four hours loosens it up.
It's also certified — ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1 — which is the kind of paperwork you want on a product whose entire job is protecting a child's hearing. The item weight is listed at 0.24 kg.
Buy it if you have a noise-sensitive child and you're heading somewhere loud: fireworks, concerts, sports events, air shows, theme parks, or a busy classroom. Skip it if you want to listen to music, take calls, or need active noise cancellation for an adult commuting on a plane.
• Best for taking calls → Wantek USB-A/USB C/3.5mm. The noise-reducing mic and DSP-based voice capture are the whole point.
• Best for blocking loud environments → Dr.meter EM200. Passive attenuation with a stated SNR 32dB / NRR 26dB.
• Best for device flexibility → Wantek USB-A/USB C/3.5mm. 3.5mm, USB-A and USB-C in one package, no drivers, works across Windows, Mac OS X, iOS and Android.
• Best for kids and sensory needs → Dr.meter EM200. Adjustable headband, memory foam cushions, foldable, and safety-certified.
• Best for all-day comfort at a desk → Wantek USB-A/USB C/3.5mm. 211g, breathable foam-and-leather pads, rotatable mic boom for left or right wear.
• Best for travel and storage → Dr.meter EM200. It collapses to palm size.
• Best for durability paperwork → Dr.meter EM200. ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1 certification; Wantek counters with a 2-year warranty.
• Best for wireless freedom → neither. Both are strictly wired or mechanical. If that's your priority, keep shopping.
If I had to pick one, it would depend entirely on the job — but if you're the typical shopper searching this comparison, I'd buy the Wantek. In my opinion it's the more broadly useful product: one headset that covers calls, meetings, classes and casual listening across three connection types, with a mic tuned for voice and a light on-ear build you can wear all day. The Dr.meter EM200 is genuinely good at what it does, but it does one thing. I'd only recommend it if there's a child in your life who needs real hearing protection in loud places — in which case it's the better buy of the two, no contest.
what is the best noise cancelling over ear headphones
There's no single answer, because "noise cancelling" covers two different technologies here. The Wantek is an on-ear wired headset whose noise reduction happens in the microphone for clearer calls, while the Dr.meter EM200 is an over-ear passive protector rated SNR 32dB / NRR 26dB. Pick based on whether you need to be heard or need to block sound out.
what are the best noise cancelling over ear headphones
For blocking sound, focus on the attenuation rating rather than the label — the EM200's SNR 32dB / NRR 26dB with triple-layer foam is a concrete, measurable figure. For calls, focus on the microphone: the Wantek's built-in noise-reduction sound card and DSP are what clean up your voice. Both are legitimate, but they're aimed at different buyers.
what are the best noise cancelling in ear headphones
Neither of these is an in-ear product, so if that's what you want, this comparison won't help you. The Wantek is on-ear with foam-and-leather pads; the Dr.meter EM200 is an over-ear earmuff style. In-ear models work on a different principle entirely, usually sealing the ear canal with a tip.
how to replace ear pads on bose noise cancelling headphones
I can't answer that one — it's specific to Bose, and neither product here is a Bose. What I can tell you is what's serviceable on these two: the Wantek's pads are foam and leather on an adjustable headband, and the EM200's memory foam cushions have easy-to-clean PU leather surfaces, but neither data sheet lists replacement pads as a supplied item.
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