Which headphones work best in noisy environments?

All headphones reduce ambient noise, but the designs make the difference.

It plays a crucial role whether your headphones are open, semi-open or closed.

So if you’re looking for headphones that are explicitly suitable for loud environments, you’ll have to go for a closed system.
A simple tip on how to recognize a closed headphone: Look at its (earpiece) domes. If they are completely closed and have very few or no ventilation holes or even a grid, then you can be pretty sure that it is a closed model. If in doubt, it’s best to check our reviews, because we mention the build in the “Technical Specifications” box as well. But a look at the manufacturer’s website will also often tell you something about it. If not, we’ll be happy to help you.

• Do you want to know more about the difference between open, semi-open and closed headphones and which ones are suitable for which applications? Then take a look at our faq article “Open-back vs. Semi-open vs. Closed-back headphones: Which is best?“

So for noisy environments, loud and closed headphones are best.

DJs in particular need headphones that not only shield well, but can also deliver enough level to allow them to mix properly despite a loud PA.

• See also our quick check, “I need DJ headphones – what do I need to consider when buying?“
• In our reviews, we knock off these requirements for a good DJ headphones. You can find an overview of all DJ headphones here: → The best DJ headphones

But drummers also need headphones that isolate extremely well, an example here would be the Vic Firth Bluetooth Isolation Headphones VXHP0012 (review), which can attenuate ambient noise by a whopping 20 decibels.

This technology helps: Noise Cancelling (ANC)

In addition to the design and type, new technologies are now helping to protect us from annoying ambient noise. Headphones that have active noise cancellation pick up noise from outside via microphones, rotate them in phase and mix this anti-noise back in. Thus, these frequencies (in theory) completely cancel each other out. The advantage: Thanks to noise cancelling, the closed headphones increase the signal-to-noise ratio. In some cases, this works so well that hardly any external noise is perceived. Examples of headphones with very good ANC are the Sony WH-1000XM5 (review), the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (review) or the Apple AirPods Max (review).

But please pay attention: Activated noise cancelling has absolutely no place when actively participating in street traffic! This can lead to life-threatening situations if other traffic participants cannot be heard.

• If you want to know more about noise cancelling, we recommend taking a look at our guide “Noise-Canceling Headphones: What should I look for when buying them?“
• The best noise cancelling headphones