Wireless Headphones Compared: Noise Cancelling, Battery and Weight
Four of these seven cancel noise: AirPods Max 2, Beats Studio Pro and Sony’s WH-1000XM4C and WH-CH720N. Battery runs from 16 hours (Master & Dynamic) to 50 (Beats Solo 4, Sony WH-CH520), and weight from 147 g to 385 g, which you feel by the end of a long flight. Check the codec against your phone: iPhones stream AAC, so Sony’s LDAC only helps on Android, and the Master & Dynamic, which has aptX but no AAC, falls back to basic SBC on an iPhone.
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| Product | Price today | Fit | Noise cancelling | Battery | Weight | Best codec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple AirPods Max 2, Midnight | $474.99checked 13h ago | Over-ear | Yes | 20 h | 385 g | AAC |
| Sony WH-1000XM4C Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Black | $298.00checked 13h ago | Over-ear | Yes | 27 h | 253 g | LDAC (Android), AAC |
| Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones, Sandstone | $199.95checked 13h ago | Over-ear | Yes | 40 h, 24 h with ANC | 260 g | AAC; lossless over USB-C |
| Sony WH-CH720N Noise Cancelling Headphones, Black | $88.00checked 13h ago | Over-ear | Yes | 35 h | 192 g | AAC |
| Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, Warm White | $117.48checked 13h ago | On-ear | No | 50 h | 217 g | AAC; lossless over USB-C |
| Sony WH-CH520 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, White | $38.00checked 13h ago | On-ear | No | 50 h | 147 g | AAC |
| Master & Dynamic MW50+ Wireless Headphones | $110.00checked 13h ago | On-ear or over-ear (two sets of pads) | No | 16 h | 240 g | aptX (no AAC) |
Prices were read in the last 24 hours; the price at checkout is what you pay. Specs are from the makers’ pages where they publish them and from the brands’ own listings otherwise; checked against Apple: AirPods Max 2 tech specs, Beats: Studio Pro, headphonecheck.com: Master & Dynamic MW50+.