Silence is the ultimate luxury at 30,000 feet. We tested the flagship ANC headphones to see which one actually drowns out the crying baby in 4A.
The Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Verdict: The king of silence. The ANC is adaptive and eerily good. Battery life (30h) survives the longest haul.
- Pros: Class-leading ANC, lightweight.
- Cons: Doesn't fold down as compact as older models.
The Runner Up: Bose QC Ultra
Verdict: Comfort king. If you have a larger head or wear glasses, these clamp less than the Sonys.
The Apple Option: AirPods Max
Verdict: Beautiful, heavy, expensive. Best transparency mode in the game, but the case is a joke.