Bose QuietComfort headphones are the ones everybody names first when the topic is noise cancelling. They earned that. But the current QuietComfort and QuietComfort Ultra models run $349 to $429, and that’s a hard pill when all you really want is some quiet on a flight or at a noisy desk. The gap between Bose and the cheaper crowd has closed a lot over the last couple years though. I went looking for over ear ANC headphones that cost way less and still handle the main job, and ended up with these five.
None of them beat Bose on every single thing. A couple get close enough that the price difference is hard to argue with. I sorted them by how well they hold up as a real Bose substitute, not just by who’s cheapest. Prices move around on Amazon so treat the numbers below as a ballpark.
| Headphones | Price | Battery (ANC on) | Rating |
| Sony WH-CH720N | ~$90 | 35 hrs | 4.4 |
| Sennheiser ACCENTUM | ~$130 | 50 hrs | 4.2 |
| JBL Tune 770NC | ~$100 | 70 hrs | 4.5 |
| Soundcore Space One | ~$80 | 40 hrs | 4.3 |
| 1MORE SonoFlow Pro | ~$88 | 65 hrs | 4.3 |
1
Sony WH-CH720N
Best all-round Bose swap
4.4(849 reviews)
Super lightMultipoint
At around 192 grams these are the lightest pair on the list, and you feel it after an hour. The ANC won’t fully erase a jet engine the way a Bose QC Ultra does, but for office chatter and general drone it’s plenty. Sony’s app lets you tweak the EQ and the DSEE upscaling adds a little life to compressed tracks. Battery sits at 35 hours which is the shortest here, so if you forget to charge often, look further down.
2
Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless
Best sound of the bunch
4.2(64,000+ reviews)
Sennheiser tuningaptX support
If sound quality is what pulls you toward Bose in the first place, this is the one to hear. Sennheiser’s house tuning is warm and detailed without getting shouty, and the app has a proper parametric EQ if you like to fiddle. ANC is good, a notch below Bose, fine for trains and planes. The headband clamp runs a touch firm out of the box so the first few days can feel snug. Loosens up after that.
3
JBL Tune 770NC
Battery life for days
4.5(13,859 reviews)
70hr batteryHighest rated
Seventy hours with ANC off, and even with it on you’re getting close to a month of normal use between charges. That’s the headline. The adaptive ANC reacts to your surroundings and does a solid job on low rumble. Sound leans bass heavy out of the box, which some people love and others will want to dial back in the app. These also fold flat, so they pack better than most. Best mix of rating, price, and stamina here.
4
Soundcore Space One
Comfiest for the money
4.3(1,695 reviews)
Plush padsStrong ANC
Anker’s Space One punches way above $80 on noise cancelling. It’s genuinely close to mid tier Bose on steady drone, which nobody expects at this price. The earcups are deep and the pads are soft enough for long sessions. They’re a bit heavier than the Sony at 263 grams, so glasses wearers might notice some pressure over a long flight. LDAC support is a nice touch if your phone sends it.
5
1MORE SonoFlow Pro
Cheapest hi-res pick
4.3(7,487 reviews)
Hi-Res LDACBudget
For under ninety bucks you get LDAC hi-res audio and 65 hours of battery, which on paper reads like something twice the price. The SonoFlow Pro sounds clean and the ANC is decent, not class leading but well past what the price suggests. Build is mostly plastic so it doesn’t feel as premium in the hand as the Sennheiser. If you want the most features per dollar and don’t mind that, this is the value play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do any of these match Bose on noise cancelling?
Not quite, if we’re being straight. The Soundcore Space One gets the closest on steady low rumble and honestly surprises people at $80. For flights the Bose QC Ultra still wins, but the gap is smaller than the price gap.
Which has the best sound quality?
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM. Warm, detailed tuning with a real parametric EQ in the app. The 1MORE SonoFlow Pro is the runner up thanks to LDAC support.
Are these good for phone calls?
The Sony WH-CH720N and JBL Tune 770NC handle calls best of the group. All five have mics, but those two pull your voice out of background noise more cleanly.
Will they work with both my phone and laptop at once?
Yes, every pair here except the entry config of the 1MORE supports Bluetooth multipoint, so you can stay paired to two devices and switch on the fly.
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