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You might want to allow some noise through if you're using them in traffic-heavy areas, for example.

Other models give you greater flexibility and the ability to adjust the strength of the noise-cancelling based on where you're using them. Some simply allow you to switch ANC on or off, which is fine if you're listening to them on a train or plane. Noise-cancelling tends to go hand in hand with wireless Bluetooth connectivity, too, also giving you the freedom of no wires, plus a battery life that often pushes north of 24 hours. Most pairs of ANC ('active noise-cancelling') headphones not only include microphones to cancel out external sound but also to allow for chatting to friends and family, or for those video meetings that are all the rage right now. And every model we've recommended below fits that bill. Of course, we're only interested in noise-blocking headphones that also sound great when you do want to listen to some tunes (or watch a film or TV show, for that matter). In fact, many people use them even when they're not listening to music, just as a way to create some silence in which to concentrate – and with those people, we empathise. The best noise-cancelling headphones are great for allowing you to do just that.
