The Closest Competitors There's no question as to whether Apple's AirPods Max are some of the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy, but they're also some of the most expensive. If their $550 price makes your jaw drop, we've got you covered with some compelling alternatives. The good news is, you can spend as little as $50 (yes, $50) on a pair of good noise-cancelling headphones. Of course, the more you spend, the more you'll get in terms of audio performance, active noise cancellation (ANC), and/or extra features, and the sweet spot for this category seems to lie in the $300 range. Keep in mind we're focusing primarily on headphones here, but there are plenty of good noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds to consider if you're not a fan of big, bulky cans over your ears.