Budget noise-cancellers
Active noise-cancelling cans don’t have to be pricey… but which are the killer killers?
Cheaper than moving to Shetland
Urbanista Miami
Hi-res-ready and with Bluetooth 5, the Miamis will handle anything Tidal can throw at them. They’ll last for 40 hours with ANC on, and Urbanista even throws in a carry-case, 3.5mm cable and plane adapter with its fold-flat cans.
Noise-cancelling here is restricted to on/off, with an ambient setting to boost external sound. It’s pretty good, eradicating most of the noise that pricier rivals can. Ambient mode works OK, but you might prefer to just take them off.
There’s a slight lack of detail throughout the frequency range as the Urbanistas gloss over finer details. It’s a pity because these cans get a lot right, with a nicely judged natural tonality, good stereo focus and plenty of depth.
Lindy BNX-100XT
Around 12 hours with ANC is nothing special, but there is Bluetooth 5 with aptx Low Latency, USB-C charging and auto-pausing. Build quality is respectable if not up there with the Miamis, the cans folding flat into a supplied hard case.
It’s a straightforward on/off choice again, with an ‘external audio pass-through’ option to hear what’s going on around you. The ANC is decent, with all but the most determined external noises subdued – without skewing the sound.
Talk about a split personality. Engage ANC with a hi-res file and the Lindys are an enjoyable listen with plenty of detail let in due to a relative lack of bass; but switch ANC off and they lose all sense of low-end decorum, swamping the mids.