Soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, 98.5% Noise Reduction, Adaptive Noise Cancelling to Ears and Environment, Hi-Res Sound, 50H Battery, Wireless Charging (Renewed)

Why it's worth it

Anker's Liberty 4 NC blocks far more noise than its price suggests, with adaptive cancellation that adjusts to your ear canal and 10 hours per charge. It won't match Bose on a plane, but it embarrasses earbuds costing several times as much.

This is the pair that makes the expensive ones a harder sell. SoundGuys and Head-Fi community testing consistently rank the Liberty 4 NC ahead of every other budget ANC earbud, matching what flagship models managed a few years ago. Anker's own figure is 98.5 percent noise reduction. Take the marketing number with salt, but the independent verdict backs the general point.

Battery is the other headline. Anker rates 10 hours per charge and 50 with the case, which is roughly double what the Bose manages per bud. If you fly, that's the difference between arriving with music and arriving without it. Wireless charging on the case is a nice touch at this tier, and LDAC support means Android listeners aren't stuck with basic Bluetooth audio.

From our review of 8 noise-cancelling wireless earbuds, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +This is the pair that makes the expensive ones a harder sell
• +Battery is the other headline
• +The dual-driver setup — an 11mm custom-tuned driver handling the heavy lifting — produces sound that's fuller and more detailed…
• +Adaptive ANC 2.0 recalculates in real time based on both your ear canal and the noise around you, which is the same broad idea…

What to know

• –The included ear tips are the weak link
• –Maximum volume runs lower than some people expect, which is a real annoyance if you listen loud or use these in genuinely noisy…