Anker Soundcore announced new earbuds at CES 2026, including the AeroFit 2 Pro with a unique dual open and noise-canceling design, and the Sleep A30 Special sleep earbuds with improved battery life and lower price, featuring integration with the Calm app.
The Google Pixel Buds 2a are a compact, stylish upgrade with ANC and spatial audio, offering good comfort and integration with Android devices, but they are priced higher than their predecessors and have some flaws in touch controls and sound quality, making them a decent but not outstanding choice in the midrange earbuds market.
Apple has enhanced its AirPods Pro 3 by refining its active noise cancellation (ANC) technology through improved design, better fit with foam ear tips, and advanced microphone and acoustics engineering, enabling more precise noise control and new features like personalized transparency, Adaptive Audio, and better hearing protection, all integrated into a redesigned, more effective system.
The AirPods Pro 3 offer significant upgrades over the previous model, including enhanced active noise cancellation, new foam-infused ear tips for better passive noise isolation, live translation capabilities, and heart-rate monitoring for workouts, along with improved audio quality through redesigned venting and driver adjustments. They are available for pre-order at $249 and launch alongside the iPhone 17 series.
Apple announced a new language translation feature called Live Translation for its upcoming AirPods 3 Pro, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 2, enabling real-time language translation in several languages, with more to come, and will be available with the latest firmware and iOS 26.
Bose has announced the second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones with improved active noise-cancelling, longer battery life, USB-C support for lossless audio, and new design options, available for pre-order at $449 with release on October 2, 2025.
Belkin is launching four affordable earbuds, including a wired model with active noise cancellation (ANC) that draws power from connected devices, and three wireless models with features like splash resistance, multiple listening modes, and long battery life, all priced at $34.99 and available starting September 2025.
The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are sleep-focused earbuds featuring active noise cancellation, a snore-detection algorithm, and customizable sleep settings via an app, designed for comfort and effective noise masking, now available in two colors.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Buds 3 FE, featuring a new design similar to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, active noise cancellation, and support for Google's Gemini AI assistant via hands-free commands, priced at $149.99 and available from September 4. The earbuds offer up to 6 hours of ANC playback and 24 hours with the case, with Gemini support currently limited to Android 16 devices.
The upcoming AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to feature significantly improved active noise cancellation, driven by a new H3 chip, addressing user requests for better noise blocking and enhancing the overall audio experience.
This article reviews the top noise-canceling earbuds, highlighting the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for its superior adaptive ANC and immersive audio, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for seamless Apple ecosystem integration, the Sony WF-1000XM5 for overall sound quality, the EarFun Air Pro 4 for budget-friendly performance, and the Beats Fit Pro for workout durability, emphasizing their features, comfort, and suitability for different needs.
Bose has announced upgraded QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds featuring improved adaptive active noise cancellation with a smoother response to sudden noise spikes, enhanced call quality using hearing aid technology, and a new wax guard for easier cleaning. The earbuds, priced at $299, will be available later this summer, along with upgraded SoundLink Micro and a new SoundLink Plus Bluetooth speaker, offering longer battery life, better sound, and new features.
Sam's Club is offering a doorbuster deal on Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), reducing the price to $139, the lowest ever. This deal is part of a 48-page December ad and will be available online starting December 6, with early access for Sam's Club Plus members. The AirPods 4 were released in September alongside the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with the ANC model originally priced at $179.
The KEF Mju7 wireless ANC headphones, designed by Ross Lovegrove, offer excellent build quality, comfort, and a signature British sound. While they lack some features like transparency mode and a smartphone app, they deliver a muscular and well-defined audio experience. Priced at $399.99, they cater to KEF enthusiasts who appreciate high-quality sound and design.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the African National Congress (ANC) will seek to form a government of national unity with various opposition parties to address key issues such as job creation, economic growth, and crime. This comes after the ANC failed to secure an outright majority in the recent general election, winning just over 40% of the vote. Ramaphosa emphasized the need for national dialogue to rebuild social cohesion and has already initiated talks with five opposition parties.