Back to school: my pick of the 4 best ANC headphones for study – affordable, durable noise-canceling cans this Prime Day

Do you need headphones for the next term or semester? I understand that. And is money, um, relatively tight? Again, I understand – and the good news is that a huge sales event known as Amazon Prime Day is here to help.

See all early Prime Day deals on Amazon

I’m also here to help as TechRadar’s audio editor and full-time headphone tester since 2019. So, while I flatter myself, I know what makes a good set of headphones – and which pairs lend themselves to studying it isn’t it these flagship kits few can afford on a student loan.

1. CMF Headphone Pro: artistic over-ears that won’t break the bank

CMF Headphone Pro either next to the Nothing Headphone (1) or on a table with accessories in the box

(Image credit: Future)

Did you know that CMF is simply the more affordable arm of Nothing — so these headphones carry a lot of Nothing Headphone (a) magic, just in a more affordable build? And what a lovely original construction it is too.

I tested these budget-friendly, highly comfortable and surprisingly customizable over-ear headphones, and if zealous, bass-hungry sound quality sounds like your thing, you’ll love these. Add to this the exceptional battery life, the kind of hearing test (and personal sound profile curation) I’m more used to seeing in headphones much higher up the food chain, an ‘Energy slider’ that can ramp up the low end even more, and a glorious volume wheel on the right earcup that’s reminiscent of very more expensive headgear (the kind made by a company named after a fruit, if you get my drift) and they’re a winning combination.

All this for a fee of under-$100 / £80 – before do we start looking for discounts? OK, the ANC is passable rather than great, and you don’t get a hard case, but still, you’ll struggle to find a more original set of affordable headphones that offer so much for this little. Do you need more? Read my glowing 4.5-star CMF Headphone Pro review.

CMF Headphone Pro

TechRadar’s official review results

2. OneOdio Focus A6: one of the team’s best budget headphones by a mile

OneOdio Focus A6 over-ear headphones held by the head strap over a Parisian stool

(Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

For one of the TechRadar team, these are the best affordable cans they have ever tested – and it’s not even close, as a quick scan of our 4.5-star OneOdio Focus A6 review shows.

You know the flagship Apple cans I vaguely mentioned before – the ones that very few of us can afford? This particular team member prefers the product you’re looking at here to the elite over-ears for audio. What else makes them so good? Well, USB-C audio support, a solid and classic build quality plus a super slim companion app you very rarely see at this level and Bluetooth 6.0 to boot.

Again, the ANC is very good rather than stellar, but this is budget friendly territory and you’ll struggle to improve it at something like this price point. Highly recommended.

OneOdio Focus A6

TechRadar’s official review results

3. 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51: ignore the name — focus on the value

1Several SonoFlow Pro HQ51 headphones held in a man's hands

(Image credit: Future)

Try to get past the name that sounds like some sort of water filtration system (sorry, maybe just me?) and there’s a musically sensitive and expressive set of headphones here that will reward you time and time again for your nominal asking fee.

In fact, we called them the “ultimate in sound-per-pound value” in our 4.5-star in-depth 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review. The aesthetic is much more ‘your average set of basic cans’ here, but at school, college or university (where the safety of your valuables will never be far from your mind), that’s no bad thing. And while they might look fairly anonymous, the budget has definitely been spent on the drivers under the hood, because they sound great for the money.

Here the app is not very smart, but it is functional. Also, the battery life is long, the ANC is rock bottom and you can even listen via 3.5mm with the included cable in the box. If you don’t mind their relatively anonymous appearance, it’s a winner.

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

TechRadar’s official review results

4. Sony over-ears, but not as you know them

Sony WH-CH520N headphones held in hand

(Image credit: Future)

Along with the flagship Sony WH-1000XM6 and even newer, no doubt even fancier Collexion set of cans, there is a cheaper set of Sony over-ears. And while they’re a bit older now (having launched in Spring 2023), they still boast effective noise cancellation and many aspects of Sony’s sound quality that made their high-end siblings the industry standard.

The name – Sony WH-CH720 – is instantly forgettable, but the sound quality is not. OK, the build is a little bit plasticky and you don’t get hi-res codecs, but the ANC does a good job of getting extraneous sounds out for the money. And while the sound feels just a tad compressed when pitted against more expensive rivals, Sony’s Sound Connect companion app helps fine-tune things and make them a great value for money.

Given their relative age, I’d also look for additional discounts on Prime Day…