I spent more time than most at college — I not only did four years of undergraduate, but I also spent another year later earning a Master's degree. If there's someone who knows how important it is to keep out the noise when you're trying to work, it's me. How did I do it? With a pair of the best noise-canceling headphones. But which did I use?
My headphones of choice at the time were the Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones, which were then the best things around at blocking noise. You can't get those anymore, unfortunately, but you can find other headphones that do a an even better job at keeping out the noise of the cafeteria or your irritating roommate who just won't stop going on and on about their latest piece of homework (ask me how I know).
I also know that I can divide you guys pretty much directly down the middle — the ramen heroes who want the best bang for the buck, and the splurgers who spend their college money the moment they arrive on campus. So I've chosen two headphone options for you: a budget pair and a more premium option. Let's go!
The budget option — 1More Sonoflow Pro
I'll cut to the chase — even if you forget the price of the 1More Sonoflow Pro, they're still a standout pair of headphones that I'd argue everyone should have in a drawer somewhere in case their more premium pair gets broken. But why are they so good for dorm room dwellers and library frequenters on a budget?
For one, they're under $100, so you aren't going to spend three months of food budget on a set of over-ear noise makers. They're comfortable as well, so you won't have any problem doing work for hours and hours before you want to rip them off your head in painful frustration.
They sound excellent for the price as well, with very good bass and some detailed highs. You'll enjoy listening to just about any genre you might throw at them, be that electronica, classical music, R&B and everything in between.
Their ANC is the real winner here, though. It's going to have no problem at all keeping out the noise of the library, letting you concentrate on your studying and your homework. If you guys still do that.
Premium pick — Sony WH-1000XM6
I'm going to pretend that you guys don't do all your work with ChatGPT for a second, and tell you that the very best way of blocking out the noise of the library is the Sony WH-1000XM6. They've got a new ANC engine and chip that keeps the noise out dynamically, so you won't have to listen to that English student at the end of the table munching their way through a subway (again, ask me how I know).
They're also the best way of getting headphones that look cool on campus. After all, they're Sony's latest, and if you like to make sure you've got the newest and the best, you're not going to get much newest and bestest than the flagship Sony's launched only a couple of months back.
The new protective case is going to do a great job of keeping them safe in your college backpack, and the sound is great for whatever music you might want to throw at them. The perfect headphones for the college student who likes to show the world they have their finger on the tech pulse.
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