Five noise-cancelling headphones make ClearPick's Canadian shortlist this year, priced from about $349 to $599 CAD and led by the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at 8.5/10. Owner sentiment is genuinely mixed across this set: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra's 18 mentions split almost evenly between praise for its ANC and complaints about call quality and Bluetooth drops, and the JBL Tour One M2's smaller sample leans negative on sound and value. The pack also contains a second, differently priced Sennheiser Momentum 4 catalog entry that was left out of this list to avoid featuring the same headphone twice under two slugs — see the flags below.
1. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — the top ClearPick score, a thin but favorable sample
The Momentum 4 posts the highest score in this set at 8.5/10, with subscores of 9.5 on sound quality and a perfect 10 on battery life. Its 5 recorded owner mentions lean favorable — 3 positive, 2 mixed, no negative reports logged — touching on comfort ("super nice on the ears"), touch controls that "shockingly work well," and a redesign one owner said improved function but cost some of the original's "character." One mixed comparison ranks it below Sony on raw ANC while still speaking well of it overall. At roughly $399 CAD it's mid-pack on price for this group.
2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra — best comfort and ANC subscores, a mention sample split down the middle
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra scores 8.3/10, with the highest noise-cancellation subscore in this set (9.5) and a strong 9.0 on comfort — but the weakest battery subscore at 6.5, reflecting a roughly 24-hour rated life. Its 18 owner mentions are the largest sample here and split close to evenly: 8 positive, 7 negative, 3 mixed. On the positive side, owners repeatedly single out the ANC and comfort for long sessions. On the negative side, call quality is a recurring complaint — one owner called it "terrible, people say I'm quiet, sometimes it doesn't pick me up at all and it sounds bad overall" — alongside reports of Bluetooth disconnects on first use and, from one owner, an audible creak in the build on a product "criminal for a product this expensive."
3. Sony WH-1000XM4 — strongest value subscore, mostly positive mentions
The WH-1000XM4 scores 8.3/10 and ties the Bose for second place, with the best value subscore in this set at 9.0. Its 13 owner mentions lean strongly positive — 8 positive, 4 negative, 1 mixed — with owners repeatedly citing ANC on flights and transit, comfort on long-haul travel, and price. The negative mentions cluster around a reported crackling sound in one ear that one owner says "seems to be a somewhat common issue based on threads in /r/sony," and a shallow ear-cup fit that doesn't suit larger ears.
4. Sony WH-1000XM6 — top noise-cancellation subscore, weakest comfort subscore
The WH-1000XM6 scores 8.0/10, with the highest noise-cancellation subscore of any headphone in this set (9.5, tied with the Bose) but the lowest comfort subscore (7.5). Its 6 owner mentions lean positive — 4 positive, 2 mixed, no negative reports logged — with several owners comparing it favorably to the AirPods Max on weight and comfort, and praising bass and vocal clarity. The mixed mentions are mild: one owner notes using it in hot, humid climates without an issue "yet," a qualifier rather than a complaint.
5. JBL Tour One M2 — the one pick where recorded sentiment leans negative
The Tour One M2 scores 7.5/10, and unlike the other four picks in this set, its owner mentions skew negative — 4 negative, 2 positive, 1 mixed, out of 7. The recorded complaints are pointed: one owner called the sound "somewhat muffled/tinny and doesnt bring out songs instruments and little details," another returned the headphones for a cheaper Skullcandy pair and said they "couldn't be happier," and a third called the price positioning confusing given how the headphones performed. The positive mentions cite Bluetooth connection quality and "rich bass and clear" sound, and the subscore data backs a strong 50-hour battery life. This is the one pick in the set where the recorded sentiment leans against the product more than the score alone would suggest.
Best For
| Sennheiser Momentum 4… | Bose QuietComfort Ult… | Sony WH-1000XM4 | Sony WH-1000XM6 | JBL Tour One M2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClearPick score | ✓ Highest, 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.0 | — |
| Noise cancellation subscore | — | ✓ 9.5 | 9.0 | ✓ 9.5 | — |
| Comfort subscore | 8.5 | ✓ Highest, 9.0 | 8.5 | — | 8.0 |
| Battery life subscore | ✓ Highest, 10 | — | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Reported sentiment | ✓ No negatives logged | Split evenly | Mostly positive | ✓ No negatives logged | — |
Who It’s For
sound quality and battery life matter most. It has the highest score and a perfect battery subscore, though its mention sample is the smallest here (5) and skews positive/mixed with nothing negative logged yet.
See review →
best-in-class noise cancellation and comfort for long wear sessions matter more than battery life. Its mention sample is the largest here and splits close to evenly, with call quality and Bluetooth stability as the recurring complaints.
See review →
you want the strongest value subscore and the most positive-leaning mention sample of the premium picks. Watch for the crackling-sound reports and a fit that doesn't suit larger ears.
See review →
maximum noise cancellation is the priority. It ties for the best ANC subscore in the set, though comfort is its weakest subscore and one owner mention notes ear-cup rubbing on longer sessions.
See review →
battery life and price matter more than a spotless sentiment record. It's the only pick here where recorded owner mentions lean more negative than positive.
See review →What owners actually say
What buyers love
“The ANC is incredibly good, my girlfriend was stood next to me in the street speaking quite loudly and I couldn’t hear anything”
r/headphones
“These things make sitting in airplanes silent. They're like a gift from the gods.”
r/buildapcsales
“The bass is deeper and punchier which I absolutely love. Vocals feel clearer too definitely not muddy, which was something I was worried about.”
r/SonyHeadphones
Common complaints
Poor call quality
The call quality is terrible, people say I'm quiet, sometimes it doesn't pick me up at all and it sounds bad overall
r/boseCrackling sound in one ear
I had to return mine. There was a crackling sound in one ear... Seems to be a somewhat common issue based on threads in /r/sony.
r/buildapcsalesMuffled, tinny sound
the audio is somewhat muffled/tinny and doesnt bring out songs instruments and little details
r/JBLOn score alone, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is the pick, and it has the cleanest owner-mention record of the five, though the smallest sample. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM4 tie for second on score, but their owner data tells different stories: the Bose splits almost evenly between ANC praise and call-quality or connectivity complaints, while the XM4's mentions lean solidly positive with a smaller crackling-sound and fit caveat. The Sony WH-1000XM6 has the strongest ANC subscore in the group and a positive mention record so far, at the cost of the lowest comfort subscore. The JBL Tour One M2 is the value play on price and battery, but it's also the only headphone in this set where the recorded owner sentiment actively leans against it — worth weighing before choosing it over the others on price alone.