Image Credit: Skullcandy

Skullcandy Hesh ANC are one of the cheapest pairs of active noise canceling wireless headphones that don’t skimp on any of the basics.

Often active noise cancellation is associated with expensive headphones or budget headphones that lack in many areas. Skullcandy’s recently released Hesh ANC headphones strike the perfect balance between cost and nailing the essentials. Hesh ANC are based on the Hesh 3 and Hesh Evo wireless headphones, with the addition of ANC for an extra $30. While they aren’t the company’s first set of noise canceling headphones, they are the cheapest at retail.

40mm drivers provide “exceptional Skullcandy sound quality” with clear and rich sound that’s been refined over four generations. An ultra-light design, along with soft pads will give all-day comfort. Once you’re done listening, the headphones fold flat and collapse into the included travel case.

Active noise cancellation uses 4 microphones to blocks out the noise around you. When you need to hear your surroundings, Ambient Mode can be activated from the physical button. The same button also controls calls, playback and activates the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri), plus there are dedicated volume up and down buttons.

Bluetooth 5.0 ensures a stable connection and should fix any issues some users had with connectivity on previous pairs. Hesh ANC will last for 22 hours on a full charge, with Rapid Charge via USB-C giving 3 additional hours from just 10 minutes of charge. As on previous Skullcandy earbuds, built-in Tile tracking should help you locate lost pairs, by ringing the headphones from the Tile app.

The Hesh ANC are $128.99 and are available to order today in True Black. Skullcandy’s tagline with the Hesh ANC is “Listen more. Flex less.” They sure do nail the basics, but what features are you missing between these and the best-of-the-best at upwards of $300? They may fall slightly short of the industry leading sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life found on Sony and Bose, as well as some features such as wear detection and multi-device pairing, but for an additional $200, you’ll need to ask yourself “are these additions worth it?”

For more of the best headphones at every price point, find our guide here, such as these great ANC headphones under $100.