Best overall under £150
Sony WH-CH730N
- Award-winning sound at this price
- Light, and folds flat
- Clear calls beside a busy road
Best for: Commuters who want good sound, clear calls and a light pair that folds
Catch: Office voices still get through.
Best noise-cancelling headphones under £150
The Sony WH-CH730N is the pair to get under £150: reviewers rate its sound and calls above anything else at this price, once you switch to the Clear EQ preset. Want more comfort and features? The Soundcore Space 2. On sale, the Sennheiser Accentum is the bargain.
Updated 4 November 2026
If you want something different
Most comfortable
Soundcore Space 2
- Soft cushions, comfy for hours
- A cable for in-flight screens
- Over 40 hours per charge
Best for: Long journeys, and Android phones that can use LDAC
Catch: Reviewers split on the sound.
Best value on sale
Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
- About 50 hours per charge
- Connects to phone and laptop at once
- Quiets trains and traffic well
Best for: Listeners who want calm, balanced sound and aptX HD
Catch: Doesn't fold and has no case.
Good to know
What matters at £150, and the trade-offs to expect.
Where you'll wear them
Planes and the Tube reward strong low-frequency cancelling. Offices need help with voices, which no pair at this price fully gives.
Your phone
LDAC helps only on Android phones that support it, and aptX HD the same. iPhones use AAC, which all three handle.
Calls
For lots of calls, the Sony had the clearest microphones in the reviews we read.
Comfort over hours
Weight and cushions decide long-haul comfort. Soft memory foam and a gentle clamp beat a lighter pair that presses.
The trade-offs that matter
Engine hum vs office chatter
All three tame trains, planes and air conditioning. None of them silences nearby conversations, so for a busy office you'd still notice the gap to a flagship.
Tweak the sound before you judge it
The Sony sounds muffled out of the box, and the Sennheiser's bass can boom with bass boost on. A few minutes in each app changes them a lot.
Portability
The Sony and Soundcore fold flat; the Sennheiser only swivels and has no case. If it lives in a backpack, that matters.
Final buying advice: Buy the Sony WH-CH730N if you want the best sound and calls under £150. Choose the Soundcore Space 2 if comfort and features matter more, especially with an Android phone. If it's still on sale, the Sennheiser Accentum is the cheapest way to get a well-made pair with a 50-hour battery.
How they compare
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Budget | Budget | Budget |
| Battery, noise cancelling on (claimed) | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Weight | 207 g | 264 g | 222 g |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD |
| Two devices at once | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Folds / case | Folds flat, no case | Folds flat, no hard case | Doesn't fold, no case |
| Headphone cable | No | Yes, 3.5 mm | No |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Is the Sony WH-CH730N better than the WH-CH720N?
Reviewers say yes: it folds, its cups feel more premium, and its sound is fuller once the EQ is set. It launched in the UK at the same price as the older model.
Does the Sennheiser Accentum fold?
No. Its cups swivel flat, but the headband doesn't fold and there's no case or pouch in the box. Reviewers called that the main letdown.
Do these block noise on the Underground?
They help a lot with rumble. Expert Reviews found the Soundcore highly effective against Tube rumble, but on every pick here higher squeals and voices still get through.
Related guides
How we reached this
We shortlisted noise-cancelling headphones that independent reviewers rate well and that we saw selling under £150 at a major shop, then compared them on the makers' specs.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Sony UK: WH-CH730N product page, What Hi-Fi?: Sony WH-CH730N review, TechRadar: Sony WH-CH730N review, Tom's Guide: Sony WH-CH730N review, Soundcore UK: Space 2 product page, Tom's Guide: Soundcore Space 2 review, What Hi-Fi?: Soundcore Space 2 review, Expert Reviews: Anker Soundcore Space 2 review, Sennheiser: introducing Accentum Wireless, What Hi-Fi?: Sennheiser Accentum Wireless review, Tom's Guide: Sennheiser Accentum review.