Budget earbuds with noise cancelling: a fortnight on the train

This is a sample story. We rode the same train line every morning with three pairs of budget earbuds that promise noise cancelling.

All three took the edge off the engine hum. Only one did anything about voices, and that pair also had the best fit with the medium tips.

Our verdict: good with caveats. If your commute is mostly engine noise, the cheapest pair is enough; if it is people, spend a little more.