Noise-cancelling isn’t essential but it’s particularly handy if you’re going to be spending a lot of time using your headphones on public transport or in other busy environments. Generally speaking, 'headphones' refer to on-ear and over-ear designs whose earpads nestle on or around your ears, while 'earbuds' cover in-ear models https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq-E92r-iOE