Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the requirement of connecting an audio wire to your device. They're ideal for public transport, at work or at home.

wireless In headphones over-ear cans are available in a variety of designs and noise cancelling features. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Q30

A major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones are more attractive, feel more durable and are generally more polished. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft protein leather ear cups are a bit larger. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and connect them to mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also feature dual built-in microphones, which perform well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a wide variety of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to play podcasts and music in the style you like. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and makes these b uetooth headphones stand out.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. The Q30's sound is natural, but it is a bit treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we had better results with the Bass Booster equalizer). However, you can easily fix this with the Soundcore app, as there is an 8-band equalizer that can help you tweak.

These headphones have an power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup and an USB-C port to charge. The right earcup has play/pause, and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also come with an option to speak to them that allows you to request them to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your hand to activate ambient modes to allow you to hear everything around you without removing the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This gives you plenty of time for an extended flight or working for a long time. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge them. You'll also get an alert when your battery is nearing empty.

Focal Bathys wireless bluetooth

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of high-quality b uetooth headphones for Wireless In Headphones over-ear use that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They're made to be an elite high-end headphones that are ideal for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but are a great choice to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're a little more expensive than other similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is the main selling point.

The Focal Bathys come in a small, slim and attractive white fabric-finished retail box with all the accessories you need inside. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones and a USB-C cable to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

The battery's capacity is 600mAh, which will last for a whole day of listening to music casually. They also come with an audio input that you can make use of wired. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control their functions through an app (now known as Focal and Naim which is probably in line with their English Naim brand's products that are network-aware) or via the button on the left earcup which scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent', and 'full'.

The app lets you adjust various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including a'music' profile which sounds brighter and neutraler than other profiles) and the battery life. It also gives you the ability to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic' environment which adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a room with different soundproofing.

The Focal Bathys feature a bass-rich profile that adds more warmth, punch and impact to your favorite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals can sound muted, while details such as cymbals may be less prominent than other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears that have higher-end technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It's located at the top end of the'mainstream' headphones for over-ear, and is slipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s are expensive, but if you can find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones for over-ear use.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks that they would need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near-high resolution) is available, Wireless in headphones as is support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making calls without hands.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of shielding listeners from the traffic noises of busy airports and streets, too.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s aren't as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and transparency also. For instance, the bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, without reducing the other elements. Similar to Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's' ability to deliver accurate and precise bass notes.

Battery life is excellent and can last up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if off. This is enough to cover a weekend getaway or several days of heavy use.

The only real drawback here is that the XM5s don't have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or wear them in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it might be a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of time in the gym or lives in a rainy city.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones that fit over the ear that come with bluetooth headphone technology and noise cancelling. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with neutral audio profiles that emphasizes the mids and highs while not going too loud on either end of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for movies and music. They also provide higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones have a light design that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed out of memory foam that is covered in a woven fabric. They fit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a firm but not overly powerful clamping force, which ensures that the earcups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button at the top of the right earcup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. There's also a button that can be pushed, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press it once twice or three times for playback controls. Siri is activated by pressing and pressing the button. The buttons are well-placed and easy to use, but I would have liked the power button that could switch off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode when removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only wake up when you place them on your head once more.

Spatial audio is a cool feature. It utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPhones and iPads to determine where you are moving. Then, it repositions the sound to make it seem to be coming from that particular location. This creates a theater-like experience with videos and movies made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices are able to listen to audio in spatial format.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I would feel a little ripped off when I spend $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better in the next year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and improved battery life, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for most people.