Best Over-Ear Headphones

In contrast to earbuds, headphones over-ear are a complete encapsulation of your ears and allow larger drivers to provide deeper bass and wider soundstages. Many include Bluetooth technology and active noise cancellation.

The latest Master and Dynamic MW65 update features excellent audio, a variety of ANC modes and impressive battery life with a stylish and distinctive design.

1. Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Sony has improved on an already great pair of headphones with the WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They are lighter, better built and feature an audio profile that is more balanced (though they are bass heavy). They also have an app to adjust the sound. They've upgraded their active noise cancellation, removing more ambient sounds, and have a longer battery life.

These headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, and Sony LDAC is also compatible with. The latter can transfer high-resolution music, but you'll need compatible devices and streaming services. Additionally, the WH-1000XM4s can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time and automatically switch between them as needed. This feature is accessible through the Sony Headphones Connect App and is very effective.

The touch panels are more sensitive than the XM3. They respond more quickly to the tap of a panel, and this makes them easier to control during a call or to listen to media. Sony has also added a feature to make voice calls more precise and clear during calls. This is an obvious and a nice addition.

While the WH1000XM4s aren't perfect, they're one of the most comfortable wireless headphones we've ever tried. They are comfortable, well-made, and have a battery that can last for more than 30 continuous hours. They can be used passively using a TRS cable. This is great for travel or preserving energy.

The WH1000XM4s provide a superior alternative to the Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Over-Ears Px7 S2. The Sonys are more comfortable and their ANC can block out more background noise. The B&Ws have a more flexible EQ and an app companion to adjust the audio performance. The B&Ws are better built and can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. They also support aptXHD and feature an AI-driven engine that attempts to up-scale compressed music to high-resolution. This is known as DSEE Extreme, and it enhances the clarity of music when listening to lossless audio files.

2. Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

The $329 Bose QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones are the latest iteration of a headphone that became an essential for commuters and passengers around the world. The new model does not reinvent the wheel. It retains the same formula that made its predecessor so successful but it also includes the USB-C port and improved noise cancellation.

Similar to the QC 35 II before them, these over-ear Bose wirelss headphones sport a premium look and feel that oozes quality. The headband is constructed of plastic, but is sturdy and comfortable with metal hinges at the pivot points, and the familiar ratcheting action when you retract or extend the earcups. The cups are cushioned and have soft pads that can be worn over your ears without putting pressure on your head. When folded, they weigh 238 grams. You can wear them while wearing a sweater or coat as the noise-canceling works even when they are not on your head.

Despite their reputation as comfortable headphones however, the QC45s don't provide the best sound at this price. The frequencies are fairly flat and lack the details that headphones with higher prices might be able to bring out. The upper registers tend to be boosted, which is fine for most music, but could become a problem for more delicate or intricate music genres. The bass is great, but it lacks power.

The ability to pause the playback when you remove the headset is a feature that's missing. This is standard in this price range and is something that Bose's rivals have been offering for years. Another omission is the absence of an in-app EQ. Bose has preset EQs in the app, but it would be nice if there was an option to manually control.

Bluetooth 5.0 is supported, including multipoint and more advanced codecs like aptX Adaptive. Download the Bose Audio App to adjust your headsets sound and voice settings.

The QC45s come with four built-in microphones that pick up your voice during calls. The quality of calls is generally excellent however, the headphones don't come with the handy capability to muffle your voice during playback, which is something that other wireless headphones have. Update: A firmware update for the QC45s in February 2022 added manual settings for headphones blutooth EQ to the audio app. This is a great upgrade.

3. Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal is a French audio brand known for its high-performance headphones with long lasting comfort and a design that let listeners know they're listening to something unique. The Bathys are their first wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They look and sound stunning. They also come with a built-in high-performance USB DAC which means you can use them for wired and wireless listening.

The Bathys come with a great battery performance with Focal claiming 30 hours of continuous Bluetooth playtime. We had more than 40 hours of playback on average on a single charge. If you need to recharge, there's a light on the right earcup that will turn red when the headphone needs to be charged.

They come with a wide range of features for a pair of headphones of this price point that include support for multiple devices at once and automatic pairing (though you'll need to select your source device every time you need to listen). The headphones have an inbuilt microphone that works with voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. The headphones also feature an intuitive interface that makes it easy to control your music and take calls.

Bathys over-ear headphones perform well in our noise cancellation test, reducing ambient noise by an average of 9 decibels. They aren't as good as the ANC found in the Sony WH1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort45/QC45 Wireless but it is still effective.

The Bathys headphones blutooth - get redirected here - performed well in our headphone tests. Their frequency response was largely similar to the SoundGuys headphone curve with minor variations on the bass and mids. They have a bass-rich sound profile that adds a lot of boom to mixes, however, they can make instruments and vocals like cymbals seem a bit veiled.

They also have excellent leakage resistance, so you can wear them out in public without worrying about people hearing your music. The microphone has a decent recording quality through Bluetooth with only slight distortion in the mid to high treble frequency range.

4. Sennheiser Momentum 4

The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless is a new version of the company's most popular Bluetooth headsets. The Momentum 3 was a solid but not an outstanding entry in this category. The latest model is improved over the previous generation with a sleeker design, improved gesture controls, and a huge battery life.

The improvements aren't that obvious, but they make a pair of over-ears that seem like a step up from the previous model. The Momentum 4s are flat and do not fold. They come with a hardshell case to protect them while moving. The Momentum 4s are device-agnostic, like many other Bluetooth headphones of recent years, such as the ones from Bowers & Wilkins and Sony. This means they can work with both Android phones and Apple iPhones, however they don't have the extra features (like Find My support and head-tracked Spatial Audio) that you'll find on the AirPods.

The most notable change is the huge battery that can last for up to 60 hours with noise cancellation on. That's easily double what most of the competition can offer and is enough for a multi-day trip without worrying about finding a power outlet to charge them up.

Billy Steele, senior editor at Engadget and Engadget, gave the headphones an 82 percent score. He noted their sound quality and ANC features as strengths. He has only one complaint: they lack a sense gravitas in the mids and treble. This makes orchestral music sounds flat, not grand. The bass is well-rounded, but can be overemphasized, which can lead fatigue in songs that have heavy bass lines, like the drum hits of As I Lay Dying’s Forever. The cymbals sound smoky rather than full, and there's no real feeling of depth in the lows.

The Momentum 4s should not put pressure on your neck or ears. However, they can be a bit fidgety when wearing them around the house or during longer listening sessions. They can move around on your head with intense head movements. This can cause them to unexpectedly wake up which can be distracting when you are listening to music or calls. Fortunately they will shut down after 15 minutes of slumber by default, and can be switched off by pressing the power button.