Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run a wire from your audio device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones can have an elegant design and outstanding noise cancellation. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are an important upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive, feel more durable, and have a more polished look. They're still mostly made of plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft protein leather cups are bigger. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version to make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have two microphones built-in, which work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad selection of EQ presets that can be saved and adjusted to listen to podcasts and music in the style that you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is turned on, Bluetooth the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the background noise, making for very pleasant listening. The Q30's sound quality is natural, however it lags it's a bit harsh on the treble. Some may be disappointed by the bass response (we got better results using the Bass Booster EQ). It is possible to fix this with the Soundcore App, which includes an eight-band Equalizer.

The left ear cup has an power button, a pairing button, and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking these buttons lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. You can also make use of voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. The right earcup can be covered with your hand to enable ambient mode, so you can be aware of what is happening around you without taking off the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is fantastic, too. In our tests with ANC enabled, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This allows you to enjoy a long flight, or a long day at work. The USB-C cable included allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when your battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys wireless bluetooth

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that offer both active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite high-end headphones that are great for listening to podcasts and Premium Bluetooth Headphones music on the go, but are a great choice for audiophile home use too. The headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their superior audio quality is what makes them stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packed in a small elegant white box with a textured finish. It comes with all the accessories that you'll need. The package also includes a fold-flat carrying case for the headphones and a USB-C cable to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a decent 600mAh battery that will get you through a whole day of listening, and have an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, they are paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now named Focal and Naim in the same way as English sister brand Naim’s products that are network-aware) or the button on the left earcup that scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft transparent,' and 'full.

Using the app allows you to alter different settings such as the brightness of the LED and EQ presets, including a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than the other ones and their battery duration. You can also choose the ANC mode and level as well as select an 'acoustic environment' to adjust the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys feature an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds more punch, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals can be muted, while other details such as cymbals may be less prominent than other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancellation when compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a stellar reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is no exception. It is a top pick in the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and also falls within the luxury lifestyle segment where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. The XM5s can be 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 simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks that they would have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music compressed to near hi-res), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are all included. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone for making calls without hands.

Like the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for removing the constant drones found in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also great at separating listeners from the noises of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s may not be as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, there's a greater sense of clarity and openness, too. For example the bass work on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real force and definition without flattening the other elements. The XM5s are also able to deliver precise and tight bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also very excellent, offering up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and 40 hours when it's turned off. This is plenty to last for a weekend getaway or a few days of heavy use.

The XM5s aren't dust or water resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or take them out in the rain. This may not be a major issue for most people however for those who spend long hours in the gym or live in a humid area this could be a significant issue.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes highs and mids without going overboard. They are ideal for music and movies. They also have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones have a light build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups are made 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 can tilt and rotate to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges feature a solid but not overly robust clamping force that makes sure that the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. It also has a pushable jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press the button once, twice or thrice to control playback. Siri can be activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, but I would have liked a power button to turn off the headphones when they're not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ears or placed in their case, and they only come back on when you slide them over your head once more.

Spatial audio is a cool feature. It utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPads or iPhones to determine where you're moving. Then, it alters the position of the sounds to make them seem to be coming from the location you are in. This creates a cinema-like experience with movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be slightly smug about entering an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and improved battery performance, making it hard to justify the extra expense for most people.