Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run a wire from your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transport, while at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones may have an elegant design and outstanding noise cancellation. They are usually packed in a stylish case.

Soundcore Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones appear better, feel stronger and generally feel more polished. The hinges are tighter and the soft leather ear cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can swap the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to use them with mobile Hi-Res and stationary Hi-Fi players. They also come with dual built-in mics that worked well during our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad variety of EQ presets that can be saved and adjusted to listen to podcasts or music in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app is easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers cut out almost all ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. The Q30's sound is natural, but a little on treble. Some may be disappointed by the bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer). It is possible to fix this by using the Soundcore App, which includes an eight-band Equalizer.

These headphones have the power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup as well as a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has play/pause, and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or play previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. The right ear cup can be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode, so that you can hear what's happening around you without removing the headphones.

These headphones have a fantastic battery life. In our tests with ANC turned on, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than the other headphones. This allows you to enjoy an extended flight or a busy day at work. The USB-C cable included allows you to quickly charge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when the battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. These headphones are made to be high-end, premium headphones that can be used at home or on the move. The bluethooth Headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their exceptional audio quality is what makes them stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a compact, attractive white box with a cloth finish. It comes with everything you will need. There's also a fold-flat carry case for the headphones, a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a good 600mAh battery that can take you through a full day of listening to music and include an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they are paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now named Focal & Naim in the same way as English Naim's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button on the left earcup that scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft transparent,' and 'full.

The app lets you adjust various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including a'music' profile which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and its level as well as setting an 'acoustic' setting that will adjust the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it would sound like if it were placed in a room with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that delivers extra punch and warmth to your favorite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments can sound muted, while certain elements like cymbals could be less noticeable than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation, compared to other headphones that feature more advanced technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It's located at the top end of the'mainstream' over-ear headphone wireless bluetooth market, but it is also dipping into the luxury lifestyle sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. This means the XM5s are expensive in price tag but, should you be able to afford it, there are few better wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s have a lot of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate some tasks that they'd otherwise be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music that has been compressed to near high-res), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are both included. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. There's a built-in mic for making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation headphones bluetooth from WH in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for removing the constant drones found in underground and train carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job of shielding listeners from the noise of busy streets and airports also.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s may not be as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and Bluethooth headphones transparency also. 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 reducing everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is on and 40 hours if off. This is more than enough for a weekend getaway or a few days of heavy usage.

The only drawback is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it might cause a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of their time at 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 technology and noise cancellation. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes mids and highs without going overboard. This makes them ideal for both music and movies. They also have better sound quality when compared with other headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight design that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, and sit comfortably over the ears, do not put pressure on the sides or forehead. The earcups can also tilt and rotate to accommodate different head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a solid but not overly powerful clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups stay in place during listening sessions.

A small button located on the the right earcup can be used to toggle noise cancellation modes. It also has a pushable jog dial-like button like the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume and press it once three, twice, or even three times to playback the controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. The buttons are simple to use and well-placed however, I would like to see an option to power off or switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ears or put in their case. They only wake up when you slide them over your head once more.

Another cool feature is spatial audio, which utilizes the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to create the illusion that they're coming from those places. 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 the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug going into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the cost for most people.