Best Over the Ear Headphones

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

Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety and noise cancelling capabilities. They are typically packaged in a stylish case.

Soundcore Life 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, however the hinges are more secure and the soft leather cups are bigger. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and make use of them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also have dual built-in microphones, which are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a vast variety of EQ presets, which can be altered and saved so you can listen to music and podcasts in your preferred style. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the background noise, bluetooth headphones bluetooth making for excellent listening. The Q30's sound signature is natural, but it's a bit harsh on treble. Some may find the bass response lacking (we got better results using the Bass Booster EQ). This can be fixed easily by using the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.

The blootooth headphones come with a power button and pairing button on the left ear cup as well as a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has buttons for play/pause, volume up/down and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to enable ambient modes so that you can hear the world around you without taking off the headphones.

The Q30 headphones offer a long battery life. The Q30 was able to last for a full hour in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This allows you to enjoy the long flight, or a long day at work. The USB-C cable included allows you to quickly charge them. You'll also get an alert when your battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

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

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a slim, compact and attractive white fabric-finished retail box that contains all the accessories you'll need in. You can also get 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 respectable 600mAh battery that can get you through a whole day of listening, bluetooth wireless (http://intranet.welfarebox.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=develop&wr_id=135498) and have an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they are paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now named Focal & Naim in line with English sister brand 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 allows you to alter various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs and the EQ presets (including music's profile, which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level as well as setting an 'acoustic settings setting to alter the sensitivity to mimic the sound of headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich profile that adds extra warmth and punch to your favorite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix, and sound muffled, while details like cymbals are not as prominent as you'd expect from other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are known for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 is not an exception. It's located at the top end of the'mainstream' over-ear headphone market, edging into the luxury lifestyle area where the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. This means the XM5s are expensive in cost, but should you be able to afford it, there are better wireless over-ear headphones on the market.

The XM5s have features to help listeners and, in certain cases, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to deal with manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is available and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making hands-free phone calls.

Like the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're one of the best at cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in subway and train carriages. The XM5s do a great job of shielding listeners from the noise of airports and busy streets, too.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s aren't as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and openness as well. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys' power and definition without affecting the rest of the music. The XM5s are also able to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is active and 40 hours if it's off. This is enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy usage.

The XM5s are not water resistant or dust resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for many people, but it could prove a stumbling block for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers 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 have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones are light and feel comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they sit comfortably on the ears without putting pressure on the sides of the face. Ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too much clamping force to ensure that the ear cups stay in place during listening sessions.

Toggle noise cancelling mode by pressing a small button at the top of the right earcup. It also has a pushable Jog-dial-like button, akin to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can twist for volume control and Bluetooth Headphones Bluetooth press once twice or three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I would have liked the power button that could turn the headphones off when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ear or placed in their case. They only wake up when you place them on your head once more.

Another great feature is spatial audio, which uses the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sounds to appear as if they're coming from those places. This gives you a theater-like experience with videos and movies recorded 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'd be a bit disappointed if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the next-generation model will be better after a year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for the majority of people.