Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the need to connect wires to your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transportation, at work, or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones can have an elegant design and superior noise cancellation. They are usually packed in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are an important upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better, feel more durable, and have a more polished finish. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather ear cups have been slightly larger. They are still largely made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C model to use them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also feature two microphones built-in, which work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge variety of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved to listen to podcasts and music in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app is easy to use and sets these headphones apart.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers cut out almost all background noise, making for excellent listening. They have a natural sounding signature that leans a little on the treble side, and some might find lacking in bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). However, you can easily solve this issue using the Soundcore application, as there's an eight-band equalizer to help you tinker.

The left earcup has an power button and a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. They also support the ability to speak, so you can ask to change the mode or set an alarm. The right ear cup can be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode, to allow you to hear what's happening around you, without removing the monolith headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is fantastic as well. The Q30 lasts for an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its rivals. This gives you plenty of time for long flights or an office day. The USB-C cord included in the kit allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also receive an alert when the battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite high-end headphones that are ideal for premium bluetooth Headphones listening to podcasts and music on the go but also are a great choice for home use by audiophiles too. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is their main selling point.

The Focal Bathys are packed in a small elegant white box with a textured finish. It contains everything you'll need. There's also a fold-flat carry case for the headphones as well as 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 full day of casual listening and have an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, they're connected via premium bluetooth headphones. You can control their functions with an app (now named Focal and Naim in line with English Naim's network-aware products) or the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft 'transparent,' and 'full.

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

The Focal Bathys come with an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds more punch, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. As a result, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix and can sound dull, while details like cymbals are slightly less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at 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 known for their quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It's located at the top end of the'mainstream' over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s are costly however, if you can afford it find them, there's not a better pair of wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks they would otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is also included and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality music to be streamed with bitrates that 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 in noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s also excel in separating the listener from the noises of airports and busy streets.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s aren't as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, but they have a higher level of clarity and realism, 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 reducing everything else. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to create accurate and precise bass notes.

Battery life is great with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last a weekend getaway or several days of heavy use.

The XM5s aren't dust or water resistant. Sony actually recommends not sweating on them or taking them out in the rain. This may not be a major issue for the majority of people however for those who spend long hours in the gym or live in a rainy area this could be a significant issue.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones with bluetooth headphones over-ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. They have 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with neutral audio profiles that is focused on the mids and highs while not going overboard on either end of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for both movies and music. They also provide higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones are light and feel comfortable on the head. The earcups are made of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they are comfortable to wear without placing pressure on the sides of the face. Ear cups can be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a strong but not too strong clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the top of the right earcup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. There's also a button that can be pushed, Jog-dial-like button, akin to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to adjust the volume and press once, twice or thrice for playback controls. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I missed having the power button that could switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears or when they are put in their case. They will return to life when you put them on your head.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It makes use of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPads or iPhones to determine where you are moving. Then, it alters the position of the sound so that they appear to come from the location you are in. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for movies and videos recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. The only drawback is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to be used and you won't be able to experience it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel somewhat smug walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive however they offer superior battery life and more advanced features.