Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the requirement to connect a wire to your audio device. These headphones are great to use on public transport, at the office or at home.

wireless bt headphones over-ear cans are offered in a variety and noise cancelling features. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are a significant upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and feel more durable and have a more polished appearance. The hinges are more secure, and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, but they're more polished. You can even swap the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version so that you can use them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have dual built-in mics that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge range of EQ presets that can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to music or podcasts in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and sets these headphones apart.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers block out most of the background noise, making for an extremely pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that leans slightly to the treble end, which some might be unable to reproduce bass (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). You can fix this easily with the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has the power button and a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup has play/pause, the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking on these controls allows you to skip tracks or play previous ones. You can also use voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. The right earcup can also be covered with your hands to activate ambient mode so you can hear what is going on around you without taking off the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is excellent, too. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This lets you enjoy a long flight, or a long day at work. The USB-C cord included in the kit lets you quickly recharge them. You'll also receive a warning when the battery is nearing empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be a pair of premium, high-end headphone that are great for listening to podcasts and music on the go, but are a great choice for audiophile home use too. The headphones are a higher priced than comparable headphones, but their superior audio quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, slim and attractive, white, fabric-finished box that contains all the accessories you'll need in. 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 respectable 600mAh battery that can take you through a full day of casual listening and include an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, they're connected via bluetooth headpones (o80b27ibxncian6alk72bo38c.Kr). You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim in line with English Naim's network-aware products) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft transparent,' and 'full.

The app allows you to alter various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including a'music' profile that sounds more neutral and brighter than other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic environment' which adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate how it would sound like if it were placed in a space with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys feature bass-rich, rich sound profiles that adds more punch and warmth to your favorite tracks. In the end, vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix and sound muffled, while details like cymbals are slightly less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation contrasted with other headphones that have more advanced technology, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It is at the top of the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and borders the luxury lifestyle segment where brands such as Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. This means that the XM5s are expensive in price tag, but when you can afford it, there are better wireless over-ear headphones on the market.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate some tasks they would otherwise be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are included. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making hands-free calls.

The XM5 headphones are no different from the previous generation headphones from WH in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for cutting out constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job of separating listeners from background noise of airports and busy streets also.

Sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s may not be as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a greater sense of clarity and transparency, too. For instance the bass on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging the other elements. The XM5s are also able to provide precise and accurate bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is enough to cover the weekend or a few days of heavy use.

The only real drawback here is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating in 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 a lot of time in the gym or live in a rainy region this could be a big issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers that are designed by Apple and have a neutral audio profiles that is focused on the mids and highs without going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for both movies and music. They also have higher fidelity than most competing pairs of headphones.

The headphones are light and comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed out of memory foam that is covered in a woven fabric. They fit comfortably on the ears without placing pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a firm but not overly powerful clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button at the the right earcup can be used to toggle noise cancellation modes. It also has an earphone-style jog dial with a push button similar to the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it to control the volume and press it once three, twice, or even three times for playback controls. Siri is invoked by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, bluetooth Headpones but I would have liked the power button that could switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones go into standby when removed from your ears or if they are placed in their case. They come back into use when you place them on your head.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you are moving. Then, it adjusts the sound so that they seem to be coming from that location. This creates an immersive theater experience for movies and videos made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I would be a bit disappointed for spending $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better in the next year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery performance, so it's difficult to justify the additional expense for most people.