Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones Music headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the requirement of connecting wires to your audio device. They're also a great choice for public transport, while at work or at home.

rydohi wireless bluetooth headphones over-ear headphones are available in a variety of designs and noise cancelling features. They usually come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones appear better, feel stronger, and are generally more polished. The hinges are stronger and the soft ear cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, please click for source but they're more polished. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for Highly recommended Reading a higher quality USB-C cable and connect them to mobile Hi-Res and stationary Hi-Fi players. They also come with dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly during our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a vast variety of EQ presets that can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to podcasts and music in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and Headphones Bluetooth sets these headphones apart.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the background noise, making for an extremely pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound is natural, but it is a bit treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we have had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer). However, you can rectify this by using the Soundcore app, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands to help you tinker.

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

The battery life on these headphones is excellent and the battery life is also excellent. The Q30 lasts for an hour longer in our tests when ANC was on than its rivals. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for an extended flight or working for a long time. The USB-C cord included in the kit lets you quickly recharge them. You'll also receive a warning 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, as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite, high-end headphone that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also are a great choice for home use by audiophiles as well. The headphones are a bit more expensive than similar headphones, but their outstanding audio quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a slim, compact and attractive fabric-finished white retail box that contains all the accessories you'll need in. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

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

The app allows you to alter different settings, like the brightness of the LEDs and the EQ presets (including the music profile, which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC level and mode as well as set an 'acoustic environments setting to alter the sensitivity to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys feature an incredibly bass-rich profile that gives more warmth and punch to your most loved tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals sound muted, while certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than 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 has earned a reputable reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It is at the top end of the'mainstream' over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the luxury lifestyle area where the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s can be expensive, but if you can get them, you won't find a better wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s are loaded with a number of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks that they would need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near-high resolution) is also included, as is 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 calls hands-free.

As with the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're one of the best at reducing the constant drones that are heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also great at isolating the listener from the noises of airports and busy streets.

The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s don't have as many details in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but they do have a greater sense clarity and a greater sense of openness. The bass on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys strength and clarity but without affecting the rest the music. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel showcases the XM5's ability to produce precise and precise bass notes.

The battery life is also good, with up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned 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 water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony actually advises against sweating on them or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for a lot of people, but it might be a problem for those who spends much of their time at the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones which feature Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes highs and mids, but not going overboard. They are great for movies and music. They also offer better sound quality when compared with other headphones.

The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and sit comfortably over the ears they do not place pressure on the sides or forehead. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a solid but not overly powerful clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button on the the right earcup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. There's also a button that can be pushed, like a jog-dial, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press once twice or three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. The buttons are well-placed and easy to use, but I missed having a power button to turn the headphones off when they are not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode when removed from your ears or placed in their case, and they only come back on when you place them on your head once more.

Spatial audio is another great feature. It uses the accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPads or iPhones to determine where you are moving. Then, it repositions the sound so that they appear to come from that location. This gives you a theater-like experience when watching movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only downside is that spatial audio requires an iOS device for use, and it won't allow you to experience it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be a bit ripped off walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew that they'd be outdone next year by the second-generation model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have more battery life and are equipped with the latest features.