Best Over the Ear Headphones

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

Wireless over-ear headphones can have a premium design and exceptional noise cancellation. They are usually packed in a sleek 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 a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can even swap the 3.5mm cable for a better USB-C version so that you can make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have dual mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge range of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to music or podcasts in the style you prefer. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speaker effectively block almost all ambient sound when ANC is turned on. This creates an extremely pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound is natural, but a little on the treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we have had better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer). It is possible to fix this using the Soundcore App, which includes an eight-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has an power button as well as a pairing button and a USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for play/pause, volume up/down and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also come with a voice command which allows you to ask to change the mode or set an alarm. The right earcup can be covered with your hands to activate ambient mode so that you can be aware of what is happening around you without removing the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. In our tests with ANC switched on the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than its competitors. This gives you plenty of time for a long flight or a day at the office. They can be easily recharged using the USB-C cable included and you'll get warnings when they're about to run empty.

Focal Bathys rydohi wireless bluetooth headphones review

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed as a pair of premium headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound amazing when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're slightly more expensive than other similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is the main selling factor.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, slim and attractive, white, fabric-finished box that includes everything you need inside. The headphone carry case folds flat, and comes with a case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The battery's capacity is 600mAh, which can last for a full day of listening to music casually. They also come with an audio input that you can use wired. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you can control their functions through an app (now named Focal and Naim which is probably in the same line as their English sister brand Naim's products for audio that are network-aware) or by pressing the dedicated button on the left ear cup which scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' 'transparent' and 'full'.

The app allows you to alter 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 allows you to select the ANC mode and its level as well as setting an 'acoustic environment' which adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it would sound like if it were placed in a room with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys feature a bass-rich profile that adds more warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals can be muted, and certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than on other headphones bluetooth wireless. They're also not as effective in active noise cancelation when contrasted to other headphones with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a stellar 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 sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. This means that the XM5s are expensive in cost, but if you can afford it, there are more superior wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s are loaded with features that make life easier for listeners and, in certain instances, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to handle manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is included, as is support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio with rates that are higher than traditional Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making hands-free calls.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation headphones from WH in terms of noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for thewrightbeef.com cutting out constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s also excel at separating listeners from the noises of busy streets and airports.

The sound quality is excellent. The XM5s lack as high a resolution in the low frequency range as the XM4, but they do possess an increased sense of clarity and openness. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows the Sonys power and clarity without affecting the music. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel shows off the XM5s ability to produce precise and precise bass notes.

Battery life is also very excellent, offering up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough for a weekend trip or a long period of use.

The only issue is that the XM5s don't have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating in the XM5s or taking them out in the rain. This may not be a big deal for the majority of people however, for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or live in a rainy area, it could be a big issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones over-ear that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with an audio profile that is neutral and emphasizes the mids and highs without going overboard on either end of the spectrum. They are ideal for movies and music. They also offer better sound quality than many competing pairs of headphones.

The headphones have a light build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups are made of memory foam and covered with weaved fabric. They fit comfortably on the ears without placing pressure on the sides of the face. The earcups can also tilt and rotate to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges feature a strong but not too powerful clamping force, which ensures that the earcups stay in place during listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. There's also a pushable, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press the button once, twice or thrice to control playback. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones are put into standby when they are removed from your ears, or if they are placed in their case. They only return to life when you put them on your head.

Another cool feature is spatial audio, which uses the accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're going, and then repositions sound to create the illusion that they're coming from these locations. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for movies and videos that were recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. The only drawback is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to use it, and http://web011.dmonster.kr/ you won't be able to experience it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel a bit ripped off entering 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, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.