Best Over the Ear Headphones

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

Wireless over-ear cans are offered in a variety and noise cancelling features. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are an important improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and are more durable and have a more polished appearance. The hinges are tighter and the soft cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable to use them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with dual mics built in that worked well in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a wide variety of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to music and podcasts in the way you prefer. This is what makes these headphones stand out from other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is turned on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively eliminate most ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but a little on treble. Some might be disappointed by the bass response (we have had better results with the Bass Booster EQ). But, you can solve this issue with the Soundcore app, since there's an equalizer with 8 bands to help you tinker.

The left earcup features an power button and a pairing button and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup has buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or play previous ones. You can also use voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. The right earcup can also be covered by your hand to enable ambient mode, so that you can hear what's happening around you, without removing the headphones.

These headphones have a fantastic battery life. In our tests with ANC enabled the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than the other headphones. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or working for a long time. The USB-C cord included in the kit allows you to quickly charge them. You'll also get an alert when your battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys wireless headphone are a set of high-quality headphones for over-ear use that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be high-end, premium headphones that can be used at home or on the go. The headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their superior sound quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys come in a small, slim and attractive white fabric-finished retail box with all the accessories you require inside. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The 600mAh battery can last for a full day of listening to music casually. They also come with an audio input that you can connect wired. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now called Focal & Naim in the same way as English sister brand Naim’s network-aware products) or the button on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft 'transparent,' and Head phone Wireless 'full.

Utilizing the app, you are able to alter different settings, including the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music profile' that sounds more neutral and brighter than the others and also their battery duration. It also lets you to choose the ANC mode and its level, as well as setting an 'acoustic' environment that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like if it were placed in a room with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich profile that adds extra warmth, punch and impact to your most loved tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals be muted, and details like cymbals might be less noticeable than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation compared to other headphones that feature more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is a top pick in the mainstream over ear headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle market where brands such as Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. The XM5s are expensive however, if you are able to find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones for over-ear use.

The XM5s are loaded with features to simplify the lives of listeners and, in a few instances, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to deal with manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is included as well as support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates that are higher than standard Bluetooth. There's a built-in mic for making hands-free phone calls.

As with the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They are among the best at cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in subway and train carriages. The XM5s are great at their job isolating listeners from the background noise of busy streets and airports also.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s aren't quite as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, but they have a higher level of clarity and transparency as well. The bass on Rage Against The Machine’s Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys power and clarity, without affecting the rest the music. The XM5s also have the ability to produce precise and precise bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last for the weekend or a few days of heavy use.

The only real drawback here is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it could cause a problem for anyone who spend a lot of time at the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with neutral audio profiles that concentrates on the highs and mids while not going overboard at either end of the spectrum. They are ideal for movies and music. They also have better sound quality than many rival headphones.

The headphones are light and feel comfortable on the Head Phone Wireless. The earcups are made out of memory foam that is covered in weaved fabric. They fit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups can be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a strong but not too powerful clamping force, which ensures that the earcups stay in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the the right ear cup can be used to toggle noise cancellation 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 adjust the volume and press the button once twice or three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. These buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to turn the bluetooh 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. They only come back on when you slide them over your head once more.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which uses the accelerometers and gyroscopes of 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 locations. This creates an immersive theater experience for movies and videos made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be outdone next year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery life, making it difficult to justify the additional expense for most people.