Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the need to run an audio wire to your device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are offered in a variety of styles and noise cancellation capabilities. They typically come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These over-ears are a major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and feel more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are tighter and the soft leather cups are larger. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and use them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with dual built-in mics that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

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

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate the majority of ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This creates a very pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that is a bit on the treble side, which some might feel is lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). This can be fixed easily by using the Soundcore App, which includes an 8-band Equalizer.

The left ear cup has a power button and a pairing button and a USB-C charging port. The right ear cup features play/pause and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also support a voice command, so you can request to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your hand to enable ambient modes to allow you to hear the world around you without taking off the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. The Q30 lasts for an hour longer in our tests when ANC was on than the other models. This allows you to enjoy an extended flight or a full day at work. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also receive an alert when your battery is nearing empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys wireless headphone is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. These headphones are designed to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the move. The headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their outstanding audio quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, slim and attractive white fabric-finished retail box that contains all the accessories you need inside. The package includes a fold-flat headphone carrying 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 include an audio input so that you can use wired. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you'll be able manage their functions via an app (now named Focal and Naim which is probably in the same vein as their English Naim brand's products for audio that are network-aware) or via the button located on the left earcup which scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent', and 'full'.

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

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that adds additional warmth and punch to your favorite tracks. As a result, vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix, and sound muffled, while other details such as cymbals sound somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears that have higher-end technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is at the top end of the'mainstream' headphones for over-ear, and is slipping 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, there aren't many better wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s have features that simplify the lives of listeners and, in a few instances, automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to handle manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are all included. This allows high-quality audio to be streamed at bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making hands-free calls.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different than the previous generation WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. They are among the top in cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also great at separating listeners from the noises of airports and busy streets.

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

The battery life is fantastic, with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if off. This is plenty to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy use.

The only issue is that the XM5s don't have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating into them or wearing them in the rain. This may not be a major issue for most people however, for those who spend much time in the gym or live in a humid location it could be a significant issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones over-ear which feature Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with a neutral audio profile that concentrates on the highs and mids while not going too loud on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them great for both music and movies. They also offer superior fidelity compared to most competing pairs of headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight design that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam and wireless Headphoens covered with woven fabric, and they sit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups can also be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a firm, but not too much clamping force that ensures the ear cups remain in position during listening sessions.

A small button on the the right ear cup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. You can also use an earphone-style jog dial with a push button like the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume and press it once three, twice, or even three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. These buttons are placed well and Local simple to use, however I would have liked the power button that could switch off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ears or put in their case, and they only come back on when you put them on your head once more.

Spatial audio is a cool feature. It uses the accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you are moving. Then, it adjusts the sound so that they appear to come from the location you are in. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for films and videos made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. The only drawback is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to be used, and it won't allow you to enjoy it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the expense for most people.