Best Over the Ear Headphones

wireless bluetooth headphone headphones allow you to listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the need to run a wire from your audio device. They're also a great choice for Wireless Head Phones public transport, at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are offered in a variety of designs and noise cancellation capabilities. They are typically packaged in a stylish case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are a significant improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and are more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft leather cups are bigger. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version so that you can make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also feature two microphones built-in, which perform well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a wide selection of EQ presets that can be altered and saved to listen to podcasts and music in the way you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out almost all ambient sound when ANC is enabled. This makes for a very pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound is natural, however it lags it is a bit treble. Some might not be a fan of the bass response (we have had better results with the Bass Booster equalizer). You can fix this easily by using the Soundcore App, which comes with an 8-band Equalizer.

These headphones have the power button and a pairing button on the left earcup along with the USB-C port for charging. 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 make use of voice commands to instruct them to change modes or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup with your hand Wireless head phones to activate ambient modes so that you can hear the world around you without having to remove the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. In our tests with ANC enabled the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for an extended flight or working for a long time. The USB-C cable included lets you quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when the battery is nearing empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be a premium headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound fantastic when used for home use by audiophiles as well. They're a little more expensive than similar headphones, but their superior audio quality is the primary selling feature.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, slim and attractive fabric-finished white retail box with all the accessories you'll need in. 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 a whole day of listening to music casually. They also include an audio input so that you can connect wired. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal & Naim in keeping with English Naim's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft 'transparent,' and 'full.

The app allows you to alter different settings, including the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than the other ones and their battery duration. You can also select the ANC level and mode as well as select an 'acoustic environment' to adjust the sensitivity to mimic the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys come with an incredibly bass-rich profile that gives additional warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. The result is that vocals and instruments can sound muted, while certain elements like cymbals could be less noticeable than on other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancelation when contrasted to other headphones with higher-end technology like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones, and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It's located at the top end of the mainstream over-ear headphone market, edging into the 'luxury lifestyle' sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. This means the XM5s have a premium price tag but, if you can afford it, there are few better over the ear Wireless Head phones headphones on the market.

The XM5s have a lot of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks they would otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is available and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates higher than conventional 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're among the best-performing cans for removing the constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are great at their job isolating listeners from the background noise of busy streets and airports as well.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s may not be as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and transparency also. For instance, the bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, without reducing everything else. The XM5s are also able to produce precise and precise bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is active and 40 hours if off. This is plenty for a weekend trip or several days of heavy use.

The only issue is that the XM5s lack any dust or water resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or wear them in the rain. This might not be a major issue for everyone else however for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or live in a rainy region this could be a significant issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm with a neutral sound profile that focuses on highs and mids, but not going overboard. They are ideal for movies and music. They also provide better sound quality than many rival headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight construction that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ear, do not put pressure on the sides or forehead. Ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the top of the right ear cup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. It also has an earphone-style jog dial with a push button similar to the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it once three, twice, or even three times to playback the controls. Siri is activated by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are easy to use and well-placed however I would have liked to have the power button that could shut off the headphones when in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or when placed in their case. They will return to life when you place them over your head.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which uses the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out where you're moving, then repositions sounds to make it seem like they're coming from those places. This gives you a theater-like experience with movies and videos recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only drawback is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to be used, and it won't allow you to enjoy it with other devices.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I would feel a little ripped off for spending $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the next-generation model will be better in the next year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery life, making it hard to justify the extra expense for most people.