Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run an audio wire to your device. They're ideal for public transport, while at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones are available in a variety of styles and noise cancellation capabilities. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are a significant improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still mostly plastic, however the hinges are more secure and the soft leather ear cups are larger. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and use them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with dual built-in mics that worked well during our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a vast variety of EQ presets that can be customized and saved to listen to music or podcasts in your preferred style. This is what makes these headphones stand out from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out the majority of ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This results in an extremely pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound signature is natural, but a little on the treble. Some may not be a fan of the bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer). You can fix this easily with the Soundcore App, which has an 8-band Equalizer.

The headphones feature a power button and pairing button on the left ear cup and the USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has play/pause and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also come with the ability to speak, so you can 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 hear what's happening around you, without removing the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is fantastic, too. The Q30 lasts for an hour longer in our tests when ANC was turned on than its competitors. This allows you to take advantage of an extended flight or a long day at work. They can be easily recharged using the USB-C cable included and you'll get a warning when they're approaching empty.

Focal Bathys wireless blutooth headphones

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the go. They're slightly more expensive than other similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is their main selling factor.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, slim and attractive white fabric-finished retail box with all the accessories you need inside. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones, a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a good 600mAh battery that will get you through a full day of listening to music and also have an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they're connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal & Naim in the same way as English sister brand Naim’s products that are network-aware) or the dedicated button located on the left earcup that scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft transparent,' and full.

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

The Focal Bathys come with bass-rich, rich sound profiles that adds more punch, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals be muted, while other certain elements like cymbals could be less noticeable than on other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation contrasted to other headphones with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality and the WH1000XM5 is not an exception. It's located 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. The XM5s are expensive in price tag but, when you can afford it, there are few better wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s come with features to make life easier for listeners and, in certain instances, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is also included and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates that are higher than standard bluetooth headphones - visit this hyperlink -. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making calls without hands.

Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. These headphones are among the top in cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do a great job isolating listeners from the traffic noises of busy streets and airports, too.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but they do possess a greater sense clarity and a greater sense of openness. For example, the bass work on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real force and Bluetooth headphones definition, while not sagging everything else. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to create precise and precise bass notes.

Battery life is great, with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is on and 40 hours if off. This is enough to last for an entire weekend or a few days' heavy use.

The XM5s do not come with dust or water resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or wear them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for some people, but it could cause a problem for those who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a rainy city.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones that fit over the 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 without going overboard at either end of the spectrum. They are perfect for movies and music. They also have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and are comfortable to wear over the ear and do not place pressure on the sides or forehead. The ear cups can tilt and rotate to accommodate different head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a solid but not overly powerful clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups stay in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the top of the right earcup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. It also has a pushable Jog-dial-like button, akin to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press it once twice or three times to playback control. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. These buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I would have liked the power button that could switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or if they are placed in their case. They return to life when you put them on your head.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which makes use of the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out where you're moving, then repositions sound to create the illusion that they're coming from those 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 be used and you won't be able enjoy it with other devices.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd be a bit disappointed if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the next-generation model will be better in the next year. AirPods Pro are more expensive and have more battery life and are equipped with the latest features.