Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music and podcasts without the requirement of connecting wires to your audio device. These headphones are ideal for public transport, at the office or at home.

Wireless headphones with over-ears can feature an elegant design and outstanding noise cancellation. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are a significant upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and feel more durable and have a more polished appearance. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft leather cups are bigger. You can swap the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and make use of them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also have dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a wide variety of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to play podcasts and music in the style that you like. This is what makes these headphones stand out from other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers block out most of the ambient noise and make for an extremely pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sounding signature that leans slightly to the treble side, and some may feel is lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster EQ preset). You can fix this easily using the Soundcore App, which comes with an eight-band Equalizer.

The left ear cup has the power button and a pairing button and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup has buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you skip tracks or replay the previous one. You can also make use of voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. The right ear cup can be covered with your hands to activate ambient mode, so you can hear what is going on around you without taking off the headphones.

The battery life of these headphones is fantastic and the battery life is also excellent. In our tests with ANC switched on the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than its rivals. This leaves plenty of time for long flights or a day at the office. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when your battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be a pair of Premium Over Ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but are a great choice to listen to audiophile music at home too. They're a little more expensive than other similar headphones but their superior sound quality is the main selling factor.

The Focal Bathys come in a small attractive white box with a cloth finish. It contains all the accessories that you will need. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones as well as a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

The battery's 600mAh capacity 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 line with English Naim's network-aware products) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft transparent,' and 'full.

The app lets you adjust different settings, like the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including the music profile, which is more neutral and brighter than other profiles) and the battery life. It also gives you the ability to select the ANC mode and the level as well as setting an 'acoustic' setting which adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a room with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds more warmth and punch to your favourite tracks. In the end, vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix, and can sound dull, while details like cymbals are not as prominent as you'd expect from other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones bluetooth, and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It is a top pick in the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle market in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. The XM5s can be expensive, but if you can get them, you won't find a better wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s come with features that make life easier for listeners and, in some cases, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This lets high-quality music to be streamed with bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making hands-free calls.

As with the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for cutting out constant drones heard in train and Premium Over Ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones underground carriages. The XM5s also excel at separating listeners from the noises of busy airports and streets.

Sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s may not be as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but they have a higher level of clarity and openness as well. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys strength and clarity without affecting the rest of the music. The XM5s are also able to produce precise and precise bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

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

The only drawback is that the XM5s lack 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 many people, but it might be a problem for those who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm with a neutral audio profile that focuses on highs and mids without going too loud. They are perfect for movies and music. They also offer better sound quality than many other headphones.

The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, are comfortable to wear over the ear and do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that ensures the ear cups stay in position during listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. You can also use the jog dial that is a push-button similar to 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. Siri is invoked by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I missed having an option to turn the headphones off when not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or when placed in their case. They only come back to life when you place them on your head.

Spatial audio is another great feature. It makes use of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and iPhones or iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it repositions the sounds to make them appear to originate from the location you are in. This creates an immersive theater experience for videos and movies recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I would be a bit disappointed if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better within a year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and improved battery performance, so it's hard to justify the extra expense for most people.