Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run 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 of styles and noise cancelling features. They usually come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 The new over-ears look better, feel sturdier, and are generally more polished. The hinges are more secure, and the soft leather ear cups have been slightly larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C version to make use of them with portable Hi-Fi systems as well as stationary Hi-Res 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 has a huge variety of EQ presets, which can be customized and saved to allow you 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 enabled. This results in an extremely enjoyable listening experience. They have a natural sound signature that is a bit on the treble side, and some might be unable to reproduce bass (we got better results with the Bass Booster EQ preset). But, you can solve this issue with the Soundcore app, since there's an equalizer with 8 bands that can help you tweak.

The left earcup has an power button and a pairing button and an USB-C charging port. The right ear cup has play/pause, volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. You can also make use of voice commands to instruct them to change modes or set alarms. The right ear cup can also be covered by your hand to activate ambient mode so you can hear what's happening around you, without removing the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is great, too. In our tests with ANC turned on the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than the other headphones. This allows you to take advantage of a long flight, or a busy day at work. The USB-C cable included allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when the battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys TECKNET Foldable Wireless Bluetooth Headphones - Ultimate 65H Playtime! (https://www.headphonesshop.uk)

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite, high-end headphone that are great for listening to podcasts and music on the go, but are a great choice to listen to audiophile music at home too. The headphones are a more expensive than other headphones, but their superior audio quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, attractive white box with a cloth finish. It comes with everything you'll need. 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 connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now named Focal & Naim in line 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 various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including a'music' profile that sounds more neutral and brighter than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level and setting an 'acoustic settings setting to alter the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that delivers extra energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals sound muted, while details like cymbals might be less prominent than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears with more advanced technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It is a top pick in the mainstream over ear headphone market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle market in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. The XM5s are expensive, but if you can get them, you won't find a better wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate some tasks they would otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is also included as well as support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. 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 calls without hands.

Like 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 underground and train carriages. The XM5s also excel at separating listeners from the hum of busy streets and airports.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s do not have as high a resolution in the low frequency range like the XM4, however 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 power and definition, while not sagging the other elements. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel shows off the XM5s ability to create tight and precise bass notes.

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if it's off. This is enough to cover an entire weekend or a few days of heavy use.

The XM5s are not waterproof or dust-proof. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or wear 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 region this could be a big issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair over-ear wireless headphones with bluetooth headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers that are designed by Apple and have a an audio profile that is neutral and emphasizes the mids and highs without going overboard at either end of the spectrum. This makes them great for both music and movies. They also provide better sound quality than many rival headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, fit comfortably over the ear, do not put pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges feature a solid but not overly powerful clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button at the top of the right earcup. There's also a button that can be pushed, jog-dial-like button, TECKNET Foldable Wireless Bluetooth Headphones - Ultimate 65H Playtime! similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press once, twice or thrice to control playback. Siri can be activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to switch off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode when removed from your ear or placed in their case, and they only wake up when you put them on your head once more.

Another cool feature is spatial audio, which utilizes the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out where you're moving, then repositions sounds to appear as if they're coming from those locations. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for videos and movies recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel a bit ripped off going into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and improved battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for most people.