Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the necessity of running a wire from your audio device. They're also a great choice for public transportation, at work, or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety of styles and noise cancelling features. They typically come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are a significant upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and feel more durable and have a more polished look. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can swap the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with dual microphones that are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad selection of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to play podcasts and music in the way you like. The Soundcore app is easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.

When ANC is turned on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively cut out almost all ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. They have a natural sound signature that leans a little on the treble end, which some might find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). However, you can easily fix this with the Soundcore app, since there is an 8-band equalizer that can help you tweak.

The left earcup has the power button, a pairing button, and a USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for play/pause, volume up/down and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these controls allows you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask them to change modes or set alarms. The right ear cup can be covered by Unleash Your Music with 80-Hour Wireless Headphones hand to activate ambient mode to allow you to hear what is going on around you without removing the headphones.

The battery life of these headphones is great as well. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its competitors. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or a day at the office. They can be easily recharged with the included USB-C cable and you'll be able to see an alert when they're getting empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite high-end headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, unleash your audio bliss with 52 hr playtime! but are a great choice for audiophile home use as well. They're a little more expensive than similar headphones but their superior sound quality is the main selling point.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small elegant white box with a fabric finish. It comes with all the accessories that you will need. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

They're powered by a decent 600mAh battery that will get you through a full day of casual listening and include an audio input that can be wired for use. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control their functions through an app (now named Focal and Naim likely in line with their English Naim brand's network-aware audio products) or via the button on the left earcup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent', and full.

The app lets you adjust different settings, like 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 level and mode as well as setting an 'acoustic settings setting to alter the sensitivity to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys feature a bass-rich sound profile that delivers extra energy and warmth to Unleash Your Audio Bliss With 52 Hr Playtime! favourite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals can be muted, and details such as cymbals may be less prominent than other headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with higher-end technology like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is the best of the mainstream over ear headphone market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle area in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. This means that the XM5s have a premium price tag, but should you be able to afford it, there are better over the ear wireless headphones out there.

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

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. These headphones are one of the best at eliminating the constant drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also excellent at separating listeners from the hum of busy streets and airports.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s do not have as many details in the low-frequency range as the XM4, however, they do have an increased sense of clarity and a greater sense of openness. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the blue tooth head phones shows off the Sonys strength and clarity without affecting the rest of the music. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel shows off the XM5s ability to produce precise and precise bass notes.

Battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active, and 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last a weekend getaway or several days' heavy use.

The XM5s aren't dust or water resistant. Sony actually recommends not sweating into the XM5s or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a big deal for most people however, for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or unleash Your audio Bliss with 52 Hr playtime! live in a humid area this could be a major problem.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers that are designed by Apple and have a a neutral audio profile that emphasizes the mids and highs while not going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them ideal for movies and music. They also provide higher fidelity than most other headphones.

The headphones are light in construction that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam and covered with weaved fabric. They are comfortable to wear without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups can tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide a firm, but not too strong clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

Toggle noise cancelling mode by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. 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 to control the volume and press it once, twice, or three times to playback the controls. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. The buttons are simple to use and well-placed, but I would have liked to see an option to power off or turn off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ear or placed in their case. They only come back on when you place them on your head once more.

Spatial audio is another great feature. It makes use of accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it alters the position of the sounds to make them appear to originate from that particular location. This creates a cinema-like experience for films and videos made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have more battery life and are equipped with the latest features.