Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the requirement to connect a wire to your audio 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 typically come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These over-ears are a major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished look. They're still mostly made of plastic, but the hinges are tighter and the soft protein leather ear cups are larger. You can swap the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable to use them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a wide variety of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved to allow you to listen to music or podcasts in the way you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out the majority of ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This creates an extremely pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound signature is natural, however it lags it's a bit harsh on the treble. Some might not be a fan of the bass response (we had better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer). You can fix this easily using the Soundcore App, which includes an 8-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has the power button as well as a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right ear cup features play/pause and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or play previous ones. They also come with the ability to speak, so you can request to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your fingers to activate ambient modes so that you can hear the world around you without taking off the headphones.

These headphones have a fantastic battery life. The Q30 lasts for an hour longer in our tests when ANC was on than its competitors. This allows you to enjoy the long flight, or a full day at work. The included USB-C cord lets you quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also receive a warning when the battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. These headphones are made to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the go. The headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their outstanding sound is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small elegant white box with a textured finish. It includes all the accessories you will need. There's also 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 capacity is 600mAh, which will last for a whole day of listening to music casually. They also have an audio input to make use of wired. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you'll be able control their functions through an app (now named Focal & Naim, probably in the same line as their English Naim brand's products for audio that are network-aware) or using the button that's on the left ear cup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles like'soft','silent transparent' and full.

Utilizing the app, you are able to change various settings like the brightness of the LED, EQ presets including a'music profile' that sounds more neutral and brighter than the others and their battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level and setting an 'acoustic settings that adjusts the sensitivity to mimic the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich profile that adds extra warmth and punch to your favourite tracks. As a result, instruments and vocals are pushed back in the mix and can sound dull, while details like cymbals and vocals are somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancelation when contrasted to other headphones with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is the best of the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle area where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s have a premium cost, but if you can afford it, there are few better TECKNET Wireless Bluetooth Headphones - Unleash the Sound! over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s are loaded with features to make life easier for listeners and, in some instances, automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to deal with manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music that has been compressed to near high-res), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are both included. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates that are higher than buy bluetooth headphones. It also has a built-in microphone for making calls hands-free.

Like the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for cutting out continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also great at isolating the listener from the noises of airports and busy streets.

The sound quality is excellent. The XM5s aren't quite as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a greater 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 force and definition without flattening everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

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

The only drawback is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for a lot of people, but it could prove a stumbling block for anyone considering the XM5s who spends much of their time at the gym or lives in a city with rain.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with an audio profile that is neutral and concentrates on the highs and mids while not going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them great for movies and music. They also offer superior fidelity compared to most competing pairs of Blootooth Headphones.

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

You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. You can also use a pushable jog dial-like 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 times to playback the controls. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, but I would have liked a power button to switch off the headphones when they're not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ears or placed in their case, and they only wake up when you slide them over your head again.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which utilizes the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and blootooth headphones your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sound to create the illusion that they're coming from those locations. This creates an immersive theater experience for films and videos made 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 be slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone next year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the expense for most people.