Which Over the Ear Headphones Are the Best?

If you're on the train or at work, noise-cancelling headphones are an absolute must for anyone who likes to listen. Which are the best?

With a brand new design with superior sound quality and a wealth of features, Sony's latest flagship headphones are a great value. They can capture every detail, from Sinead's shaking Bridge to the intense chorus.

1. Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony is the king of noise cancellation and its WH1000XM5 headphones are the top model in this series. A few well-thought-out enhancements over the XM4s make this model an excellent all-round pair of headphones, specifically for commuters and travelers. They're comfortable and feature multipoint technology to connect two devices simultaneously and have the most powerful ANC Sony has ever created. They're also lightweight and provide approximately 27 hours of playback time without charging, which is plenty for a week's worth commutes or a long-haul flight.

The WH-1000XM5s feature an elegant minimalist design. They are made of a recycled and recyclable plastic, known as acrylonitrile butadiene (ABS). The branding is minimal. You'll find the tiny Sony logo on every hinge of the earcup. The headband and earcups have soft, over the ear headphones with Noise Cancelling plush materials that is comfortable for all types of heads except the largest. The ears can be adjusted to perfect fit your head.

In contrast to previous models, which focused on reducing low frequency noise, the XM5s amplify the sound waves at higher frequencies to cancel out ambient noise. This improves the overall quality of sound and helps to block out cabin and engine noises during flights, for instance. The XM5s comes with an additional processing unit that helps improve noise cancellation on planes. The audio app can also alter the listening environment according to the pressure of the air.

Other features of the WH1000XM5s include an enhanced voice assistant that's simple to use and integrates with Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri and more. You can also pair the XM5s with other Sony audio products for multi-room music playback as well as stereo separation. They're compatible with Bluetooth high-bitrate audio streaming via LDAC, which Sony's codec is based on however they don't support the aptX codec or aptX HD.

2. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

When an organization has been producing headphones for many years, including Sennheiser is a top brand, you can expect superior sound quality and a comfortable fit. They've got both with their latest over-ears, dubbed the Momentum 4 Wireless. They have reworked their design to eliminate a few distinctive elements that gave their earlier models their aviator-style headset look. They also upgraded active noise cancellation by using their latest Adaptive Noisy Cancellation Technology. They've rated the headphones to last for 60 hours of listening time with ANC enabled, which doubles the battery life of their major competitors.

They're also more mobile than the previous model as they fold down and are much smaller overall. The ear pads and the headband are made of artificial PU leather, which feels comfortable on my head when I wear it throughout the day. They're also not extremely tight, so you can wear them for long flights, or even during workouts.

The sound is balanced and clear, however there are some highs that can cause a little discoloration to mixes. The bass is overemphasized, adding extra punch and thump in genres such as EDM or hip hop. It's not a big deal, but it may bother some listeners. The high-mid also has a sloppy balance in bringing instruments and vocals forward in the mix but at the cost of bringing out some vocal sibilants.

The Sennheiser momentum 4 wireless has all the standard features such as Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a clear mode that blends outside sounds into your music for better awareness, and mobile application support for custom and pre-set EQ options. They can also be connected with an beats studio 3 noise cancelling headphones.5mm cable for connecting your phone to it via wire. They can utilize SBC, AAC, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive codecs to connect to your device, and they can reduce the latency to as little as one quarter of a second and that's a huge benefit.

3. B&W PX7 S2

The original PX7s were a top choice on many lists of the top Bluetooth headsets due to their superior ANC and sound quality. However, like many wireless headphones, the PX7s have been getting older and required to be refreshed, hence the PX7 S2. B&W hasn't just tweaked the design of the new model, but they've made significant improvements to ANC and added more features for voice calls, too.

The PX7 S2 headphones are very lightweight, which makes them comfortable for long listening sessions. The look of the PX7 S2 is mostly similar to the model before it. It has the cool oval aluminium top-plate for the earcups the hook-like accent that slides rather than clicks when you expand the headband and the physical buttons. The earcups are smaller, but the headband is a bit less substantial overall.

The software of B&W lets you tweak EQ settings for treble and bass, however, you don't have as much control over the ear headphones with noise cancelling the mix between these two elements like you do on more expensive headphones. A Quick Action button on the left earcup toggles various modes of the environment. It can also be adjusted within the Bowers & Wilkins Music app to summon the voice assistant on your device.

The PX7 S2 sounds great for the majority of musical styles, with a soundstages that have plenty of width and good separation between the various sound elements. It shines especially on selections featuring acoustic instruments like Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G Minor Op. The 19 by Yuja Wang and Gautier Capucon features woody tones and a sense of air. It's also able to handle heavier music as well, thanks to the bass power and mid-range clarity on Entombed's fusion of garage and death-n'-roll, Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth creating a wall of sound while keeping things clear enough to be able hear vocal details such as Lars-Goran Petrov's sharp growl.

4. Bose QuietComfort 35

Bose is one of the first companies that brought active noise cancelling headphones to the mainstream. While they held a stranglehold on the market for years, they are now competing against newer headsets with more features and better sound quality. However, the QuietComfort 35 is still a great option for those who want to listen to podcasts and music without being disturbed by constant rumbles and hums.

The default sound profile is balanced and they're comfortable to wear. The ANC is great at removing background noise. However, it tends to emphasize lower frequencies more than other headphones like the Sony WH1000XM5.

The QC35s are a great pair of headphones to listen to audiobooks and podcasts. They come with a passive noise cancellation mode which reduces ambient sounds, but still allowing you to be completely isolated from the world around you. The QC35s allow you to connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously and also "audio-share", so you can listen to something on one set of headphones and answer an incoming phone call from the other.

The Bose Connect App is decent but it doesn't offer the vast EQ features of other headphone apps. The QC35s can also be used in wired mode, but the sound quality is drastically reduced and the battery longevity isn't as good as wireless models.

The QC35s have an established Bose style that may not appeal to some consumers than the more modern designs of other brands. You can personalize your headphones by purchasing a decal cover from companies such as SlickWraps or Skin Sticker. You'll also be able to change the color of the ear cups and headband later this year, similar to what you can do with the previous QC25 model.

5. Sony WH-1000XM3

Sony's WH-1000XM3 are the best wireless headphones with active noise cancelling you can purchase right now. They're more expensive than Anker Soundcore Q20 Wireless but they isolate more background noise. The app is also better and has a wide range of options for sound customization.

The XM3s have an excellent sound quality, and since their release they've been improved to provide even better performance. They have a little bit more depth in the frequency spectrum. Their noise cancelling is better at all levels of volume. They also have improved controls, such as Quick Attention mode and Speak-to Chat. They also have a brand new feature called Adaptive Sound Control that automatically adjusts how much external sound is let in based on where you're at and what you're doing.

They're not without their own issues, though. The treble may be a little overpowering at times and the midrange can sound a bit recessed. They also tend to boost bass too much in some tracks, which makes them sound too full and heavy. But this is something you can correct by changing the settings for your headphone or via EQ adjustments in the Sony app.

The XM3s are an excellent pair headphones, especially for commuters or frequent travelers. They are more comfortable, look and feels premium, and last longer than the JBL Live 650 BTNC wireless. They also have a better battery and one of the most effective noise cancellation features available. They're also more flexible and better-equipped for mobile use than the Audio-Technica's ATH-M50X Wireless, although they have less impressive noise isolation. They're not waterproof which is a problem for some.