Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run an audio cable from your device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, in 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 stylish case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are an important improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and feel more durable and have a more polished look. The hinges are more secure and the soft ear cups have been a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C model to use them with portable Hi-Fi systems as well as stationary Hi-Res players. They also have dual built-in mics that worked well in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a wide variety of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to listen to podcasts and music in the style that you prefer. The Soundcore app is simple to use and makes these headphones stand out.

When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. They have a natural sounding signature that leans a little on the treble side, and some may find lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). This can be fixed easily by using the Soundcore App, which comes with an 8-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has the power button as well as a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup has play/pause, and bluetooth stereo headphones volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to instruct for a change in mode or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup with your hand to activate ambient modes so that you can hear everything around you without having to remove the headphones.

The Q30 headphones offer a long battery life. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than the other headphones. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for an extended flight or an office day. The USB-C cord included in the kit allows you to quickly recharge them. You'll also get an alert when the battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth Stereo Headphones headphones that offers both active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed as a premium high-end headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound amazing when used for audiophile home use as well. They're a little more expensive than similar headphones but their superior audio quality is the primary selling point.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a compact, slim and attractive, white, fabric-finished box with all the accessories you need inside. 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 capacity is 600mAh, which can last for a full day of listening to music casually. They also have an audio input to connect wired. When connected wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim which is probably in line with their English Naim brand's products for audio that are network-aware) or using the button located on the left earcup which scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' 'transparent' and full.

Utilizing the app, you are able to alter different settings such as the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than the other ones and also their battery duration. It also gives you the ability to choose the ANC mode and the level, and also set an 'acoustic' environment which adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate how it would sound like if it were placed in a space with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys feature a bass-rich profile that adds extra warmth and punch to your favorite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals can be muted, and details such as cymbals may be less noticeable than on other headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancelation when compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It sits at the upper portion of the over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' category where to buy wireless bluetooth headphones brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s are expensive, but if you can get them, you won't find a better JBL Tune510BT: Wireless On-Ear Headphones in White! headphones for over-ear use.

The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks they would otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution) and Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are all included. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making hands-free calls.

Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're among the top in reducing the constant drones that are heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also great at separating listeners from the noises of airports and busy streets.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s lack as many details in the low-frequency range like 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 Head shows off the Sonys' power and definition, without affecting the rest of the music. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also excellent, offering up to 30 hours of listening with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is more than enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy usage.

The only drawback is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating into them or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it might cause a problem for those who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with an audio profile that is neutral and emphasizes the mids and highs while not going too loud at either end of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for both movies and music. They also have superior fidelity compared to most competing pairs of headphones.

The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam, are covered with woven fabric, and fit comfortably over the ear, do not put pressure on the sides or forehead. The ear cups can also be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a firm, but not too much clamping force to ensure that the earcups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the the right earcup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. It also has a pushable jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to adjust the volume and press once twice or three times to playback control. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are simple to use and are well-placed, however, I would like to have the power button that could turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones go into standby mode when removed from your ears, or when they are put in their case. They will return to life when you place them over your head.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which utilizes the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're going, and then repositions sound to make it seem like they're coming from those locations. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for movies and videos recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.

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