Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the requirement to connect wires to your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transport, while 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 stylish storage case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are an important upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished look. The hinges are tighter, and the soft leather cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to use them with mobile Hi-Res and stationary Hi-Fi players. They also feature two microphones built-in, which are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge variety of EQ presets that can be customized and saved to listen to music and podcasts in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app is easy to use and sets these headphones apart.

When ANC is turned on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively cut out almost all ambient noise and make for very pleasant listening. The Q30's sound is natural, however it lags it's a bit harsh on the treble. Some may be disappointed by the bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer). But, you can fix this with the Soundcore app, as there is an 8-band equalizer that can help you tweak.

The left earcup features an power button, a pairing button, and Wirelss headphones an USB-C charging port. The right earcup has buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to activate ambient modes, to allow you to hear everything around you without taking off the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This leaves plenty of time for an extended flight or working for a long time. The included USB-C cord lets you quickly recharge them. You'll also receive a warning when the battery is nearing empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation and 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 higher priced than comparable headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is what makes them stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small, attractive white box with a fabric finish. It comes with everything you will need. The package also includes a fold-flat carrying case for the headphones and a USB-C cable to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a good 600mAh battery that will get you through a whole day of listening to music and include an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now called Focal and Naim in keeping with English sister brand Naim’s network-aware products) or the dedicated button located on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft transparent,' and full.

Utilizing the app, you are able to alter different settings, including the brightness of the LED, EQ presets including a'music profile' that sounds brighter and more neutral than other presets and their battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level and select an 'acoustic environment' to adjust the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds additional warmth, punch and impact to your most loved tracks. In the end, vocals and instruments are nudged back in the mix and can sound dull, while details like cymbals are somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation when compared with other headphones that feature more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a stellar reputation for its headphones, and the WH-1000XM5 Wirelss Headphones are no exception. It is a top pick in the'mainstream' over ear bt headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle area where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. This means that the XM5s come with a high price tag, but when you can afford it, there are a few better over the ear wireless headphones out there.

The XM5s have features to help listeners and, in a few instances, automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to do 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 allows for streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone for making calls without hands.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation cordless headphones from WH, in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for removing the constant drones heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also great at separating listeners from the hum of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s do not have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, however they do possess more clarity and openness. The bass in Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys' power and definition but without affecting the music. The XM5s are also able to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active, and 40 hours when it's turned off. This is enough to cover the weekend or a few days' heavy use.

The XM5s aren't waterproof or dust-proof. Sony recommends not sweating in the XM5s or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it could cause a problem for anyone who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with a neutral audio profile that concentrates on the highs and mids while not going too loud at either end of the spectrum. This makes them great for movies and music. They also have better sound quality than many other headphones.

The headphones are light in design that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed from memory foam covered in woven fabric, and they fit comfortably on the ears without putting pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups can tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too much clamping force to ensure that the ear cups stay in position during listening sessions.

You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. There's also a pushable, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press once twice or three times for playback controls. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are easy to use and well-placed however I would have liked to have an option to power off or switch off the headphones when not in use. The headphones go into standby when removed from your ears or when they are put in their case. They only come back into use when you place them over your head.

Spatial audio is another great feature. It makes use of accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it adjusts the sound so that they appear to come from the location you are in. This gives you a theater-like experience with movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only catch is that spatial audio requires an iOS device for use, and you won't be able to experience it on other devices.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd feel a little ripped off if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the next-generation model will be better within a year. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.