Best Over-Ear Headphones

Over-ear headphones, unlike earbuds encapsulate your ears completely and allow larger drivers to produce greater bass and larger soundstages. Many include Bluetooth technology and active noise cancellation.

The Master & Dynamic MW65 is updated with superior audio and features, including numerous ANC modes and a huge battery life.

1. Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Sony has made improvements to an already great pair of headphones with the WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They're lighter, feel better constructed, and have a more balanced sound profile (though still bass-heavy) and include an app that lets you do some audio adjustments. They have improved their active noise cancellation, eliminating the background noise and have a longer battery life.

These headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, and Sony LDAC is also supported. These headphones can transmit high-resolution audio, however, you'll need compatible devices and streaming service. Additionally, the WH-1000XM4s can connect to two Bluetooth devices at once and switch between them when required. You can enable this feature via the Sony Headphones Connect app and it works flawlessly.

The touch panels are more sensitive than the XM3. They respond quicker to tapping on the panel and are much easier to manage when making a phone call or listening to music. Sony also added a feature that helps voices sound more clear and precise during calls, which is noticeable and a nice addition.

The WH-1000XM4s might not be perfect, but they're among the top wireless headphones that we have ever tested. They're comfortable, good to the touch, and have an excellent battery that can last longer than 30 hours continuously. They can be used passively with an TRS cable. This is ideal to travel with or for storing energy.

The WH1000XM4s are a better alternative to the Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Over-Ears PX7 S2. The Sonys are more comfy and their ANC is able to block out more ambient sounds. The B&Ws have an EQ that is more flexible and a companion app to tweak the audio quality. But the B&Ws have a better-built design, and they're able to pair with two bluetooth headphone wireless devices at once. They also support aptXHD and feature an AI-driven engine that attempts to up-scale compressed music where to buy wireless bluetooth headphones (https://lolipop-pandahouse.ssl-lolipop.jp) high-resolution. This is called DSEE Extreme, and it enhances the clarity of music when listening to lossless audio files.

2. Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

The $329 Bose QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones are the latest iteration of a headset that has become an essential for commuters and travelers from all over the world. The new model doesn't reinvent the wheel. It retains the same formula which made its predecessor so successful but it also includes USB-C and better noise cancellation.

These over-ear Bose headsets have a premium feel and look, much like the QC 35 II headphones that preceded them. The headband is made from plastic, yet it has a sturdy feel with hinges made of metal at the pivot points, and the familiar ratcheting action that you experience when you open or retract the earcups. The cups have soft cushions that are securely positioned over your ears and do not apply pressure on your head. When folded they weigh 238 grams. You can wear them with an overcoat or sweater since the noise cancellation function is functional even when you aren't on your head.

Despite their reputation for comfort, the QC45s do not provide the best sound quality in this price range. The frequencies are relatively flat and lack the depth that higher-end headphones may be able to bring out. The higher registers tend to be amplified which is great for most music but can be a problem for delicate or intricate genres of music. The bass is good, but it lacks punch.

The ability to pause playback after removing the headset is a feature that is absent. This is a standard in this price range and is something that Bose's rivals have long offered. Another thing that was missing was the lack of an in-app EQ. Bose offers preset EQ settings in the app however it would be nice to have manual control.

You can connect to your tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0 with support for multipoint and the more advanced codecs like aptX Adaptive. Download the Bose Audio App to adjust your headsets sound and voice settings.

The QC45s come with four microphones inbuilt to pick up your voice while on the phone. The quality of calls is generally excellent but the headphones don't have the nifty capability to turn off your voice during playback which is something other wireless headphones have. Update: A firmware update for the QC45s in February 2022 added manual settings for EQ to the audio app. This is a welcome upgrade.

3. Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal is a French audio brand known for its high-performance headphones that last for a long time, comfort and a style that lets listeners know they're listening to something special. The Bathys are their first wireless noise cancelling headphones. They look and sound stunning. They come with a high-performance USB DAC built in, which means you can use them both for wireless and wired listening.

The Bathys are very efficient in terms of battery life, with Focal claims of 30 hours of continuous Bluetooth playtime. We got more than 40 hours of playback time on average on a single charge. If you require a recharge, there's a light on the right earcup that will change to red when the headphone has to be charged.

They come with a wide range of features for headphones of this price point that include support for multiple devices at once and automatic pairing (though you'll need to select the source device each time you want to listen). The headphones come with an inbuilt microphone that can be used with voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. They also come with an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to control your music and take calls.

Bathys over-ear headphones are able to perform in our noise cancellation test, reducing ambient noise by an average of 9 decibels. It's not as impressive as the ANC in the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless but it's still pretty effective.

The Bathys headphones did well in our headphone sound tests. Their frequency response was generally similar to the SoundGuys headphone curve, with only minor deviations on the bass and mids. They have a bass-rich sound pattern that adds plenty of boom to the mix, however, it can make instruments and vocals such as cymbals sound veiled.

You can wear them wherever without worrying that others will listen to your music. Their mic has passable recording quality via Bluetooth with just a little distortion in the mid to high treble frequency range.

4. Sennheiser Momentum 4

The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless are a new update to the company's top-of-the-line bluetooth headphone headphones. The last pair, the Momentum 3, was a decent but not a standout in the category. The latest pair is a significant improvement over the previous generation, with an elegant design, enhanced gesture control and an enormous battery life.

The improvements here are subtle but they create a pair of over-ears that seem like a step up from the old one. The Momentum 4s are flat and don't fold. They come with a hardshell case that protects them when moving. They also follow the style of several other recent Bluetooth headphones, like the ones from Sony and Bowers & Wilkins, to be beautifully device agnostic. They work with both Apple iPhones as well as Android phones, but do not have the AirPods' extra features like Find My Support and head-tracked spatial audio.

The most obvious change in this model is the huge battery, which promises up to 60 hours of playback when noise cancellation enabled. This is easily twice as much as most of the competitors and sufficient to allow you to travel for a longer period of time without having to search for an outlet.

Engadget senior editor Billy Steele gave the headphones an 82-point score, citing their audio quality and ANC as two of their strengths. The only issue he has is that they lack a sense gravitas in the mids as well as treble, meaning that orchestral music tends to sound flat rather than grand. The bass is smooth and well-rounded but it's easy to over-emphasize and cause fatigue in songs with strong bass lines like the drums in As I Lay Dying's Forever. The cymbals also sound sizzled rather than full and there's not a real sense of depth in the bass.

The Momentum 4s are a comfortable fit and should not put too much pressure on your ears or neck. However, they can be a bit difficult to wear around the house or for longer listening sessions. They will move about on your head in a flurry of head movements. This can cause them to wake up in a sudden manner, which could be distracting while listening to music or Where To Buy Wireless Bluetooth Headphones making calls. They will shut down automatically after 15 minutes, and can be switched off manually by pressing the power button.