Best Over-Ear Headphones

Unlike earbuds, over-ear headphones cover your ears completely and allow for bigger drivers to provide more bass and a wider soundstage. A majority of them feature Bluetooth technology and active noise cancellation.

The latest Master and Dynamic MW65 update provides excellent audio, a variety of ANC modes and impressive battery life with a stylish and distinct design.

1. Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Sony has redesigned an already excellent pair of headphones with the WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They are more lightweight, better constructed, and have a more balanced audio profile (though bass-heavy). They also include an app that lets you customize the audio. Their active noise cancelling works even better than before, eliminating the background noise, and they have a longer continuous battery life than many competitors.

These headphones utilize Bluetooth 5.0 and support SBC, AAC, and Sony's own LDAC codec. This codec can transfer high-resolution audio, however, you'll need compatible equipment and streaming services. In addition, the WH-1000XM4s can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously and switch between them when required. This feature can be enabled via the Sony Headphones Connect App and works flawlessly.

One subtle improvement over the XM3 is the sensitivity of their touch panels. They respond faster to a tap on a panel and are easier to control when making calls or listening to media. Sony has added a feature to make voice calls clearer and more precise during calls. This is a noticeable and a nice addition.

The WH-1000XM4s might not be perfect, but they're among the best wireless headphones we've ever test. They are comfortable and well-constructed, and come with a an energy-efficient battery that can last for more than 30 continuous hours. They can also be used with an TRS cable which is great if you're traveling or need to conserve power.

The WH1000XM4s provide a superior alternative to the Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Over-Ears Px7 S2. The Sonys are more comfortable and their ANC can block out more background noise. They also come with a companion application that lets you adjust their audio performance, and their EQ settings are more flexible than B&W's. The B&Ws are better built, and can pair with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. Additionally, they support aptX HD and feature an AI-driven engine that tries to upscale compressed music to high-resolution. This is called DSEE Extreme and it does an excellent job of improving the clarity of music, especially when listening to lossless files.

2. Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

The $329 Bose QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones are the most recent version of a headset that became a standard for commuters as well as travelers around the globe. The new model doesn't reinvent the wheel. It is based on the same formula that made its predecessor so successful, while adding the USB-C port and improved noise cancellation.

Similar to the QC 35 II before them, these over-ear Bose headphones have a luxurious look and feel that oozes quality. The headband is made of plastic, but is a solid feel, with metal hinges at the pivot points and the familiar ratcheting action that you experience when you open or retract the earcups. The cups are cushioned and have soft pads that are comfortable to wear over your ears without putting pressure on your head. They weigh 238 grams and are compact when folded. They can be paired with a sweater or coat as they work even when not on the head.

Despite their reputation as comfortable headphones they do not provide the best sound at this price point. The frequencies are dull and lack the details that higher-end headphones might be able to bring out. The upper registers tend to be boosted and is suitable for most music, but could be a problem for delicate or intricate genres of music. The bass is good, but is lacking punch.

The ability to pause playback when removing the headset is a feature that is missing. This is a feature Bose's rivals have offered for years. Another oversight was the absence of an in-app EQ. Bose offers preset EQs within the app, but it would be nice to have an option to manually control.

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

The QC45s have four microphones that are built-in to pick up your voice when you are on the phone. The headsets have a good call quality, but they don't allow you to silence the voice when playing back like other wireless headphones. Update: blue tooth Headphones A firmware upgrade 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 that produces high-performance headphones. They are well-known for their style and comfort, which let listeners know that they're hearing something unique. The Bathys are their first wireless noise-cancelling blue tooth headphones. They are stunning in appearance and sound. They come with a high-performance USB DAC built in, so you can use them both for wired and wireless listening.

Focal claims that the Bathys where can i buy wireless bluetooth headphones play Bluetooth music for up to 30 hours. We actually got more, with over 40 hours on average of a single charge. If you need to recharge, there's a light on the right earcup that will change to red when the headphone needs to be charged.

For a pair of headphones for this price, they have lots of features. They support multiple devices simultaneously and have automatic pairing. (You have to select your source device by hand each time you listen.) The headphones have built-in microphones that can be used with voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa. They also come with an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to manage your music and make calls.

For headphones with over-ear connectivity, the Bathys excel in our tests of noise cancellation, reducing the ambient sound by about 9 decibels in average. This isn't as impressive a result as the ANC in the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless but it's still pretty effective.

In our tests of the quality of sound from headphones The Bathys did well overall, with a an overall frequency response that corresponds to the SoundGuys preference curve with only minor differences in the mids and bass. The Bathys have a bassy sound profile that can make vocals, instruments and cymbals seem obscure.

They also have excellent leakage resistance, which means you can wear them out in public without worrying about other people listening to your music. The microphone has a decent recording quality via Bluetooth with only slight distortion in the mid to treble range.

4. Sennheiser Momentum 4

The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless are a new update to the company's top-of-the-line Bluetooth headphones. The Momentum 3 was a solid but not an outstanding entry in this category. The new model is a significant improvement over the previous model, featuring a sleeker look, improved gesture control, and a huge battery life.

The improvements aren't that obvious, but they make a pair of over-ears that appear to be an upgrade from the old one. The Momentum 4s lie flat and aren't foldable, but they do come with a sturdy hardshell case to keep them safe while on the go. The Momentum 4s are device-agnostic, like many other Bluetooth headphones of recent years, such as the ones from Bowers & Wilkins and Sony. This means they work well with both Android phones and Apple iPhones, however they do not come with the extra features (like Find My support and head-tracked Spatial Audio) that are available on the AirPods.

The most obvious difference here is the massive battery that promises up to 60 hours of playback when the noise cancellation feature turned on. That's easily double what most of the competitors offer and enough for a long-distance trip without worrying about finding an outlet to charge it.

Billy Steele, senior editor at Engadget The headphones were rated by Billy Steele, senior editor at Engadget a score of 82. He highlighted their audio quality and ANC features as the top strengths. His only complaint is that they lack a sense of weight in the mids and treble, meaning that orchestral tracks tend to sound flat, not grand. The bass is well-rounded, but it's easy to over-emphasize and cause fatigue in songs with strong bass lines such as the drums that are pounding in As I Lay Dying's Forever. The cymbals sound smoky rather than full and there's no feeling of depth in the lows.

The Momentum 4s are comfy and shouldn't put too much pressure on your neck or ears. They can be a bit fidgety when you wear them around the home or during long listening sessions. They can move on your head and make a lot of head movements. This could cause them to unexpectedly wake up and can cause distraction during music or calls. They stop automatically after 15 minutes, and can be shut off manually with the power button.