Best Over the Ear Headphones

wireless blutooth headphones headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere without having to run an audio wire to your device. They are also a great choice for public transport, at work or headphones Wireless bluetooth at home.

Wireless headphones with over-ears can feature an elegant design and superior noise cancellation. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are an important upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and feel more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still mostly made of plastic, but the hinges are tighter and the soft protein leather ear cups are larger. You can swap the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable to make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with two mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge selection of EQ presets that can be customized and saved to allow you to listen to music and podcasts in the way you prefer. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is turned on, the Q30's 40mm drivers cut out almost all ambient noise, and provide very pleasant listening. They have a natural sound profile that is a bit on the treble end, which some may find lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster EQ preset). It is possible to fix this with the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.

The left earcup features an power button as well as a pairing button and a USB-C charging port. The right ear cup features play/pause and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking on these controls allows you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. They also come with an option to speak to them which allows you to ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to enable ambient modes to allow you to 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 lasted nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This allows you to enjoy the long flight, or a long day at work. They can be easily recharged using the USB-C cable included and you'll get a warning when they're approaching empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that offer both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed as an elite high-end headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home too. The headphones are a bit more expensive than similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a slim, compact and attractive fabric-finished white retail box with all the accessories you need inside. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones Wireless bluetooth and a USB-C cable 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 casual listening. They also include an audio input so that you can make use of wired. Wirelessly, they're connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now named Focal and Naim in line with English sister brand Naim’s network-aware products) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft 'transparent,' and 'full.

Utilizing the app, you are able to alter various settings such as the LED brightness, EQ presets including a'music profile' that is more neutral and brighter than the others and also their battery duration. It also gives you the ability to select the ANC mode and its level as well as setting an 'acoustic environment' that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it will sound like when used in a space with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys have an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds extra punch and warmth to your favourite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments can be muted, and certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones, and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It is the best of the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle market in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s come with a high cost, but should you be able to afford it, there are few better wireless over-ear headphones on the market.

The XM5s come with features to simplify the lives of listeners and, in some instances, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to deal with manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is also included as well as support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making calls hands-free.

Like the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're among the best at reducing the continuous drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also excellent in separating the listener from the hum of busy streets and airports.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s may not be as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, but they have a higher level of clarity and openness, too. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows the Sonys' power and definition but without affecting the rest the music. The XM5s also have the ability to provide precise and accurate bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is great with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is active and up to 40 hours when it's off. That's more than enough to last for a weekend getaway or a long period of usage.

The XM5s do not come with water resistant or dust resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you not sweat on them or wear them in the rain. This may not be a problem for many people, but it might cause a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

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

The headphones are lightweight and feel comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, are comfortable to wear over the ear and do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a firm but not overly powerful clamping force, which ensures that the earcups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button located on the top of the right earcup can be used to toggle noise cancellation modes. It also has the jog dial that is a push-button like the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume, and press it once, twice, or three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are easy to use and well-placed, but I would have liked to see a power button that would turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones are put into standby mode when removed from your ears, or when they are put in their case. They only return to life when you place them over your head.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which makes use of the accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to make it seem like they're coming from these locations. This creates a cinema-like experience for films and videos recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug entering an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional expense for most people.