Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the need to run a wire from your audio device. They are ideal for public transport, at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are offered in a variety of styles and noise cancellation capabilities. They are typically packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are a significant upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and are more durable and have a more polished appearance. They're still largely plastic however the hinges are more secure and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. You can swap the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and use them with mobile Hi-Res and stationary Hi-Fi 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 wide range of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to listen to podcasts and music in the style that you prefer. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate almost all ambient sound when ANC is enabled. This makes for an extremely enjoyable listening experience. The Q30's sound signature is natural, however it lags it is a bit the treble. Some might not be a fan of the bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). This can be fixed easily with the Soundcore App, which comes with an 8-band Equalizer.

The headphones come with an power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup along with the USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has play/pause, the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. They also support an option to speak to them, so you can ask to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your hand to enable ambient modes so that you can hear everything around you without having to remove the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. In our tests with ANC enabled, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than its competitors. This leaves plenty of time for long flights or an office day. The USB-C cord included in the kit allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also receive an alert when the battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys wireless and bluetooth headphones

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They're made to be an elite high-end headphones that are great for listening to podcasts and music on the go but also sound amazing when used for audiophile home use too. The headphones are a higher priced than comparable headphones, but their superior sound quality is the reason they stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small, attractive white box with a textured finish. It contains everything you will need. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The 600mAh battery can last a whole day of casual listening. They also include an audio input so that you can connect wired. Wirelessly, they are paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim in the same way as 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.

The app allows you to adjust various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including music's profile, which is more neutral and brighter than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level as well as set an 'acoustic environments' to adjust the sensitivity to simulate the sound of headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra energy, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments can be muted, and certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than other headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancellation contrasted to other headphones with higher-end technology like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are renowned for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is a top pick in the mainstream over ear headphone market and also falls within the luxury lifestyle segment where brands such as Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. This means the XM5s come with a high cost, but when you can afford it, there are a few more superior wireless headphones with bluetooth over-ear 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) and Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are included. This allows streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different than the previous generation headphones from WH, in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for cutting out constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also excellent in separating the listener from the hum of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but they do have a greater sense clarity and openness. For example the bass on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging the other elements. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel shows off the XM5s ability to create accurate and precise bass notes.

Battery life is great and can last up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is active and 40 hours if off. This is enough to last the weekend or a few days of heavy usage.

The XM5s are not waterproof or dust-proof. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or wear them in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it might prove a stumbling block for anyone considering the XM5s 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. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm with a neutral sound profile that focuses on highs and mids, but not going overboard. This makes them great for both movies and music. They also have higher fidelity than most other headphones.

The headphones are light in design that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, fit comfortably over the ears and do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. Ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that ensures the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button on the top of the right ear cup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. It also has an earphone-style jog dial with a push button similar to the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control, and press it once, twice, or three times to playback the controls. Siri is activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I would have liked a power button to turn the headphones off when not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only wake up when you slide them over your head once more.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, Headphones Bluetooth Wireless which makes use of the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sounds to appear as if 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 can be used to listen to 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 Bluetooth wireless if I knew that they'd be outdone in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive however they offer superior battery life and more advanced features.