Best Over the Ear Headphones

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

Wireless over-ear headphones are available in a variety of styles and noise cancelling features. They typically come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Q30

These over-ears are a major upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive, feel more durable, and have a more polished finish. The hinges are tighter, and the soft cups are a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version so that you can make use of them with portable Hi-Fi systems as well as stationary Hi-Res players. They also come with two microphones built-in, which perform well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a wide variety of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to listen to podcasts and music in the way you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speaker effectively block almost all ambient sound when ANC is enabled. This creates an extremely enjoyable listening experience. The Q30's sound signature is natural, however it lags a little on treble. Some might be disappointed by the bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster EQ). It is possible to fix this with the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has a power button, a pairing button, and a USB-C charging port. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. Double-clicking these buttons lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also come with an option to speak to them that allows you to ask to change the mode or set an alarm. The right earcup can also be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode to allow you to be aware of what is happening around you without removing the wirelss headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is great, too. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its rivals. This allows you to take advantage of an extended flight or a long day at work. They can be quickly recharged with the included USB-C cable and you'll get warnings when they're about to run empty.

Focal Bathys wireless headphones uk

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed as a premium high-end headphones that are great for Wirelss Headphones listening to podcasts and music on the go but also sound amazing when used for home use by audiophiles too. They're a little more expensive than other similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is their main selling point.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact attractive white box with a cloth finish. It contains everything you will need. There's also a fold-flat carry case for the headphones 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 a whole day of listening to music casually. They also have an audio input to connect wired. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now called Focal and Naim in the same way as English Naim's products that are network-aware) 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 alter different settings such as the brightness of the LED and EQ presets, including a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than the others and their battery duration. You can also select the ANC mode and level and setting an 'acoustic settings that adjusts the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys come with an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds more energy and warmth to your favorite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments are nudged back in the mix and can sound veiled while other details such as cymbals sound somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancelation when contrasted with other headphones that have more advanced 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's located at the top end of the'mainstream' over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s can be expensive, but if you can find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones.

The XM5s are loaded with a number of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks that they would need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to close to high-res) is available, as is support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making hands-free phone calls.

The XM5 headphones aren't different than the previous generation WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. They're one of the best at reducing the constant drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of separating listeners from noise of airports and busy streets also.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s may not be as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and openness also. For instance, the bass work on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging everything else. The XM5s are also able to produce precise and precise bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

The battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and 40 hours when it's turned off. This is enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy use.

The only drawback is that the XM5s lack any dust or water resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or wear them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for some people, but it might cause a problem for those who spend a lot of their time at the gym or lives in a rainy city.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that focuses on highs and mids without going overboard. They are perfect for movies and music. They also provide better sound quality than many other headphones.

The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, fit comfortably over the ears they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a strong, but not too much clamping force to ensure that the ear cups remain in position during listening sessions.

A small button on the top of the right ear cup can be used to toggle noise cancellation modes. It also has a pushable like a jog-dial, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to adjust the volume and press it once, twice or thrice to playback control. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are simple to use and well-placed, but I would have liked to see a power button that would shut off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode after being removed from your ear or placed in their case. They only come back on when you put them on your head again.

Another cool feature is spatial audio, which uses the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine where you're moving, then repositions sounds to appear as if they're coming from those locations. This creates a cinema-like experience with movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only downside is that spatial audio requires an iOS device for use, and you won't be able to enjoy it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel a bit ripped off walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it hard to justify the extra expense for most people.