Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere without having to run an audio cable from your device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones can have a Premium Over Ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones design and exceptional noise cancellation. They are usually packaged in a stylish case.

Soundcore Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018, these over-ears are more attractive, feel more durable, and are generally more polished. The hinges are more secure, and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can even swap the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C model to use them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have dual mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a vast variety 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 what makes these headphones stand out from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers eliminate most background noise, making for very pleasant listening. They have a natural sound profile that leans a little on the treble side, which some may find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster EQ preset). However, you can easily solve this issue using the Soundcore application, as there is an 8-band equalizer to allow you to tweak.

These headphones have a power button and pairing button on the left earcup along with a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has play/pause, and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also have the ability to speak that allows you to ask them to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your fingers to activate ambient modes, to allow you to hear everything around you without having to remove the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is fantastic as well. In our tests with ANC enabled, the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its competitors. This lets you enjoy a long flight, or a full day at work. They can be charged quickly by using the USB-C cable that comes with them and you'll get a warning when they're approaching empty.

Focal Bathys wireless blutooth headphones

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. These headphones are designed to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the go. The headphones are a little higher priced than comparable headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is what makes them stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a slim, compact and attractive white fabric-finished retail box with all the accessories you need inside. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones, a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that will get you through a whole day of casual listening and include an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim in line with English sister brand Naim’s products that are network-aware) or the button on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft transparent,' and 'full.

The app lets you modify various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including music's profile, that sounds more neutral and brighter than other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and the level as well as setting an 'acoustic' setting which adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like if it were placed in a space with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich profile that adds more warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. The result is that vocals and instruments can be muted, while other details like cymbals might be less noticeable than on other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancellation when contrasted with other headphones that have more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It is a top pick in the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle area where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s come with a high price tag, but when you can afford it, there are better wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener and automate tasks that they'd otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is available and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making hands-free calls.

As with the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. These headphones are among the best at cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job isolating listeners from the traffic noises of airports and busy streets, too.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s may not be as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, however, there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and Immerse into Music with KVIDIO Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones realism also. For instance the bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real force and definition without flattening everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

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

The only issue is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you not sweat on them or wear them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it could be a problem for anyone who spend a lot of their time at the gym or lives in a city with rain.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones over-ear that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes the mids and highs while not going too loud at either end of the spectrum. They are great for music and movies. They also offer better sound quality than many other headphones.

The headphones are light and comfortable on the head. The earcups are made out of memory foam that is covered in woven fabric, and they are comfortable to wear without putting pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. There's also a button that can be pushed, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, Immerse Into Music with KVIDIO Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones that you can twist for volume control and press the button once, twice or thrice to control playback. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. The buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I missed having the power button that could switch off the headphones when they're not in use. The headphones automatically go Immerse into Music with KVIDIO Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones standby mode after being removed from your ears or put in their case. They only wake up when you slide them over your head once more.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It utilizes gyroscopes, accelerometers, and iPads or iPhones to determine where you're moving. Then, it alters the position of the sounds to make them appear to come from that particular location. This creates an immersive theater experience for videos and movies made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd feel a bit ripped off when I spend $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better in the next year. AirPods Pro are more expensive however they offer more battery life and are equipped with the latest features.