Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts and music without the requirement to connect wires to your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transport, at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones may have an elegant design and superior noise cancellation. They are typically packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 The new over-ears appear better, feel stronger, and are generally more polished. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather ear cups are slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to connect them to portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also have dual mics built in that worked well in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad selection of EQ presets that can be saved and adjusted to listen to podcasts or music in the way you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively eliminate most ambient noise and make for very pleasant listening. They have a natural sound profile that leans slightly to the treble end, which some may feel is lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). This can be fixed easily with the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.

The headphones feature a power button and pairing button on the left earcup as well as a USB-C port for charging. The right ear cup features play/pause and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also have an option to speak to them which allows you to ask them to change the mode or set an alarm. The right ear cup can be covered by your hand to enable ambient mode, so that you can hear what's happening around you, without removing the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is great, too. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than the other headphones. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or working for a long time. They can be easily recharged by using the USB-C cable that comes with them, and you'll see an alert when they're getting empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth Headphones Wireless playback. These headphones are made to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the go. They're slightly more expensive than other similar headphones but their superior audio quality is the primary selling factor.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small elegant white box with a cloth finish. It comes with everything you will need. The headphone carry case folds flat, and comes with a case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The battery's 600mAh capacity can last for a full day of casual listening. They also have an audio input to connect wired. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control their functions through an app (now known as Focal & Naim which is probably in the same vein as their English Naim brand's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button that's on the left ear cup that scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent' and 'full'.

The app allows you to alter various settings, such as 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. It also allows you to choose the ANC mode and the level, and also set an 'acoustic' setting that will adjust the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it will sound like when used in a room with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with an incredibly bass-rich profile that gives extra warmth and punch to your favourite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments can be muted, while other details such as cymbals may be less noticeable than on other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has earned a reputable reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is at the top portion of the over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s have a premium price tag but, should you be able to afford it, there are a few better wireless over-ear headphones out there.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that make life easier for the listener and automate some tasks they would otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music compressed to near hi-res), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are both included. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making calls without hands.

The XM5 headphones are no different than the previous generation headphones from WH, in terms of noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do a great job isolating listeners from the background noise of busy airports and streets as well.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s aren't as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and transparency as well. The bass in Rage Against the Machine’s Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys' power and definition without affecting the rest of the music. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's' ability to deliver tight and precise bass notes.

The battery life is also excellent, offering up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active, and 40 hours when it's off. This is enough to last a weekend getaway or several days of heavy use.

The XM5s do not come with water resistant or dust resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for many people, but it could cause a problem for those who spend a lot of time at the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones over-ear that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes highs and mids without going too loud. This makes them ideal for movies and music. They also have superior fidelity compared to most other headphones.

The headphones are lightweight and feel comfortable on your head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric, bluetooth headphones wireless sit comfortably over the ears they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can also be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide a firm, but not too much clamping force to ensure that the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. You can also utilize 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 three, twice, or times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. The buttons are easy to use and are well-placed, but I would have liked to see an option to power off or turn off the headphones when not in use. The blutooth headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only come back on when you slide them over your head again.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It utilizes gyroscopes, accelerometers, and iPhones or iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it repositions the sound to make it appear to come from the location you are in. This creates a cinema-like experience when watching movies and videos that were recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery performance, so it's hard to justify the extra cost for most people.