Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music and podcasts without the need to connect a wire to your audio device. They're also a great choice for public transport, at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety of designs and noise cancellation capabilities. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are an important improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and are more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still largely plastic but the hinges are tighter and the soft leather cups are bigger. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and cordless bluetooth Headphones make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a wide selection of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to listen to podcasts and music in the style you prefer. This is what makes these headphones stand out from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.

When ANC is turned on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively cut out almost all ambient noise and make for excellent listening. They have a natural sounding signature that leans slightly to the treble side, which some might feel is lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). But, you can solve this issue with the Soundcore application, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands that can help you tweak.

The headphones come with an power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup and an USB-C port to charge. The right ear cup features play/pause, and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these buttons lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. You can also use voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup with your fingers to activate ambient modes, to allow you to hear everything around you without removing the headphones.

The battery life of these headphones is excellent and the battery life is also excellent. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was on than the other models. This lets you enjoy the long flight, or a long day at work. They can be charged quickly with the included USB-C cable, and you'll see a warning when they're approaching empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of high-quality headphones for over-ear use that feature active noise cancellation as well as cordless Bluetooth headphones playback. They're made to be an elite, high-end headphone that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home too. The headphones are a bit more expensive than similar b uetooth headphones, but their superior sound quality is what makes them 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. 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.

They're powered by a decent 600mAh battery that will get you through a whole day of listening to music and also have an audio input for wired use. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you can control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim likely in the same vein as their English Naim brand's network-aware audio products) or by pressing the button on the left earcup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles like'soft','silent 'transparent' and 'full'.

Using the app allows you to change various settings like the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music profile' that is brighter and more neutral than other presets and their battery life. You can also select the ANC level and mode as well as set an 'acoustic environments' to adjust the sensitivity to mimic the sound of the headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich profile that adds extra warmth and punch to your most loved tracks. As a result, instruments and vocals are pushed back in the mix and can sound veiled while other details such as cymbals sound slightly less prominent than you'd expect from 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 has earned a reputable reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is no exception. It sits at the upper portion of the over-ear headphone market, but it is also dipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' area where the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. This means the XM5s come with a high price tag but, should you be able to afford it, there are better over the ear wireless headphones out there.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks they would otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music that has been compressed to near high-res) as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This lets high-quality audio be streamed with bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones are no different from the previous generation headphones from WH, in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job of shielding listeners from the background noise of busy streets and airports as well.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s lack as high a resolution in the low frequency range like the XM4, however they do possess an increased sense of clarity and a greater sense of openness. For instance, the bass work on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition without flattening everything else. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to produce precise and precise bass notes.

Battery life is great and can last up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if off. This is more than enough for a weekend trip or a long period of usage.

The only issue is that the XM5s don't have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating on them or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it could prove a stumbling block for those who spends much of their time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones that fit over the ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes highs and mids, but not going too loud. They are ideal for music and movies. They also offer superior fidelity when compared to other headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight construction that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ear they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide a strong, but not too strong clamping force that makes sure the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the the right earcup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. You can also utilize a pushable jog dial-like button like the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it one three, twice, or even three times to playback the controls. 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 have a power button that would switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode after being removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only come back on when you place them on your head once more.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which utilizes the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine where to buy wireless bluetooth headphones you're moving, then repositions sound to make it seem like they're coming from these locations. 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 are able 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 the headphones if I knew they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery life, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for the majority of people.