Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere without having to run a wire from your audio device. They're an excellent choice for public transport, at work or at home.
Wireless over-ear headphones can have an elegant design and outstanding noise cancellation. They typically come with a sleek storage case.
Soundcore Q30
A major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 The new over-ears look better, feel sturdier, and are generally more polished. The hinges are tighter, and the soft cups are a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can replace the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable and make use of them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with dual microphones that work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app comes with a wide variety of EQ presets, which can be customized and saved to allow you to listen to music or podcasts in the way you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.
When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the ambient noise and make for excellent listening. They have a natural sound signature that leans slightly to the treble side, which some might find lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). However, you can easily solve this issue by using the Soundcore application, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands to allow you to tweak.
The headphones feature an power button and a pairing button on the left earcup as well as a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has play/pause, volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also come with an option to speak to them which allows you to request to change the mode or set an alarm. The right ear cup can be covered by your hand to activate ambient mode, so that you can hear what's happening around you without taking off the headphones.
The Q30 headphones offer a long battery life. In our tests with ANC turned on, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or a day at the office. 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
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that provide both active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. These headphones are made to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or while on the move. The headphones are a little bit more expensive than similar headphones, but their outstanding audio quality is the reason they stand out.
The Focal Bathys come in a compact, attractive white box with a fabric finish. It comes with all the accessories you will need. The package includes a fold-flat headphone carrying case, USB-C to USB cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.
They're powered by a decent 600mAh battery that can take you through a full day of listening to music and include an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions with an app (now called Focal and Naim in keeping with English Naim's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft transparent,' and 'full.
The app allows you to alter various settings such as the brightness of the LED as well as EQ presets that include a "music profile' that sounds more neutral and brighter than the others and their battery life. It also gives you the ability to choose the ANC mode and the level, as well as setting an 'acoustic' environment that adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it will sound like when worn in a room with different soundproofing.
The Focal Bathys feature a bass-rich sound profile that adds more energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix, and can sound veiled while details like cymbals are slightly less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears 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 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' sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s are expensive however, if you are able to, there aren't many better wireless headphones.
The XM5s have features that make life easier for listeners and, in certain 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) as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are both included. This lets high-quality audio be streamed with bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making hands-free phone calls.
The XM5 headphones aren't different from the previous generation of WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the top-performing headphones for cutting out continuous drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s also excel at separating listeners from the hum of airports and busy streets.
The sound quality is very good. The XM5s aren't as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and transparency also. The bass in Rage Against the Machine’s Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys strength and clarity, without affecting the music. The XM5s are also able to produce precise and precise bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.
The battery life is fantastic and can last up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if it's off. This is more than enough to last for an entire weekend or a few days' heavy use.
The only drawback is that the XM5s lack any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or wear them in the rain. This may not be a major issue for the majority of people, but for those who spend much time in the gym or live in a rainy region, it could be a significant issue.
Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers that measure 40mm with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes mids and highs without going too loud. This makes them great for both movies and music. They also have better sound quality than many competing pairs of headphones.
The headphones have a light construction that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, sit comfortably over the ear, do not put pressure on the sides or the forehead. Ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. jbl headphones wireless -loaded hinges provide an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force to ensure that the earcups remain in place during listening sessions.
A small button located on the top of the right earcup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. You can also utilize the jog dial that is a push-button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it one three, twice, or even three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button will activate Siri. The buttons are easy to use and are well-placed, however, I would like to have the power button that could shut off the headphones when not in use. The headphones go into standby when removed from your ears, or when placed in their case. They will come back into use when you place them on your head.
Another cool feature is spatial audio, which uses the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out where you're moving, then repositions sounds to create the illusion that they're coming from these locations. This creates a cinema-like experience with movies and videos that were recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be a bit ripped off going into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew that they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.