Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the need to connect wires to your audio device. These headphones are ideal for use in public transport, at the office or at home.
Wireless over-ear headphones are available in a variety of designs and noise cancelling features. They typically come with a stylish storage case.
Soundcore Life Q30
These earphones are an important improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished appearance. The hinges are tighter and the soft ear 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 high-quality USB-C model to use them with portable Hi-Fi systems as well as stationary Hi-Res 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 comes with a broad range of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to play podcasts and music in the style that you like. The Soundcore app is simple to use and makes these headphones stand out.
The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out almost all ambient sound when ANC is enabled. This creates a very pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sounding signature that leans slightly to the treble side, and some might find lacking in bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster EQ preset). This can be fixed easily with the Soundcore App, which includes an eight-band Equalizer.
The headphones come with the power button and a pairing button on the left earcup and an USB-C port to charge. The right earcup has play/pause, and the volume up and down buttons. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also come with a voice command, so you can ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. The right ear cup can also be covered with your hands to activate ambient mode, so that you can hear what is going on around you without removing the headphones.
The battery life on these headphones is excellent, too. In our tests with ANC switched on the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for long flights or an office day. The included USB-C cord lets you quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when the battery is getting close to empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed as an elite headphones that are ideal for listening to podcasts and music on the go but also sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is their main selling feature.
The Focal Bathys are packed in a compact, attractive white box with a fabric finish. It includes all the accessories that you'll require. The package also includes a fold-flat carrying 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 come with an audio input that you can make use of wired. When connected wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth and you'll be able manage their functions via an app (now known as Focal and Naim, probably in line with their English sister brand Naim's network-aware audio products) or by pressing the dedicated button on the left ear cup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles such as'silent','soft' 'transparent' and 'full'.
The app lets you modify various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs and the EQ presets (including music's profile, which is more neutral and brighter than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also select the ANC level and mode as well as set an 'acoustic environments setting to alter the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different room.
The Focal Bathys feature bass-rich, rich sound profiles that adds extra energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals be muted, while other details such as cymbals may be less prominent than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony has earned a reputable reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is no exception. It is a top pick in the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle area where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. The XM5s can be expensive however, if you are able to find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones for over-ear use.
The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener and automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near-high resolution) is available as well as support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates that are higher than standard Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making hands-free phone calls.
Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're among the top-performing headphones for cutting out constant drones found in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also excellent in separating the listener from the noises of airports and busy streets.
The sound quality is excellent. The XM5s aren't as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, but they have a higher level of clarity and openness, too. 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 the other elements. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel shows off the XM5s ability to produce accurate and precise bass notes.
Battery life is also very excellent, offering up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is more than enough to cover a weekend getaway or several days' heavy use.
The only drawback 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 in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it might be a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones which feature Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. headphones wireless feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with a neutral audio profile that concentrates on the highs and mids while not going overboard at either end of the spectrum. This makes them ideal for both movies and music. They also offer better sound quality than many rival headphones.
The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ears they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. Ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges feature a firm but not overly powerful clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.
You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. You can also use a pushable jog dial-like button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it once, twice, or three times for playback controls. Siri can be activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are well-placed and easy to use, but I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to turn off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ears or put in their case, and they only wake up when you slide them over 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 the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sounds to make it seem like they're coming from those places. This gives you a theater-like experience with videos and movies made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices are able to listen to spatial audio.
The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd be a bit disappointed when I spend $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better within a year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, so it's hard to justify the extra cost for most people.