Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music and podcasts without the need to connect wires to your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transport, while at work or at home.
Wireless over-ear headphones are available in a variety of designs and noise cancelling capabilities. They typically come with a sleek storage case.
Soundcore Q30
These over-ears are a major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and are more durable and have a more polished appearance. The hinges are tighter, and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, but they're more polished. You can swap the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and use them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also feature dual built-in microphones, which perform well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app has a huge selection of EQ presets that can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to music and podcasts in your preferred style. The Soundcore app is simple to use and sets these headphones apart.
When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the ambient noise and make for very pleasant listening. The Q30's sound signature is natural, but a little on treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we got better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). It is possible to fix this by using the Soundcore App, which comes with an 8-band Equalizer.
The left earcup has an power button, a pairing button, and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or replay the previous one. You can also make use of voice commands to instruct 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 the world around you without having to remove the headphones.
The battery life on these headphones is fantastic and the battery life is also excellent. The Q30 was able to last for a full hour in our tests when ANC was switched on than the other models. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or a day at the office. 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
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be a pair of premium high-end headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound amazing when used for home use by audiophiles too. They're more expensive than other similar headphones but their superior sound quality is their main selling factor.
The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small, attractive white box with a fabric finish. over ear headphones wireless best comes with all the accessories you will need. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.
They're powered by a good 600mAh battery that can take you through a whole day of listening, and have an audio input for wired use. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control their functions using an app (now called Focal and Naim likely in the same line as their English Naim brand's products that are network-aware) or using the button that's located on the left earcup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent' and 'full'.
Using the app allows you to alter different settings like the brightness of the LED, EQ presets including a'music profile' that sounds brighter and more neutral than the other ones and also their battery duration. You can also choose the ANC level and mode as well as set an 'acoustic environments setting to alter the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of headphones in a different acoustic room.
The Focal Bathys come with bass-rich, rich sound profiles that adds more energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. The result is that vocals and instruments can sound muted, while details such as cymbals may be less noticeable than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears with higher-end technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony headphones are known for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It's located at the top end of the mainstream over-ear headphone market, edging into the luxury lifestyle category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s have a premium price tag but, should you be able to afford it, there are a few more superior wireless over-ear headphones available.
The XM5s have a lot of features that simplify the lives of the listener, and also automate tasks they would otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to close to high-res) is included, as is support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making hands-free phone calls.
Like the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans to block out the constant drones found in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of separating listeners from background noise of airports and busy streets also.
The sound quality is excellent. The XM5s may not be as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, they have a higher level of clarity and transparency as well. For instance the bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition without flattening the other elements. Similar to Massive Attack's brooding Angel shows off the XM5s ability to create accurate and precise bass notes.
Battery life is also good, with up to 30 hours of listening with ANC active and 40 hours when it's off. This is enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy usage.
The only real drawback here is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you don't sweat into them or wear them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for some people, but it could cause a problem for those who spends much of their time at the gym or lives in a rainy city.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple AirPods Max is a pair over-ear wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes mids and highs without going overboard. They are great for music and movies. They also offer better sound quality than many competing pairs of headphones.
The headphones are light and feel comfortable on your head. The earcups are made out of memory foam that is covered in woven fabric, and they sit comfortably on the ears without placing pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a strong, but not too much clamping force that ensures the earcups remain in place throughout listening sessions.
Toggle noise cancelling mode by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. You can also use an earphone-style jog dial with a push button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it to control the volume, and press it once three, twice, or times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are easy to use and well-placed however I would have liked to have an option to power off or turn off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones are put into standby when removed from your ears or when they are put in their case. They will return to life when you put them on your head.
Spatial audio is a cool feature. It utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you are moving. Then, it alters the position of the sound to make it appear to come from that location. This creates a cinema-like experience when watching movies and videos recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to the spatial audio.
The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd be a bit disappointed for spending $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better in the next year. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.