Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the requirement of connecting an audio wire to your device. These headphones are great for public transport, at the office or at home.
Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety and noise cancellation capabilities. They are typically packaged in a stylish case.
Soundcore Q30
A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018, Headphones wireless bluetooth price these over-ears look better, feel sturdier and generally feel more polished. The hinges are more secure, and the soft leather ear cups are slightly larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord for a high quality USB-C cable to connect them to portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with two mics built-in that worked flawlessly during our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app has a huge selection of EQ presets that can be customized and saved to allow you to listen to podcasts and music in your preferred style. This is what makes these headphones stand out from most other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.
The Q30’s 40mm speakers effectively block out nearly all ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This creates an extremely enjoyable listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that is a bit on the treble side, which some may find lacking in bass response (we had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). It is possible to fix this with the Soundcore App, which comes with an eight-band Equalizer.
The left earcup features a power button as well as a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup has play/pause and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or play previous ones. You can also use voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. You can also cover the right ear cup with your fingers to activate ambient modes, to allow you to hear the world around you without taking off the headphones.
These headphones have a fantastic battery life. In our tests with ANC turned on the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for an extended flight or working for a long time. They can be quickly recharged with the included USB-C cable, and you’ll see a warning when they’re approaching empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal’s Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. They’re made to be a premium high-end headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound fantastic when used for audiophile home use too. The headphones are a little bit more expensive than similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is the reason they stand out.
The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small attractive white box with a textured finish. It contains everything you will need. There’s a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C to USB cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.
They’re powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that can get you through a full day of listening to music and Headphones wireless bluetooth price have an audio input for wired use. When they’re wirelessly connected, they’re connected via Bluetooth and you’ll be able to manage their functions via an app (now named Focal & Naim which is probably in the same vein as their English Naim brand’s products that are network-aware) or via the button that’s located on the left earcup which scrolls between ANC profiles like’soft’,’silent ‘transparent’ and ‘full’.
The app allows you to modify various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs and the EQ presets (including the music profile, that sounds more neutral and brighter than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also gives you the ability to choose the ANC mode and its level as well as setting an ‘acoustic’ environment that adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate how it would sound like if it were placed in a room with different audio acoustics.
The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. As a result, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix, and can sound veiled while details like cymbals and vocals are slightly less prominent than you might expect on some other Headphones Wireless bluetooth price. 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 headphones are well-known for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It sits at the upper end of the’mainstream’ over-ear headphone market, edging into the luxury lifestyle category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s have a premium cost, but should you be able to afford it, there are few better wireless over-ear headphones out there.
The XM5s have a lot 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 to near-high-resolution), as well as Bluetooth’s LDAC Technology are both included. That allows for streaming of high-quality audio with rates that are higher than traditional Bluetooth. There’s even a built-in microphone to allow making calls without hands.
Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel at 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 are also great in separating the listener from the hum of busy streets and airports.
The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s aren’t quite as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, however, there’s a greater sense of clarity and realism, too. For example, the bass track on Rage Against the Machine’s Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys’ muscles with real force and definition without flattening everything else. Similarly, Massive Attack’s brooding Angel shows off the XM5s ability to produce tight and precise bass notes.
Battery life is excellent, with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is in use and up to 40 hours when it’s off. That’s more than enough to last for a weekend getaway or a long period of usage.
The only drawback is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony actually advises against sweating in them or wearing them in the rain. This may not be a major issue for most people, but for those who spend long hours in the gym or live in a humid region it could be a major problem.
Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless bt headphones headphones that fit over the ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes highs and mids without going too loud. This makes them ideal for both movies and music. They also offer better sound quality than many rival headphones.
The headphones have a light build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made out of memory foam that is covered in weaved fabric. They sit comfortably on the ears without placing pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a solid but not overly robust clamping force that makes sure that the ear cups stay in place during listening sessions.
Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button at the top of the right earcup. There’s also a button that can be pushed, like a jog-dial, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to adjust the volume and press the button once twice or three times to playback control. Siri can be activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are well-placed and easy to use, but I missed having the power button that could turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or when placed in their case. They come back to life when you place them on your head.
Spatial audio is another great feature. It uses the accelerometers, gyroscopes and iPhones and iPads to determine where you’re moving. Then, it alters the position of the sounds to make them seem to be coming from the location you are in. This creates a cinema-like experience when watching movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only catch is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to use it, and it won’t allow you to enjoy it on other devices.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I’d feel slightly smug about going into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they’d be beaten in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have more battery life and are equipped with the latest features.