Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the necessity of running a wire from your audio device. These headphones are great for public transport, at the office or at home.
Wireless over-ear headphones can have an elegant design and superior noise cancellation. They are usually packaged in a stylish case.
Soundcore Q30
These over-ears are a major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and are more durable and have a more polished look. The hinges are stronger and the soft leather ear cups have been slightly larger. They're still made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can even swap the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C version so that you can make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also come with dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app comes with a broad variety of EQ presets that can be saved and adjusted to listen to podcasts and music in the style that you prefer. The Soundcore app is easy to use and sets these headphones apart.
The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out the majority of ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This results in a very pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound quality is natural, however it lags it's a bit harsh on the treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we got better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer). This can be fixed easily using the Soundcore App, which has an eight-band Equalizer.
The left earcup features the power button, a pairing button, and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. They also support the ability to speak that allows you to ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to enable ambient modes so that you can hear everything around you without removing the headphones.
The Q30 headphones offer a long battery life. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than its rivals. This allows you to take advantage of the long flight, or a busy day at work. They can be charged quickly by using the USB-C cable that comes with them, and you'll see a warning when they're approaching empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that offer both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or while on the move. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones but their superior sound quality is the main selling factor.
The Focal Bathys are packed in a small attractive white box with a textured finish. It includes everything you will need. The package also includes a fold-flat carrying case for the headphones, a USB-C 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 full day of listening, and also have an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, they're connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now named Focal & Naim in line with English sister brand Naim’s products that are network-aware) or the dedicated button located on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft transparent,' and full.
The app lets you alter various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including the music profile, which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also allows you to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic environment' that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it will sound like when worn in a room with different audio acoustics.
The Focal Bathys have an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds more energy and warmth to your favorite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals sound muted, while certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancellation when contrasted to other headphones with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony headphones are known for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It is a top pick in the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and borders the luxury lifestyle segment where brands such as Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s have a premium price tag but, should you be able to afford it, there are a few better wireless over-ear headphones out there.
The XM5s come with features that help listeners and, in certain instances, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to handle 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. There's even a built-in microphone to allow making calls without hands.
Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. These headphones are among the best at cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also excellent at separating listeners from the hum of busy airports and streets.
The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s do not have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but, they do have an increased sense of clarity and a greater sense of openness. 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 also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.
Battery life is great and can last up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is on and 40 hours if off. That's more than enough for a weekend trip or a long period of use.
The only issue is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony recommends not sweating on the XM5s or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for a lot of 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 over-ear that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with neutral audio profiles that concentrates on the highs and mids without going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them great for both movies and music. They also offer superior fidelity compared to most competing pairs of headphones.
The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ear they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that makes sure the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.
Toggle noise cancelling mode by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. There's also best budget over ear headphones wireless that can be pushed, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to adjust the volume and press it once twice or three times to control playback. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. These buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or if they are placed in their case. They will come back to life when you place them over your head.
Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which makes use of the accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to create the illusion that they're coming from those locations. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for movies and videos made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices are able to listen to audio in spatial format.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew that they'd be beaten in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery performance, so it's hard to justify the extra cost for the majority of people.