Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless bluethooth headphones let you listen to podcasts or music anywhere, without the necessity of running a wire from your audio device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, in the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones can have an elegant design and superior noise cancellation. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018, these over-ears appear better, feel stronger, and are generally more polished. They're still mostly made of plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft protein leather cups are larger. You can replace the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also have dual mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge variety of EQ presets, which can be customized and saved to allow you to listen to music and podcasts in the style you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is extremely simple to use.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers cut out almost all ambient noise, and provide excellent listening. They have a natural sound signature that leans a little on the treble side, and some may find lacking in bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster equalizer). This can be fixed easily by using the Soundcore App, which comes with an eight-band Equalizer.

The left earcup has the power button and a pairing button and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also come with the ability to speak that allows you to ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right ear cup with your hand to enable ambient modes to allow you to hear the world around you without removing 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 allows you to take advantage of the long flight, or a busy day at work. The USB-C cord included in the kit allows you to quickly charge them. You'll also get a warning when the battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. These headphones are made to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the go. They're slightly more expensive than other similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is the main selling factor.

The Focal Bathys come in a compact, attractive white box with a cloth finish. It contains everything you will need. There's also a fold-flat carry case for the headphones as well as a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

They're powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that can get you through a full day of casual listening and also have an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, Bluetooth headfones they're paired 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 button located on the left earcup that scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft transparent,' and full.

The app allows you to alter different settings, like the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including the music profile, which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also gives you the ability to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic environment' which adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a room with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys feature bass-rich, rich sound profiles that adds more energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. In the end, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix and can sound veiled while other details such as cymbals sound somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation when compared with other headphones that feature higher-end technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 is no exception. It is at the top of the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle area in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s have a premium cost, but should you be able to afford it, there are more superior wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that make life easier for the listener and automate tasks they would otherwise be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is also included and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality audio be streamed with bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making hands-free calls.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different than the previous generation WH headphones in regards to noise cancellation. They're one of the best at reducing the constant drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job isolating listeners from the background noise of busy airports and streets also.

The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s don't have as many details in the low-frequency range like the XM4, however they do possess a greater sense clarity and a greater sense of openness. For Bluetooth Headfones example the bass work on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

The battery life is also good, with up to 30 hours of listening with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is enough to last the weekend or a few days' heavy use.

The only real drawback here is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. Sony actually advises against sweating into them or taking them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for many people, but it could be a problem for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair over-ear wireless headphones which feature bluetooth Headfones technology and noise cancellation. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes highs and mids without going overboard. This makes them great for both music and movies. They also provide higher fidelity than most other headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are made of memory foam, are covered with woven fabric, and sit comfortably over the ear, do not put pressure on the sides or forehead. The ear cups can also be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a solid but not overly strong clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button at the top of the right earcup. You can also utilize the jog dial that is a push-button like the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume and press it once, twice, or three times to playback the controls. Siri is activated by pressing and holding the button. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, but I missed having an option to switch off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode after being removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only come back on when you slide them over your head again.

Another cool feature is spatial audio, which makes use of the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to make it seem like they're coming from these locations. This creates a theater-like experience with videos and movies made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of edge headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug going into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew that they'd be outdone next year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive however they offer better battery life and advanced features.