Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the requirement to connect a wire to your audio device. They are ideal for public transport, while at work or at home.
wireless bluetooth headphones 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 earphones are an important upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive, feel more durable, and have a more polished look. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are tighter and the soft leather ear cups are bigger. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to make use of them with portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also come with dual microphones that are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app has a wide variety of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to listen to podcasts and music in the style that you like. The Soundcore app is easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.
When ANC is on, the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively block out most of the background noise, making for excellent listening. They have a natural sound profile that leans slightly to the treble side, which some might feel is lacking in bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). However, you can easily rectify this using the Soundcore application, as there's an eight-band equalizer to help you tinker.
The left ear cup has an power button as well as a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup features buttons for play/pause, volume up/down and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these controls allows you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. They also support an option to speak to them which allows you to ask to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup with your hand to activate ambient modes to allow you to hear everything around you without taking off the headphones.
These headphones have a great battery life. The Q30 lasted an hour longer in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This leaves plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or an office day. They can be quickly recharged using the USB-C cable included and you'll be able to see warnings when they're about to run empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of premium over-ear headphones that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be an elite, high-end headphone that are ideal for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound amazing when used for home use by audiophiles as well. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones but their superior audio quality is the primary selling point.
The Focal Bathys are packed in a compact, attractive white box with a fabric finish. It contains everything you'll require. The package includes a fold-flat headphone carrying case,
wireless Headphones bluetooth Headphones USB-C to USB cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.
The 600mAh battery can last for a full day of casual listening. They also have an audio input to use wired. Wirelessly, they are paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now called Focal & Naim in keeping with English Naim's network-aware products) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft transparent,' and full.
The app lets you adjust various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs and the EQ presets (including the music profile, which sounds brighter and neutraler than other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and its level, as well as setting an 'acoustic environment' that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate how it would sound like when used in a room with different acoustics.
The Focal Bathys come with an incredibly bass-rich sound that adds extra punch, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. In the end, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix and can sound dull, while details like cymbals and vocals are somewhat less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears that have more advanced technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony headphones are well-known for their quality, and the WH1000XM5 is not an exception. It sits at the upper end of the mainstream headphones for over-ear, and is slipping into the luxury lifestyle sector where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s are costly, but if you can get them, you won't find a better wireless over-ear headphones.
The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener and automate some tasks that they'd otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music that has been compressed to near high-res) and Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are both included. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates that 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 also excel at separating listeners from the noises of airports and busy streets.
The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s may not be as precise in the lower frequencies as the XM4, however, they have a higher level of clarity and openness, too. For example, the bass track on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, without reducing the other elements. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel shows off the XM5s' ability to deliver precise and precise bass notes.
Battery life is excellent, with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is on and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is enough to cover an entire weekend or a few days' heavy use.
The XM5s do not come with water resistant or dust resistant. Sony actually advises against sweating in them or wearing them in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it might cause a problem for those who spend a lot of their time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.
Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones bluetooth Headphones;
highwave.Kr, headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes mids and highs without going overboard. They are ideal for movies and music. They also provide superior fidelity when compared to other 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 woven fabric, and they fit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups can also be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide a firm, but not too strong clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in place during listening sessions.
A small button located on the the right earcup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. There's also a pushable, Jog-dial-like button, akin to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press once, twice or thrice to playback control. Siri is activated by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I missed having the power button that could turn the headphones off when not in use.