Best Over the Ear headphones bluetooth

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the necessity of running a wire from your audio device. They're also a great choice for public transport, at work or at home.

buy wireless headphones over-ear headphones are available in a variety and noise cancelling features. They typically come with a stylish storage case.

Soundcore Q30

A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones are more attractive, feel more durable and generally feel more polished. The hinges are tighter, and the soft ear cups have been a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can swap the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also have dual microphones that work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad range of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to listen to podcasts or music in the way you like. The Soundcore app is easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out nearly all ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This results in a very pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but it's a bit harsh on treble. Some might be disappointed by the bass response (we had better results with the Bass Booster EQ). But, you can rectify this by using the Soundcore application, as there's an eight-band equalizer to help you tinker.

The left earcup has a power button as well as a pairing button and USB-C charging port. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. Double-clicking these buttons lets you skip tracks or replay the previous one. You can also make use of voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. The right earcup can be covered by your hand to enable ambient mode, to allow you to hear what's happening around you without taking off the headphones.

The battery life of these headphones is excellent, too. In our tests with ANC enabled, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than the other headphones. This lets you enjoy an extended flight or a full day at work. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge them. You'll also get an alert when your battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offers both active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. They're designed as a premium high-end headphones that are ideal for listening to podcasts and music on the go but also sound fantastic when used for home use by audiophiles as well. They're more expensive than similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is the main selling point.

The Focal Bathys come in a small, slim and attractive, white, fabric-finished box that contains all the accessories you'll need in. There's a fold-flat headphone carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The battery's 600mAh capacity can last for a full day of casual listening. They also have an audio input to make use of wired. Wirelessly, they're connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions with an app (now named Focal and Naim in line with English Naim's products that are network-aware) or the dedicated button on the left earcup that scrolls through ANC profiles like silent, soft transparent,' and full.

The app allows you to adjust various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including the music profile, that sounds more neutral and brighter than other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC mode and level and Blutooth Headphones setting an 'acoustic settings' to adjust the sensitivity in order to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys have bass-rich, rich sound profiles that delivers extra punch, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals can sound muted, while details like cymbals might be less noticeable than on other Blutooth Headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancellation when contrasted with other headphones that have higher-end technology like 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 mainstream over ear headphone market and is in the luxury lifestyle segment where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. The XM5s can be expensive however, if you are able to find them, there's not a better pair of wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s come with a variety of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate some tasks that they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to close to high-res) is included and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. That allows for streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates that are higher than standard Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making calls hands-free.

Like the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones to block out the continuous drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also great at isolating the listener from the noises of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s aren't quite as clear in the low frequencies as the XM4, however, they have a higher level of clarity and realism also. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows the Sonys' power and definition without affecting the rest of the music. The XM5s are also able to produce precise and precise bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

The battery life is fantastic with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is on and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy usage.

The XM5s are not waterproof or dust-proof. Sony actually recommends not sweating in them or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for a lot of people, but it could be a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of their time at the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with an audio profile that is neutral and is focused on the mids and highs without going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. They are perfect for movies and music. They also have superior fidelity compared to most competing pairs of headphones.

The headphones are light and feel comfortable on your head. The earcups are made of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they sit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. The ear cups can tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide a strong, but not too strong clamping force to ensure that the earcups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button on the the right earcup can be used to toggle noise cancellation modes. You can also utilize the jog dial that is a push-button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume and press it one three, twice, or even three times for playback controls. Siri is activated by pressing and pressing the button. The buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I would have liked an option to turn off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when removed from your ears or put in their case. They only come back on when you slide them over your head again.

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 determine where you're moving, then repositions sounds to appear as if they're coming from those places. This creates a cinema-like experience when watching movies and videos recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only catch is that spatial audio requires an iOS device for use, and you won't be able enjoy it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel a bit ripped off entering an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be outdone next year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it hard to justify the extra expense for most people.