15 Facts Your Boss Wishes You Knew About Over Ear Headphones Wireless …

Best Over-Ear Headphones

Over-ear wifi headphones, unlike earbuds, can completely surround the ears. They also have larger drivers, which deliver greater bass and a bigger soundstage. A majority of them feature Bluetooth technology and active noise cancellation.

The Master & Dynamic MW65 is updated with superior audio, various ANC modes, and a long battery life.

1. Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Sony has upgraded an already great pair of headphones with the introduction of the WH1000XM4 wireless. They are lighter, better built, and have a more balanced audio profile (though they are bass heavy). They also include an app for audio customization. Their active noise cancellation works better than it did before, eliminating the background noise, and they have a longer battery life than other models.

These headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 which supports SBC, AAC, and Sony's own LDAC codec. The latter can transfer high-resolution audio, however, you'll need compatible devices and a streaming service. In addition, the WH-1000XM4s can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously and switch between them when required. This feature can be enabled through the Sony Headphones Connect app and it is extremely effective.

A subtle improvement over the XM3 is the sensibility of their touch panels. They respond more quickly to the touch of a panel, and this makes them easier to control during a phone call or to listen to music. Sony has also added a feature that can make voices sound clearer and more precise during calls. This is a distinct and a nice addition.

The WH-1000XM4s may not be perfect, but they're among the top wireless headphones that we have ever examined. They're comfortable, feel well made, and have an excellent battery that lasts more than 30 hours continuously. They can be used passively with an TRS cable. This is ideal to travel with or for storing energy.

The WH1000XM4s are a better alternative to the Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Over-Ears Px7 S2. The Sonys are more comfortable, and their ANC can block out more ambient noise. They also have an app that lets you alter their audio performance, and their EQ settings are more flexible than B&W's. The B&Ws are more robust, and can pair with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. In addition, they support aptX HD and feature a unique AI-driven engine that tries to upscale compressed music to high-resolution. This is called DSEE Extreme, and it enhances the clarity of music when listening to lossless audio files.

2. Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

The $329 Bose QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones are the most recent version of a headset that became a standard for commuters as well as travelers from all over the world. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the new model retains the same formula that made the predecessor so popular, but adds USB-C, better noise cancellation and a longer battery lifespan.

Similar to the QC 35 II before them, these over-ear Bose headphones feature a premium look and feel that exudes quality. The headband, made of plastic, offers an incredibly solid feel due to the hinges made of steel at pivot points. It also features the ratcheting mechanism that is familiar when you extend or retract your ear cups. The cups are cushioned, and have soft pads that are comfortable to wear over your ears without putting pressure on your head. They weigh 238 grams and are compact when folded. They can be paired with a sweater or coat because they function even when not on the head.

Despite their reputation for comfort, the QC45s can't offer the most impressive sound quality for this price range. The frequencies are tinny and lack the depth that headphones with higher prices might be able bring out. The upper registers are amplified which is great for the majority of music but can be a problem for more delicate and complex genres. The bass is decent, but lacks the punch.

The ability to pause the playback when you remove the headset is a feature that is not available. This is a feature that Bose's rivals have provided for several years. Another oversight was the absence of an in-app EQ. Bose provides preset EQ settings within the app, but it would be nice to have manual control.

You can connect to your tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0 with multipoint support and more advanced codecs such as aptX Adaptive. You can download the Bose Audio app to adjust your headset's sound and voice assistant settings.

The QC45s come with four in-built microphones to pick up your voice during calls. The call quality is generally very good, but the headsets don't come with the handy capability to muffle your voice during playback, which is a feature that other Buy Wireless Headphones headphones do. Update In February 2022, a firmware upgrade to the QC45s provided an option to adjust the volume manually in the audio app, which is a welcome improvement.

3. Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal is a French audio brand that produces high-performance headphones. They are known for their comfort and style that let listeners know that they're listening to something special. The Bathys are their first wireless noise cancelling headphones. They look and sound stunning. They come with a top-quality USB DAC built in, which means you can use them both for wireless and wired listening.

Focal claims that the Bathys can play Bluetooth music for up to 30 hours. We actually got a bit more out of them and buy wireless Headphones got over 40 hours of playtime on average of one charge. If you do require a recharge, there's a light on the right earcup that will turn red when the earphone needs to be charged.

They offer a good amount of features for headphones of this price that include support for multiple devices at once and automatic pairing (though you'll need to select your source device every time you need to listen). The headphones have a built in microphone that can be used with voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa. The headphones come with an easy-to navigate interface that makes it simple to control music and make calls.

For headphones with over-ear connectivity The Bathys excel in our test of noise cancellation. They cut down the background sound by around 9 decibels in average. It's not as impressive as the ANC in the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless but it's still quite effective.

In our tests of the quality of sound from headphones, the Bathys were a good overall performer with the frequency response which generally matches the SoundGuys headphone preference curve, with only minor differences in the bass and mids. They have a deep, bass-filled sound profile that adds plenty of boom to mixes however, they can make vocals and instruments like cymbals sound dull.

They also have excellent leakage resistance, which means you can wear them in public without worrying about people listening to your music. Their mic has passable quality of recording via Bluetooth with only slight distortion in the mid to the treble range.

4. Sennheiser Momentum 4

The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless is a new version of the company's flagship Bluetooth headsets. The Momentum 3 was a solid but not a great entry in this class. The latest pair improves on the previous model with a sleeker design, improved gesture controls and massive battery life.

The improvements are subtle but add up to an over-ear set of headphones that feel like an upgrade. The Momentum 4s lay flat and aren't foldable, but they do come with a nice hardshell case to protect them when on the move. They also follow the style of a number of other recent Bluetooth headphones, like the ones from Sony and Bowers & Wilkins, to be beautifully device agnostic. They work with both Apple iPhones and Android phones, but lack the AirPods' extra features like Find My Support and head-tracked spatial audio.

The most obvious difference here is the massive battery that promises up to 60 hours of playback when noise cancellation activated. This is more than twice as much as most of the other brands and enough to take a multi-day journey without having to search for an outlet.

Billy Steele, senior editor at Engadget and Engadget, gave the headphones an 82 percent score. He cited their audio quality and ANC features as the top strengths. He only has one complaint: they lack a sense gravitas in the mids and the treble. This means that orchestral pieces sound flat instead of grand. The bass is well-rounded but it can sound too loud, which can cause fatigue in songs that have heavy bass lines, like the drum beats of As I Lay Dying’s Forever. The cymbals can sound smoky rather than full and there's not a real sense of depth in the lows.

The Momentum 4s are a comfortable fit and aren't likely to put too much pressure on your ears or neck. However they can be a bit difficult to wear around the house or during longer listening sessions, and can move around on your head in a flurry of head movements. This can cause them to wake up in a sudden manner, which could be distracting while listening to music or making calls. Fortunately they shut down after 15 minutes of slumber by default, and can be turned off manually off with the power button.