Five People You Need To Know In The Over The Ear Headphones Wireless I…

Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the need to connect wires to your audio device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.

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

Soundcore Life Q30

These earphones are a significant upgrade from the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and are more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still mostly made of plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft protein leather ear cups are a bit bigger. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version so that you can make use of them with portable Hi-Fi systems as well as stationary Hi-Res players. They also come with dual built-in microphones, which work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad variety of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to listen to podcasts or music in the style you prefer. This is what sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate nearly all ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This creates a very pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that is a bit on the treble side, Bluetooth headphones and some might find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). This can be fixed easily using the Soundcore App, which includes an 8-band Equalizer.

The headphones come with the power button and a pairing button on the left earcup and a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. They also have the ability to speak which allows you to ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to activate ambient modes, to allow you to hear everything around you without having to remove the headphones.

The battery life of these headphones is fantastic, too. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than the other headphones. This allows you to enjoy a long flight, or a busy day at work. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge the batteries. You'll also get an alert when your battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that offer active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed to be a premium, high-end headphone that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're more expensive than similar headphones wireless headphones, but their superior sound quality is their main selling feature.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a small attractive white box with a fabric finish. It includes all the accessories you'll require. There's also a fold-flat carry case for the headphones, a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.

The 600mAh battery will last for a whole day of listening to music casually. They also include an audio input so that you can connect wired. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you can control their functions using an app (now named Focal and Naim which is probably in the same vein as their English sister brand Naim's network-aware audio products) or via the dedicated button on the left ear cup which scrolls between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent', and 'full'.

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

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that adds more warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals be muted, while other details like cymbals might be less prominent than on other headphones. They're not as efficient in active noise cancellation when compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are well-known for their quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is at the top of the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and borders the luxury lifestyle segment in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. The XM5s are expensive however, if you can afford it find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones for over-ear use.

The XM5s are loaded with a number of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks they would otherwise need to perform manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is included, as is 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 to allow making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones aren't any different from the previous generation headphones from WH, in terms of noise cancellation. They're among the top-performing headphones for removing the constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s also excel in separating the listener from the hum of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is very good. The XM5s do not have as many details in the low-frequency range like the XM4, however they do have an increased sense of clarity and openness. For instance the bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real force and definition without flattening everything else. Similarly, Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to produce tight and precise bass notes.

Battery life is also good, with up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough for a weekend getaway or a few days of heavy use.

The only real drawback here is that the XM5s don't have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you not sweat on them or wear them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for some people, but it could prove a stumbling block for anyone considering the XM5s who spend a lot of their time at the gym or lives in a rainy city.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with an audio profile that is neutral and emphasizes the mids and highs while not going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. They are perfect for movies and music. They also have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones are lightweight and comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they are comfortable to wear without putting pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups can also be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a strong but not too strong clamping force, which ensures that the earcups stay in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button located on the top of the right earcup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. It also has a pushable jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can turn to control volume and press it once, twice or thrice to playback control. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I was disappointed that there wasn't an option to turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only wake up when you place them on your head once more.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It makes use of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and iPhones and iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it repositions the sounds to make them seem to be coming from that particular location. This creates an immersive theater experience for videos and movies made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. The only downside is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to use it, and it won't allow you to enjoy it on other devices.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd be a bit disappointed for spending $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better after a year. AirPods Pro are more expensive however they offer superior battery life and more advanced features.