17 Signs You Work With Over The Ear Headphones Wireless

Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the requirement to connect wires to your audio device. They are an excellent choice for public transport, at work or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety of designs and noise cancelling capabilities. They are usually packaged in a sleek case.

Soundcore Q30

These earphones are a significant improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and feel more durable and have a more polished appearance. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather ear cups have been a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and use them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with dual built-in mics that worked well during our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge range of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved to listen to music and podcasts in the way you prefer. The Soundcore app is simple to use and sets these headphones apart.

When ANC is on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively eliminate most ambient noise, and provide very pleasant listening. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but it is a bit the treble. Some may not be a fan of the bass response (we had better results with the Bass Booster EQ). However, you can easily rectify this using the Soundcore app, since there's an equalizer with 8 bands to allow you to tweak.

These headphones have an power button and a pairing button on the left earcup along with a USB-C port for charging. The right earcup has buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these controls allows you to skip tracks or repeat previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to instruct for a change in mode or set alarms. The right ear cup can also be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode, to allow you to hear what is going on around you, without removing the headphones.

The battery life on these headphones is fantastic, too. The Q30 was able to last for a full hour in our tests when ANC was switched on than its competitors. This allows you to take advantage of the long flight, or a full day at work. They can be charged quickly with the included USB-C cable and you'll get an alert when they're getting empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of powerful over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation, as well as Bluetooth playback. These headphones are made to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or on the move. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones but their superior audio quality is the primary selling factor.

The Focal Bathys are packaged in a slim, compact and attractive, white, fabric-finished box that includes everything you'll need in. There's a fold-flat Headphone wireless carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

They're powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that can take you through a full day of casual listening and include an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they're connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now called Focal & Naim in the same way as English sister brand Naim’s network-aware products) or the dedicated button on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles such as'silent,'soft 'transparent,' and 'full.

The app lets you alter various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs as well as the EQ presets (including music's profile, which is more neutral and brighter than the other profiles) and the battery life. You can also choose the ANC level and mode as well as select an 'acoustic environment setting to alter the sensitivity to mimic the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.

The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. The result is that instruments and vocals be muted, while other details like cymbals might be less prominent than other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation when compared with other over-ears with higher-end technology, like the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony blootooth headphones are known for their high-end quality and the WH1000XM5 is not an exception. It's located at the top end of the mainstream over-ear headphone market, edging into the 'luxury lifestyle' area where the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s are expensive however, if you are able to, there aren't many better wireless over-ear headphones.

The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks that they would have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution) and Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This allows streaming of high-quality audio with rates that are higher than traditional Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones aren't different from the previous generation WH headphones in terms of noise cancellation. These headphones are one of the best at eliminating the constant drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job of shielding listeners from the background noise of busy streets and airports as well.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s lack as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but they do possess a greater sense clarity and openness. The bass in Rage Against the Machine’s Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys' power and definition, without affecting the music. The XM5s are also able to provide precise and accurate bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is excellent, with up to 30 hours of listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if it's off. This is more than enough for a weekend getaway or a long period of use.

The only drawback is that the XM5s lack any water resistance or dust resistance protection. Sony actually advises against sweating into the XM5s 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 in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of over-ear wireless headphones equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with an audio profile that is neutral and emphasizes the mids and highs while not going overboard at either end of the spectrum. This makes them great for both movies and music. They also provide better sound quality when compared with other wirless headphones.

The headphones are light and Headphone Wireless comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ear they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a strong but not too powerful clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.

A small button located on the the right ear cup allows you to switch between noise cancelling modes. There's also a pushable, like a jog-dial, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can twist for volume control and press it once twice or three times to control playback. Siri is invoked by pressing and pressing the button. These buttons are placed well and simple to use, however I missed having an option to turn the headphones off when they are not in use. The headphones are put into standby when they are removed from your ears or if they are placed in their case. They only come back to life when you put them on your head.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It makes use of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPhones or iPads to determine where you are moving. Then, it repositions the sounds to make them seem to be coming from that location. This creates an immersive theater experience for videos and movies made in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to audio in spatial format.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd feel a bit ripped off if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the newer model would be better in the next year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and improved battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional expense for most people.