15 Gifts For The Over The Ear Headphones Wireless Lover In Your Life

Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music or podcasts anywhere without having to run an audio cable from your device. These headphones are ideal to use on public transport, in the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear headphones can have a premium design and exceptional noise cancellation. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones appear better, feel stronger, and are generally more polished. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather ear cups have been a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, but they are more polished. You can even swap the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version to make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also come with two built-in mics that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Headphone Wireless Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app has a huge selection of EQ presets, which can be customized and saved so you can listen to music or podcasts in the way you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and sets these headphones apart.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate almost all ambient sound when ANC is enabled. This creates an extremely enjoyable listening experience. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but it is a bit the treble. Some might find the bass response lacking (we have had better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer). It is possible to fix this using the Soundcore App, which has an 8-band Equalizer.

The headphones feature the power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup as well as a USB-C port for charging. The right ear cup features play/pause and volume up/down buttons. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also come with a voice command, so you can request to change the mode or set an alarm. The right ear cup can be covered with your hands to activate ambient mode so that you can hear what's happening around you, without removing the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. The Q30 was able to last for a full hour in our tests when ANC was on than its competitors. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for a long flight or working for a long time. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly recharge them. You'll also get a warning when the battery is about to run out.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that provide both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed as a premium headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home too. They're slightly more expensive than similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is the main selling point.

The Focal Bathys come in a slim, compact and attractive fabric-finished white retail box that contains all the accessories you need inside. The headphone wireless carry case folds flat, and comes with a case, USB-C to USB cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The 600mAh battery can last for a full day of listening to music casually. They also include an audio input so that you can make use of wired. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you can control their functions using an app (now known as Focal & Naim likely in the same line as their English Naim brand's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the dedicated button on the left ear cup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles such as'silent','soft' transparent' and 'full'.

Using the app allows you to change various settings like the LED brightness and EQ presets, including a "music profile' that sounds brighter and more neutral than the others and their battery duration. It also gives you the ability to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic environment' that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a space with different audio acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds more energy and warmth to your favorite tracks. In the end, vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix and can sound dull, while details like cymbals and vocals are slightly less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears with higher-end technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a fine reputation for its headphones, and the WH-1000XM5 is not an exception. It is at the top end of the'mainstream' headphones for over-ear, and is slipping into the luxury lifestyle category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s are expensive, but if you can find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones.

The XM5s have a lot of features that make life easier for the listener and automate some tasks that they would have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music that has been compressed to near high-res), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates which are higher than bluetooth headphones range. There's a built-in mic for making hands-free phone calls.

As with the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're among the best-performing cans for cutting out continuous drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s also excel at isolating the listener from the hum of airports and busy streets.

The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s aren't quite as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and transparency, too. For example the bass track on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real force and definition without flattening the other elements. Similar to Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to create tight and precise bass notes.

The battery life is fantastic, with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and up to 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last for an entire weekend or a few days of heavy usage.

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 avoid sweating on them or wear them out in the rain. This may not be a big deal for most people however, for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or live in a humid region this could be a big issue.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of new wireless bluetooth headphones headphones that fit over the ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. Apple created dynamic drivers measuring 40mm, with a neutral sound profile that emphasizes mids and highs without going overboard. This makes them great for both music and movies. They also have better sound quality when compared with other headphones.

The headphones are lightweight and feel comfortable on the head. The earcups, which are made of memory foam, are covered with woven fabric and are comfortable to wear over the ears, do not put pressure on the sides or forehead. The earcups can also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges feature a strong but not too strong clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

A small button at the top of the right ear cup lets you toggle noise cancelling modes. There's also a pushable, like a jog-dial, 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. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are easy to use and well-placed, but I would have liked to have the power button that could shut off the headphones when in use. The headphones go into standby when removed from your ears, or when they are put in their case. They will come back into use when you put them on your head.

Spatial audio is another cool feature. It utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPhones and iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it alters the position of the sound so that they seem to be coming from that particular location. This gives you a theater-like experience when watching movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I would be a bit disappointed if I spent $549 in an Apple Store knowing that the next-generation model will be better in the next year. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have better battery life and advanced features.