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Over The Ear Headphones Wireless Is The Next Hot Thing In Over The Ear Headphones Wireless
Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to music and podcasts without the requirement of connecting a wire to your audio device. These headphones are great for public transport, at the office or at home.


Wireless headphones with over-ears can feature a premium design and exceptional noise cancellation. They are usually packed in a sleek case.

Soundcore Q30

These over-ears are a major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished finish. They're still largely plastic but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft leather cups are bigger. You can also swap out the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C model to make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also come with dual built-in microphones, which are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a wide selection of EQ presets, which can be adjusted and saved to allow you to listen to music and podcasts in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app makes it easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out nearly all ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This creates a very pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound signature that is a bit on the treble side, and some might feel is lacking in bass response (we got better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). However, you can easily fix this with the Soundcore app, as there's an eight-band equalizer to allow you to tweak.

The left ear cup has the power button and a pairing button and a USB-C charging port. 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 replay previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to enable ambient modes so that you can hear the world around you without removing the headphones.

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

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of high-quality headphones for over-ear use that offer both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be premium, high-end headphones that can be used at home or while on the move. The headphones are a more expensive than other headphones, but their outstanding sound quality is what makes them stand out.

The Focal Bathys are packed in a small, attractive white box with a fabric finish. over-ear headphones wireless includes everything you'll need. The package includes a fold-flat headphone carrying case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

They're powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that will get you through a whole day of casual listening and include an audio input that can be wired for use. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you can control their functions through an app (now named Focal and Naim likely in the same line as their English sister brand Naim's products that are network-aware) or via the button that's located on the left earcup that scrolls between ANC profiles such as'silent','soft' 'transparent' and 'full'.

The app allows you to change various settings such as the brightness of the LED and EQ presets, including a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than the other ones and also their battery duration. It also allows you to choose the ANC mode and the level, as well as setting an 'acoustic' setting that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a space with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra warmth and punch to your favorite tracks. In the end, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix, and sound muffled, while details like cymbals are not as prominent as you'd expect on other headphones. They're also not as effective in active noise cancellation contrasted with other headphones that have higher-end technology like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are well-known for their quality and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It is a top pick in the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle market in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means that the XM5s have a premium cost, but when you can afford it, there are few better wireless over-ear headphones on the market.

The XM5s are loaded with a number of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate tasks that they would be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to close to high-res) is available and also support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows high-quality audio to be streamed at bitrates that are higher than Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making calls hands-free.

The XM5 headphones are no different from the previous generation headphones from WH, in terms of noise cancellation. They are among the best at eliminating the constant drones that are heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of separating listeners from background noise of airports and busy streets also.

Sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range like the XM4, however they do possess an increased sense of clarity and openness. For example, the bass on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real power and definition without flattening everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to provide precise and accurate bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is active and 40 hours if it's off. This is more than enough to last for the weekend or a few days of heavy usage.

The only issue is that the XM5s lack any dust or water resistance protection. Sony actually recommends not sweating into them or wearing them in the rain. This may not be a problem for the majority of people, but for those who spend long hours in the gym or live in a rainy location it could be a significant issue.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max is a pair over-ear wireless headphones that come with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with an audio profile that is neutral and concentrates on the highs and mids while not going too loud on either end of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for movies and music. They also have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.

The headphones have a lightweight construction that is comfortable on the head. The ear cups, which are constructed of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, fit comfortably over the ears, do not put pressure on the sides or the forehead. Ear cups can be rotated and tilted to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges provide an incredibly firm, yet not too strong clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in position during listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. You can also utilize the jog dial that is a push-button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it once three, twice, or times to playback the controls. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, but I would have liked a power button to switch off the headphones when they're 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 return to life when you place them over your head.

Another great feature is spatial audio, which utilizes the accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to appear as if they're coming from those locations. This gives you a theater-like experience when watching movies and videos recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices are able to listen to the spatial audio.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug entering an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the second-generation model. AirPods Pro are more expensive and have better battery life and advanced features.

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