10 Websites To Help You To Become A Proficient In Over The Ear Headphones Wireless

Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones allow you to listen to music and podcasts without the requirement to connect wires to your audio device. These headphones are ideal to use on public transport, at the office or at home.

Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety of styles and noise cancelling features. They usually come with a sleek storage case.

Soundcore Q30

These over-ears are a major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They look better and feel more durable and have a more polished look. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are a bit more secure and the soft leather cups are larger. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C model to use them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have dual mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app comes with a broad range of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to listen to podcasts and music in the way you prefer. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is extremely easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively block out the majority of ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This makes for a very pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that is a bit on the treble side, and some might find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster EQ preset). However, you can solve this issue using the Soundcore application, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands to help you tinker.

The left earcup features the power button, a pairing button, and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup has play/pause, and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also have the ability to speak that allows you to ask to change the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup with your fingers to enable ambient modes so that you can hear everything around you without having to remove the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. In our tests with ANC enabled the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its competitors. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for an extended flight or a day at the office. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly charge them. You'll also receive an alert when the battery is nearing 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're made to be a premium headphones that are great for listening to music and podcasts on the go but also sound amazing when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. The headphones are a bit more expensive than similar headphones, but their exceptional sound is what makes them stand out.

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

They're powered by a good 600mAh battery that can take you through a full day of casual listening and have an audio input that can be wired for use. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now named Focal and Naim in the same way as English Naim's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button located on the left earcup which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft  transparent,' and 'full.

Using the app allows you to change various settings like the brightness of the LED, EQ presets including a'music profile' that sounds brighter and more neutral than the others and also their battery duration. You can also select the ANC mode and level and set an 'acoustic environments' to adjust the sensitivity to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different room.

The Focal Bathys feature an incredibly bass-rich profile that gives additional warmth, punch and impact to your favorite tracks. The result is that vocals and instruments can sound muted, while certain elements like cymbals could be less prominent than other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancelation when compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has a stellar reputation for its headphones, and the WH-1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It is at the top of the'mainstream' over ear headphone market and borders the 'luxury' lifestyle market where brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are situated. This means that the XM5s are expensive in price tag, but if you can afford it, there are few more superior wireless over-ear headphones available.

The XM5s are loaded with a number of features that simplify the lives of the listener, and also automate tasks they would otherwise be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution), as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology are included. This lets high-quality music to be streamed at bitrates which are higher than 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. They're among the most efficient headphones to block out the constant drones heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of separating listeners from traffic noises of busy streets and airports also.

The sound quality is also great. The XM5s may not be as detailed in the low frequencies as the XM4, but there's a more pronounced sense of clarity and openness, too. For instance, the bass track on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real force and definition, without reducing everything else. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.

Battery life is also very good, providing up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is more than enough to last for the weekend or a few days of heavy use.

The XM5s aren't water resistant or dust resistant. Sony actually recommends not sweating on them or taking them out in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it could prove a stumbling block for those who spend a lot of time at the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. They have 40mm dynamic drivers that are designed by Apple and have a a neutral audio profile that concentrates on the highs and mids while not going too loud on either end of the spectrum. This makes them perfect for both movies and music. They also provide better sound quality when compared with other headphones.

The headphones are light and comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed out of memory foam that is covered in weaved fabric. They fit comfortably on the ears without pressing on the sides of the face. Ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges have a solid but not overly strong clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

Switch on noise cancellation by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. There's also  best budget over the ear wireless headphones , 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 three times for playback controls. Siri is activated by pressing and pressing the button. The buttons are simple to use and well-placed however I would have liked to have the power button that could turn off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when removed from your ears or placed in their case. They only come back on when you slide them over your head again.

Another feature that is quite cool is spatial audio, which makes use of the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're moving in, and then repositions the sound to create the illusion that they're coming from these locations. This creates a theater-like experience with videos and movies that were recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only downside is that spatial audio requires an iOS device to be used and you won't be able to enjoy it on other devices.

The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel slightly smug about walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be outdone next year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery life, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for most people.