10 No-Fuss Methods For Figuring Out Your Over The Ear Headphones Wireless
Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the necessity of running an audio cable from your device. They are also a great choice for public transport, at work or at home.
Wireless headphones with over-ears can feature an elegant design and outstanding noise cancellation. They typically come with a sleek storage case.
Soundcore Q30
These over-ears are a major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They are more attractive and are more durable and have a more polished finish. The hinges are more secure and the soft ear cups have been a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can replace the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable and connect them to portable Hi-Res devices and stationary players. They also have dual built-in microphones, which work well in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app has a wide range of EQ presets that can be saved and tweaked to listen to podcasts and music in the style you prefer. The Soundcore app is easy to use and makes these headphones stand out.
The Q30's 40mm speaker effectively block nearly all ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This results in an extremely pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound profile that leans a little on the treble end, which some might find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). However, you can rectify this by using the Soundcore application, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands to help you tinker.
The left earcup has a power button, a pairing button, and USB-C charging port. The right ear cup has play/pause, and volume up/down buttons. Double-clicking these controls lets you to skip tracks or replay previous ones. You can also use voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. The right ear cup can also be covered with your hand to enable ambient mode, to allow you to be aware of what is happening around you, without removing the headphones.
The battery life of these headphones is excellent, too. In our tests with ANC switched on the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than its competitors. This allows you to take advantage of a long flight, or a busy day at work. They can be easily recharged by using the USB-C cable that comes with them, and you'll see warnings when they're about to run empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation as well as Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be high-end, premium headphones that can be used at home or on the move. They're more expensive than similar headphones but their superior sound quality is the main selling point.
The Focal Bathys are packed in a small attractive white box with a fabric finish. It comes with all the accessories that you'll need. The package also includes a fold-flat carrying case for the headphones and a USB-C cable to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.
The battery's capacity is 600mAh, which can last a whole day of casual listening. They also have an audio input to use wired. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions with an app (now named Focal & Naim in keeping with English Naim's products that are network-aware) or by pressing the button on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft 'transparent,' and 'full.
The app allows you to alter various settings, including the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including a'music' profile which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets 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 room with different audio acoustics.
The Focal Bathys feature an incredibly bass-rich profile that gives additional warmth, punch and impact to your favourite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix, and can sound veiled while details like cymbals are somewhat less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. best on-ear headphones wireless at active noise cancelation when compared to other over-ears with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony headphones are renowned for their quality and the WH1000XM5 is no exception. It is at the top of the over-ear headphone market, which is a mainstream market and also falls within the 'luxury' lifestyle area in which brands like Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. This means the XM5s are expensive in price tag, but should you be able to afford it, there are few more superior wireless over-ear headphones out there.
The XM5s come with features to simplify the lives of listeners and, in some cases, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to close to high-res) is also included, as is support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio with bitrates that are higher than standard Bluetooth. It also has a built-in microphone for making hands-free phone calls.
As with the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. These headphones are among the top in reducing the constant drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s are also great at separating listeners from the noises of busy streets and airports.
The sound quality is also very good. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, but they do possess a greater sense clarity and openness. The bass on Rage Against the Machine’s Bullet in the Head shows the Sonys' power and definition without affecting the music. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel showcases the XM5's ability to create precise and precise bass notes.
Battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active, and 40 hours when it's off. This is more than enough to last for a weekend getaway or a long period of use.
The XM5s do not come with water resistant or dust resistant. Sony actually advises against sweating in them or wearing them in the rain. This may not be a problem for many people, but it could cause a problem for those who spend a lot of time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.
Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones that fit over the ear with Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes the mids and highs while not going too loud on either ends of the spectrum. This makes them great for both music and movies. They also have higher fidelity than most 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 are comfortable to wear without pressing on the sides of the face. The earcups can also tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a strong, but not too much clamping force that makes sure the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.
You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button at the top of the right earcup. You can also utilize a pushable jog dial-like button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control, and press it once three, twice, or even three times to playback the controls. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. The buttons are simple to use and well-placed but I would have liked to have an option to power off or turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ears or put in their case. They only wake up when you slide them over your head once more.
Spatial audio is a cool feature. It uses the accelerometers, gyroscopes, and iPhones or iPads to determine where you're moving. Then, it alters the position of the sound so that they appear to come 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 are able to listen to spatial audio.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd be somewhat smug walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on them if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.