The Reasons You're Not Successing At Over The Ear Headphones Wireless
Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the requirement to connect a wire to your audio device. These headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.
Wireless over-ear cans are available in a variety of styles and noise cancellation capabilities. They usually come with a stylish storage case.
Soundcore Q30
A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 The new over-ears look better, feel sturdier and generally feel more polished. The hinges are stronger, and the soft leather ear cups have been a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a premium USB-C version so that you can connect them to stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also come with dual mics built in that worked well in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app comes with a wide selection of EQ presets that can be customized and saved to listen to music and podcasts in your preferred style. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.
The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate the majority of ambient noise when ANC is turned on. This makes for a very pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but it is a bit treble. Some may find the bass response lacking (we had better results with the Bass Booster EQ). However, you can easily fix this with the Soundcore app, as there's an equalizer with 8 bands to help you tinker.
The left earcup has the power button as well as a pairing button and an USB-C charging port. The right earcup has buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. Double-clicking on these buttons allows you to skip tracks or play previous ones. You can also make use of voice commands to ask them to switch modes or set alarms. You can also cover the right earcup with your fingers to activate ambient modes to allow you to hear everything around you without removing the headphones.
The battery life on these headphones is great and the battery life is also excellent. In our tests with ANC enabled the Q30 lasted nearly an hour longer than its rivals. This lets you enjoy an extended flight or a full day at work. The included USB-C cord allows you to quickly charge the batteries. You'll also receive a warning 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 as well as Bluetooth playback. They are designed to be high-end, premium headphones that can be used at home or on the go. The headphones are a little bit more expensive than similar 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. It comes with all the accessories that you'll need. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones, a USB-C to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.
They're powered by a respectable 600mAh battery that can get you through a whole day of listening to music and include an audio input for wired use. Wirelessly, over ear headphones wireless connected via Bluetooth. You can control their functions using an app (now named Focal & Naim in the same way as English sister brand 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.
Utilizing the app, you are able to alter various settings such as the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music profile' that is brighter and more neutral than the other ones and also their battery life. You can also select the ANC level and mode as well as set an 'acoustic environments' to adjust the sensitivity to simulate the sound of the headphones in a different acoustic room.
The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra energy, impact and warmth to your favorite tracks. In the end, instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix and sound muffled, while details like cymbals are somewhat less prominent than you'd expect from other headphones. The headphones are also less effective at active noise cancellation when compared with other headphones that feature more advanced 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 a top pick in the mainstream over ear headphone market and is in the 'luxury' lifestyle area where brands such as Apple, Montblanc, Bang & Olufsen and Montblanc are located. The XM5s are costly, but if you can, there aren't many better wireless headphones.
The XM5s have a lot of features that simplify the lives of the listener and automate some tasks they would otherwise be required to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme engine (which upscales compressed music to near hi-res) is included as well as support for Bluetooth's LDAC technology. This lets high-quality audio be streamed at bitrates which are higher than Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making calls hands-free.
The XM5 headphones are no different from the previous generation headphones from WH, in regards to noise cancellation. They're among the most efficient headphones for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s are also great at isolating the listener from the hum of busy streets and airports.
The sound quality is excellent. The XM5s do not have as much detail in the low-frequency range as the XM4, however they do have an increased sense of clarity and openness. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows off the Sonys strength and clarity, without affecting the music. The XM5s also have the ability to provide precise and accurate bass notes in Massive Attack's Angel.
Battery life is also very excellent, offering up to 30 hours of audio with ANC active and up to 40 hours when it's turned off. This is enough to last for a weekend getaway or several days of heavy usage.
The only drawback is that the XM5s don't have any dust or water resistance protection. Sony actually advises against sweating in them or taking them out in the rain. This may not be a big deal for the majority of people however, for those who spend much time in the gym or live in a rainy location, it could be a major problem.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple AirPods Max is a pair of wireless headphones over-ear which feature Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They have 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with neutral audio profiles that concentrates on the highs and mids without going overboard on either ends of the spectrum. They are ideal for movies and music. They also provide superior fidelity compared to most other headphones.
The headphones are light and comfortable on the head. The ear cups are constructed of memory foam and covered with weaved fabric. They are comfortable to wear without pressing on the sides of the face. Ear cups can be flipped and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer an incredibly firm, yet not too much clamping force that makes sure the earcups remain in position during listening sessions.
You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. You can also use a pushable jog dial-like button similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch. You can turn it around to control volume, and press it once three, twice, or even three times to playback the controls. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. The buttons are easy to use and are well-placed, but I would have liked to have the power button that could turn off the headphones when not in use. The headphones automatically switch to standby mode when they are removed from your ear or placed in their case, and they only come back on when you slide them over your head once more.
Another cool feature is spatial audio, which uses the accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to figure out the direction you're going, and then repositions sounds to create the illusion that they're coming from those places. This gives you a theater-like experience when watching movies and videos that were recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. The only drawback is that spatial audio requires an iOS device for use and you won't be able 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 the headphones if I knew that they'd be outdone in a year by the new model. AirPods Pro are more expensive, but they have superior battery life and more advanced features.