Best Over-Ear Wireless Headphones
If you're looking for a great sound and comfort all day long with your headphones, but you aren't able to use earbuds due to some reason, then full-size wireless over-ear headphones could be the answer. We've tested the latest models to find comfortable, reliable, and versatile headphones.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is a little plain in appearance, and they aren't foldable. However, it offers an amazing 60-hour battery life and a user-friendly app adaptive noise cancellation that is impressive and has a zealous sound.
Sound
The quality of the sound produced by headphones will have the greatest impact on the enjoyment you get from music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Most pairs of over ear wireless headphones offer premium stereo sound with impressive clarity and depth. A quality pair will provide a spacious and open soundstage, which enhances the acoustic experience.
Certain headphones have features that boost certain frequencies or adjust the sound to your hearing. This is particularly beneficial for people suffering from hearing loss due to high frequency or a flat audio profile due to hearing impairments.
Most headphones with over-ears feature noise cancellation, which helps to block out the sounds of the outside world so that you can focus on your music. The best over-ear ANC headphones will help you tune out the sounds around you.
Some headphones over-ear will feature a wired DAC mode that allows you to listen to your music with high-quality by connecting them to the standard 3.5mm cable and a USB-C connector. This is a feature that all people who want to enjoy their music in the best quality should have.
The Focal Bathys Wireless are a stunning pair of wireless headphones over-ear that are specifically designed for audiophiles. The Focal Bathys Wireless are made to last, with a hard aluminum body, lambskin-leather earcups, and an incredibly comfortable leather band. The default sound profile is for EDM and Hip-Hop, which has lots of bass and a warm dynamic sound. But, you can tweak it using the graphic EQ in the companion app to suit your preferences. They are compatible with aptX adaptive and other high-resolution streaming codecs to allow high-quality music playback. They'll even give you a more natural sound when you listen in a passive mode with ANC activated.
The Sony WH1000XM5 is a pair of wireless headphones that are more expensive however, they offer a comprehensive product with outstanding noise cancellation. They also come with an excellent app. The earcups aren't hinged, and they can be removed from the headband, unlike their predecessors. They're still equipped with all of our recommended features including Quick Attention mode and voice assistant integration.
Comfort
A great pair of headphones will not only deliver excellent sound, but also provide comfort for long listening sessions. This is especially important if you're using headphones for work or travel at home, and you could be in the same place for a long period of time. Choose headphones that have a lightweight headband, padded ears, and earpads that don't cause irritation or sweat.
Many over-ear headphones are equipped with noise cancellation technology, which blocks out background noise. This makes them ideal for use in trains, planes and buses. This helps you focus on your work, or simply block out distractions so that you can unwind. A lot of these headphones include a microphone built in, making it possible to make calls and talk to people even while you're wearing them.
If you're in search of a pair of headphones that provide comfort along with top-quality audio, look into the Bang & Olufsen. These headphones are great for over-ear use. ANC and sound quality, and a stylish design that makes you feel like a millionaire. The headphones are costly, but come with a carrying case of premium quality and an app that lets you customize the ANC performance and sound.
Bowers & Wilkins' Px7 S2 are another great option for wireless headphones that provide effective ANC and a chic but comfortable design. The headphones sport an elegant design that does not look plasticky, and they fold down for easy storage. The headphones are also light, with soft faux leather ears and a cushioned headband. This makes them comfortable for long hours of wear. The Px7 headphones come with a battery life of 60 hours when ANC is turned off. They can be recharged in just five minutes for four hours of battery life.
Sony's WH1000XM5 headphones are an improvement on the XM4 headphones. They have improved active noise cancellation and wind reduction settings, and also improved transparency. The ear cups are also more comfortable and lighter than their predecessors. The headphones feature a new design where the earcups are able to slide off the headband, instead of folding in. They still have many features and are a light, comfortable wireless set of headphones.
Noise Cancellation
Over-ear headphones that block out background noise are essential for those who prefer to listen to audiobooks or music while limiting ambient sound. Active noise cancellation, also referred to as ANC is achieved by detecting ambient sounds with tiny microphones built into the headphones, and emitting reversed sound waves that decrease their intensity. This is a great way to cut out ambient noises, such as the constant hum of your plane cabin or the light conversations over ear headphones beats that happen in coffee shops, while allowing you to enjoy your tunes with minimal distraction.
If you're looking for the best over-ear wireless headphones that offer top-quality sound quality and superior ANC we suggest looking into the Sony WH-1000XM5. They're comfortable and check all the boxes. They also come with a wide variety of features for convenience like Adaptive Sound Control which automatically adjusts the sound and noise cancelation settings to the surrounding environment and voice activation for hands-free calls using Alexa.
Other great options for ANC include the Q45s from Anker and the 450BTs from Sennheiser. The former boasts impressive battery life - you'll get 38 hours of battery life with ANC on and a solid EQ that provides crisp highs and warm bass. Its active noise cancellation is also effective and you can adjust the volume and ANC levels with a fun-to-use camera-like dial.
The 450BTs are more affordable and don't come with many bells and whistles. However, you still get top ANC and decent call quality. They're comfortable to wear and come with a variety of stability bands and tips to help you to find the perfect size. They don't do as good in blocking low-frequency sounds like the rumble of a train engine however they do provide ample passive isolation to block out higher sounds.
If you're willing more we suggest you look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2. These earbuds are an excellent upgrade over the QC35. They've improved ANC capabilities, and excellent call quality. They also feature the new CustomTune technology that calibrates ANC and the audio frequency response to suit your unique ears and ear canals.
Design
Over-ear headphones can provide the ultimate in comfort, with ear cups covering your ears, and headbands that keep them firmly on your head. They are also great for travel, as they can be folded and put away in a bag or briefcase with minimal space. Some models come with a case that protects them during travel.
In addition to being comfortable, over-ear wireless headphones typically feature sleek and elegant designs. Luxury brands such as Sony, Bose, and Apple offer designs that suit every style. However, you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a high-quality listening experience.
The Bowers & Wilkins S2 headphones offer a high-quality audio experience and ANC performance in a sleek and elegant design, without costing thousands of dollars. They're our go-to pick for anyone looking to purchase a set of over-ear headphones that deliver an audiophile experience without blowing their budget.
Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are another great pair to consider, as they combine superior ANC with a stylishly designed headband and excellent battery life. They're not the most portable headphones available. You won't be able to listen to music for more than 22 hours using the headphones pressed against your ears.
If you're looking for smaller dimensions, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless are an ideal choice. They feature an elongated design and are easy to keep in your backpack or bag. They come with a range of features that can be customized, such as an adaptive ANC and a personalised Equaliser.
The new Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless over-ears headphones sport a neutral style that replaces the retro styling. They're still offering the same high-quality ANC technology and audio quality. We love their easy-to-use adjustable volume control. It can be used for controlling your music playlists.
You can still get the full wireless over-ear headphone experience in case you don't wish to spend a lot of money. The Soundcore Space One headphones, for instance, come with adaptive ANC and wear detection for PS40 less than our highest-rated Sony model, and the 1MORE SonoFlow are similar in quality of construction, but with better audio performance.