11 Strategies To Completely Block Your Over The Ear Headphones Wireless
Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones allow you to listen to podcasts and music without the requirement of connecting wires to your audio device. They are ideal for public transport, while at work or at home.
Wireless over-ear headphones can have a premium design and exceptional noise cancellation. They are typically packaged in a sleek case.
Soundcore Q30
A major upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018, these over-ears appear better, feel stronger, and are generally more polished. They're still mostly plastic, but the hinges are tighter and the soft leather cups are larger. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C version so that you can make use of them with stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also have dual mics built-in that worked flawlessly in our tests with FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app offers a wide range of EQ presets that can be saved and altered to listen to podcasts or music in the style you like. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones, and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.
When ANC is turned on the Q30's 40mm drivers effectively cut out almost all ambient noise, and provide an extremely pleasant listening experience. They have a natural sound signature that leans slightly to the treble side, and some might find lacking in bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster Equalizer preset). It is possible to fix this with the Soundcore App, which comes with an eight-band Equalizer.
The headphones come with a power button and pairing button on the left ear cup as well as the USB-C port for charging. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for play/pause, volume control and volume up/down. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or replay the previous one. They also have the ability to speak which allows you to request them to change the mode or set an alarm. The right earcup can also be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode to allow you to hear what's happening around you without removing the headphones.
The battery life on these headphones is excellent and the battery life is also excellent. In our tests with ANC switched on the Q30 was able to last for nearly an hour longer than its competitors. This lets you enjoy the long flight, or a full day at work. The included USB-C cord lets you quickly recharge them. You'll also get an alert when the battery is about to run out.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of high-quality headphones for over-ear use that provide both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're made to be an elite headphones that are ideal for listening to music and podcasts on the go, but sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're a little more expensive than other similar headphones, but their exceptional sound quality is the main selling feature.
The Focal Bathys come in a compact elegant white box with a textured finish. It comes with all the accessories that you will need. 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 respectable 600mAh battery that can take you through a whole day of listening to music and have an audio input for wired use. When they're wirelessly connected, they're connected via Bluetooth and you can control their functions through an app (now known as Focal & Naim which is probably in the same vein as their English sister brand Naim's products for audio that are network-aware) or by pressing the button that's located on the left earcup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles like'silent','soft' transparent', and 'full'.
Utilizing the app, you are able to change various settings like the LED brightness as well as EQ presets that include a "music' profile that sounds brighter and more neutral than other presets and also their battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic environment' which adjusts the sensitivity of your music to simulate how it would sound like when worn in a space with different soundproofing.
The Focal Bathys have a bass-rich sound profile that delivers extra punch and warmth to your favorite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals are pushed back into the mix, and sound muffled, while details like cymbals are somewhat less prominent than you might expect on some other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancellation contrasted with other headphones that have more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony headphones are known for their quality and the WH1000XM5 is not an exception. It sits at the upper end of the mainstream headphones for over-ear, and is slipping into the 'luxury lifestyle' area where the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc are a common sight. The XM5s are expensive in price tag, but when you can afford it, there are better wireless over-ear headphones on the market.
The XM5s are loaded with features to help listeners and, in certain cases, automate tasks they'd otherwise have to deal with manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution) and Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This allows for streaming of high-quality audio at rates that are higher than traditional Bluetooth. The built-in microphone is capable of making calls hands-free.
The XM5 headphones are no different from the previous generation of headphones from WH in terms of noise cancellation. They are one of the best at cutting down on the constant drones that are heard in subway and train carriages. The XM5s are great at their job of shielding listeners from the background noise of busy streets and airports also.
The sound quality is very good. The XM5s lack as high a resolution in the low frequency range as the XM4, but they do possess a greater sense clarity and a greater sense of openness. For instance, the bass work on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys' muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging everything else. In the same way, Massive Attack's grooving Angel shows off the XM5s' ability to deliver tight and precise bass notes.
Battery life is also very good, with up to 30 hours of listening with ANC active, and 40 hours when it's turned off. This is more than enough for a weekend getaway or a few days of heavy usage.
The only drawback is that the XM5s do not have any water resistance or dust resistance protection. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or take them out in the rain. over ear wireless headphones might not be a problem for a lot of people, but it could be a problem for anyone considering the XM5s who spends much of their time in the gym or lives in a city with rain.
Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of wireless headphones over-ear equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm with a neutral audio profile that focuses on mids and highs without going overboard. This makes them ideal for both movies and music. They also have higher fidelity compared to other headphones.
The headphones are light in build that feels comfortable on the head. The ear cups are made of memory foam covered with woven fabric and sit comfortably over the ear they do not place pressure on the sides or the forehead. The ear cups can tilt and rotate to accommodate various head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a firm but not overly strong clamping force, which makes sure that the ear cups stay in place throughout listening sessions.
You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button located at the top of the right earcup. There's also a button that can be pushed, jog-dial-like button, similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can twist for volume control and press it once twice or three times for playback controls. Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the button. These buttons are placed well and easy to use, but I missed having a power button to switch off the headphones when they are not in use. The headphones automatically go into standby mode after being removed from your ears or placed in their case, and they only wake up when you place them on 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 repositions the sounds to make them appear to come from that particular location. This gives you a theater-like experience when watching movies and videos made in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices are able to listen to audio in spatial format.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel somewhat smug walking into an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew that they'd be outdone in a year by the second-generation model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and a better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional cost for most people.