Five People You Should Know In The Over The Ear Headphones Wireless Industry
Best Over the Ear Headphones
Wireless headphones let you listen to podcasts and music without the need to connect an audio wire to your device. beats wireless headphones are great for use in public transport, at the office or at home.
Wireless over-ear cans are offered in a variety of designs and noise cancellation capabilities. They usually come with a sleek storage case.
Soundcore Q30
These earphones are a significant upgrade over the Soundcore Life 2 of late-2018. They appear better and feel more durable and have a more polished finish. The hinges are tighter, and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. They're still made of plastic, however they're more polished. You can switch the 3.5mm cord with a high quality USB-C cable to make use of them with mobile Hi-Res as well as stationary players. They also come with two mics built in that worked well in our tests using FaceTime, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls.
The Soundcore app has a huge range of EQ presets that can be altered and saved to allow you to listen to music or podcasts in your preferred style. The Soundcore app is simple to use and makes these headphones stand out.
The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate the majority of ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This creates an extremely pleasant listening experience. The Q30's sound signature is natural, however it lags it's a bit harsh on treble. Some may find the bass response lacking (we had better results with the Bass Booster Equalizer). However, you can fix this using the Soundcore app, as there is an 8-band equalizer to allow you to tweak.
These headphones have the power button and a pairing button on the left earcup along with an USB-C port to charge. The right earcup is equipped with buttons for volume up/down, play/pause and volume up/down. By double-clicking these controls, you can skip tracks or repeat the previous one. You can also use voice commands to ask for a change in mode or set alarms. The right earcup can be covered with your hand to activate ambient mode so that you can be aware of what is happening around you without taking off the headphones.
The battery life on these headphones is great as well. The Q30 was able to last for a full hour in our tests when ANC was on than its competitors. This allows you to enjoy an extended flight or a long day at work. They can be easily recharged by using the USB-C cable that comes with them and you'll be able to see an alert when they're getting empty.
Focal Bathys Wireless
Focal's Bathys Wireless are a set of powerful over-ear headphones that provide both active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're made to be a premium high-end headphones that are great for listening to podcasts and music on the go, but sound fantastic when used to listen to audiophile music at home as well. They're more expensive than other similar headphones, but their superior audio quality is the primary selling feature.
The Focal Bathys come in a slim, compact and attractive fabric-finished white retail box that includes everything you'll need in. You can also get a fold-flat carry case for the headphones and a USB-C cable to USB C cable, 1.2mmSE cable and an audio converter.
The 600mAh battery can last for a full day of listening to music casually. They also include an audio input so that you can make use of wired. Wirelessly, they're paired via Bluetooth. You can control their functions via an app (now named Focal and Naim in line with English Naim's network-aware products) or the button located on the left earcup, which scrolls through ANC profiles like'silent','soft transparent,' and full.
The app allows you to alter different settings such as the brightness of the LED and EQ presets, including a "music profile' that sounds brighter and more neutral than the others and also their battery duration. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and its level, and also set an 'acoustic' environment that adjusts the sensitivity of your audio to simulate what it would sound like when worn in a room with different acoustics.
The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra energy, impact and warmth to your favourite tracks. This means that instruments and vocals be muted, while other details like cymbals might be less noticeable than on other headphones. The headphones are also less effective in active noise cancellation compared to other over-ears that have higher-end technology, such as the Sony WH1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony has earned a reputable reputation for its headphones and the WH-1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It's located at the top end of the'mainstream' headphones for over-ear, and is slipping into the luxury lifestyle category where brands like Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Montblanc hang out. The XM5s are expensive, but if you can find them, there's not a better pair of wireless headphones.
The XM5s come with a variety of features that make life easier for the listener, and also automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music compressed to near hi-res) as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. 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.
Like the previous generation of WH headphones, the XM5s excel at noise cancellation. They're one of the best at cutting down on the constant drones that can be heard in train and underground carriages. The XM5s do an excellent job of separating listeners from background noise of busy airports and streets, too.
The sound quality is also top-quality. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range like the XM4, however they do possess more clarity and openness. The bass on Rage Against The Machine's Bullet in the Head shows the Sonys power and clarity, without affecting the rest the music. The XM5s also have the ability to deliver precise and tight bass notes on Massive Attack's Angel.
Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours listening time when ANC is in use and 40 hours if off. This is plenty for a weekend trip or a long period of use.
The XM5s are not waterproof or dust-proof. In fact, Sony recommends that you avoid sweating on them or wear them in the rain. This might not be a problem for many people, but it could be a problem for anyone who spend a lot of time in the gym or lives in a city that is rainy.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple AirPods Max is a pair over-ear wireless headphones which feature Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation. They feature 40mm dynamic drivers designed by Apple with an audio profile that is neutral and is focused on the mids and highs while not going too loud at either end of the spectrum. They are perfect for music and movies. They also provide superior fidelity compared to most rival headphones.
The headphones are light and feel comfortable on your head. The ear cups are made of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they are comfortable to wear without placing pressure on the sides of the face. Ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The spring-loaded hinges offer a strong, but not too strong clamping force that makes sure the ear cups remain in place during listening sessions.
You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. It also has an earphone-style jog dial with a push button similar to the digital Crown on the Apple Watch. You can twist it for volume control and press it one three, twice, or even three times for playback controls. Pressing and holding the button invokes Siri. These buttons are well-placed and simple to use, however I would have liked the power button that could switch off the headphones when they're not in use. The headphones go into standby when they are removed from your ears, or if they are placed in their case. They will come back into use when you put them on your head.
Another great feature is spatial audio, which uses the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sound to create the illusion that they're coming from these locations. This gives you a theater-like experience with videos and movies that were recorded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to spatial audio.
The AirPods Max are a decent pair of headphones, but I'd feel slightly smug about entering an Apple Store and spending $549 on the headphones if I knew they'd be beaten in a year by the new model. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, so it's difficult to justify the expense for most people.