Even sound quality is a subjective term. Often what you like to listen to will help determine what kind of sound profile works best for you. If you’re into podcasts, audiobooks, and the spoken word, deep bass response won’t be important to you (and actually too much bass can be a hindrance). If you like music that thumps on the other hand, then you’ll be all about that bass. Someone who is into classic music might like a more balanced approach. But you’ll also want to look for some other things. If you plan to work out, headphones that breathe will be important as well as sweat or water resistance. If you plan to use them in noisy environments, such as an office, and especially if you plan to travel a lot, active noise cancellation (ANC) will be important. Regardless of your preference, our experts have found a set of cans for you. Read on for our picks. Not only are these headphones comfortable for long listening sessions, but they sound great too. You may or may not see this as a bonus, but these headphones have physical button controls, which some prefer over a touch surface. Don particularly enjoyed the battery life, writing, “Bose promises 20 hours of battery life in the QuietComfort 35 II headphones, which we found to be spot on. The headphones lasted through an entire workday with no problem and had enough charge to keep going into the evening. Better yet, these headphones have a fast-charging feature that can add another 2.5 The accompanying app is a little tricky to work with, but the headphones support Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri, depending on what you’re pairing with. Plus these cans come with some of the best noise-canceling technology you’ll find, so if you’re a traveler or you work in a noisy office, these will suit you well. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: No These are not Sony’s latest headphones in this line. We reviewed the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, but we’re not sold on Sony’s proprietary tech. Sony went with its own compression technology in the XM4s rather than the aptX technology from Qualcomm. It’s not a huge deal, but aptX is tried and true. By moving down one generation of headphones, you’re saving some money, and you’re getting aptX compression. Both of those make this a better value than the Sony WH-1000XM4. If you want the latest and greatest headphones, you can check out our review above. For our money, we’ll save a little. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: No Even more than the ANC, these headphones bring great sound and comfort over the long haul. On the flip side, they’re also quite expensive. Also, while Bose may be a leader in noise-cancelling technology, they’re lagging behind in the app development department. Indeed, we noted the app as a weakness in both Bose entries on this list. Andy elaborates, “Our issue occurred because we connected the headphones via Bluetooth before we used the app, and the app refused to acknowledge the already paired headphones. We had to unpair the headphones, restart the app, and pair through the app in order for the app to recognize the headphones. Once we did this the rest of the process went smoothly.” So if you’re looking for a complete experience, you might want to try a different set of headphones. But if your primary concern is noise-cancelling, these are your first and best pick. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: Yes The headband isn’t terribly flexible on this set of headphones, so larger heads might find the fit a little tight. Speaking of the headband, the outside of the headband has a fabric covering that looks sharp, but it is also very hard to keep clean. You get really solid battery life at 36 hours on a single charge, which is consistent with our testing. After testing the headphones for a week, Andy only needed to charge them once. Plus, when charging, you’ll go from empty to full in 150 minutes, so they charge fast and discharge slowly. Overall, if your primary use case is phone calls, but you also want to listen to some tunes, these are a great pick. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Wireless, Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: Yes It’s fair to say that the build quality is not amazing. They’re made from cheap-feeling plastic, though that doesn’t seem to detract from the sound. Long-term comfort is not a concern though the noise cancellation is not the best. It can filter out background noise in an office, and it allows you to lower the volume of what you’re listening to which is great for hearing preservation. That, plus the low price point makes this a great buy if you like a bassy sound profile. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: No You can plug the headphones in using a 3.5mm headphone jack or with a 6.3mm (¾ inch jack). That means they can be plugged into anything from an mp3 player to an amplifier. The lack of Bluetooth means you won’t be able to connect to most modern flagship smartphones. Considering most music listening comes from smartphones these days, that’s an important point. But we really love the satin finish of the ear cups. These are frankly a delight to wear for a long time. Just remember that these are not “general use” headphones, and they require the right equipment to use properly. But if that works for you, you’lll get some of the best sounding cans in the business. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Wired 6.3mm/3.5mm | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The earcups are modular which makes them easy to repair, but the way they mount to the headband makes them susceptible to end up backward when you put the headphone on. The cable that plugs into the headphones is a twist lock, meaning it won’t get pulled out accidentally. The foam on the ear cups is soft and breathable, so long editing sessions won’t cause you to sweat unnecessarily. Bottom line, if you need a nice flat balanced sound, especially for editing music or podcasts, these are some of the best you can buy. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The standout feature here has to be the battery life though. Jason tested these cans for us and he got over 40 hours on a single charge with ANC set to high. Anker promises almost 60 hours with no ANC. Plus with just a five-minute charge, you’ll get an additional four hours of listening. Put simply, that’s nuts. When you factor in the price point, these headphones stand up and demand to be recognized. The bottom line is, these are solid headphones at a great price that are impossible to ignore. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The headphone cable comes with a 3.5mm and 6.3mm jack so it can connect to most sound systems. Plus the headphones have no plastic anywhere in the build which makes them stylish, but also heavy, especially when listening for a long time. They weigh in at 12.7 ounces which is very high for the industry. As long as you’re not settling in for a long session you should be fine, and you’ll love the build. Type: Over-ear | Connection Type: Wired 3.5mm | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The most important element we consider is sound quality. We look at frequency response, bass, and the overall audio profile by playing audiobooks, music, streaming shows, and playing games. If they support noise cancellation, we enable the feature and see how much noise they block out in loud environments. Finally, we compare each headphone and its price to a similar competitor to help make a final judgement. All of the over-ear headphones we review are purchased by Lifewire; none are provided by the manufacturer.
About Our Trusted Experts
Nicky LaMarco has been writing and editing for more than 15 years for consumer, trade, and technology publications about many topics including: antivirus, web hosting, backup software, and other technologies. Don Reisinger is a tech journalist who’s been covering the industry for top publications for more than 12 years. He specializes in consumer technology, including headphones and other wearables. Jason Schneider has been covering tech and media for almost ten years, and is an expert in audio equipment and headphones. He’s also written marketing copy for a number of industries, including e-commerce and consumer electronics. Andy Zahn is a writer specializing in tech. He’s reviewed cameras, weather stations, noise-cancelling headphones, and more for Lifewire. Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade. When he’s not hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast, he’s playing with the latest phones, tablets, and laptops. When not working, he’s a cyclist, geocacher, and spends as much time outside as he can.
What to Look for in Over-Ear Headphones
Wireless or wired
Deciding between wireless and wired headphones will largely depending on your equipment. If you’re buying headphones for your computer or stereo system, wired is probably ok. If you’re buying headphones for your phone to be on the go, then Bluetooth is usually going to be a better choice (since most phones don’t have headphone jacks anymore anyway). There are a few things to keep in mind though. Wired headphones tend to have less interference and don’t need to be charged. Wireless headphones give you the freedom of not worrying about wires.
Noise-cancelling
Noise cancelling is the ability of headphones to drown out, or “cancel” droning noises around you like traffic, fans, or office environments. They allow you to ignore the noise around you and focus on your tasks. You will want to know the type of technology used, whether feedforward, feedback, or hybrid because that will give you an idea as to what kinds of noises can be filtered.
Materials
The quality of the materials used to make your headphones will not only affect their long-term durability but also their sound. Typically plastic headphones are cheaper and won’t last as long. Also, the plastic can cause a hollow sound to the audio itself. Premium materials like metal and wood have less reverberation and sound more accurate to what’s actually coming out of the drive.
