15 Gifts For The Over The Ear Headphones Wireless Lover In Your Life

Best Over the Ear Headphones

Wireless headphones let you listen to music or podcasts anywhere, without the necessity of running an audio wire to your 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 designs and noise cancellation capabilities. They are usually packaged in a stylish case.

Soundcore Life Q30

A major improvement over the Soundcore Life 2 from late-2018 These earphones are more attractive, feel more durable and are generally more polished. The hinges are stronger and the soft leather ear cups are a bit larger. They are still largely made of plastic, however they are more polished. You can also switch the 3.5mm cable for a high-quality USB-C model to connect them to stationary Hi-Fi systems and mobile Hi-Res players. They also come with dual built-in microphones, which are great in our tests for FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams calls.

The Soundcore app offers a vast variety of EQ presets that can be adjusted and saved so you can listen to music or podcasts in your preferred style. This is the thing that sets these headphones apart from most other ANC headphones and the Soundcore app is very easy to use.

The Q30's 40mm speakers effectively eliminate nearly all ambient noise when ANC is enabled. This creates an extremely enjoyable listening experience. The Q30's sound quality is natural, but a little on the treble. Some may not be a fan of the bass response (we have had better results using the Bass Booster equalizer). However, you can easily solve this issue using the Soundcore application, as there is an 8-band equalizer that can help you tweak.

These headphones have the power button and a pairing button on the left ear cup as well as an USB-C port to charge. The right ear cup features play/pause, and the volume up and down buttons. Double-clicking these buttons lets you skip tracks or repeat the previous one. They also come with an option to speak to them that allows you to ask to switch the mode or set an alarm. You can also cover the right earcup by using your hands to activate ambient modes to allow you to hear the world around you without taking off the headphones.

These headphones have a great battery life. In our tests with ANC switched on, the Q30 ran for almost an hour longer than the other headphones. This gives you plenty of time for a long flight or a day at the office. The USB-C cable included allows you to quickly charge them. You'll also get an alert when the battery is getting close to empty.

Focal Bathys Wireless

Focal's Bathys wireless bt headphones is a pair of high-quality over-ear Bluetooth headphones that feature active noise cancellation and Bluetooth playback. They're designed as an elite headphones that are ideal for listening to podcasts and music on the go, but are a great choice for home use by audiophiles too. They're a little more expensive than other similar headphones, but their superior sound quality is the main selling feature.

The Focal Bathys come in a small, attractive white box with a fabric finish. It contains all the accessories you will need. The package includes a fold-flat headphone carrying case, USB-C to USB cable, 1.2mm SE cable and an audio adapter.

The battery's 600mAh capacity will last for a whole day of listening to music casually. They also come with an audio input that you can make use of wired. When used wirelessly they're paired via Bluetooth and you'll be able to manage their functions via an app (now called Focal & Naim, probably in the same line as their English Naim brand's products that are network-aware) or via the button located on the left earcup that allows you to switch between ANC profiles such as'silent','soft' transparent' and 'full'.

The app allows you to adjust various settings, such as the brightness of the LEDs, the EQ presets (including a'music' profile which sounds brighter and neutraler than the other profiles) and the battery life. It also lets you to select the ANC mode and the level, as well as setting an 'acoustic' setting that will adjust the sensitivity of your music to simulate what it will sound like when worn in a space with different acoustics.

The Focal Bathys come with a bass-rich sound profile that adds additional warmth and punch to your favourite tracks. This means that vocals and instruments are nudged back into the mix and sound muffled, while details like cymbals and vocals are slightly less prominent than you'd expect on other headphones. They're also not as effective at active noise cancelation when contrasted to other headphones with more advanced technology such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony headphones are well-known for their quality and the WH1000XM5 headphones are no exception. It's located at the top portion of the over-ear headphone market, edging 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 if you can afford it, there are a few better wireless over-ear headphones out there.

The XM5s are loaded with features that make life easier for listeners and, in certain instances, automate tasks that they'd otherwise have to do manually. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine (which upscales music to near-high-resolution) as well as Bluetooth's LDAC Technology, are included. This allows streaming of high-quality audio at bitrates that are higher than standard Bluetooth. There's even a built-in microphone that can be used for making calls without hands.

Similar to the previous generation of WH headphones the XM5s excel in noise cancellation. They're among the top-performing headphones for removing the continuous drones that can be heard in underground and train carriages. The XM5s also excel in separating the listener from the hum of busy airports and streets.

The sound quality is also excellent. The XM5s don't have as much detail in the low-frequency range like the XM4, however, they do have an increased sense of clarity and openness. For example, the bass track on Rage Against the Machine's Bullet in the Head flexes the Sonys muscles with real power and definition, while not sagging the other elements. Similar to Massive Attack's brooding Angel showcases the XM5's ability to produce tight and precise bass notes.

The battery life is also good, providing up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC active and 40 hours when it's turned off. This is more than enough to last for an entire weekend or a few days' heavy use.

The XM5s aren't water resistant or dust resistant. In fact, Sony recommends that you not sweat on them or wear them out in the rain. This may not be a problem for some people, but it could cause a problem for those who spend a lot of time at the gym or lives in a rainy city.

Apple AirPods Max

The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of Wireless Headphones Uk headphones over-ear equipped with Bluetooth technology and noise cancelling. Apple designed dynamic drivers measuring 40mm with a neutral audio profile that emphasizes highs and mids, but not going too loud. This makes them ideal for movies and music. They also have superior fidelity when compared to other headphones.

The headphones are light and feel comfortable on your head. The earcups are made of memory foam and covered with woven fabric, and they sit comfortably on the ears without placing pressure on the sides of the face. The ear cups can be tilted and rotated to accommodate different head shapes. The hinges that are spring loaded have a strong but not too strong clamping force, which ensures that the ear cups remain in place throughout listening sessions.

You can toggle noise cancelling by pressing a small button on the top of the right earcup. It also has a pushable Jog-dial-like button, akin to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, that you can twist for volume control and press once, twice or thrice to control playback. Pressing and holding the button triggers Siri. The buttons are well-placed and easy to use, Wireless Headphones uk but I was disappointed that there wasn't a power button to turn 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. They only come back on when you place them on your head once more.

Another great feature is spatial audio, which uses the accelerometers and gyroscopes of the AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad to determine the direction you're moving in, and then repositions sound to appear as if they're coming from those locations. This creates an immersive theater-like experience for movies and videos recorded in 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos. Only iOS devices can be used to listen to spatial audio.

The AirPods Max is a decent pair, but I'd feel a little ripped off for spending $549 at an Apple Store knowing that the second-generation model would be better after a year. The AirPods Pro have more advanced features and better battery performance, making it difficult to justify the additional expense for most people.