The Best Wireless Over Ear Headset
Unlike earbuds, over-ear headphones completely cover your ears and block out any sound from outside. Choose headphones with active noise cancellation, and a battery life of at least 20 hours.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4s have an excellent ANC feature, with a convenient on-ear control, and an app that is easy to use. The default sound profile provides punch and thump, but instruments and vocals can be moved to the background.
1. Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is a fantastic pair of headphones for people who love music and need the best wireless headset. They are light and come with a soft carry bag and can be folded flat to fit in your bag. The controls are easy to use and easy to navigate. their battery can last for 30 hours with ANC turned off. The headphones come with an auto pause feature that shuts them off when you remove them from your head. This helps conserve battery.
The WH-1000XM5 are compatible with Sony's Headphones Connect app which offers an extensive range of features that can be used to personalize your audio experience. The app can be used to track location and customize the ambient sound effects based on your environment. They also have built-in microphones for making calls hands-free. The Sony WH1000XM5 can play music wirelessly using Bluetooth or wired via the cable provided. They are compatible with aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive to provide high-quality audio via Bluetooth.
The WH-1000XM5 comes with the same headband and earcups as the XM4 however it is more lightweight and comfortable. They're easy to wear for long periods and are comfortable enough for commutes and longer flights. They offer excellent noise cancellation performance that blocks out most background noise without compromising on clarity and clarity. good wireless over ear headphones has a decent amount of bass for closed-back headphones. They also offer an excellent soundstage with the clear distinction between vocals and instruments.
They have a very low latency for watching videos, which is a huge advantage. The lag is so minimal that it's practically imperceptible and they can be used to play casual gaming. They're not the best for competitive video gaming but they're excellent for those who wish to use them for entertainment or for making hands-free calls.
Sony is adamant about incorporating smart features into its products and the WH-1000XM5 are no exception. The active noise cancellation is among the most effective I've ever tried, and they come with a set of smart functions to enhance the overall listening experience. Sony's DSEE Extreme Engine upscales compressed audio to a near-hi-res format. They're compatible with Sony's LDAC technology, which streams music with higher bitrates over Bluetooth.
2. Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2
Since the release of the first generation PX7 in 2015, Bowers & Wilkins' flagship headphones have often been featured on top wireless headset lists, putting them firmly in the same class as the likes Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose's QuietComfort. The PX7 S2 is the latest model that takes the original headphones up a notch with improved ANC performance and a fresh appearance.
The 40mm bio-cellulose drivers in the earcups are placed in a way they are aimed directly at your eardrums. This delivers a more intimate audio experience unlike other closed-back headphones. It's a bold claim, but one that the PX7 S2 can deliver on. The vocals are clear, and the bass is deep when needed.
The PX7 S2 also performs very well when it comes to voice calls, with clear and crisp sound that doesn't drown out your own voice. They also provide a fast charge that allows you to return to full power in just two hours. They're also compatible with hi-res audio thanks to an aptX adaptive Bluetooth codec that enables them to play 24-bit music.
For the majority of listeners, however the most important change is the improvement in noise cancellation and audio quality. In our tests, the PX7 S2 eliminated nearly all of our simulated cabin noise with astonishing efficiency and also performed well when we played Mozart's Et In Carnatus Est and Sanctus from his Grosse Messe, demonstrating excellent insight into the dynamic shifts between the solo voice, the wind trio and orchestral accompaniment.
In addition to improved ANC In addition to improved ANC, the PX7 S2s come with a variety of other useful features that make them comparable to other top-rated noise-canceling headphones. They're wireless and have Bluetooth multipoint support so you can pair them with two devices simultaneously, and they include a built-in microphone which allows hands-free calling using your phone's assistant. The construction is durable and top-quality and will last for many years.
Of course, they're not 100% perfect. The clamp force on our test models was a bit more pronounced than we'd like, and there aren't as numerous additional app features available as some other options, but these aren't major complaints. The PX7 S2s is an excellent wireless headset that beats out other models in its class. It's hard to imagine a rival to match them.
3. Focal Bathys Wireless
For audiophiles who appreciate high-fidelity and are searching for a premium wireless noise-canceling headset The Focal Bathys are hard to beat. They're the French audio company's very first ANC headphones that utilize Bluetooth and provide incredible sound quality both in Bluetooth mode and when connected to a device via USB to enjoy hi-fi quality sound at up to 24 bit/192kHz (the headphones are also capable of blocking external audio with its closed ear cups).
The Bathys look gorgeous with their sleek black finish and swooping curves similar to Focal's premium open-back Elear and closed-back Celestee headphones. The Bathys are constructed of premium materials like magnesium and aluminum, which make them feel sturdy and comfortable. They're also worth the cost.
The Bathys Bluetooth headphones provide a crisp, lively sound quality. They easily surpass consumer ANC devices of similar price like the Sony XM5/5 or Bose QC45. They can be enhanced further by using direct DAC audio mode which makes them a great choice for serious hi-fi enthusiasts.
With the Focal and Naim app users can change the playback controls of their headphones as well as the virtual assistant and Bluetooth pairing preferences. The app lets users select between silent and soft intensities for ANC. Users can also adjust the brightness of the LEDs that are on the earcups of the headphones, as well as alter the EQ settings. The app is basic but it has enough features to make it worthwhile.
The only issue is the active noise cancellation, which doesn't live up to the competition. The headphone doesn't eliminate all background noise as effectively as the top-rated XM5 and AirPods Max. Its treble accuracy is also a bit off, with a muddy high to mid range that takes away from vocals and instruments.
The Focal Bathys aren't the most portable headphones. They're not ideal for travel due to their ear cups do not fold and they are heavier than the competition. They're more suited to an environment at home where they can be used for lengthy listening sessions or as an audio reference headphone for engineering purposes. The Bathys are comfortable to wear over long periods of time despite their size and bulk.
4. Sony WH-CH720N
The Sony WHCH720N headset is a excellent pair of wireless over ear headsets at a reasonable price. The noise-cancelling technology is great and can do a lot to reduce ambient noise. They are ideal for commuters and travelers. Their matte finish and durable construction give them a touch of premium quality.
They follow a similar design to Sony's newer 1000X and XB910N headphones. They feature a slim plastic headband, with the standard hinges for the earcups. They're light and comfortable to wear, however they feel a little too compressed for my taste. They have a USB-C charging port, 3.5mm jack and a decent-length cable in the box. They allow multipoint Bluetooth pairing, which means that you can connect them to two devices at once If you want to.
In my tests, the CH720N's hybrid technology for noise cancellation did a great job of reducing ambient noise. There were only a few small blips while walking through Waterloo Station and London Victoria. They weren't magic sound-silencers that blocked out every sound, however, and they struggled with lower-frequency sounds like the rumbling engine noises of buses and trains.
Streaming music over the CH720N's Bluetooth connection was smooth and displayed a low level of harmonic distortion. I tried a variety of genres and found they were able to handle the intricate interplay among instruments well. It did an excellent job of taming bass in rock tracks, and keeping the mix focused.
I love the fact that you can adjust the Sony Headphones Connect app to customize the CH720N's ANC and multipoint connectivity settings to suit your preferences and add a range of audio presets. You can also make use of the app to enable DSEE which boosts the quality of compressed content and improves its audio quality.
The WH-CH720N isn't equipped with some of Sony's primetime features compared to the XM5 (such as Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention) they do come with an impressive set of features for PS130. It comes with 360 Reality Audio and a range of smart controls, as well as the aforementioned DSEE upscaling feature. The only thing that's missing is LDAC Bluetooth high-res audio support I believe it would have been a welcomed inclusion.