When choosing your next pair of headphones, you first need to decide what type of headset you want. And as you might already know, there are two: over-ear and on-ear. But among these two, the best over ear headphones can deliver better comfort, superior immersive sound, and, most importantly, enhanced sound isolation.
Are you wondering how the over-ear headphones excel in all of these factors? To start with, the best over ear headphones tend to come with large-sized drivers. The large nature of the drivers allows the headset to offer rich and well-detailed sound.
Next, over-ear headphones feature large earcups with a decent amount of padding. This makes the headset deliver better sound isolation, allowing you to get a highly immersive audio experience. Also, for having a good amount of padding, you get comfortable listening even when wearing the headset for a prolonged time.
But the elephant of the room is, which models are a worthy pick as the best over ear headphones? Well, that’s where the short list below steps in. It contains only the headphones that shine in all the crucial factors.
1. Sony WH-1000XM4 – Best Overall Wireless Over Ear Headphones
Sony has already updated its WH-1000XM lineup with the 1000XM5. However, for the money, the Sony WH-1000XM4 offers the most value. This pair of over-ear headphones comes with pretty much everything that you ask for.
Among the main highlights, the design is a standout feature. The Sony WH-1000XM4 comes with a lightweight build that’s paired with an ergonomic design. You get a good amount of padding on the ear cups and the headbands, making the headset offer all-day comfort.
The sound quality of this pair of over-ear headphones is great too. Sony has integrated multiple advanced audio technologies. That includes DSEE Extreme upscaling, LDAC codec, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format. All of these make the WH-1000XM4 deliver well-balanced and detail-rich audio.
Moreover, this pair of over-ear headphones excels in providing excellent noise isolation. It comes with dual noise sensor technology, which utilizes two microphones on each earcup. However, if noise cancellation is one of your main priorities, you should consider the updated WH-1000XM5. That has established a benchmark for active noise cancellation (ANC).
Main Highlights of Sony WH-1000XM4
- Has an enhanced driver setup
- Boats multiple high-end audio technologies
- Features advanced noise cancellation tech
- Can offer up to 30 hours of battery life
- Excellent calling performance
2. Anker Soundcore Space Q45 – Best Budget-friendly Wireless Over Ear Headphones
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You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the best over ear headphones. Take the Anker Soundcore Space Q45, for example. But while it comes with a relatively lower price tag than the others, the headset passes all the crucial aspects with flying colors.
First of all, Anker has integrated a sophisticated noise-canceling system into the over-ear headphones. As a matter of fact, the Soundcore Space Q45 can reduce noise by up to 98%. This makes the headset deliver a highly immersive sound performance.
The sound quality of the over-ear headphones gets further enhanced with its driver setup. Under the hood, the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 comes with double-layer diaphragm drivers. These can produce clear and bright sounds with a strong bass.
Additionally, this pair of over-ear headphones has support for LDAC, which can transfer 3 times more detail than standard Bluetooth codecs. It even has Hi-Res Audio certification, making it more capable of offering enhanced detail in audio. And you get superior comfort thanks to ultra-soft earcups paired with an ergonomic over-ear design.
Main Highlights of Anker Soundcore Space Q45
- Boasts Hi-Res Wireless and Hi-Res Audio certifications
- Has a great adaptive ANC tech
- Delivers a secure and comfortable fit
- Can offer up to 50 hours of playtime with a single charge
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x – Best Wired Over Ear Headphones
While wireless headphones are great and all, most audiophiles prefer wired headphones. And there’s a good reason behind that. Good wired headphones can offer more details and better overall sound performance. You also get the option to hook them up with robust DAC and amps to get an even wider soundstage.
Now, when it comes to getting good over ear wired headphones, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a great pick. At the core, it’s a versatile wired headset that can act like a professional studio monitor, a full-fledge gaming headphone, or a pair of everyday headphones.
Inside, this pair of over-ear headphones feature proprietary 45mm drivers. These large aperture drivers excel in offering balanced and well-detailed audio. No matter what you are listening to with this headset, you are bound to get a neutral listening experience. You also get a deep and highly accurate bass response out of them.
In addition, the design of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is geared toward comfort. It has large earcups with a substantial amount of padding. These earcups can offer proper isolation, letting you stay immersed in the playback. And for the collapsible design with detachable cables, you can easily carry it around.
Main Highlights of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
- Extremely versatile
- Has a premium-grade driver setup
- Highly portable
- Features a comfortable and ergonomic build
