Over-ear headphones block out unwanted noise better than any other style. When you wear them, they also tell people around you that you do not want to be disturbed.
If those two things matter to you in your search for the best over-ear headphones, you are in the right place.
We have listed over-ear headphones for specific uses, such as the best for children, the best for the office, and the best value model. We have also added the best over-ears from each brand we have tested in recent years. Whether you prefer Sony, JBL, Bowers & Wilkins, or Bose, we have made sure to include the best pair currently available in the market.
Best Technics Over-Ear Headphones: Technics EAH-A1000
The Technics EAH-A1000 is the company’s bid for the top of the premium headphone market. Based on our testing, it’s excellent.
Battery life is a highlight. Technics rates it at 45 hours of wireless use with AAC and up to 60 hours with ANC off. We got comfortably more than that. These headphones keep going, and they outlast the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Bose QC Ultra Headphones Gen 2.
Noise cancellation is great. It handles the drone of Tube carriages, traffic, and wind with confidence. It is not the outright class-leading headphone, but it is close. There is one caveat. The built-in microphones can be overloaded by sharp, heavy sounds, which causes a distracting popping noise. You notice it most in a vehicle going over bumps, or on a plane during takeoff.
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Call quality is among the best of any headphones we have tested. The beamforming microphones strip out background noise very well. In our review, the voices came through so cleanly that it sounded like a conversation in a quiet room, not a packed, busy space.
The 40mm Magnetic Fluid drivers give a clear, balanced sound with a wide soundstage. Detail and precision sit above rivals. The midrange is clear, the highs are well judged, and the bass describes the low end confidently without becoming unbalanced. When connected over USB-C, the clarity and detail improve even more.
For the price, the build quality does not feel quite as good as it looks. Comfort is excellent, though, and that counts for a lot, given how long the battery lasts. All told, the Technics EAH-A1000 is one of our top picks among wireless headphones.
Pros |
Cons |
| It has a precise, balanced, expansive sound | It doesn’t feel as premium as they look |
| Long battery life with excellent call quality | Bumps can cause ANC distortion |
| Excellent noise cancellation and good comfort levels |
Best Audiophile Wired Over-Ears: Meze Audio Empyrean II
The Meze Empyrean II is a remarkable pair of headphones for anyone who wants to hear music at the highest quality possible.
At $2999, you will need a capable amplifier and high-quality sources to get the most from them. In our review, we found that the Empyrean II still handles lower-quality sources well, as long as a decent amplifier gives the music a boost. If you want uncompromised performance, these headphones deliver.
The sound is neutral, with remarkable detail retrieval and resolution. We also found the tonal balance impeccable from the bottom of the frequency range to the top in our review. The low end has depth, texture, and substance, and the midrange is full of information. The overall listen is engaging, energetic, and entertaining.
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The headphones are large, but they stay comfortable after several hours. Suspension wings and the headband spread the weight across your head. Earpads are included, and swapping them is easy thanks to Rinaro’s isomagnetic coupling technology.
Meze offers five cable types in different lengths, so you can choose from ten cables to suit your setup when you order.
Pros |
Cons |
| It’s poised, informative, and endlessly listenable | Very expensive |
| It is specified, constructed and finished without apparent compromise | Not discreet to wear |
| Very comfortable through even the longest listening sessions | Not as outright punchy as you might prefer |
Best Over-Ears for Professional Mixing: Sony MDR-MV1
The Sony MDR-MV1 is a wired pair from Sony’s professional range, and we had a great time listening to it.
Sony built them for mixing, but you could use them for listening at home too. Sony calls the sound neutral, yet that label does not capture what these over-ears do. They sound fun, energetic, spacious, and dynamic, with a rich bass performance, especially for an open-back pair.
The Austrian Audio Hi-X65 gives you a more balanced, reference-style sound, with a level of sharpness and detail the Sony does not match. If you want a fun sound, though, the Sony delivers plenty of it.
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They are easy to drive thanks to their low impedance. They are also very comfortable, with a lightweight frame and cushy earpads. Professionals who mix in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format can use them for that work too.
Pros |
Cons |
| Very comfortable to wear | Some might feel the bass is overdone |
| Big bass for an open-back pair | Not really for portable use |
| Easy to drive, fun, spacious and dynamic performance |
Best Value Wireless Over-Ears: Soundcore Space One Pro
At $199, the Space One Pro gives you the best performance for the money in Soundcore’s current lineup.
Soundcore reworked the design from the Space One. The clamping force is firmer, the earpads are softer and plusher, and the stepless slider is a clear upgrade over the older mechanism. They fold up for storage, though you get a pouch and not a carry case.
The ANC is good but not quite class-leading. On a plane, it handles most of the engine drone well. In a busy city, enough chatter leaks through to remind you the outside world is still there.
Call quality is very good, with clear voice pickup. Bluetooth 5.3 supports SBC, AAC, and LDAC, and Google Fast Pair makes Android pairing quick.
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The Soundcore app adds a range of tweaks. You get an EQ, HearID Sound personalisation, spatial audio through Dolby Audio, and a Wind Noise Reduction mode. Easy Chat is Soundcore’s answer to Sony’s Speak to Chat. I would skip the EQ settings, because they do not improve the sound.
Sound quality is where the Space One Pro makes its strongest case. The treble is clear and sharp, and the midrange is full of detail. Vocals sound natural and clear. The bass is balanced, with weight and depth when the music calls for it.
It is the best tuning in the Soundcore lineup, compared with the bass-light Space 2 and the bass-heavy Space 2 Pro.
Pros |
Cons |
| Very comfortable, Impressive sound for the money | ANC can be a little inconsistent |
| Excellent wireless performance | Battery life not quite as long as claimed |
| Excellent call quality |
Best Bowers & Wilkins Over-Ears: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 has a recommended price of $799. In some ways it beats the original Px8, and in others it disappoints.
The original Px8 was a great pair of over-ears at launch. The follow-up does not improve on it in every respect, but the sound is a clear step forward.
It is punchy, energetic, and detailed, with more clarity, insight, and precision than the original. It can raise the sound floor at times, which brings out detail in a track that you do not need to hear. The True Immersion mode is a disappointment because of its tuning.
Visually, the Px8 S2 looks much like the original. It has the same lush Nappa leather, so vegans need not apply, and the same premium finish.
The earcup buttons have moved, and the carry case is slimmer, but the earcups still do not fold inwards. We did not think the controls needed to move, but Bowers & Wilkins decided they did.
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Noise cancelling is where the Px8 S2 falls short. It handles steady low-frequency sounds like plane engines and train rumble well enough.
Voices and sharper sounds slip through more than they should, and rivals deal with the full range of noise more effectively.
The ANC does not seem better than the Px8’s. Call quality seems worse, with more noticeable background noise, even though B&W changed the microphone setup.
For connectivity, you get Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Adaptive, and Snapdragon Sound for “lossless” Bluetooth playback. USB-C audio works at up to 24-bit/96kHz. The Bowers & Wilkins Music app lets you stream directly from services like Tidal and Qobuz.
Pros |
Cons |
| Better sound than the original with luxury looks | Expensive, and the ANC is little to no improvement over Px8 |
| Excellent wireless performance | Call quality worse than before |
| Good battery life and USB-C audio | True Immersion mode doesn’t hit the right notes |
Best Over-Ears for the Office: Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC
Since the pandemic, more people use headphones for online meetings. Many of them wear a pair that does not offer the best call quality. Why not get a pair built for the job?
That is where the Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC comes in. It is good in a few configurations. The version we tested is expensive, but $259 is one of the cheaper prices if you shop around. Some sites quote as much as $466.
They are not the smallest over-ears, and our reviewer had qualms about that. They are comfortable, though. Across a full workday, we noticed no heat build-up and no skin irritation. The build is sturdy and well-made, as you would expect for the money.
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The noise cancellation is effective. It is not quite at the level of the Sony WH-1000XM5, but it is strong enough to drown out the drone of an everyday office.
Wireless call quality is excellent. Ten boomless microphones capture your voice and render it clearly. Over the USB connection, call quality gets even better.
Bluetooth multipoint lets you connect to two devices at once, and the headphones are certified for Microsoft Teams.
Music sounds good too. The bass is warm and energetic, which suits genres like punk and dance. The treble is clear, so you get good detail, and the stereo separation is nice.
We do not think you would be disappointed using them for music while you work. For a cheaper option, there is the Logitech Zone Vibe Wireless, though these office headphones do not have noise cancellation.
Pros |
Cons |
| Very comfortable design | Large design |
| Lots of connectivity options | Not very portable |
| Great mic quality | No stated Bluetooth codec support |
Best Over-Ears for Home Mixing: Shure SRH840A
The Shure SRH840A is an affordable pair of home studio-grade reference headphones. They suit you best if sound quality matters more than anything else.
They follow the SRH840 and are built from aluminium, plastic, synthetic leather, and a fabric weave.
The redesigned headband tracks the shape of your head more closely than the old one did. Those changes work well. The breathable headband and firm earcup pads let our reviewer wear them for up to six hours with no obvious fatigue.
The cable is a long 3m, which limits portability. That suits listening around the home but not for use out and about. Since these are home studio-grade reference headphones, taking them outside would not make much sense anyway.
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The sound is similar to the predecessor, with the same 5 to 25000Hz frequency response and a low impedance that works with non-specialist hardware.
They have the neutrality you want from monitor headphones, with some thickness in the upper bass and low mids so they do not sound sterile. The bass is measured and punchy, and the sound is wide. We were less impressed by the sense of depth in the soundstage.
For a cheaper option, consider Shure’s own SRH440A, which you can find for less than $100.
Pros |
Cons |
| Flat for mastering use | Low-mid bump affects separation and dimensionality |
| A better and more practical design than the previous version | Single semi-proprietary 3m cable limits their versatility |
| Enjoyable enough to use as all-round home headphones |
Best Over-Ears for Kids: Puro BT2200 Plus
We have tested a few of Puro’s headphones for adults, but the BT2200 Plus is the first of its children’s models we have really tested. It is much better than it needs to be.
Puro claims studio-grade quality, and it is not far off. Clarity is good, the detail is engaging, and the soundstage is wide enough.
Some clarity and detail get lost when you nudge the volume up. The headphones also lack dynamism, which we expect from volume-limited models. Bass is limp at default volumes, though it improves when you push the volume higher.
Battery life is rated at 20 hours, and in our tests we get much longer. The wireless connection is a bit patchy in areas with busy signals. It dropped regularly.
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Build quality is surprisingly good for children’s headphones. They do not have the cheap, plasticky feel of less expensive options like the Planet Buddies headphones.
We found them comfortable, and the clamping force is light enough that it should not irritate young ears. They also come with a spare pair of earpads, so you can swap them in and turn the headphones into an on-ear pair if you want.
Pros |
Cons |
| Comfortable to wear | Wired performance is poor |
| Excellent sound quality and long battery life | Shaky wireless performance in busy signal areas |
| Better build quality than you would expect | Expensive for kids’ headphones |
Final Thoughts
Over-ear headphones suit anyone who wants strong noise blocking and a clear “do not disturb” signal. This list covers a pick for almost every need. The Technics EAH-A1000 leads the pack for premium wireless listening with excellent battery life and call quality.
The Meze Empyrean II serves audiophiles with a capable amplifier. The Sony MDR-MV1 offers a fun, energetic sound for home use. The Soundcore Space One Pro gives the best value, and the Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC suits the office.
For children, the Puro BT2200 Plus is better than it needs to be. Match the pair to how you listen, and you will find a good fit.
