Top 5 Best Over-Ear Headphones for 2024

You can’t really go wrong with headphones. For those who don’t enjoy having something in their ears, headphones are the ideal solution, while earbuds are also a fantastic option. They also make great tech gifts for you or a loved one this holiday season.

Most of the over-ear headphones on this list are wireless Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation. Additionally, some wireless headphones—but not all—come with a cord for wired listening. I’ve also added a couple wired-only over-ear headphones for the audio purists. Remember that many of these models may be discounted during events such as the Cyber Monday headphones sale. However, as a precaution, we still suggest examining your favorite headphones.

We focus on the most important aspects when assessing headphones. We consider comfort, sound quality, and construction quality. We also assess their performance and noise cancellation capabilities. As new over-ear headphones become available, this list is updated frequently. The Noble Fokus Apollo is the most recent addition.

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

Our Top Picks

Top 5 Best Over-Ear Headphones for 2024

1: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which are extremely thrilling to listen to and have elevated the bar for active noise cancellation, are my favorite headphones of the past year. I could have helped you choose them in less than two minutes, you see.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones achieve this by costing more than most of the best noise-cancelling headphones, which complicates matters even though I think they more than merit this price tag.

The situation is made more difficult by their low battery life, which contrasts sharply with the minimum of 30 hours we currently require from the best wireless headphones. Even while 24 hours might not seem like much, I’ve seen a significant difference when compared to Sony headphones that have a 30-hour battery life.

But that doesn’t matter. The battery life is the only thing that has prevented them from earning a flawless five-star review because they sound so full, rich, and exciting—while also drowning out outside noise. When you add the advantage of efficient spatial audio modes to other useful smart features, it feels like a package that is well worth the price.

While the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless has replaced the AirPods Max as my go-to high-end headphones, it still has many of the same capabilities at a lesser price (and has a 60-hour battery life). But if you want the finest possible balance between music quality and noise cancellation, spend your money on them.

Combining two of the newest technologies in headphones, multi-point Bluetooth and spatial audio, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the company’s most feature-rich headphones to date.

Several points Bluetooth isn’t surprising because many of the best wireless headphones can connect to two devices simultaneously and switch between them with ease, but this is a first for Bose and something we now consider essential for high-end headphones (it’s striking and annoying that the less expensive Bose QuietComfort Headphones lack this). It may be necessary to allow this on the Bose Music app’s Source panel.

Spatial audio is handled by Bose’s in-house technology, Immersive Audio. Like the AirPods Max, you have three options: turn it off, set it to play sound from a bubble that moves with your head, or lock the sound orientation so that turning your head mimics turning your head in a room full of speakers. We suggest the first Immersive option for music and the second for movies, as the latter is more akin to a home theater setup, if you plan to use it.

In order to guarantee that you’re constantly hearing the sound correctly, Bose also uses a technology called CustomTune, which theoretically adapts to your surroundings and the shape of your ears.

Bose’s most advanced active noise canceling technology to date is delightfully adaptable, which relates to adjusting to the environment. Quiet Mode (standard noise cancellation), Aware Mode (letting in outside noises), and Immersion Mode (setting on Spatial Audio and ANC fully) are its three modes. However, by tapping the plus symbol on the Modes screen of the Bose Music app, you may also create your own modes. By choosing the Wind Block feature, you may adjust the noise cancellation level in ten easy steps after choosing a use case.

2: Sony WH-1000XM5

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are part of one of the most esteemed family trees in modern audio history. Following two of the most successful over-ear noise-cancelling predecessors in the business, the WH-1000XM5 is anticipated with a level of enthusiasm that is unusual in the personal audio market.

After two generations of very identical over-ear headphone designs, the WH-1000XM5 headphones represent a significant departure from their predecessors.

The WH-1000XM5 headphones are a little more rounded than their predecessors, to put it simply. Everything is a touch more streamlined and tidy thanks to a thinner headband with additional leather-look covering to hide its joins and extension points, more discrete noise-cancelling microphone ports, and less visible points of articulation. Your ears lie in a slightly different area.shape as well, a more squat oval than the WH-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4’s oval. The slide-out extension points feel stronger than past designs as well, with fewer pressure points that potentially shatter away—a concern of heavily used previous models—even though we haven’t stress tested them to their maximum limits.

Some of the modifications, though, might not be as popular. Regretfully, there is still no water resistance in this product. Due to their inability to fold in on themselves, the headphones are no longer as portable as they once were. Furthermore, even though the headband is more discrete and integrated into the entire design, it seems less padded than previous Sony headphones in the range.

That might not matter, though, as they seem to be equally at ease sitting on your head for long stretches of time. There is ample padding around the ears, and the cups may be rotated and twisted to fit people of all sizes. The band applies just the right amount of clamp pressure to hold them in place without forcing your brain out of your ears. Instead of utilizing the stepwise extension of previous iterations, that headband now extends smoothly as well.

The controls resemble those of the 1000XM4 headphones for the most part. In addition to intelligent context-aware auto controls—which we’ll discuss in the review’s “Features” section—the left ear cup edge features two physical buttons. Now, you may start and play music from the streamer without taking your phone out of your pocket by activating Spotify Tap with two or three presses of the ANC button. The first switches between settings for noise cancellation and ambient awareness. You can begin pairing with Bluetooth by pressing the second button, the power button. The outside of the right ear cup is also touch sensitive; you may swipe up and down on it or double tap it to change the volume.

In order to reduce wind-drag over the headphones—which can cause that bothersome distortion in the noise-cancelling capabilities while you’re out in the wind—the curvier shape was first created. That claim remained true on a windy day in London when we were touring Greenwich Park, despite the fact that we haven’t actually collided with a storm. A more aerodynamic design ought to mitigate such impact.

The second evident change is that the headphones now have twice as many microphone points. The onboard noise cancellation processors (yep, there are two inside the headphones) have more audio data to analyze and improve active noise cancellation performance with, in addition to tripling the number of beamforming microphones near a user’s mouth during calls.

3: Sony’s MDR-M1

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

One of the most well-known brands of studio headphones is Sony’s MDR series. The company’s newest product, the $249.99 MDR-M1 headphones, is made to deliver a premium listening experience both inside and outside of the studio. The MDR-M1s offer a neutral frequency response and remarkable clarity in a familiar, comfortable, and stylish style, making them well worth the asking price. We particularly appreciate the screw-in audio cords and compatibility for high-resolution music, even though we wish the headphones came with a case or protective bag. This is ultimately a little grievance, and the Sony MDR-M1 easily takes home our Editors’ Choice award for its exceptional performance, which extends beyond studio work to include wired headphones in general.

At first glance, the Sony MDR-M1 headphones seem to be very similar to other MDR headphones. (PCMag has evaluated a dozen in the last decade or so.) Since they are primarily black with blue and red marks at the top of each earcup for the left and right, respectively, studio engineers and musicians should be able to recognize them with ease. Each earcup has the word “Professional” printed inside of it, along with a small gold accent and a visible blue stripe. Most of the construction is composed of plastic, save for the shining metallic frame that extends from the sides when the headband is stretched.

Although the design largely adheres to well-known lines, the M1s feel a little more upscale than earlier Sony models thanks to the additional cushioning in the earcups and under the headband. The increased cushioning throughout makes them more comfortable for extended listening periods. This is somewhat aided by the plastic components, which lighten weight and improve comfort. Even though the headphones weighed 7.6 ounces, I had no trouble wearing them for long stretches of time.

The M1s’ 40mm dynamic speakers are capable of producing frequencies between 5 Hz and 80 kHz. Their extended high-frequency response makes them suitable for high-resolution listening. These wired headphones don’t have Bluetooth radio or inbuilt controls.

One design choice that can limit the earcups’ utility in the studio is their inability to fold in or rotate entirely. In order to use one ear to monitor recordings and the other to better hear their instrument or other studio members, several musicians I’ve seen have folded up their Sony MDR headphones. That’s not possible with these headphones. However, the earcups’ sideways swivel allows them to be placed flat on a table.

The headphones come with two detachable audio cables, one of which is four feet long and the other is eight feet. To prevent accidental disconnects, each can be screwed into the bottom of the left earcup and terminates in a 1/8-inch (3.5mm) connection. Sony includes a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch.

Studio headphones aren’t nice in the conventional sense; they’re meant to sound neutral. What makes a difference? Modern consumer headphones use a variety of EQ tweaks, typically to boost the bass and a few high frequencies, which can provide a more exciting sound. On the other hand, most studio headphones should have an EQ curve that is as flat as possible to handle all frequencies equally. I think a neutral signal is what sounds decent. As a result, the neutral sound that these headphones mostly generate is enjoyable.

The headphones perfectly capture the low-end oomph of “Silent Shout” by The Knife, with a powerful thud from the kick drum and lots of body from the bass synth. The synths on this track are often murky while using wild headphones. The M1s steer away of it entirely by combining clean and detailed percussion with precise bass response. Even at high volumes, the headphones don’t distort, but with the correct gear, you can definitely make them do so.

4: Sonos Ace

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Sonos Arc has a ton of features that assist to justify their price, from the basics, like strong active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, to extremely advanced spatial audio support, including smart home theater options.

Active noise canceling is one of the least surprising, and it’s done quite well. Given the strong sound of the headphones (which we’ll talk about in the following section), the noise cancellation in this case is incredibly successful; it significantly reduces both high- and low-frequency sounds, allowing the sound to take center stage. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are superior in direct comparison, especially when it comes to blocking out background noise, but the difference isn’t noticeable when music is playing.

The transparency setting, which Sonos calls “Aware mode,” lets in a lot of sound—maybe a little too much, in my opinion. I’m not sure if I really need to be able to hear folks moving about on the floor like this. When these settings more precisely mix the music with the sounds I need to hear, such traffic and conversations, I like them. However, its fundamental effectiveness is undeniable.

Regretfully, these modes cannot be changed. High-end versions from Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser include in-app sliders or, in some cases, allow you to create ANC modes with different noise-cancelling strength levels for different uses. That’s not the case with Sonos here; it’s either on, off, or aware.Indeed, there isn’t much opportunity for personalization. Although they are not truly required, the Sonos app has a basic three-band EQ and a “Loudness” preset to improve bass and treble at low volumes. Other than that, the app mainly gives you the ability to turn on and off the other features. Wear recognition (which pauses them immediately when you take them off), head tracking, spatial audio, and multi-point Bluetooth—which enables you to connect to two devices at once for smooth switching—are all included.

On the other hand, there are numerous connecting choices. For wireless connections, you get 3.5mm wired using an included USB-C-to-3.5mm converter, Wi-Fi, aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound compatibility, and conventional Bluetooth audio (don’t get too excited about the Wi-Fi, though; I’ll get back to tAudio). Naturally, this is also the charging port.that in an instant). For wired use, there includes a USB-C connector that allows for high-resolution, lossless images.

Well, the Wi-Fi. We initially believed that the Sonos Ace would be used to connect to the Sonos multi-room environment, enabling high definition music streaming via the app or to turntables or other hi-fi devices that are linked to your Sonos system. Perhaps something akin to the Sonos Roam system, which automatically switches on your big speakers when you return home and moves music to Bluetooth when you leave.

But that isn’t accurate. Sonos told me that even though it isn’t on the product roadmap right now, if enough people want it, it might be technically possible in the future.

This kind of audio handoff could be accomplished.initially in headphones with the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 in October 2022. When you go through the door, whatever’s coming through those cans may easily move to your Zeppelin, Formation Wedge, or other B&W speakers that are compatible.

5: Earfun Wave Pro

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Wave Pro appears incredibly impressive on paper, much like many of Earfun’s products. The Wave Pro are skilled at talking the talk thanks to their impressive feature list, which would intimidate headphones that cost twice as much, and their apparent build quality, which would make them blend in with the more upscale sections of the Sonic supermarket. They’re nothing less than an alluring offer to the bargain-hunting consumer searching for a reasonably priced set of wireless marvels to stuff into their basket.

However, the top wireless headphones are not created on paper. Experience tells us that even though the Earfun Wave Pro has a beautifully manicured Tinder profile full of glitzy vacation photos and a biography full of alluring accomplishments, it’s the time we actually spend together that separates the duds from the Don Juans. We’ve heard multiple pairs of Earfun’s wireless earbuds, including the recent Air Pro 3 and Air 2, that seemed to have everything going for them but failed to delight us sonically, so we head to our latest date with a little caution.

Although the Chinese company’s latest in-ear endeavors haven’t produced particularly impressive sound quality, you can’t blame Earfun for sacrificing features. It’s true that few competitors can match the extensive, Swiss Army Knife capabilities that many of its products possess, and we’ve previously written about how the company’s strategy of packing its budget buds with as many tricks and treats as possible has won over many fans. Naturally, the Wave Pro is no different.

Although noise cancellation is essentially standard at this level (the Sony WH-CH720N offers it for a comparable price), the Wave Pro provides a capable and unquestionably thorough experience in this area. Five distinct noise-cancelling modes are available on the low-cost cans: normal, ambient sound, wind, andcancelling, comfort ANC and strong ANC, the latter of which provides the most complete and satisfying experience. None of them is particularly outstanding, and you’ll sometimes strain to discern fully the difference between each profile, but it’s hard at this price to be down on Earfun’s admirable effort. Five is a lot of noise-cancelling profiles, after all.

The Wave Pro’s battery life is yet another weapon in its arsenal, and fortunately, it’s not just a case of making lofty claims without the performance to support them. After enduring such a demanding all-nighter, we unintentionally left the EarFuns playing internet radio all night, and they barely dipped to about 40% of their full battery life. By the way, this came about after a week or so of sporadic use; the Wave Pro deserves praise for those figures.

In addition to their impressive user credentials, Wave Pro is capable of much more. The feature-rich over-ear headphones have Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting and a low latency game mode for wireless playback.to two devices simultaneously, the latter of which worked well when switching from an iPhone to a laptop. The cans’ control buttons, meanwhile, can be customised via the clean and sensible app, and while personalising on-ear functionalities can be a pain on rival platforms, the Earfun system is surprisingly straightforward to use.

We’re initially pleased with the Wave Pro’s performance when it comes time for a proper listen, but it’s always best to have some reasonable expectations at this low-end end of the wireless market. Rock, hip-hop, pop, or classical music all have a unified, well-composed sound, and when we listen to our favorite songs, we hardly ever hear any hints of stress, chaos, or harshness. Reassuringly, everything is all right.

What to Look for When Buying a Over-Ear Headphones

1. Sound Quality

• Frequency Response: Look for a wide range (20Hz–20kHz is standard for human hearing).
• Driver Size: Larger drivers (40mm or above) generally produce better bass and sound clarity.
• Audio Tuning: Consider balanced, bass-heavy, or treble-focused sound profiles depending on your preference.
• Hi-Res Certification: For audiophiles, opt for headphones with Hi-Res Audio support for detailed sound.

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2. Comfort and Fit

• Ear Cushions: Choose headphones with soft, breathable materials (e.g., memory foam or leatherette).
• Adjustable Headband: Ensure the headband fits securely without causing pressure on your head.
• Weight: Lightweight models (less than 350 grams) are more comfortable for extended use.

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3. Noise Cancellation

• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Reduces ambient noise, ideal for commuting or noisy environments.
• Passive Noise Isolation: Achieved through earcup design and padding to block external sounds.
• Transparency Mode: Allows external sound in, useful for situational awareness.

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4. Connectivity

• Wireless (Bluetooth): Look for Bluetooth 5.0 or newer for stable connections and longer range.
• Wired: Consider if you need a 3.5mm jack or USB-C for audio fidelity.
• Multipoint Connectivity: Enables pairing with multiple devices simultaneously.

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5. Battery Life

• Wireless Headphones: Opt for at least 20–30 hours of battery life for regular use.
• Fast Charging: Some models offer hours of playback with just a few minutes of charging.

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6. Microphone and Call Quality

• Built-in Microphone: Ensure clarity for calls and voice commands.
• Noise Cancellation for Calls: Filters out background noise for better voice clarity.

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7. Build Quality and Durability

• Materials: Look for sturdy construction with premium materials like metal or high-grade plastic.
• Folding/Rotating Design: Adds portability for travel or storage.

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8. Sound Features

• 3D Audio or Spatial Sound: Immersive audio experience for gaming or movies.
• Equalizer (EQ) Settings: Some headphones allow customization via companion apps.

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9. Compatibility

• Operating System: Ensure the headphones work seamlessly with your devices (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows).
• Voice Assistants: Compatibility with Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa for hands-free control.

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10. Brand Reputation and Reviews

• Choose brands known for audio quality, durability, and customer support, such as Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, or Beyerdynamic.

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11. Price and Value

• Budget Models ($50–$150): Basic features, suitable for casual listening.
• Mid-Range ($150–$300): Balance between price and performance, with ANC and better sound quality.
• Premium ($300+): Superior build, advanced features, and audiophile-grade sound.

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12. Warranty and Support

• Ensure the product comes with a warranty (typically 1–2 years) and reliable customer support.