Top 5 Best Over-Ear Headphones for 2024

With headphones, you can’t really go wrong. While earbuds are a great option, headphones are the best choice for people who dislike having something in their ears. This holiday season, they also make excellent tech presents for you or a loved one.

Wireless Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation make up the majority of the over-ear headphones on this list. Additionally, a cable for wired listening is included with some, but not all, wireless headphones. For the audio purists, I’ve also included a few wired-only over-ear headphones. Keep in mind that a lot of these models might be on sale during occasions like the Cyber Monday headphones sale. Having said that, we still advise checking your favorite headphones as a precaution.

When testing headphones, we pay close attention to the most crucial features. We look at build quality, comfort and sound quality. We also evaluate how well they cancel noise and their performance. This list is regularly updated as more over-ear headphones hit the market, with the most recent addition being the Noble Fokus Apollo.

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Last update on 2024-12-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Over-Ear Headphones for 2024

1.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Last update on 2024-12-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

My favorite headphones of the past year are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which are incredibly exciting to listen to and have raised the bar for active noise cancellation. You see, perhaps I could have helped you decide on them in less than two minutes.

Though I believe they more than deserve this price tag, it complicates matters that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones accomplish this by costing more than the majority of the top noise-cancelling headphones.

Their short battery life, which stands out in stark contrast to the minimum of 30 hours we now demand from the best wireless headphones, further complicates matters. While 24 hours may not seem like much, the difference has really jumped out to me compared to Sony headphones with 30 hours of battery.

However, that is irrelevant. They sound so rich, thrilling, and full—while also stifling outside noise—that the only thing that has kept them from receiving a perfect five-star rating is the battery life. It feels like a package that is well worth the cost when you include the bonus of effective spatial audio modes in addition to other practical smart features.

Although they have supplanted the AirPods Max as my preferred high-end headphones, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless offers many of the same features as these at a lower cost (and with a 60-hour battery life). However, invest in these if you want the best possible balance between noise cancellation and sound quality.

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

Multiple points Given how many of the best wireless headphones have the capability of connecting to two devices at once and switching between them seamlessly, Bluetooth isn’t surprising, but this is a first for Bose and something we now consider essential for high-end headphones (it’s notable and frustrating that the cheaper Bose QuietComfort Headphones lack this). This might need to be enabled in the Source screen of the Bose Music app.

Bose’s proprietary technology, Immersive Audio, handles spatial audio. Similar to the AirPods Max, you can turn it off, you can set it so that sound is coming from a bubble around you that moves with your head, or you can have it so that the orientation of sound is locked and when you turn your head it’s like you’re doing so in a room full of speakers. If you’ll use it, we recommend the first Immersive option for music, and the second for movies, since the latter is more like a home theater setup.

Here, Bose also incorporates technology called CustomTune, which, in theory, adjusts to the environment and the shape of your ears to ensure that you’re always hearing the sound correctly.

Speaking of adapting to the surroundings, Bose’s most sophisticated active noise cancellation technology to date is pleasantly adjustable. It has three modes: Quiet Mode (normal noise cancellation), Aware Mode (allowing outside sounds to enter), and Immersion Mode (activating Spatial Audio and turning ANC on full). However, you can also make your own modes by tapping the + symbol on the Bose Music app’s Modes screen. After selecting a use case, you can change the noise cancellation level in ten steps by selecting the Wind Block feature.

2.Sony WH-1000XM5

Last update on 2024-12-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

One of the most prestigious family trees in contemporary audio history belongs to the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. After two industry-leading over-ear noise-cancelling predecessors, the WH-1000XM5 is expected with a degree of excitement that is uncommon in the personal audio space.

The WH-1000XM5 headphones are a major change from their predecessors after two generations of over-ear headphone designs that were essentially the same.

One way to sum up the WH-1000XM5 headphones is that they are slightly more rounded than their predecessors. A slimmer headband with extra leather-look covering to conceal its joins and extension points, more discrete noise-cancelling microphone ports, and fewer obvious points of articulation make everything a little neater and sleeker. The space where your ears rest is a little different.shape too – a more squat ovoid than the oval of the WH-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4. Though we’ve not stress tested them to their absolute limits, the slide-out extension points feel sturdier than earlier designs too, with fewer pressure points that could snap away – a complaint of well-used previous models.

However, some of the changes might not be as welcome. Unfortunately, this product still lacks any kind of water resistance. The headphones aren’t as portable as they used to be because they can’t fold in on themselves anymore. Additionally, the headband feels less cushioned than earlier Sony headphones in the line, despite being better concealed and incorporated into the overall design aesthetic.

However, that may be a moot point because, in our experience, they are just as comfortable sitting on your head for extended periods of time. The cups rotate and twist to fit all sizes, and there is plenty of padding around the ears. The ideal amount of clamp pressure is applied by the band to keep them in place without squeezing your brain out through your ears. That headband now smoothly extends too, rather than using the stepped extension of earlier versions.

Most of the controls are similar to those on the 1000XM4 headphones. The left ear cup edge has two physical buttons in addition to smart context-aware auto controls, which we’ll talk about in the review’s “Features” section. You can now activate Spotify Tap with two or three taps of the ANC button, allowing you to start and play music from the streamer without taking your phone out of your pocket. The first toggles between ambient awareness and noise canceling settings. The second is the power button, which you can press to start pairing with Bluetooth. Additionally, the outside of the right ear cup is touch sensitive; double tap it to adjust the volume or swipe up and down on it.

First off, the curvier design is meant to lessen wind-drag across the headphones, which can lead to that annoying distortion in the noise-cancelling capabilities when you’re out in the wind. Although we haven’t directly collided with a hurricane, that assertion held up on a windy London day while touring Greenwich Park. A more aerodynamic design should help lessen that effect.

The headphones now have twice as many microphone points, which is the second obvious addition. In addition to doubling the number of beamforming microphones close to a user’s mouth for calls up from, this gives the onboard noise cancellation processors (yes, there are two inside the headphones) more audio data to analyze and enhance active noise cancellation performance with.

3.Sony’s MDR-M1

Last update on 2024-12-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Sony’s MDR line of studio headphones is one of the most recognizable. The $249.99 MDR-M1 headphones, the company’s newest offering, are designed to provide a high-end listening experience both in and out of the studio. The MDR-M1s are well worth the asking price because they provide a neutral frequency response and exceptional clarity in a recognizable, cozy, and fashionable design. Although we wish the headphones had a case or protective bag, we especially value the screw-in audio cables and support for high-resolution sound. In the end, this is a minor complaint, and the Sony MDR-M1 easily wins our Editors’ Choice award for its outstanding performance—not just for studio work, but for wired headphones in general.

The Sony MDR-M1 headphones initially appear to be quite similar to other MDR headphones. (Over the past ten or so years, PCMag has reviewed a dozen.) Studio engineers and musicians should be able to quickly identify them because they are mostly black with blue and red markers at the top of each earcup for the left and right, respectively. The word “Professional” is printed inside each earcup, which also features a noticeable blue stripe and a tiny gold accent. With the exception of the shiny metallic frame that protrudes from the sides when the headband is extended, the majority of the construction is made of plastic.

The thicker padding in the earcups and under the headband gives the M1s a slightly more upscale feel than previous Sony models, even though the design mostly follows well-known lines. They are more comfortable for prolonged listening sessions because of the thicker padding throughout. The plastic materials, which reduce weight and increase comfort, help with this to some extent. Despite weighing 7.6 ounces, I was able to wear the headphones for extended periods of time without experiencing any discomfort.

The 40mm dynamic drivers in the M1s can generate frequencies ranging from 5 Hz to 80 kHz. They are appropriate for high-resolution listening because of their prolonged high-frequency response. There are no inline controls or Bluetooth radio on these wired headphones.

The earcups’ inability to fully rotate or fold in is one design decision that could limit their usefulness in the studio. Many musicians I’ve seen have folded up their Sony MDR headphones so they can use one ear to monitor tracks and the other to better hear their instrument or other people in the studio. With these headphones, that is not possible. However, the earcups can be positioned flat on a table thanks to their sideways swivel.

Two detachable audio cables—one measuring four feet and the other eight feet—come with the headphones. Each terminates in a 1/8-inch (3.5mm) connection and can be screwed into the bottom of the left earcup to avoid unintentional disconnects. A 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch is included by Sony.

Studio headphones are designed to sound neutral, not good in the traditional sense. What’s the difference? A number of EQ adjustments are used in contemporary consumer headphones, usually to enhance the bass and a few high frequencies, which can contribute to a more thrilling sound. The EQ curve of the majority of studio headphones, on the other hand, ought to be as flat as feasible in order to treat all frequencies equally. What sounds good, in my opinion, is a neutral signal. Therefore, the neutral audio that these headphones primarily produce is pleasing.

With plenty of body from the bass synth and a strong thump from the kick drum, the headphones accurately capture the low-end oomph of “Silent Shout” by The Knife. Using wild headphones can frequently muddy the synths on this track. The M1s avoid that completely by coupling accurate bass response with detailed and clear percussion. The headphones don’t distort even at high volumes, though you can certainly drive them to distortion with the right equipment.

4.Sonos Ace

Last update on 2024-12-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

From the fundamentals, like good active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, to highly sophisticated spatial audio support, including smart home theater options, the Sonos Arc is packed with features that help to justify their price.

One of the least surprising is active noise cancellation, which is done really well. With the powerful sound of the headphones (which we’ll discuss in the next section) overlaying it, the noise cancellation here is seriously effective, suppressing both low and high frequency sounds drastically and leaving the sound as the star. In direct comparison, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are more effective, particularly at stopping voices breaking through, but with music blaring the difference isn’t large at all.

A lot of sound enters through the transparency mode, which Sonos refers to as “Aware mode”—perhaps a bit too much, in my opinion. I don’t know if I need to be able to hear people walking on the floor in this manner. I like these modes when they more carefully balance the music with the things I need to hear, like voices and traffic. Nonetheless, its basic efficacy cannot be contested.

Unfortunately, there is no way to modify these modes. For varying purposes, high-end models from Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser provide in-app sliders or, in certain situations, let you create ANC modes with varying noise-cancelling power levels. Sonos doesn’t have anything like that here; it’s either on, off, or aware.Yes, there isn’t much room for customization. A basic three-band EQ and a ‘Loudness’ setting to enhance bass and treble at low volumes are features of the Sonos app, though they are not really necessary. Apart from that, the app primarily provides you with options to activate and deactivate the other features. This includes head tracking, spatial audio, wear detection (which automatically pauses them when you remove them), and multi-point Bluetooth, which allows you to connect to two devices simultaneously for seamless switching.

However, there are many options for connectivity. For wireless connections, you have Wi-Fi, aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound support, and standard Bluetooth audio (don’t get too excited about the Wi-Fi, though; I’ll get back tAudio, and 3.5mm wired using an included USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter. This is also the charging port, naturally.o that in a moment). There is a USB-C port for wired use that enables premium lossless High-Resolution.

The Wi-Fi, then. When the Sonos Ace was first rumored, we thought it would be used to connect to the Sonos multi-room ecosystem, allowing you to listen to music sources through the app or to any turntables or other hi-fi equipment that is connected to your Sonos system in high definition. Maybe a system similar to the Sonos Roam’s, which automatically transfers music to Bluetooth when you leave the house and turns on your large speakers when you get back.

However, that isn’t true. Although it isn’t currently on the product plan, Sonos informed me that it might be technically feasible in the future if enough people want it.

Achieving this type of audio handoff was possible.for the first time in headphones in October 2022, with the Bowers & Wilkins PX8. Whatever’s coming through those cans could simply transfer to your Zeppelin, Formation Wedge or other supported B&W speakers when you walk through the door.

5.Earfun Wave Pro

Last update on 2024-12-16 / 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.