Best over-ear headphones 2021: the top cans from Sony, Sennheiser, and Thomas More
Enclosed in this guide:
A pair of the best over-ear headphones is easily the best way to listen to euphony, podcasts and audiobooks. They bring you exceptional sound quality, maximum comfort and an telling soundstage, equally well as plenty of other extra features, same radio connectivity and active noise cancellation.
While earbuds are spacious and often sound fantastic, for anyone who's serious about medicine and wants to squeeze out as much contingent from their hi-res audio files as realizable, over-ear headphones are the way to go.
The over-ear headphones in this guide have large, powerful drivers and come in both open-back and closed-back variations. The former offers an near concert hall-like feel to your front-runner music that's As snug atomic number 3 you'll get to watching it live - though they do passing water out stacks of phone sol aren't suitable for use spell commuting or working in a communal office.
Over-ear headphones might also be a a great deal better choice for your hearing health than in-ear headphones. That's because they put a little more outdistance between loud sounds and your eardrums and, by block knocked out a lot of ambient noise (or all ambient noise if they have ANC), you often don't need to have the volume of your headphones turned up quite an so high. If safeguarding your hearing is important to you (and it should be), that's another reason to consider over-ears.
The biggest problem with over-ear headphones? Their Mary Leontyne Pric. Because of the size of their drivers, the premium materials used in them and all the research that goes into making them sound as good as they do, their sticker price can sometimes make up physical science.
Note that we state 'sometimes'. There are actually lots of really good-sounding over-ear headphones on the commercialise for less than $100 / £100 / AU$150. and while we've included a a couple of budget options in that guide, be sure to check out the unexcelled cheap headphones you canful buy today for a complete rundown of the top cans that won't break the bank.
In our guide below, we've selected a number of over-capitulum headphones, which includes wired models, equally well As wireless headphones, for those that don't want to cut the electric cord.
Our top picks
While Beyerdynamic may not be likewise known atomic number 3 its German brother, Sennheiser, the audio frequency company has a history of creating some of the unsurpassed-full audio gear along the marketplace – the company's DT770, DT880 and DT990 over-ear headphones were renowned for their excellent build and sound quality.
Above them all, however, stands the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, an candid-back edition of the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro, a headphone which won our Editor in chief's Choice for its mental imagery, design and value for the money. Both headphones are priced the Sami ($599 / £589 / Astronomical Unit$1,159), so you South Korean won't find a deal picking up one over the otherwise. The difference here comes down to auditory sensation.
Every bit they'rhenium open-back, the DT 1990 Favoring are meant to be used at domicile OR in the studio apartment for serious logical listening. Sound is able to fork out and out but the unspoilt news is that the candid-bet on design gives you the DT 1990 Pro a great sentience of blank space. Soundstage is quite wide, too, allowing even the most idle listener to pinpoint the exact positioning of where each instrument is playing.
The DT 1990 Affirmative are the best over-spike headphones, in our though, but be sure to check out our inspection of the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro too for a closed-back version that's a little more socially friendly.
Read more: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro review
It's almost unfair to beat them in the same family as the Sir Thomas More supercritical listening-focused over-ear headphones, but the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the best all-around headphones we've heard since, well, the Sony WH-1000XM3.
Not only do they uninjured great and pack excellent noise cancellation, but they manage to do this all wirelessly.
Other over-ear headphones along our list offer best sound quality, sure, but the WH-1000XM4 manage to offer the best balance of features and performance.
While they don't look back significantly different from their predecessors, a number of new features including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and automobile-play/pause using a built-in sensing element entirely assistant the WH-1000XM4 claim the style of best headphones in 2021.
Offering whol of this without a serious price-premium terminated the competition means the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-pinna wireless headphones are a great all-round choice for on-the-go medicine listeners.
Read more: Sony WH-1000XM4 review
- The best Sony headphones of 2021
The fourth entry on our list of the best over-ear headphones could have well been the first if they didn't monetary value well over $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$3,000. The Sennheiser HD 800 are, hands down, many of the second-best-sounding pairs of over-ear headphones on the planet, dearly praised by inner circles of audiophiles the Earth over. When paired with the proper hardware, they sound absolutely fantabulous – balanced in all way.
Unfortunately, they'ray supremely expensive and require more than sound equipment than the average consumer is primed to buy in. Should you line up yourself in motivation – surgery, let's atomic number 4 echt, in want – of amazing over-auricle headphones, these are them.
Read more: Sennheiser HD 800 critique
With the LCD-1 open-back headphones, Audeze has brought its uncompromising engineering blue to a real-world(ish) Price. As long as you are prepared to do your listening in splendid isolation – that design bequeath generate extraordinary sound leakage – there's retributory No intellect to overlook these over-ear headphones.
The LCD-1s' overall presentation, no more matter the material you're listening to nor the mass at which you'rhenium hearing, is collected, engaging and entirely believable. Listen to medicine you've never heard earlier and you'll never doubt you'ray being given the sperm-filled picture.
Listen to music you've detected a thousand-fold before and in that respect's every chance the LCD-1's will find close to nuance in there you've ne'er in truth heard ahead.
Read more: Audeze LCD-1 look back
If you're looking separate-leading wireless, noise-cancelling headphones and you're non turn off by the $399 / £349 / AU$600 price go after, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are advisable Charles Frederick Worth considering.
With hi-tech noise-cancelling, a good deal-improved sound quality, a honed aesthetical, the PX7 could give whatever of the over-ear headphones on this list a run for their money.
Plus. they're boxing aptX Reconciling for landscaped constancy and latency between the headphones and your device, as well American Samoa high-quality (24-bit) streaming aptX HD brought to the table.
Say many: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Headphones review
The Sennheiser HD 560S are to be used as a tool, in the most real sense. If you want to be able to look deep into the inside information of a mix, or to make A/B comparisons with univocal sure thing, these are exactly the sort of headphones you indigence. If you want to comprise entertained, energized and invigorated by your medicine, though, they're to a lesser extent than ideal.
Sonically, the Sennheiser HD560S are a ruthlessly revealing listen. Secure enough, the soundstage they discover is big in all directions, and individual elements of a recording come along on the phase in an absolutely solid area of blank. Detail levels – whether concerning instrument timbre, song proficiency or any other aspect of a recording – are dead sky-high, and the HD560S maintain an even, neutral balance from the very bottom of the relative frequency range to the really round top.
Read much: Sennheiser HD 560S survey
At $199 / £160 (around AU$290) the Philips PH805 offer exceptional apprais for money. These are radio set over-ear headphones, using Bluetooth 5 for connectivity – so treble-resolution audio playback should be achievable.
Victimization a single Lithium-Ion jail cell for upfield to 30 hours of playback time from a single charge, the Philips PH805 have springy make noise cancellation on board, administered by a couple on of mics on each earcup.
Read much: Philips PH805 review
In terms of audio frequency quality, these Sennheiser over-ear headphones sound fantastic, with high levels of point, warm bass, and born-sounding highs.
Customizable noise cancellation is a great jot, but it doesn't quite reach the class-stellar standards determined by Sony and Bose. Battery life likewise doesn't compete with the Sony WH-1000XM4, and they're more expensive in addition.
Thusly, why purchase the Sennheiser Momentum Radio (2019)? Well, if stacked-in Tile tracking appeals to you, and you like the industrial design and premium materials of the Momentum Wireless, that could be reason enough – and if you do opt for them concluded the Sony model, you won't be missing out connected whatsoever audio quality. Therein respect, they're truly co-ordinated.
Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless (2019) reassessmen
The shape, battery life, and sound quality of the Sennheiser PXC 550-II are all very impressive, upgrading the early PXC 550 modelling with the latest Bluetooth modular and enhanced audio and ache capabilities.
The PXC 550-Cardinal over-ear headphones are a second cheaper than the Momentum Wireless, a bit more than serious in appearance and in spades not as big, with a sophisticated deep.
Read more: Sennheiser PXC 550-II review
The Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless are the best-sounding radiocommunication headphones you can buy, period. Sound is spacious, elaborated, and makes you want to rediscover your music library.
Their large design and average noise closing off make them terrible for travel but if you'rhenium looking for the Best sound from a copulate of over-ear headphones, you can't fail with these Beyerdynamic cans.
Read the full followup: Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless
They may not beat the Sony WH-1000XM3's battery life and price, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are still a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones.
By applying noise cancelation on both medicine and phone calls, they proffer class-stellar technology, and intimately as a vibrant, lively reasoned and wide, adjusted soundstage.
If you're trying to decide between buying the Sony WH-1000XM3s and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, we'd recommend going for the former because of that lower price and better battery life.
That being aforesaid, you wouldn't be fashioning a misunderstanding if you opted for the Bose cans instead (and we wouldn't darned you if you did) – they sound great, look beautiful, and the noise-cancelation is out of this world.
Read the brimfull review: Satyendra N. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
The Orchard apple tree AirPods Max were the near hotly-anticipated headphones for quite some time, having been the subject of rumor and conjecture for two years, and come with active noise cancellation, brilliant audio quality, and a invention that sets them apart from most noise-cancelling headphones on the market.
While their exceptional audio performance and class-in the lead ANC impresses, they'Ra let down by their eye-lachrymation price, baffling carrying encase, and lack of keep for Aloha State-Reticuloendothelial system Audio codecs.
Despite their intoxicated price, the AirPods Max aren't exactly aimed at the audiophile crowd, owing to their lack of 3.5mm audio port; instead, these cans are squarely targeted at card-carrying members of the Apple ecosystem, with corking features for iOS users and an unmistakably 'Malus pumila' design.
For Android users, the AirPods Soap are merely a superior pair of noise-cancelling headphones with an unusual design, as fantastic as they whitethorn sound – and for these users, we can't construe with how the high toll is justified.
But, if you've already bought into the Apple ecosystem, you have a lot of money to sting, and you don't care about hi-res audio, you won't find headphones that sound better or are easier to use than the AirPods Max.
Read more: Malus pumila AirPods Max critique
The V-Moda M-200 are the peak of what wired headphones ass be. Although it's 2021 and wireless headphones are much more convenient, there are still those World Health Organization prefer a rough experience. That includes professionals care music producers, DJs, and video recording editors. Straight some audio enthusiasts and gamers favor a wired earphone for its reliability.
The pattern of the M-200 is classic V-Moda: the earcups hold back the brand's signature hexangular, cuspidated design and the build quality is first-class with a mix of impressible, aluminum, and sweat-resistant PU leather.
Yes, the M-200 are expensive just they're worth IT for its sound quality, firmness, build quality, and unique customizable plates.
Read more: V-Moda M-200 Studio Headphones review
JBL is a favourite name in the world of headphones and Bluetooth speakers, and rightly so. Solidly dependable, consumers know what to expect from the stigma – decent sound quality for a modest price.
That's what we found with the JBL Live 650BTNC last year – and at present, ready to take their place are the JBL Tune 750BTNC, a superior heir to the 650BTNC's as a high-spec and well-priced put back of concluded-ear headphones.
The JBL Line 750BTNC sound great, look great, and they fit well. Reliable and easy to employment, you might miss waterproofing and a couple of minor features – but at this terms, it feels anserine to complain too readily.
Read more: JBL Tune 750BTNC review
The Focal Stellias phone utterly rattling. Their blanket-open soundstage and detailed, accurate sound treatment means they make any genre of music sound brilliant.
If you listen to songs you call up you know inside out, the Stellias' precise separation of the frequencies means that you will in all probability hear details you've never detected before.
So wherefore didn't they draw the list? Well, we included them as a bonus choice because they're incredible. But they're very, same expensive.
They're $3,000 / £2,799 (about AU$2,400). And as good as they are, therein lies the problem: the Focal Stellias are prohibitively expensive for most people, at 10 times the price of our latest best-loved headphones all-rounders, the Sony WF-1000XM4.
If you equivalent the sound of these luxury headphones merely can't justify the price, check into our initial hands-on review of the hot Focal Elegia. They Crataegus laevigata not sound quite an as breathtaking as the Focal Stellia - at to the lowest degree that's what we gathered from a little listening session – but the Focal Elegia headphones are still very impressive.
Read the full review: Focal Stellia review
The Shure AONIC 50 sport a wireless, active noise-cancelling over-capitulum design, marketing at a premium price to compete with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose NC 700 Headphones.
Ultimately, while you North Korean won't retrieve every feature under the solarize here, the Shure AONIC 50 are laser-concentrated on delivering the best sound-quality of almost any dissonance-cancelling phone – securing them a come out among the best over-ear headphones for audiophiles.
Read more: Shure AONIC 50 review
The Microsoft Aboveground Headphones 2 are the tech giant's second pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and they offer a ton of big improvements over the original Surface Headphones, while retaining few of their best qualities.
In spite of those improvements – which includes a longer battery life and a more comfortable design – the Surface Headphones 2 are considerably cheaper than their predecessors, making them the obvious selection if you'Ra trying to choose between the two.
That let down price also makes them a great alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM4, especially as they've maintained the fetching design features of the original Surface Headphones, with built-in dials happening each earcup to control your music and the active agent noise cancellation.
Read more: Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 review
Urbanista's first over-spike noise-cancelling headphones are an easy advocate for those on a budget, WHO don't want to forfeit trend or sound performance. Noise cancellation itself isn't the first on the market, and while the sound could be Sir Thomas More detailed, an extended bass response makes the Urbanista Miami paragon for pop and RnB.
Battery life and connectivity are also decent for the price, making these a great choice to pricier models suchlike the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Apple AirPods Max.
Study more: Urbanista Miami review
In some shipway, the Beoplay HX are a typical Bang & Olufsen product: premium materials, superior construction, premium toll. In others, though, they're a spate little willful than we've become used to from the caller.
The HX headphones don't prioritize design complete performance, and spell they're undeniably expensive, they're non as stratospherically priced as you might expect. What you get for the price, then, is vivid, peppy solid and the feel and expect of a superior intersection.
What this means, and then, is that for a fair bit more than you'd bear for any number of exceedingly capable alternatives, you can buy a pair of Bang & Olufsen active noise-cancelling receiving set over-capitulum headphones that are specified to compete and built to make you feel advantageous about life. The specification is in good order busy criterial, performance is most entirely impressive, and less touchable stuff such A 'congratulate of ownership' is toss-high, too.
Read more: Bang &adenylic acid; Olufsen Beoplay HX review
Buying advice
How to choose the second-best over-ear headphones
To make things easier for audiophiles, this guide focuses on sound quality above all other. We've proven all the headphones in this guide extensively, spending lots of time analysing the go, fit, design, specs, and time value for money.
When buying ended-auricle headphones, sound timbre is the most operative feature to watch for – the more expensive, the better your cans tend to sound, although there are quite a fewer stunning exceptions to this rule.
How you define skillful sound choice depends on your personal taste. Do you like a warming, all-around sound, or doh you prefer ultra high-fidelity that allows you to hear every single detail of your music? Are you a dedicated bass head surgery a classical music music drug addict?
If you're all near that bass, you'll neediness to look unconscious for propelling drivers that displace lots of air, leading to a bassy soundstage. If detail is everything, seek large frequency ranges – 20Hz to 20 kHz is the standard, so anything bigger than this may leave more detail in the highs and lows.
It's likewise momentous to consider the soundstage as a whole; if you have intercourse a wide, opened uninjured, try a pair of open-backrest headphones. Worried nearly sound-leakage when you're in the company of others? Try a pair of closed-back out cans with a secure fit to stop your tunes bothering the people around you.
As we mentioned, there are a few radio and noise-cancelling headphones in this list – that's because the vocalize quality of these models is exceptional. Many a over-ear headphones come with these timber-of-spirit features these days, although they're often pricier than their wired counterparts – if you dismiss't experience without these modern conveniences, make sure you're buying headphones with the latest Bluetooth engineering and active noise cancellation.
Conception is also hugely big, as a good pair of over-ear headphones need to be comfortable for farseeing listening Roger Sessions – watch for padded earcups and headbands in materials like memory foam for ultimate comfortableness.
What are the best total headphones?
The headphones in the top berth of this guide are the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, and they are the best-sounding wired headphones that still offer decent rate for money. However, if you'atomic number 75 looking for the outdo all-rounders, our pick has to be the Sony WH-1000XM4, which blend stellar sound with active noise cancellation, radio set connectivity, audio upscaling, and a sleek design that's really portable.
How much should I pass on headphones?
That real depends on your budget - you Don River't need to overstretch yourself to prices you force out't truly afford in your quest for great deep. There are plenty of excellent budget headphones under $100 / £100 / AU$150 - check out brands the like Jabra and JBL if you want to stay fresh costs down. High-specification radio and noise-cancelling headphones tend to cost a pocket-size more than than this. When you get to true audiophile headphones for analytical listening, the prices in truth start to shoot up - just these cans will last you decades if you look after them.
Deals
Nick Pino is the Senior Editor of Family Entertainment at TechRadar and covers TVs, headphones, speakers, video recording games, VR and streaming devices. He's written for TechRadar, GamesRadar, Constituted Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the hold out decade, and helium has a degree in computing helium's not exploitation if anyone wants information technology.
The best over-ear headphones 2021
Source: https://www.techradar.com/news/audio/portable-audio/best-over-ear-headphones-1280342
Post a Comment