1. Quick list
2. Louder's top pick
3. Best for fidelity
4. Best for ANC
5. Best detailed sound
6. Best for style
7. Best budget
8. Best Sennheisers
9. Best for comfort
10. Best for home use
11. Buying advice
12. How we test
If you want to get closer to your music, then exploring the best over-ear headphones is a great way to do just that. Both of us have been reviewing tech for many years and really enjoy kicking back with a good pair of wireless or wired headphones and immersing ourselves in the music. It's a great way to spend an evening – and all the top brands are on board, including Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and more.
As you'll see from our guide below, some of our choices can be a bit on the chunky side – especially when you compare them to the range of sleek in-ear designs available – but don't let their robust look put you off as all of our favourite picks deliver excellent audio.
And don’t go thinking that just because they’re a little bit bulkier that they must be uncomfortable, as all of the headphones featured our my guide are designed with comfort in mind - and this includes thick padding to protect your ears during long listening sessions. Like other headphones, our selection of the best over-ear headphones features a range of prices, with some wired and some wireless to give you more choice when making a purchasing decision.
We've also included some older models simply because they still perform beautifully - and they're cheaper too.
Paul has spent the last eight years testing and writing about record players and audio technology for Louder, T3 and TechRadar. As an avid music fan Paul puts turntables through their paces by playing some of his favourite vinyl by artists including Weyes Blood and Nirvana on the kit to see how they hold up. If it's got a good melody, he's on board with it.
During her tenure as a Total Guitar staffer and later as a freelance music journalist, Claire has attended her fair share of festivals and has camped out at most (there may have been the odd hotel stay). Claire was also the Outdoors Editor for Louder’s sister site T3, where she was in charge of hunting down the best tents for all camping scenarios, from festivals to sub-zero adventures.
Quick list
Sure, the Sony WH-1000XM5 might be the new kids on the block, but for our money, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are still the best over-ear headphones out there: They cost less and offer superb sound and excellent noise cancelling... and they fold away unlike the newer model.
The open-back Fidelio X3 are our second pick - not only do they have a 50mm driver cranking out some sweet power, but with their top build quality they're also comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. Bear in mind that sound will leak at higher volumes, so these are great for home use.
Apple's premium headphones come at a premium cost, but if you're willing to dive in, you'll definitely be rewarded with the AirPods Max. They sound out of this world especially paired with Apple Music, they have awesome noise cancellation, they scream quality and come in various colours.
These updated over-ear headphones were introduced into the Bowers & Wilkins range in the summer of 2022 and are an excellent choice thanks to their detailed and nuanced sound. We have no complaints about their fit either and if you're looking to upgrade your PX7s, these are a top choice.
At first glance, the slick Urbanista Miami might seem like an odd choice when pitted against the likes of Sony and Apple - and while the noise cancellation doesn't quite match some other over-ears, they're a great pick-up for a top price. The audio packs a decent punch, there's a few cool colour combos to choose from - and battery life is excellent.
Looking for a quality pair of over-ear headphones that won't break the band? Then the AKG K72 are out top budget choice. These are a robust set of cans and although wired, the cable is 3 metres long. We've used them out and about, but prefer to use these at home. A great pair of cheap over-ears.
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The MkIII version of Sennheiser Momentum wireless over-ear headphones continue to impress in the face of some very serious competition. They deliver excellent audio as you'd expect from Sennheiser and they look the business. They are pricey, but Sennheiser fans will be happy.
The wired Shure SRH1540 over-ear headphones might not fly off the tongue and are a bit under the radar, but they're well worth a closer look if your on the hunt for a comfy pair of great quality headphones for indoor use. They're definitely pro-grade headphones and are thoroughly recommended.
The Beyerdynamic Amiron have been around for a while, but they can still cut the mustard when it comes to powerful audio delivery. They will leak sound given their open-back design sofa listening is where they shine. They soundstage is wife and akin to listening through speakers and they're super-comfy.
Louder’s top pick
Sony’s fourth generation of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones are simply brilliant. Sure, the Sony WH-1000XM5 may be newer, but the jury's still out whether the extra financial outlay on them is worth the upgrade. The WH-1000XM4 not only block out a whole heap of outside noise, they also sound fantastic. Super-soft ear-cups coupled to 40mm Liquid Crystal Polymer drivers, deliver superb fidelity and a hammering bass.
There’s also the Sony Headphone app where I was able to tweak the amount of noise-cancelling provided by the Sony WH-1000XM4, from, "I don’t want to hear anything but my own heartbeat", to "I’d quite like to know if a car is about to run me over." You can even set these over-ear headphones to adapt noise-cancelling to the environment you're in.
The battery life of around 30 hours means that even the longest of long-haul flights is covered. The Sony WH-1000XM4 also use AI processing to maximise audio quality, whatever your streaming source, with features like ‘Speak To Chat’ in which the headphones automatically pause when you start a conversation.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review
Best for fidelity
These flagship Fidelio X3 Hi-Fi reference headphones offer formidable fidelity. With Kvadrat fabric backing helping to disguise their open backed design, I don't think they're ideally suited for listening in polite company, but I found the soundstage is akin to listening to music from loudspeakers.
Soft velour ear pads give the X3 a welcome glam rock aesthetic, and inside each there’s a powerful 50mm driver with a three-layer design that ensures stability and musicality.
The headphones have a rich low end that’s tight and rewarding, while the midrange glistens with detail. The X3 are an almost perfect blend of performance, design and value. They’re well worth auditioning.
Read the full Philips Fidelio X3 review
Best for ANC
While they aren’t the most expensive headphones in our best over-headphones guide, the Apple AirPod Max aren’t far off. Not everyone will want to pony up for these beauties, but are they worth it? Well, there's a lot going on under the hood here which makes them a stellar choice for those with an Apple Music subscription.
The Apple AirPod Max offer a detailed, super-crisp, spacious audio quality that does justice to a range of genres, with drivers fitted to deliver high-fidelity audio. There’s impressive active noise cancellation tech here too, so you can block everyone else out as often as you need.
In terms of comfort, my ears have never had it so good - and I can thank Apple’s knit mesh canopy and acoustically engineered memory foam cushions for that. Yep, these over-ear headphones offer the same comfort material as a plush mattress.
So, why do I recommend them for Apple fans? Because while Bluetooth 5.0 means you can use them with Android phones, the AirPod Max work best with an iPhone, as you can then mess around with the spatial audio (for theatre-like sound) app feature and put Siri to work.
Do drool over the five different colours you can buy them in – Green, Sky Blue, Space Grey, Pink, and Silver – but don’t look at the quite less than impressive case they come in.
Read the full Apple Airpods Max review
Best detailed sound
The Louder team are big fans of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 over-ear headphones, but we've had to revise some of our thoughts, as the upgraded Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 headphones are a step up.
They were released in the summer of 2022 - just two years after the PX7 arrived and are slightly smaller and lighter than the original model. They sit more snuggly as a result and the mics do a very good job of blocking out unwanted noise of up to 30dB with ANC mode activated.
You'll get 30 hours of music from them too and while this is the same as the older model, it's in the sound department where things get better. The enormous soundstage makes for an impressive experience and the audio delivery is excellently balanced.
If you're upgrading from the original model, we don't think you'll regret it.
Read the full Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 review
Best for style
The Urbanista Miami are the first set of noise-cancelling headphones from the brand, and while the active noise cancellation isn’t good enough to rival the Apple, Bose or Sony over-ear headphones in this list, it’s decent for the lower price.
And anyway, if you’re searching for over-ears you’re probably more concerned with how they sound - and the Urbanista Miami are pretty decent. I found that they lacked a little crispness and detail compared to powerhouse headphones, but they make a decent fist of rock, metal and punk. Pop and hip hop too, if they’re your bag.
Battery life is better than some other over-ear headphones, with a reliable 50 hours of playback per charge, but the Marshall Major IV further up this guide offer 80 hours of battery for around the same price.
Still, if you like to inject a little style and personality into your audio wear, the Urbanista Miami’s trump the Marshalls thanks to a greater range of colours, including red, white and green.
Best budget
The AKG K72 over-ear headphones are proof you can get a great pair of headphones on a tight budget. This simple, big, wired unit is built for comfort and longevity – you could easily wear them all day and they'd never irritate and wouldn’t fall apart. AKG actually bends the cable 80,000 times to ensure it’s as durable as possible.
That cable is an impressive three metres long so it's perfect for wired listening at home if there's distance between your system and your sofa. And while the size of the headphones makes them relatively unsuited to outdoor use, they're closed-back so won’t irritate everyone around you if you're out and about for your daily constitutional.
I found the sound was far better than the price would suggest – and much more grown-up than that of most similarly priced rivals. Open, airy and spacious, with plenty of punchy bass, you really can’t go wrong with the AKG K72.
Best Sennheisers
Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless headphones have been hugely successful over the last few years, and this MkIII version takes the range to brand new heights. The sound has been vastly improved over that of the already excellent Momentum 2.0 model.
These balance the energy of an excited puppy with the delicacy and eye for detail of a Bonsai master. There are cool features too, including automatic pairing when the headphones are unfolded and automatic pause when removed from your head.
The only slight blot on the otherwise crisp, white paper are the high price and relatively short battery life, but if neither of those puts you off, these Sennheisers are a great option for over-ear headphones.
Read the full Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 3 review
Best for comfort
Thanks to its ubiquitous microphones and on-stage in-ear monitors, Shure is intrinsically linked to live music and pro-audio production. Their over-ear headphones are less well known but still an excellent choice, and the long-standing SRH1540s are my pick of the bunch.
The large, classic, wired design is really intended for home – or studio – use, but the closed-back cups mean you can use them while out for a walk without fear of instantly becoming public enemy number one.
Sound is brilliant – all of the detail you’d expect from a professional-grade pair of headphones, the tonal neutrality to let your music do the talking, and brilliant, dramatic dynamics. Serious headphones for serious listening.
Read the full Shure SRH1540 review
Open-backed headphones aren’t for use out-and-about as they tend to be big and leak noise like a sonic colander. But there are benefits to the open-back design, namely a spaciousness that closed-back headphones usually can’t match.
Listen to a great pair of open-backed headphones, such as the Beyerdynamic Amiron, and it’s as if you’re not listening to headphones at all, but a brilliant pair of perfectly set-up hi-fi speakers.
Well, the Amirons are a great pair of open-backed headphones. The soundstage they produce is vast and airy, and the impression of listening out-loud is enhanced by the fact that the headphones are so comfortable that you’re barely aware you’re wearing them.
The Beyerdynamic Amiron's sound is also brilliantly balanced and deliciously detailed, and really rewards those who plug in to a proper hi-fi with a turntable or hi-res streamer.
Buying advice
Finding the best over-ear headphones for you
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
Once you've settled on a price range, the next thing you'll need to do is decide whether you want to go with wireless headphones or are happy being tethered to your home Hi-Fi with a cable.
There are plenty of really good wireless headphones available, and they often don’t cost the earth – our best budget wireless headphones round-up is proof of that – but it's worth bearing in mind that both wireless sound quality and battery life can vary greatly. Looking for a pair with a more recent version of Bluetooth – 6 is the most recent but most headphones at the moment run between 5.0 and 5.2 – can help in both regards, but isn’t a guarantee. And if you can find a pair with the audio-focused aptX codec, you know that sound quality has at least been a factor in the design.
Wireless on-ear headphones often come with oodles of cutting edge technology, including Active Noise Cancelling and built-in support for Google Assistant and such like. Wired headphones are simpler and often trade smart connectivity for premium components and audiophile design.
It’s worth checking whether the connector is the more common 3.5mm type, now falling out of favour on smartphones, or the more hi-fi-specific 6.3mm type. The good news is that premium hi-fi pairs often include an adapter, although buying one separately won’t set you back much at all.
Open or closed-back?
Open or closed-back headphones?
The other big thing to consider is whether you want open or closed-back headphones. Closed-back models are more common, as they keep the audio more or less confined to your noggin, while open-backed headphones generally leak enough noise that anyone in the vicinity will feel as though they’re listening to the world’s worst radio.
Conversely, open-back headphones generally sound more open and spacious – more like listening out-loud to a full-sized hi-fi than two little drivers strapped to your head – so if you need to listen quietly but not silently, and take your music enjoyment seriously, they can be the way to go.
Want to take your music listening experience to another level again? Think about drafting in a portable headphone amp, as one of these can make a big difference to how your music sounds.
It might sound like super-nerdy stuff but it really can make a difference. My old and (sadly discontinued) Oppo PM-3 over-ear headphones still sound great, but audio is elevated considerably when I pair it with my sleek Oppo HA-2SE headphone amp.
How we test
When I put the best over-ear headphones in our guide through their paces, I took a look at every aspect of the headphones – everything from the audio quality, design, comfort, along with other details including as if they're open-back or closed back, and if they're wireless or wired.
To get the most from the headphones, they were tested listening to a variety of musical genres and styles, including rock and metal, prog, punk, alt and acoustic. Battery life, where appropriate, was also taken into consideration as it's an important factor when choosing a new pair of wireless headphones.
At the end of the day, I wanted to give you all the information you need when deciding what to buy – after all, the world of headphones is a crowded one.
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