10 best over-ear headphones 2022 reviewed and rated
Whether you're looking for a pair of wireless, noise-cancelling or budget headphones, these models all sound great
The payoff for looking like a Cyberman-in-training is enjoying some excellent quality music, wirelessly, while shutting out the outside world. They may be expensive, but earphones like these are the best way to experience high-end audio. Here’s our guide to the best over-ear or on-ear headphones.
Sony WH-1000XM5 review: making the best, better
Can the top noise-cancelling headphones of the last few years be topped by their successor? You’re about to find out
Features:
- Superb sound quality
- Top-drawer noise cancelling
- Great new design
- Soft-touch plastic

Bowers & Wilkins PX7
Features:
- Adaptive noise-cancelling works well
- Fantastic sound
- Solid battery life
- Wear sensors more reliable than the PX

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Features:
- Great new design
- Noise cancelling is as brilliant as ever, and now fully customisable
- Peerless voice pickup
- Excellent voice assistant support
- Let you pair two devices simultaneously

Philips Fidelio L3
Features:
- Articulate and detailed
- Plenty of punch
- Good battery life
- Comfortable

Technics EAH-A800 review: lively and very nearly perfect
Almost great is good enough – there’s more to the EAH-A800 than just an association with every DJ who cued a record up

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT
Features:
- Nice simple design

RØDE NTH-100 review: perfect for podcasting and much, much more
Australian microphone brand RØDE launches its first-ever pair of headphones.
Features:
- Superb comfort
- Uncoloured sound
- Detachable cable
- Adjustable fit

Sony WH-1000XM4
Features:
- Speak-to-Chat works well (and stops you singing)
- Noise cancellation even better than before
- Wear detection a much-needed addition
- They sound fantastic with any genre

Apple AirPods Max
Features:
- Rich and detailed sound
- Superb noise-cancelling
- Spatial audio enhances TV and movies
- They just work
