Best over-ear headphones for 2021 – CNET [CNET]

December 11, 2021 Thomas Giboney technology

While earbuds like Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro Pro may be the dominant headphones these days, there’s something to be said about a huge pair of around-the-ear headphones. These are — if you get the right pair — able to deliver bigger, richer sound than buds with excellent noise cancellation to block out external noise.

And technology hasn’t left over-the-ear headphones behind. The ones available these days are wireless and connect to your devices via Bluetooth. They also often include features like noise cancellation and microphones so you can use them to take calls or even as a gaming headset. That said, most wireless headphones — except notably the AirPods Max — include an audio cable, so a wired option is available for those seeking it.

Here’s a look at the best headphone options that go over your ears. When making my picks, I considered factors such as comfort, build quality, battery life, features like active noise cancellation and audio quality. I’ve included some affordable headphones as well as more expensive options, so you’ll find a good set of earphones regardless of your budget. I’ll update this list regularly as CNET reviews new products.

Read more: Best headphones for 2021

High-end noise-canceling option

Apple AirPods Max

Read our Apple AirPods Max review.

$479 at Amazon

$549 at Apple

$479 at Best Buy

Sony’s top noise-canceling headphones

Sony WH-1000XM4

Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.

$248 at Amazon

$248 at Walmart

$248 at Best Buy

Best new wired studio headphones

Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X

$299 at Amazon

Improved QuietComfort

Bose QuietComfort 45

$329 at Bose

$279 at Amazon

$279 at Walmart

Strong all-around performer

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review.

$379 at Bose

$379 at Amazon

$379 at Walmart

AirPods Max competitor

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX

Qobuz.

Their sound measures up well to the AirPods Max’s sound, overall well-balanced, with deep, well-defined bass, natura-sounding mids (where vocals live) and inviting detail in the treble. If you want to push the treble or bass, you can tweak the EQ in the Bang & Olufsen app for iOS and Android and give the headphones a warmer or brighter profile.

While these are expensive, they offer more accurate sound than the Sony WH-1000XM4. Their noise canceling is also very good and voice-calling capabilities are also quite solid. Additionally, they offer multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect them with a smartphone and PC simultaneously (Microsoft Swift Pair-enabled for Windows machines) so you can easily switch between the two. (The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones also have this feature.) Battery life is rated at up to 35 hours with noise canceling on and 40 hours with it off. Those are excellent numbers.

Earlier Bang & Olufsen models included a soft case (a pouch really), but the HX headphones come with a hard case. As I said, they’re expensive, but the small improvements over earlier flagship Bang & Olufsen noise-canceling headphones help make the HX headphones a worthy alternative to the AirPods Max.

$420 at Amazon

$244 at Walmart

$270 at Best Buy

Best over-ear headphones for 2021 – CNET [CNET]