Bluetooth earbuds may be all the rage right now when it comes to cool and convenient audio devices, but when you really want to dive deep into an audio experience, it’s got to be over-ear headphones. A good set of cans will blow earbuds out of the water with the sound they can deliver. While earbuds can fire the audio directly into your ears, the bigger space of over-ear headphones can start to create a proper soundstage, surrounding you with the audio your listening to.The effect of a good pair of over-ear headphones will extend to just about everything you listen to. Whether you’re gaming and listening for approaching enemies, chilling out with some tunes, or enjoying a movie marathon, over-ear headphones are ready to maximize your enjoyment. And, thanks to their bigger size, these headphones tend to be among the most comfortable, spreading out their weight and pressure across a wide surface area and padding that with luscious memory foam. We’ve picked out some amazing headphones that can deliver whether you want ultra-premium, highly affordable, wired, or wireless.TL;DR These are the Best Over Ear Headphones:
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Best Over Ear Headphones
Frequency Response: 15-28,000Hz Impedance: 38. Drivers: 45mm Neodymium driver Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Wired Weight: 286g
If youve ever dipped your toe into the headphone pool before, youve probably heard of Audio-Technicas long-revered ATH-M50x. Theres a good reason these $150 cans come so highly recommended: theyre great for a first foray into high-quality headphones, with terrific build quality, fantastic sound, and a price tag that doesnt break the bank.While theyre billed as studio headphones, they do have a bit of oomph in the bass and treble department, making for a really fun sound signature that appeals to fans of rock, rap, electronic, and other high-energy genres. (They also do a good job of isolating outside noise, which is great if youre in a room with other people.)
If $150 is a bit more than youre willing to spend, Audio-Technicas ATH-M40x and ATH-M30x are steps down in the same line, for $100 and $70, respectively.
2. Tascam TH-02
Best Budget Over Ear Headphones
Frequency Response: 18-22,000Hz Impedance: 32. Drivers: 50mm driver Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Wired
Over-ear headphones don’t come much cheaper than this, but the Tascam TH-02 come from a reputable brand in the audio industry. With the TH-02, you’ll be getting a large, 50mm driver in each ear for a full sound. The frequency response from 18Hz up to 22kHz means the headphones will be able play back everything you’ll want to hear.The closed back design can help you block out external sounds, so you just hear your music when you’re on the go. And, the low impedance will let you easily power the drivers with the headphone jack on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
3. Sennheiser HD 800 S
The Ultimate Audiophile Experience
Frequency Response: 4-51,000Hz Impedance: 300. Drivers: 56mm ring radiator transducers Headphone Type: Open Interface: Wired Weight: 330g
Headphones can range in price from $15 to $1,500, and if you have money to burn, the higher end of that spectrum gets you a real treat for your ears. While there are a few incredible sets of headphones on the high end, Sennheisers HD 800S are often seen as the high-water mark of consumer audiophile cans.They have an insanely open soundstage, giving you some of the most natural sounding audio youll ever hear, and adhere to a flat sound signature better than the vast majority of headphones out there. They arent cheap, youll need an amplifier to drive them, and many people probably wont even like the way they sound, but for true purists, it doesnt get much better. And hey, the price could be worseSennheiser makes a $60,000 set, too.
4. Sony WH-1000XM3
Best Noise-Cancelling Over Ear Headphones
Frequency Response: 4-40,000Hz Impedance: 16. Drivers: 40mm dome type Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Bluetooth 4.2 Battery Life: 30 hours Weight: 255g
While many over ear headphones can isolate you from outside noise, some include extra circuitry for active noise cancellation. This allows you to truly drown out the world around you, listening to your music as if you were in a quiet room. And while there are lots of noise cancelling headphones out there, Sonys WH-1000XM3 is the current champion when it comes to sound quality and noise cancelling power.Not only that, but theyre also wireless, come with touch controls, allow for voice controls, and even have a cool feature where you can hear the outside world by putting your hand over the right ear cup. For $300, thats a pretty incredible package.
They do, however, have a problem in very cold weather with false touch inputs. If you live in a cold climate, former reigning champions Bose offer a good alternative with the similarly priced QuietComfort 35 II. Or you can go with increasingly rare Sony WH-H900N, which doesnt suffer from cold weather problems, but has weaker noise cancelling.
5. Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2
Best Wireless Over Ear Headphones
Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz Impedance: 32. Drivers: 40mm dome type Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Bluetooth 4.0 EDR Battery Life: 3 hours Weight: 289g
Most of the headphones on this list are wired, because when it comes to straight-up audio quality, you get more for your money with a wired headphone (since its cheaper to manufacture than wireless).But if youre diving headfirst into this brave new headphone jack-less world, there are some great wireless options out there too. The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 are a great choice for under $150, with a bit of extra bass and convenient on-ear controlsand without a bunch of extra features that inflate the price. They do have active noise cancelling, though, and while it isnt quite on the level of the Sony WH-1000XM3 mentioned above, its a nice bonus.
If noise cancelling is your prime concern and you have the money, Sonys offering is a good step up, but if you just want a pair of wireless cans that offers great value for your money, Planatronics has you covered.
6. Mpow H5
Best Budget Wireless Over Ear Headphones
Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz Impedance: 32. Drivers: 40mm dual large-aperture drivers Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Bluetooth 4.1 Battery Life: 30 hours Weight: 230g
For an even more affordable wireless option, Mpow has an entire line of budget-oriented headphones, with the Mpow M5 coming in as one of the most popular wireless sets around. They feel surprisingly nice for $50 headphones, and while they dont have quite sound quality, battery life, or noise cancelling quality of the BackBeat Pro 2, theyre still better than a lot of headphones in the $50 price range.Like the BackBeat Pro 2, they also allow you to plug in a 3.5mm cable if they run out of battery, so you can keep listening in wired mode until you get a chance to charge up. Again, they arent going to sound as good as similarly-priced wired headphones, but theres a convenience factor that some people just cant pass up, and I get that.
7. HiFiMAN HE-400i
A Planar Magnetic Option
Frequency Response: 20-35,000Hz Impedance: 35. Drivers: 60mm planar magnetic Headphone Type: Open Interface: Wired Weight: 370g
All the headphones on this list thus far use dynamic drivers: a small coil receives a signal from your computer, phone, or other device, which creates a magnetic field that reacts with a magnet to vibrate a diaphragm and create sound. Planar magnetic headphones use a different driver design, with magnets on either side of the thin, flat diaphragm. Without getting insanely technical, this allows for more natural bass extension and less harmonic distortion. However, these types of drivers are more expensive to produce, so theres less variety than there is in dynamic driver-based headphones, and planar magnetic cans tend to be a big bigger and heavier.Planars are becoming more popular, though, with the $190 HiFiMAN HE-400i a common entry point. Its one of those things you kind of have to hear to understand, so if you just havent found a pair of headphones that fits your tastes, give some planar magnetics a listen. You might become a convert.
8. Sennheiser HD 600
Flat and Open-Backed at a Reasonable Price
Frequency Response: 12-40,500Hz Impedance: 300. Drivers: 40mm Headphone Type: Open Interface: Wired Weight (earbuds): 260g
If you want audiophile-grade sound but dont want to spend a thousand dollars (or more) for something like the HD 800 S, Sennheisers HD 600 are one of my personal favorite headphones of all time, priced at $300.You get a natural-but-not-huge soundstage, along with a comfortable fit and that signature high-quality sound Sennheiser is known for. Note, however, that you probably will need an amplifier to drive these 300 ohm headphones to get the most out of them, so factor something like the JDS Labs Objective2 or Schiit Magni 3 into your total cost.
Its also worth mentioning the HD600s siblings, the HD 599 (which is a step down at $150), HD 650 (which sound slightly warmer for a similar price at $320), and the new HD 660 S (which has a brighter sound for $500). And thats not even to mention Sennheisers Drop.com models, the HD 58X and HD 6XX, which are roughly equivalent to the 660 S and 650, respectively, at much lower prices (when theyre available). There are rumors circulating that the HD600 and HD650 have been discontinued, but multiple Sennheiser reps confirmed to me that theyre still alive and kicking.
9. Sony MDR-7506
More Natural Sounding
Frequency Response: 10-20,000Hz Impedance: 63. Drivers: 40mm Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Wired Weight (earbuds): 230g
If you walk into a recording studio, radio station, or other professional audio environment, theres a good chance youll see Sonys $90 MDR-7506 on someones head. Its been a staple in professional audio for decades, and theres a good reason why: for a remarkably affordable price, you get a solidly built pair of headphones with fantastic sound quality. The Sony MDR-7506s flat frequency response will also allow you to hear the music close to the way it was originally recorded, rather than with extra slammin bass or super-sparkly treble.However, they dont isolate quite as well as the M50x, and they arent exactly fashionable, but theyre very comfortable and sound great. You really cant go wrong with these.
10. V-Moda Crossfade M-100
For Extra Bass
Frequency Response: 5-30,000Hz Impedance: 32. Drivers: 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Drivers Headphone Type: Closed Interface: Wired Weight (earbuds): 280g
While some audiophiles will insist you need a flat, natural sound signature for the highest quality audio, others want to be kicked in the face by the beat. Thats perfectly okay, but sound quality still matters, and you can still do a lot better than Beats Studio 3. If you want high quality audio that still brings the bass, check out the V-Moda Crossfade M-100.For $250which is $100 less than a pair of Beats Studiosyou get a stylish set of headphones that bumps, without drowning out the rest of your audio like the Apple-owned competition. Plug them in, crank up the tunes, and dont let any audio snobs tell you youre doing it wrong. Your skulls too busy vibrating to hear them anyway.
What to look for in a pair of Over Ear Headphones
You might think narrowing your search down to over ear headphones would help make the decision process easier, but there are still a ton of things to consider when buying a pair for yourself. A few of the most important include:Sound: First, and most importantly, you want a pair of headphones that sounds good. Some aspects of sound are subjective, like the sound signature, which refers to how balanced the bass, midrange, and treble are. Some people may prefer a flat signature thats closer to the artists intention, while others may prefer heavy bass, or a v-shaped frequency response that boosts the bass and treble for a livelier feel.
Other things about sound quality are more objective. Its possible, for example to have bass-heavy headphones with low-quality sound (where the bass is overly boomy) or high-quality sound (where the bass is tight, punchy, and doesnt completely drown out the rest of your music). If things sound distorted, harsh, or muddy, thats usually an indication of lower quality headphones. Higher quality headphones sound better, but also cost more, so its all about balancing your ears with your budget.
Comfort: Some headphones feel like a cloud on your head, with plush ear pads and a headband that you barely notice is there. Others clamp down hard, squeezing your brain like its in a vice and putting undue pressure on the top of your skull.
Most are somewhere in between.
If you plan on wearing your headphones for long stretcheslike multi-hour gaming sessionsyoull want to make sure you get something that stays comfortable long-term. There are a few things that can helpfor example, you can replace pleather ear pads with velour-style pads to keep your ears from getting hotbut sometimes you just have to try a pair for yourself. Make sure you put a set of headphones through its paces within that return period, so you dont end up with a headache and buyers remorse.
Open-backed headphones sound more natural and airy but leak sound both ways…
Open- or closed-backed: The ear cups of your headphone can either be open, allowing air to pass through them, or closed, creating a more sealed housing. Open-backed headphones have a more natural, airy sound, but leak sound both waysyou can hear everything going on around you, and people sitting next to you can hear your music. That makes them less than ideal for commuting, offices, and libraries, but makes them great for critical listening at home.Closed-backed headphones, on the other hand, tend to have a more limited soundstage, but are great for emphasizing bass. (Thats not to say all closed-backed headphones are bass monsters with limited soundstages, but you get the idea). Most importantly, closed headphones keep other people from hearing your music and isolate you from outside noise. Both types of headphones can be great, so buy what sounds good to you and fits your use case.
Closed-backed headphones tend to have a more limited soundstage, but emphasize bass
Wired or wireless: Mobile device manufacturers may be trying to slowly pummel the headphone jack into submission, but wired headphones are still around and kicking. All other things kept equal, wired headphones will be cheaper than their wireless counterparts, and dont come with some of the connection problems and none of the battery life limitations that wireless headphones come with. Still, wireless headphones can be mighty convenient if youre out and about, as long as you can charge them regularlyjust be prepared to shell out a bit more for a quality pair.
Active noise cancellation: If closed-back noise isolation isnt enough for you, some headphones also come with active noise cancellation, which uses clever frequency trickery to cancel out noise around you.
It doesnt work for all soundits better with consistent noise like the drone of an airplanebut it can be mighty useful. That said, it can also make some people uncomfortable or give them headaches, so you may have to experiment with different headphones and levels of cancellation to find something that works right for you.
Impedance: Most of the headphones on this list have an impedance of 32 (ohms) or less, meaning theyll work great with a laptop, phone, or tabletjust plug it in and press play. Once you get into audiophile-grade stuff over a couple hundred dollars, though, youll start to see more high-impedance headphones at 64, 250, or even 600.
Higher-impedance headphones need a headphone amplifier to supply more power to drive properly
Higher-impedance headphones need more power to drive properly, so you may find them too quiet when plugged straight into a phone or laptopto get them at the proper volume, youll need a headphone amplifier to supply more juice. Thats a completely separate topic with its own list of best products, but the JDS Labs Objective2 and Schiit Magni 3 are good starting points at a decent price.Headphones are one of those products that are sometimes hard to describe using words alone, and they can be incredibly subjective. So, your best bet when shopping is to order a pair and try it out for yourselfjust be sure to buy from a store with a good return policy in case they dont fit your tastes. You can always send them back and try something else.
Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesnt get grease on his mechanical keyboard.Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
