Best Over-Ear Headphones

Sound Quality
The most important factor when picking new headphones is the overall sound quality provided. Cheap headphones often have poor quality. When you listen to music at a louder volume, you’ll likely hear some distortion that will prevent you from hearing words and notes. Many cheap models will produce a crackling sound when you use the headphones with newer phones and stereos. Reading customer reviews is the best way to find out if the headphones you want have the sound quality that you need. You should keep in mind that you can return headphones with a poor sound quality for a refund.

Cord Length
When shopping for corded or wired headphones, you must take a look at the length of the cord. The cord is the cable that runs from the headphones to your device. While the plug might add two inches or more to the total length, you should focus primarily on the length of the cord alone. Many of the headphones we saw have a cord that is between two and three feet in length. You may want a longer cord because your couch is on the opposite side of the room from your console or because you want to listen to music when falling asleep.

Battery Life
One advantage to wireless headphones is that you don’t need to worry about tripping over the cable that you plug into your device. You will need to worry about the overall battery life of that product though. Manufacturers seldom give you an exact time frame because they know that the battery will run down faster when you listen to music or talk on your phone. Most batteries will last for at least 10 hours when it active use and up to 20 hours or longer in standby mode. You may want to compare the battery life of the headphones with the battery life of your phone or music player.

Device Compatibility
There is nothing worse than spending money on a new pair of headphones and finding that they are not compatible with your favorite devices. You may want to check with the manufacturer of your device to see if they recommend products from other companies. Though most manufacturers of video game consoles make headphones for those consoles, you can also purchase compatible models from other companies. Compatibility may depend on the type of jack or input on your device and the type of plug used on the headphones. You may want to see if the headphones are compatible with devices from different companies too because you plan on buying new products later.

Comfort
Whether you want to sit down on the couch and play games with friends for a few hours or lounge in bed with a good audiobook, you must make certain that the headphones you buy are comfortable. If the headphones are too heavy or light, you might find that you can only sit or lay down in one position. The weight of the headphones can also determine how comfortable you feel. While over-ear headphones are heavier than other types, they shouldn’t feel so heavy that you have a hard time holding your head upright or moving your head.

Price
Sennheiser is one of the top names in the audio industry and makes products with professional designs. While we added a pair of headphones from this company to our list that retails for around $1,500, you don’t need to spend as much to get a pair that fits your budget. We found two different pairs that retail for less than $50 and came across a number of headphones that retail for $100 to $300. Once you set your budget, you can search for headphones from our list and those recommended by other experts that will fit all your audio needs.

Active vs. Passive Noise Canceling
You’ll find headphones that work on either active or passive noises. Active noise refers to sounds produced at the moment. These headphones have built-in microphones that will monitor the area around you and detect any possible noises. As soon as the microphone detects a sound, the headphones will work to muffle and block the sound. Those that work on passive noises will only protect your ears from sounds produced in the immediate vicinity. These headphones will not block sounds but will help isolate your ears from those noises. Active noise canceling headphones are often more expensive than passive noise canceling models are.

Update Options
You should also make sure that the headphones you buy give you the option of updating them later, especially if you want a wireless pair. Wireless models use Bluetooth technology to create a connection. If you ever had a phone or a tablet that used Bluetooth, you know that this technology can change from one year to the next when a new version lands on the market. When you have headphones that use an older form of Bluetooth, you may have a difficult time connecting it to newer devices. Headphone manufacturers will often let you download new updates almost instantly.

Soundstage
Though audiophiles know what the word soundstage refers to, you might not understand what it means. When actors and directors work on productions, they work on stages and have microphones that pick up the smallest of sounds. When you watch the action on your own screen, you’ll see and hear everything. In terms of headphones, soundstage refers to the way in which sounds reach your ears. This tells you how well the headphones can make you believe that different noises occur around you. For example, you might hear a soft whisper in one ear during a dramatic film scene and hear laughter in both ears when watching a comedy. Those sounds act as cues and show you how to respond.

Head or Neck?
Headphones that fit over the ear often feature a headband that keeps each ear pad directly on your ear. Though you might assume that all bands sit on top of your head, you can actually choose a pair that sits on your neck. Those that sit on your head feature a band that lifts up from one ear pad and wraps over the top of your head to reach the ear pad on the opposite side. Some shoppers prefer models that sit on their necks because this keeps the band from messing up their hair. You might find that one model fits more comfortably.

Voice Assistant
Have you ever watched a movie on your phone and saw an actor but couldn’t remember where you saw him before? With older headphones, you’ll need to pause the video and pull them off before doing a search on your phone. Some newer models are now compatible with voice assistant programs such as the Siri that iPhones use and the Google Assistant used on Android phones. This lets you press a button on the headphones and ask a question. You can get the answer that you want in seconds. You’ll also find models that will automatically perform a search based on the questions that you ask without requiring that you press a button.

Warranty
As we mentioned in the section above on sound quality, you can return headphones that don’t meet your needs. This is often a waste of your precious time though. By the time the headphones arrive and you decide to send them back, a few weeks might go by. It can take even longer to get a new pair shipped to you. As you look at warranty information, you should see if the manufacturer offers a money back guarantee and how much time you have before the warranty runs out. The warranty should cover the ear pads and the band on the headphones as well as the radiator and other interior components.

Volume Controls
Over the ear headphones will have volume controls located in one of two areas. Some put those controls on a small plastic component attached to the cable. Other models put the volume controls on the outside of one of the ear pads. The best type of volume control really depends on which you prefer. You might like having the cord on the cable because you can grab it and adjust the volume quickly. If you don’t want to take your eyes off the action as you change the volume, you’ll prefer controls located near your ears.

Open vs. Closed
Another feature to consider is whether you prefer an open or a closed back design. This essentially gives you an idea of how clear sounds will hear to your ears. Audiophiles often prefer open back designs because these headphones really open up the sounds that they hear. You might compare this type to the sound that you would hear while standing in the middle of a concert with open air areas all around you. Those with a closed back will sound just as clear but will push those sounds deeper into your ears. Audiophiles sometimes claim that these headphones let them hear music the way artists intended.