The 11 Best Premium Over-Ear Headphones To Buy Right Now

A good pair of headphones has been one of the most important parts of any audiophile’s personal setup for decades now. But, over the last few years, over-ear cans have reached a new peak. Massive technological evolutions, including smaller drivers and the introduction of active and adaptive noise cancellation, have allowed listeners to focus on their favourite music like never before, even on the go, away from home. There’s proven to be such a strong market for these cans, too, with nearly every major name in the audio game offering a flagship pair of over-ears at this point.

That doesn’t mean that finding the right pair can’t be a challenge. Everyone’s ears and tastes are different, and to find the right pair, you’ll want to take into account everything from performance to fit. And don’t forget battery life, especially if you’re looking for a wireless pair of headphones.

Fortunately, Robb Report is here to help. Below, 11 of our favourite over-ear headphones currently on the market, a few of which should meet your needs.

Best Overall Over-Ear Headphones: Sennheiser HDB 630

There are a number of great-sounding wireless over-ear headphones on the market today, but none reach the heights of the Sennheiser HDB 630. The German brand’s flagship set of Bluetooth-compatible cans delivers the closest thing you’ll get to audiophile-grade sound in their class. The headphones come equipped with the company’s in-house 42 mm transducer, which helps produce the kind of neutral audio that will have you convinced you were right there with your favourite artist in the recording studio. An included Bluetooth USB-C dongle allows you to listen to music in even higher resolution on the go (an aux cord is included for the most demanding listeners). They also feature powerful adaptive noise cancellation and a battery that can last up to 60 hours between charges.

Best Noise-Canceling Headphones: Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen

You know what you’re going to get from a pair of Bose’s wireless headphones: good sound, intuitive controls, and, most importantly of all, excellent active noise cancellation. No member of the brand’s current lineup blocks out unwanted noise better than the second iteration of the flagship QuietComfort Ultra. Put them on, and you’ll block out all but the loudest ambient noise, allowing you to catch every joke made on your favourite podcast or notice new details in a song you’ve listened to hundreds of times before, even while on a plane. They’re also lightweight and shockingly comfortable to wear, making them well-suited to marathon listening sessions.

Best Designed Headphones: Sony 1000X the Collexion

How do you improve upon one of the best pairs of cans on the market? Give them a luxe makeover, of course. Sony decided to celebrate its flagship 1000X headphone line’s first decade by releasing its most premium version yet. The 1000X the Collexion has ditched the minimalism of its direct predecessor for a look that’s decidedly more stylish without being overly fussy. An upgraded headband and earcups covered in cushy vegan leather are also welcome additions. To top it all off, the company’s latest headphones deliver a more precise soundstage than before, along with the same strong noise cancellation we’ve come to expect from the brand.

Most Extravagant Headphones: Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100

Sure, Bang & Olufsen’s latest flagship over-ears come with an eye-popping price tag, but you get an awful lot for your US$2,200. Its design, in classic B&O fashion, mixes time-tested aesthetics with premium materials, like leather-covered housings. Custom titanium drivers help deliver some of the best sound you’ll find from a sub-audiophile pair of cans, whether or not their superb active noise-cancelling (ANC) technology is turned on. They also feature tactile controls, with volume and transparency levels adjustable via haptic dials, that work consistently and intuitively. But the best feature, and the one that best explains their price tag, is that they’re future-proofed, with key modular components (including the battery, drivers, and cushions) that you can replace yourself.

Best Feeling Headphones: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

Here’s a pair of over-ears that make a great case for headphones as a luxury object. Bowers & Wilkins’s latest flagship model, the Px8 S2, is as stylish as they come. The company has upped the look of the device by leaning into its premium materials, in particular its brushed aluminium arms and housings. Ample use of sumptuous Nappa leather for the cushions and headband also ensures they’re an accessory you can wear for hours at a time. Colours outside of the usual black and white options, Midnight Blue in particular, also make it easier to match them to your outfit of choice. Add in high-resolution sound and effective ANC, and it’s hard to find anything not to like.

Best Lightweight Headphones: Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen

The second-generation Bose QuietComfort is the modern update of the headphones that made everyone care about noise-cancelling technology. Sure enough, they block out sound as well as any pair of headphones on this list, including their fully loaded sibling, the QuietComfort Ultra. The existence of that model may make this pair seem redundant, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The standard QuietComfort looks great, especially in its bolder colour options (we’re partial to Dewdrop Mint), and feels even better. They may not have all the premium materials of the Ultra, but the trade-off is that they’re shockingly lightweight, which is great for travelling and marathon listening sessions alike.

Best Versatile Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 5

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 may not be positioned at the top of the brand’s lineup of wireless over-ears; that spot belongs to the previously discussed HDB 630, but they’re still an excellent option for anyone in the market for wireless headphones. Their sound profile, while not as neutral and pristine as their sibling’s, is still excellent, delivering crisp and lively audio that matches up with almost any other entry on this list. Their adaptive noise cancellation function is also top-notch, and we like that they’re lighter and smaller than their sibling. If the HDB 630 is a supercar, the Momentum 5 is the daily driver you secretly like nearly as much.

Most Unorthodox Headphones: Nothing Headphone (1)

The UK-based Nothing and its sub-brand, CMF, have spent the decade showing that headphones can double as fashion accessories. And the company’s first over-ear model, the Headphone (1), is easily its most stylish pair yet. These cans combine the brand’s trademark transparent design language with head-turning cyberpunk details to ensure that they’ll stand out when worn in public. They also feature acoustics that were designed by the brand’s highly respected audio partner, KEF, along with solid noise cancellation and cushy earpads, ensuring that they do more than just look good.

Best Wired Headphones: Meze Strada

Not all of us want the music-listening experience to be completely frictionless. Those not scared of wired headphones will want to check out the Meze Strada. This pair of closed-back dynamic headphones has a 50 mm driver with a bio-cellulose composite dome and a beryllium-coated torus that delivers an airy, precise soundstage. Helping ensure everything sounds as it should are Macassar ebony wood cups that optimise details while keeping unwanted noise out. The Strada, which comes with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs, looks good, too. The pair has a hand-painted metallic green chassis and cushy leather ear pads and is surprisingly lightweight.

Best Gamer Headphones: Logitech Astro A50 X Lightspeed

You can’t wear just any pair of headphones while playing video games. Logitech’s Astro A50 X Lightspeed was designed specifically for the task and is compatible with PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. They come with a built-in microphone and the company’s Pro-G Graphene drivers, which produce crisp audio with no discernible lag. That’s vital, especially if you like to game online. They could stand to be a little more robust, but the trade-off is that their lightweight nature means they’re great for longer gaming sessions. The included charging dock is also a bonus, as it helps ensure you won’t run out of juice mid-death match.

Best Headphones for Audiophiles: Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000

Years of listening to music on cheap earbuds and wireless headphones have made many of us forget how good it can sound. To hear your favourite artist the way they were meant to be heard, you need a pair of audiophile-grade headphones, like Audio-Technica’s ATH-ADX3000. These open-air cans were designed with an emphasis on accuracy and detail. They lack anything resembling software processing, including ANC or bass boost, but they produce a sound that’s so transporting, you’ll feel like you’re in the crowd at the original Woodstock. They, like so many headphones of their class, look like relics from the space age, but the pristine audio that comes from their velour-padded earcups makes up for this.