Best over-ear headphones: AirPods Max vs the competition

Macworld

Large over-ear headphones have taken a bit of a backseat in recent years, overshadowed by the success of Apple’s AirPods and other pocket-size earbuds (sometimes referred to as true wireless stereo headphones, or TWS). Larger over-ear headphones do still have some important advantages, though, and they’re starting to make a bit of a comeback.

There are a lot of low-cost over-ear headphones that only use Bluetooth to provide wireless audio, but the best over-ear models also tend to provide one or more wired connections via a USB-C interface or a 3.5mm audio connector (or both).

Apple has always focused purely on Bluetooth for wireless audio, ignoring the fact that you really need a wired connection to play the high-quality lossless and high-res audio formats that are now available on Apple Music and other streaming services. That is a weakness with the expensive AirPods Max, which rely on Bluetooth alone, and can’t even play the best audio formats provided by Apple’s own streaming service.

Apple has plenty of competition in this space, including traditional hi-fi manufacturers, such as Bowers & Wilkins, who have decades of expertise producing over-ear headphones that can meet the demanding standards of audiophiles and hi-fi buffs. Apple also has competition from within its walls in the shape of Beats, an Apple subsidiary, which has been known to produce superior and less expensive headphones than Apple.

On that note, compared to the Beats Studio Pro (at just $349.99/£349.99) the AirPods Max is left looking very overpriced at $499/£499.

The AirPods Max had a minor update in September 2024 when Apple added USB-C and refreshed the colors on offer. You can now get the AirPods Max in blue, purple, Midnight, Starlight or orange. The price didn’t change.

These larger headphones have other advantages too, most obviously starting with the fact that they can use larger drivers–the mechanism inside the earpiece that produces the sound you listen to–providing a more powerful and detailed sound. Larger earpieces can also provide longer battery life, with many of Apple’s rivals providing far more than the 20-24 hours of the Beats and AirPods range. So here’s our guide to some of the best over-ear headphones currently available for use with your Mac, iPhone or iPad.

Here we are concerned with over-ear headphones, also known as on-ear, cans or full-sized headphones. We cover the different styles of headphones separately, see: Best earbuds for iPhone and Best wired and USB-C headphones.

Updated October 2024 to add details about the refreshed AirPods Max.

Best Over-Ear Headphones for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV






1. Beats Studio Pro





















Pros

Lightweight

Good compatibility with Apple and other devices

3.5mm and USB-C audio input

Excellent battery life

Clean and balanced audio


Cons

Headband is a little stiff

No ear detection









Price When Reviewed:

$349.99




Best Prices Today:


$179.99 at Target $249.95 at Walmart$349 at Adorama






While Apple’s AirPods Max are now more than nearly four years old (albeit with a minor September 2024 update), Apple’s subsidiary, Beats, has launched a set of over-ear headphones that cost less, deliver better sound and offer most of the AirPods features, including one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing (although not instant switching!), Handoff to Apple Watch, hands-free “Hey Siri” support, and Find My support. They even support personalized Spatial Audio and head tracking. You’ll find all the necessary controls built natively into iOS, as you would expect from of a product from an Apple-owned company.

There are a few missing Apple features, such as ear detection (which would stop them playing when you took them off) and they don’t feature Apple’s H-series headphone chips (even though some Beats products do). Instead, they offer a proprietary Beats processor which allows them to more easily support Android features.

The Beats Studio Pro sound really good. The low end has the clarity and punch of AirPods Max, but the high frequencies are noticeably crisper. The built-in DAC supports hi-res and lossless audio up to 24-bit/48KHz. Adaptive noise canceling quality is excellent, though perhaps not as good as the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro. Noise canceling is not supported in USB-C wired mode. The headphone’s mic can be used as mic input on your Mac or PC (though the quality is not up to the standard of a good dedicated headset).

They are less comfortable to wear than the AirPods Max. The ear cushions don’t have the soft velvety feel of AirPods Max, and the headband is much stiffer, but they are lighter (260 grams compared to 384 grams). They fold up to easily fit in a bag and come with a real carrying case.

On the left cup, you’ll find integrated controls concealed by the b. These are standard play/pause/advance/back control buttons. You’ll also find a standard headphone jack with audio input fully supported without any dongles or adapters.

On the right cup you’ll find the power button which is also used to enter pairing mode, or you can double-click it to change noise canceling modes between Signature, Entertainment and Conversation. There is also a USB-C port for charging that can also be plugged any supported audio source for audio input.

We got around 4 hours of playback time from a 10-minute charge. A full charge takes around 2 hours. Beats claims 40 hours of battery life with ANC off and 24 hours with ANC on. That’s about 20 percent better than AirPods Max.

Even if they weren’t $200 cheaper, we’d recommend these over the AirPods Max. The lack of ear detection is a bummer, but Beats Studio Pro delivers betters sound, battery life, controls, and compatibility, and they weigh a lot less too.-Jason Cross

Read our full

Beats Studio Pro review






2. Sonos Ace





















Pros

Comfortable

Stylish and premium feel

Transfer sound from Sonos soundbars

Top-notch noise cancelling and transparency


Cons

Sonos App upon release is in rough shape

Pricey









Price When Reviewed:

$449




Best Prices Today:


$439 at Amazon$449 at Adorama$449 at B&H






Sonos has waited almost 20 years to make a pair of headphones, and its first wearable sound product is worthy of the brand. It’s expensive, but delivers excellent quality in an effortless way.

Audio quality is roughly on par with AirPods Max—you’ll want to bump up the treble just a touch in the Sonos app’s EQ settings—and noise cancelling holds its own against contemporaries from Bose, Sony, et al. Of note, the transparency mode (Sonos calls it “Aware Mode”) on the Ace is the only one I’ve ever heard that’s as good as Apple’s.

Battery life is fantastic, rated at 30 hours with ANC enabled, and you get some nice features like full USB-C audio mode (with support for lossless audio) and a standard 3.5mm plug for analog sources. If you also sometimes use Android products, you’ll be happy to know you give up none of its features, and in fact with some Android headsets (those that use AptX Lossless) you can even do lossless audio over Bluetooth.

One downside is that it slightly defies expectations for those who are used to Sonos products; unlike all the Sonos speakers, this is not a Wi-Fi connected product that directly streams audio. Rather, it’s Bluetooth only and streams audio from your phone or other Bluetooth device.

If you have a Sonos soundbar, a long-press of the main “content key” will instantly swap the audio from your soundbar to your Ace headphones and back again. This feature only works with the Sonos Arc soundbar now, but others are coming in a software update later in 2024.

One word of caution: The Sonos Ace launch was accompanied by a forced update to the Sonos app that the community has not been happy with. It’s prettier and more streamlined, sure, but it’s quite buggy and lacks important features the old app had. Sonos has already pushed out a couple updates to rectify some issues and more are on the way, but you might want to check on the app situation before you buy.

Read more of our impressions of the Sonos Ace here. -Jason Cross







3. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones





















Pros

High-grade audio reproduction

Bose’s best-ever active noise cancellation

All day wearability

Immersive Audio


Cons

While improved, battery life isn’t state of the art

Immersive Audio can be gimmicky









Price When Reviewed:

$429.00




Best Prices Today:


$429 at Amazon$429 at B&H$429 at Best Buy






The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are pricy, at $429/£449.95 which is more than the $399/£319 Sony WH-1000XM5, but they are still cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max at $499/£499. They do offer excellent sound quality and active noise cancellation, though, which goes a long way to justify the price.

They also support aptX streaming, and feature Bose’s CustomTune technology for personalizing the headphones’ audio to your unique ears. There’s also a spatial audio option.

Operational controls are minimalist. On the right-hand cup, there are two buttons and a thin thermal volume strip. Sliding a finger up or down the strip adjusts the volume. Tapping and holding the strip activates one of several shortcuts. A second button performs several functions such as play and pause the music, answer or decline a call. A long press lets you cycle through audio listening modes including Quiet, Aware and Immersion. There’s also a Wind Noise Suppression feature. Immersive Audio feature is particularly impressive, but doesn’t suit every music type.

On-Head Detection circuitry senses when you put them on and take them off, so there is no need for the power button. The manufacturer says they will auto-shut off after 24 hours of idle time. Run time is quoted as up to 24 hours and they achieve a full charge in less than three hours

The headband is soft-touch pleather and the memory foam in the ear cups feels premium grade. It seals and cushions reasonably without being bulky and resided comfortably on my head almost all day long. –Jonathan Takiff







4. Bowers & Wilkins Px8





















Pros

Hi-fi sound quality

Luxurious design

Bluetooth with AAC, aptX

USB-C and 3.5mm wired connections


Cons

Expensive

A little heavy (320g)









Price When Reviewed:

$699.00




Best Prices Today:


$499.99 at Amazon$699 at B&H$699 at Best Buy






Apple surprised a lot of us when it (finally) added USB-C and 3.5mm wired inputs to the Beats Studio Pro. However, hi-fi specialists Bowers & Wilkins have been using USB-C to provide lossless and high-res audio with their PX range of headphones since 2017.

It’s a little pricey – at $699/£599 it’s even more expensive than the AirPods Max – but the design and sound quality are impeccable. Available in black or tan, the padded headband and earpieces feel absolutely luxurious (although the leather covering might not suit everyone). The adjustable cast-aluminum armatures look very smart and are sturdy enough to cope with life on the road when you’re traveling, and there’s a hard-shell carrying case included as well.

The 40mm drivers support Bluetooth with support for both Apple’s AAC and aptX Adaptive for Android users. As mentioned, there’s a USB-C interface for wired connections and lossless audio, and a 3.5mm adaptor is included for good old-fashioned analog audio as well. The sound quality is as good as you’d expect from a company with B&W’s hi-fi heritage. There’s an icy clarity to the steel guitar on You Can’t Trust Violence by Low, and the band’s harmonies are smooth as silk, even as they repeat the chilling chorus of “no, you can’t trust violence…”. There’s a nice bass sound too, bouncing along with a firm, infectious rhythm on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, and contrasting well with the sharp, precise finger snaps that set the pace and drive the track forward.

The noise-cancellation features work very well too, and with 30 hours of battery life when using Bluetooth and noise-cancellation the Px8 is a great option for frequent fliers or commuting on a train. The luxurious design and sound quality of the Px8 are worth every penny, but if you’re on a tight budget then you can still find the previous Px7 S2 model available online with a recent price cut to £299, which makes it a real bargain. –Cliff Joseph

Read our full

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 review






5. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless





















Pros

Competitive price

Impressive battery life

Supports AAC, aptX Adaptive

Good carrying case and accessories


Cons

 2.5mm line-in connector

 Some users may require a USB-C adaptor









Price When Reviewed:

$379.95




Best Prices Today:


$249.95 at Amazon$299.95 at Adorama$379.95 at B&H






The first set of headphones that I ever bought in my student days was made by Sennheiser, but the company isn’t trading on nostalgia with its Momentum 4 Wireless, which provides excellent sound quality and features at a competitive price.

This fourth-generation Momentum is a bit more compact and streamlined than its predecessors, with the weight now reduced to just 293g in order to ensure that it’s light and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Even so, Sennheiser has still managed to squeeze an impressive range of features into the headphones, starting with 42mm drivers that are larger than those used by most of its rivals. These also provide an impressive frequency response of 6Hz – 22KHz, which again beats most rival headphones in this price range.

Unsurprisingly, the Momentum 4 provides excellent sound quality. It digs deep and delivers a taut, menacing bass pulse on You Should See Me In A Crown by Billie Eilish. The higher frequencies work well too, capturing Billie’s whispered vocals with great clarity, and picking out the edgy ticking of percussion that gives the song its manic energy.

The digital features are right up to date as well, with Bluetooth 5.2, and support for both AAC for Apple devices and aptX Adaptive for Android. The USB-C port on the right earpiece can be used for charging, but also supports USB audio for wired connections, and there’s a 2.5mm analog line-in connector too (with cable provided). However, the USB cable provided by Sennheiser is USB-A-to-USB-C, so you’ll need to provide your own USB-C adaptor for Macs and iPads that only have USB-C.

The noise-cancellation features work very well, and Sennheiser’s Smart Control app lets you adjust the level of noise-cancellation manually, by using a slider control, or you can just select the ‘adaptive’ option which allows the Momentum to monitor background noise and adjust the noise-cancellation automatically.

But, even with all those features, the really outstanding feature of the Momentum 4 Wireless is its battery life – lasting for around 60 hours even when using Bluetooth and noise-cancellation together. There’s a good set of accessories too, with a hard-shell carrying case and airline adaptor provided for when you’re traveling. And, with a competitive $379.95/£309.99 price, the Momentum 4 Wireless even manages to undercut the price of the new Beats Studio Pro as well.-Cliff Joseph







6. Beats Solo 4





















Pros

Excellent Apple & Android support

Great battery life

USB-C and 3.5mm audio support


Cons

No ANC

Design is dated

No on-ear detection









Price When Reviewed:

$199.99




Best Prices Today:


$129.99 at Target $199 at Amazon$199.95 at Adorama






It’s been a while since Apple-subsidiary Beats updated its more affordable on-ear Solo headphones. More than seven years, to be exact. As you would expect, a lot has changed.

The Apple W1 chip has been replaced with a proprietary technology platform that supports features in both Apple and Android devices. Apple users get personalized spatial audio with head tracking and hands-free “Hey Siri” support in addition to all the older stuff (one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, and Find My support). For non-Apple users there’s support for Google Fast Pair, cloud pairing with your Google account, Find My Device and multi-point pairing for seamless audio switching.

Sound quality is improved compared to the previous generation, as it should be. There is support for USB-C audio output and input, and it is possible to charge and play USB-C audio at the same time. Over USB-C or 3.5mm you can listen to lossless audio (unfortunately the sound reproduction of these headphones is not good enough to notice). Sound is going to be limited by the fact that these are on-ear headphones, lacking the larger diaphragms of over-the-ear models or the tight in-ear fit of earbuds.

There’s a power button on the bottom of the right earpiece. You need to use this because there is no on-ear detection to automate things. The left earpiece has a big button for play/pause/forward/reverse and to trigger the voice assistant. Pressing above or below that button changes the volume.

Beats claims 50 hours of battery life, likely a result of the lack of active noise cancellation, which is probably the biggest strain on battery life. The lack of ANC, which is expected on all but the cheapest earbuds and headphones, could be seen as a disadvantage.

The earpads are soft, but the spring tension makes the pressure a little uncomfortable after long listening periods when I wear my glasses. This is a common problem with on-ear headphones and a reason why over-the-ear cans may be more comfortable. The new models replace the old micro-USB plug with USB-C. – Jason Cross

Read our full

Beats Solo 4 review






7. Master & Dynamic MW75

























Price When Reviewed:

$599




Best Prices Today:


$599 at Master & Dynamic






Master & Dynamic is a relatively young company, having been founded in New York barely a decade ago, but it quickly developed a reputation for the impressive craftsmanship and sound quality of headphones such as the MW75. Priced at $599/£549, and available in a variety of colors, the MW75 oozes quality, constructed out of lightweight aluminum and tempered glass, and with a padded headband and earpieces wrapped in soft leather (although, of course, the choice of leather may not be to everyone’s taste). The earpieces are relatively small for an ‘over-ear’ headphone, though, and some people might find the fit a bit snug. The little control buttons on the earpieces are also rather small as well.

It’s got a classy design on the inside too, with 40mm drivers that are constructed out of Beryllium – a very rigid material used in many high-end hi-fi systems in order to reduce vibration and distortion that might affect the sound quality. The MW75 supports Bluetooth with both AAC for Apple devices and aptX Adaptive for Android, and there’s a USB-C port for wired connections with support for lossless and high-res audio formats up to 24-bit/96KHz. There’s also a USB-A adaptor included for older computers, a 3.5mm adaptor for analog input, and a 6.