While earbuds are, understandably, more popular, sometimes you can’t go past a solid pair of over-ear headphones. Picking a pair is an entirely different conversation, though.
It’s a fairly competitive market with brands like Sony and Sennheiser constantly one-upping each other in the flagship headphones department. Meanwhile, you’ve got the likes of Dyson and Sonos who’ve started throwing their hats into the ring with impressive results.
They’re also fairly expensive — most headphones from big-name audio brands start around the $500 mark, so you really want to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth. To help you find a pair that suits your needs — whether you favour audio quality or active noise cancellation — here are our favourite wireless headphones.
RELATED: The 14 Best Wireless Earbuds In Australia
Jump To
- BH Approved: Our Favourite Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- The Best Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones In Australia
- Sony WH-1000XM5 — Best All-Rounder Headphones
- AirPods Max — Best Headphones For iPhone Fanatics
- Sennheiser Accentum — Best Budget Headphones
- Sony ULT Wear — Best Headphones For Bass
- Sonos Ace — Best Headphones For Audio Quality
- Dyson OnTrac — Best Designed Headphones
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra — Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
BH Approved: Our Favourite Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sennheiser Momentum 4
95/100
SCOREPROS
- Excellent active noise-cancellation
- Balanced, high-quality audio with a robust EQ
- One of the best battery lifes available
CONS
- Feels a bit tight to wear initially
- Bass could be richer
Sennheiser is one of the most consistently reliable names when it comes to both in-ear and over-the-ear headphones, and the Momentum 4 represents the peak of its efforts.
So what’s good about them? In our review of the Momentum 4, we found its sound quality to be “clean, neutral and balanced.” Although some might find the low-ends aren’t as rich.
Its Active Noise Cancellation will make quick work of loud environments like public transport or the office, and let you reach dead silence in an already quiet room. It also offers an Adaptive Noise Cancellation feature, which automatically adjusts itself, depending on the environment you’re in.
The Momentum 4 also includes a massive battery life of up to 60 hours, making it the perfect pair of headphones for people who regularly forget to keep their devices charged. It can maintain two Bluetooth connections simultaneously, and the switch between devices is pretty damn seamless.
Depending on the size of your head, the Momentum 4 might feel a bit tight the first time you wear it. But if you can soldier on past the slight discomfort, you’ll be rewarded with the best noise-cancelling headphones that money can buy… once they stretch out.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 does everything you’d want a pair of $580 headphones to do, and it does it very well. From audio quality to noise cancellation and battery size, it excels on all fronts.
Read our full review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones.
The Best Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones In Australia
Sony WH-1000XM5 — Best All-Rounder Headphones
The WH-1000XM3 (released in 2018) set a new standard for wireless noise-cancelling headphones, yet Sony has somehow managed to improve an already great product with every iteration.
The WH-1000XM5 are Sony’s latest wireless noise-cancelling headphones and if we could hand out a second-place award here, it’d easily bag it. Hell, ask us on another day and we might call it the best.
In our review of the WH-1000XM5, we praised its “exceptional sound quality, seamless features and a stylish, very comfortable design.” On that sound quality, we were impressed by its nuanced bass and how immersive its overall sound is. Throw in some top-line active noise cancellation, and you’ve got a great pair of headphones that does everything right.
If you’re on the fence about these and the Momentum 4, while the WH-1000XM5 has a smaller battery life, they’re significantly more comfortable.
Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.
AirPods Max — Best Headphones For iPhone Fanatics
If you’re already comfortably nestled within Apple‘s walled garden, you might as well make the most of it with the AirPods Max.
The AirPods Max are the most expensive pair of headphones on this list, but don’t let that deter you. Apple’s first crack at over-the-ear headphones with commendable audio quality, active noise-cancellation, a comfortable fit… and did we mention that stylish look?
On the subject of style, the Max is also available in multiple colourways, breaking free of the black or off-white binary that most other audio brands offer.
With all that said, the total battery life is pretty disappointing for what you’re paying. And if you’re someone who habitually forgets to charge their headphones already, these won’t do you any favours. It also doesn’t offer multi-point connectivity, so you’ll need to manually swap between devices.
Sennheiser Accentum — Best Budget Headphones
When it comes to a good pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, like we said earlier, you can usually expect to pay around $500 or more. If you’re looking for a more wallet-friendly option, however, the Sennheiser Accentum features the quality you’d expect from the brand at a more affordable price.
When we reviewed the Accentum headphones, we were impressed by the excellent audio quality — which is nicely balanced — and the battery life stamina. Although we felt the active noise-cancelling could’ve been better at this price. Like the Momentum 4, these headphones can feel a bit tight too.
That said, if you can get a pair of these $300 headphones on sale for anywhere between $250 to $200, you really couldn’t do much better at that price point.
Read our full review of the Sennheiser Accentum headphones.
Sony ULT Wear — Best Headphones For Bass
As a baseline, the ULT Wear offers the level of audio quality and active noise-cancellation you’d expect from Sony, with the same battery life as the WH-1000XM5. One could make the argument that these are just the budget version of Sony’s flagship cans.
If you’re someone who loves bass-heavy music, these headphones include a ULT button on the left ear cup. When pressed, it’ll significantly boost the bass and really rattle your brain.
Depending on how bass-heavy the song already is, some might find this boost to be a bit overwhelming. Its equaliser offers enough customisation so you can adjust it to a more comfortable level. Even if you aren’t a fan of huge bass, these headphones have a fairly balanced sound when the low ends aren’t boosted.
The headphones are quite light and comfortable, making them a great option for all-day wear. While that lightness does make them feel a bit less sturdy, it’s purely psychosomatic, we promise.
Sonos Ace — Best Headphones For Audio Quality
It’s a rare thing for a company to get it right on the first go, but that’s exactly what Sonos has done with the Ace headphones. Sonos has firmly established itself as one of the go-to options for home audio, and it’s managed to translate that high bar of quality into a fantastic pair of headphones.
If you also own a Sonos Arc, you’re also able to swap between the soundbar and your headphones at the push of a button. By all accounts, the Sonos Ace sounds amazing. Combined with a sleek design, comfortable fit and solid active noise-cancellation, these could be your new favourite headphones.
While the Ace is a bit more expensive than the flagship headphones offered by Sony and Sennheiser, if you’re a stickler for high-quality audio (and you own a Sonos Arc speaker) then these are worth the investment.
Dyson OnTrac — Best Designed Headphones
Dyson’s first foray into headphones was the chunky Zone headphones, which included a goofy-looking air purifier attachment. And don’t get us wrong: they were good headphones, just not enough to stand out in a competitive market.
Which is why the Dyson OnTrac is such an impressive follow-up. Dyson has streamlined its over-the-ear headphones without sacrificing anything else.
These headphones offer studio-quality audio, active noise cancellation (up to 40dB), a huge battery life, and a extremely comfortable fit — the battery is distributed inside the headband for a more physically balanced experience (read: no slippin’ and slidin’).
You also get style with the substance. One of the standout features is, by far, the inclusion of interchangeable outer caps and ear cushions; which offer a level of personalisation (and potentially long-term hygiene) that other audio brands offer, if at all.
The catch here is that each set of outer caps or ear cushions will cost you an additional $79 — which might be hard to justify with its already $800 price tag. Plus the OnTrac only allows you to connect to one device at a time and uses Bluetooth 5.0.
Having been personally tested by BH News Editor Garry Lu, we can only surmise that it’s the ultimate performance-backed fashion statement.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra — Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Depending on who you ask, Bose is the frontrunner when it comes to noise cancellation. So if you’re someone who values silence as much as your music, then the QuietComfort Ultra has your best interests at hand.
Those 10 microphones go a long way when helping to block out ambient sounds.
Outside of its ANC abilities, the QuietComfort Ultra offers fairly immersive audio quality, wrapped up in a comfortable package that comes in a few colourways.
Its battery life leans towards the lower end of the spectrum, which might be a deal breaker for some, especially at its recommended price tag. Though with active noise cancellation this good, it’s a worthwhile trade-off in our humble opinion.
