The PX8 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones Review
The PX8s might be costly however their design and sound are superior to other headphones. A carbon cone 40mm driver and Nappa leather elevate the design. And a DAC mode supports hi-res audio.
This Bluetooth flagship is Bose's top-of-the-line ANC technology, excellent control and a sleek design. The battery life is its major selling feature.
Sound Quality
In general, wireless over-ear headphones generally sound better than earbuds due to the fact that they completely cover your ears. They also have larger, more powerful drivers that provide large soundstages and deep bass. But this comes at a cost and over-ear headphones usually have higher price tags and the most expensive models starting at around $250, PS250 or AUS$450, and often with active noise cancellation.
Ultimately, it's the choice of your personal taste and what you'll use your headphones for - if you're looking to listen to music in a noisy environment and value comfort over audio quality, an affordable pair such as the Jabra Move Wireless or JBL E50 are a good choice. If you want to spend more, the I-MEGO THRONE Gold offer impressive sound and battery life, while the Focal Bathys are designed for serious audiophiles with their DAC mode that can support high-res audio via USB-C.
The mid-tier price range has many great options, with a range of brands offering headphones that are great sounding for an affordable price. The Poly (formerly Plantronics) BackBeats Pro 2 are a good example, with a thumpy bass and bright treble for rock and pop and a clear mid-range that keeps vocals and instruments prominent. The updated Sennheiser Momentum 4 is another excellent choice. It has improved ANC, and an app companion to it that has presets for various listening styles. If you're a fan of Bose's premium headphone, the QC35 II offers a similar experience, but it has a more durable and passive design that blocks out noise.
Audiophiles are trained to distinguish between headphones. Even casual listeners can discern the difference between wired and wireless headphones. Wireless headphones come with numerous drawbacks that can affect audio quality. For instance, audio codecs can change the bandwidth, sample rate and the latency of wireless transmissions, which can lead to distortion and loss of audio clarity.
Fortunately, these issues are now much better with modern wireless headphones that make use of the most recent Bluetooth technology and also support advanced audio codecs like Qualcomm AAC. This means that the majority of wireless over-ear headphones that we test offer excellent audio quality for their prices.
Noise Cancellation
Wireless over-ear headphones can be a great option for blocking out the background noise in your workplace or on an plane. These large headphones are typically more comfortable than earbuds and many models come with active noise cancellation, which makes your music and audio calls clearer.
Active noise cancelling uses microphones to detect ambient sounds and then employ frequencies to block out the unwanted noise, to effectively block out your surroundings. The majority of over-ear headphones that support this feature come with a microphone built-in to ensure that your voice is clearly heard when you make phone calls. Audio-Technica's M20xBT wireless noise cancelling headsets offer Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, and the battery can last up to 60 hours. These over-ear headphones make an excellent choice for those who commute and are small enough to fit in a bag or purse.
The Focal Bathys wireless over-ear headphones are an excellent choice for those who want to invest in a high-end audio experience. They offer excellent audio quality and sophisticated sound cancellation. These French premium audio brand's first pair of wireless headphones is an audiophile's dream, featuring an open back design and luxurious materials such as aluminum detailing and leather. The headphones are packed with features, including an app companion that comes with an equalizer with a graphic design and presets for fine-tuning your listening profile. With best budget over ear wireless headphones coated drivers and acoustic leather cups, they deliver excellent isolation. They also have lossless audio support, allowing them perform as high-end Hi-Fi headphones when wired.
For a more budget-friendly option the Monoprice B-600ANC is a light, comfortable pair of wireless over-ear headphones with a excellent sound quality and impressive noise cancellation for the price. These headphones come with a variety of features including ambient-awareness and ANC settings with touch controls as well as support for Apple AAC and aptX for premium audio. The BT-600ANC are also one of the only pairs of headphones to feature a programmable ambient awareness mode, which lets you listen to the sounds around you at a lower level without turning off the music.
Battery Life
The last thing you want is to be unable to get juice halfway through a long commute or a workout session. Wireless headphones remove the need for cords and provide a much more convenient solution. The battery power of wireless headphones can be depleted over time. You need to choose a pair that has a long-lasting battery.
Some models can run for days, or even weeks on a single battery charge. However, this isn't without its trade-offs. To get there, manufacturers must reduce the size of the battery or sacrifice other features. The top wireless headphones have a perfect balance of battery capacity and performance.
Over-ear headphones typically come with larger batteries, however the bulky design means they use more power to run features like active noise cancellation. On-ear headsets, on other hand are more compact in design, which allows them to be more lightweight. They don't block as much sound as their larger counterparts.
The Cleer Enduro ANC and Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless set a new standard in wireless headphones. Both headphones can play music for up to 60 hours with ANC. They can easily outlast top-of-the-line headphones with similar prices such as Sony's W1000XM5 or Bose's S740III.
Similarly, Focal's debut wireless headphones are a true audiophile's dream. The Focal Px8 headphones have an open-back design that's comfortable to wear and easy to look at. The headphones offer a lively sound quality with a focus on thumping bass and bright trebles. The Focal headphones Px8 include a companion application that allows you to customize the sound.
Focal's headphones are among the most expensive headphones available. This is due to their premium materials and build. They also come with an ultra-fast charging port that will give you up to two hours of listening time after only 15 minutes of charging. The Focal Px8 is a good option if you're not worried about sacrificing battery life for better audio quality and a more comfortable fitting.
Comfort
Over-ear headphones, unlike earbuds rest on your ears instead of being positioned around them. The ear pads rest less on your earlobes and allow you to listen to your music for a longer time. The ear cups also help to seal in the music, making it more immersive. This enhanced experience also enhances the audio quality since you can appreciate the subtleties of a song, without being distracted by background noise or your personal voice.
On the other hand, many over-ear headphones don't have the same portability as earbuds. They are more difficult to store in a pocket or backpack due to their heavier design and lack of folding mechanism. They also need a case to protect them when they are not in use. The majority of headphones come with a carry bag, but this isn't ideal for people who enjoy listening to music traveling.
This pair of wireless headsets is perfect for audiophiles searching for top-quality headphones to use while traveling. The Bose QC35 II premium headphone is a great choice for comfort as well as sound quality and noise cancellation at a low cost. The earcups are made of premium materials, and the headband is extremely comfortable. The quality of the sound is a step up from its predecessor, with more clarity and a deeper sound. With a companion application which includes an EQ and presets, you can adjust the sound according to your preferences.
Focal Bathys wireless headphones are yet another top alternative. They offer an elegant design and plenty of comfort. They're also available in variety of colors and come with premium leather, which makes them fashionable enough to wear with a suit or a formal dress. The default sound profile is bass-heavy and produces more energy and thump that complements EDM, hip-hop and other dance music genres. The Focal audio app comes with an integrated graphic equalizer that helps you improve the sound of instruments and vocals.
Although it's hard to determine which kind of headphone is more comfortable the overall experience will depend on your personal preferences. If you prefer the feel of over-ear headphones, try a model with thick padding and medium clamping force. This will prevent your earlobes and ear canals from getting sore after long listening sessions even with ANC enabled.