Not to be overrated: The best over-ear headphones

Though the name may not be snappy, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best of the best in the consumer market. A total of 30 hours of battery life is more than anyone will need in a casual setting; in fact, these make for a superb pair of travel headphones thanks to the included hard case and fantastic construction. The foam on the headband and ear pads makes them float on your head. The comfort factor is worth noting as well. The cups are big enough to avoid overlapping on your ears, so you can listen away for hours at a time without feeling any discomfort. The active noise-cancelling is good enough to knock out any crying babies on your flight to help you stay relaxed wherever you go.

Aside from travelling, they are the perfect companion for everyday listening, thanks to the rounded (if a little bass-heavy) sound profile. The Sony app allows you to customise your headphones to your liking, as well as change the EQ of them along the way.

When reviewing the headphones, William stated:

“When you’re shelling out the best part of £400 for a set of headphones, you want them to deliver the goods. If there’s a feature advertised on the box, you want it to work - even if you’re not sure you need it.

“If the brand has stated that the leather on the earcups is a special soft leather, you want to touch that leather and think, ‘damn, that is soft.' If it’s ripped its previously beloved 40mm drivers and installed a newly developed set, you need them to be blisteringly good.

“All of the above is what you get with the Sony WH-1000XM5. A blisteringly competent and high-performing set of headphones that'll meet your audio needs for the next few years.”

Look no further for a great set of all-rounder on-ear headphones, read more in our full review here.

Though they may not have a name and status like bigger audio brands, Samson has headphones perfect for the budget-friendly audiophile. They have been on the market since 2010, and have been making improvements over the years with new features in the most recent release that improve the quality of life of the headphones with things like velour earpads and more durable construction.

The SR850’s take after the AKG K240’s in style and build, and act to rival them in overall quality. The materials used in the manufacturing of the headphones are on the cheaper side, but those are some of the compromises for a great listening experience. The cable is thick and durable, and while they may not be wireless, don't let that dissuade you from giving them a go.

The design being semi-open allows for a “wider” listening experience complimentary of the 50mm drivers, with the concession of reduced noise cancelling and some noise bleed outside of the headphones. As one of the best budget options on this list, many can afford to gamble on these underdogs. These are great for listening to music or watching movies, though due to their design, they would work best in an already quiet environment. Overall, these headphones hit heavy for a light price tag.

Known as the best in the business for noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort has been around for over a decade and has been busy improving. Though they have the ultra-premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra, its regular offering is just as great at making your music sessions all about you.

If you need to pay attention to the outside world, for whatever reason, it even has an “aware mode” that lets you dampen the effect when you need to cross the street. We're also big fans of the detailed audio controls that allow you to adjust your audio as you go.

The sleek design is very appealing, though the plastic around the top may look uncomfortable, it offers extra rigidity for whenever they may take a tumble from around your neck. With a chunky battery, you could listen all day if you wanted to. The companion app is great for configuration, but you do need it if you want to connect to your phone, which is a little annoying, but for everything else you get with it, it can be forgiven.

Anker is well known for its budget tech prowess, from chargers to speakers. Their brand new Space One Pros are well named, for the lack of space they take up alongside its professional-level performance.

Sporting 40mm drivers and a potential playtime of 60 hours, the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro is nothing short of excellence. It features very impressive active noise cancellation, and while that does bring the battery life down to around 40 hours, that is still a lot more than you might in other headphone models. The charging time is also very quick and efficient.

One of our tech writers, Kyle Purves, reviewed the Space One Pro and had this to say – "The Anker Space One Pro is versatile enough that just about anyone can appreciate how it sounds. Its main strengths are its sound quality, noise cancellation, and battery life. If you can get good use out of two of those three, then they will be excellent for you. For me, they're fantastic for blocking out outside noise and letting me listen to music as I work, helping me to focus and be free from distractions."

The JBL brand is known for bass on a budget, and its headphones don't differ from its speakers in that regard. Though we've seen a lot of JBL speakers here at What's the Best, the headphones are nothing to ignore either.

Giving you wireless listening for less than £70 is no easy feat, especially when it comes with a slew of other bonuses, like a massive 76-hour battery life, trademark boosted bass and multiple colourways to choose from. Though there are more expensive models out there, these ones balance features with price tags the best we feel.

With the budget comes concessions, you won't have the most refined sound profile out there, but it will certainly be enough to keep you company on long journeys or on walks through the city. There is also no active noise cancelling, but that only helps to increase the whopping battery life, making these packhorses that will go for as long as you want. If you want a budget, but not broke option, then Tune into these JBL headphones.

Over-ear headphones can produce some excellent audio quality, and in this case, can act as a great surround sound substitute. The Sennheiser brand is known for quality among consumers and audiophiles alike, and these headphones prove that even in unconventional settings, great audio can be within reach.

Though not portable, the Sennheiser RS 175 is the perfect pick for those who live in an apartment building or dorm room, but still want to feel their bones shake from the latest blockbuster. These cans act as your own personal Hi-Fi setup for listening at home. They have a home hub, where you can connect a 3.5mm jack or optical cables, allowing you to link your TV, games console or computer to them and allow the full spatial surround sound to envelop you.

They don't come with Bluetooth, but they aren't really built for that. These headphones are a member of the "sit down and just listen" club, amongst other high-end headphones that require a DAC/amp to power them. Though they aren't portable, you won't want to use them anywhere else. If you need a mid-session snack, however, the 100m range will keep you in the action.

If you're someone who prefers to be fully immersed in a gaming session, needs something a little flashier for work calls or even someone who just wants a good set of headphones with a mic, the Cloud III from HyperX have been waiting. One of the most popular wired headphone options for the last 5 years, its wireless entry has been kicking up a storm. If you like the sound of them but feel the price is a little steep, you can simply opt for the wired version.

With gaming headsets, it's typical to see a bit of a kick in the bass end of the headphones, to help amplify noises like gunshots for those of you who are fond enjoyers of CSGO. That isn't the only feature to help your sessions however, the mic is exceptionally good for a wireless headset at this price, and the absolutely mammoth 120 hours of battery is enough to last even the toughest of raids (looking at you A8S).

However, with that amazing battery comes some concessions, like the lack of active noise cancelling. Since you can detach the mic, these headphones would be great for use outside the house, but the lack of noise cancelling works against that use case I'm afraid. Users have also reported issues with the ear cups lacking comfort over time, so it may be pertinent to get a new pair when you buy these. Despite these drawbacks, the Cloud III is still a stout pair of gaming headphones.

beyerdynamic is a big name in the music production industry, a manufacturer of microphones and mixing desks, as well as one of the best pair of headphones for listening to music under £200. The DT770 Pro headphones have been around since 1981, and if it ain't broke, then don't fix it. They come equipped with the widest frequency response on this list, 5 – 35,000 Hz, brilliantly tough build quality and a pedigree in music studios all over the world.

These headphones are definitely professional grade, which means consumers need to watch out for a few things. When buying, beyerdynamic offers 3 options for ohms. Without getting too technical, 32 ohms is for listening out of a phone, 80 ohms is for listening out of a laptop and 600 ohms is for listening out of a headphone amp. This shows the range, that there are different headphones for different listening situations and acknowledges the wide range of uses the cans can have.

While they wow in the sound department, they lack a lot of features that are popular amongst consumers, such as noise cancelling, wireless capability, and foldability, and some may find the design a little bulky. But thanks to the strong clamping force, you won't have to worry about noise cancelling as the headphones can keep unwanted noise out without the need for extra technology. For a pair of no-nonsense headphones that will enhance your music any day of the week, if these headphones have worked for 40 years, they'll work for you.

A small company based in Romania, Meze has been rapidly making a name for itself in the high-end audio scene. From its Empyrean planar magnetics to its sleek in-ear Alba, its headphones always look as good as they sound. The 99 Classics are just that: Meze's classic look, sound, and ethos are in one simple pair of headphones.

Offering a great bass experience, the sound of the 99's is truly the Meze experience distilled. Leather ear cups, as well as a floating headband design so there is no adjustment needed by you, just put them on your head and the elastic in the strap self-adjusts. If you're a bit of an enthusiast and worry more about adjusting your listening experience, the cable is removable and replaceable with a balanced version, allowing for an even better listening experience.

Made from walnut and leather, the metal accents make the headphones look truly one-of-a-kind. Sustainably sourced, and sustainably managed as each pair of headphones can be repaired by the end-user thanks to Meze making its spare parts readily available to buy. Not that you'll be likely to break them, but the included hard case fits them well and feels just as nice as the headphones to hold. Though they may not exactly be budget, Meze offer a cheaper option without the walnut housing to get the same quality sound for a little less. If you have some money to drop and love a bit of bass, Meze is classically trained to help you scratch that itch.