These new over-ear headphones offer up the latest in wired and wireless listening capabilities, with a variety of styles, materials and manufacturers to choose from. From established brands like Sony to new players in wireless noise-cancelling devices, as well as high-end audiophile offerings that work as well in the studio as they do in the sitting room or subway. Read on to hear what’s new for your ears.
AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 Wireless Headphones
AlphaTheta’s newest pair of wireless headphones, the HDJ-F10, are pitched primarily at those in the professional audio industry, with a dedicated transmitter that plugs in to hi-fi equipment or a DJ mixer and provides an ultra-fast, completely low-latency wireless connection. The company, which started as a division of Pioneer Corporation in 1994 and is now independent, claims this system ensures sound travels to the HDJ-F10 up to 20 times faster than Bluetooth, while freeing up musicians and DJs to do their thing.
AlphaTheta HDJ-F10, £369 (£469 transmitter), AlphaTheta.com
DALI IO-8 Wireless Headphones
DALI’s latest offering are the IO-8 wireless headphones. Providing three-stage Active Noise Cancellation and the ability to be wired or wireless, the headphones come complete with intuitively located buttons on the headphones themselves, high quality leather earpads and two different sound modes, ‘Hi-Fi' and 'Bass'. The company makes its speaker driver diaphragms from proprietary paper and wood fibre materials for what it calls a ‘natural, relaxed sound quality brimming with detail’. When listening wirelessly there’s 35 hours of playback. The headphones are available in Caramel White or Black.
DALI IO-8, £599, DALI-speakers.com
Audeze MM-100 Wired Headphones
Audeze’s MM-100 are wired headphones with an element of rugged retro design. Earpads are covered with large grills, whilst the simple mechanism allows the headphones to be folded flat for travelling. The cable can be attached to either side of the headphone, and the gel-filled earpads are designed for long sessions. Aimed at audio producers and musicians as well as casual listeners, the MM-100s are flexible, durable and straightforward.
Audeze MM-100, £399, Audeze.co.uk, Amazon.co.uk
Marshall Monitor III A.N.C Wireless Headphones
Marshall continues its audio outreach with a new version of its ongoing Monitor noise cancelling wireless headphones. With spatial audio, 70 hours of listening (100 hours if you turn the noise cancelling function off) and an endorsement from Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, the British company hasn’t lost touch with its roots.
As always with the brand, the style and logo reference its six decades of involvement with the rock scene, pairing gold trim with a velvet-lined ‘flight case’ and the familiar black crackle, leather textured finish. The headphones include a customisation ‘M-button’ that can be assigned to everything from personal EQ settings to voice assistants.
Marshall Monitor III A.N.C., £299, Marshall.com, @MarshallHeadphones, Amazon.co.uk
Dyson OnTrac Wireless Headphones
After the relatively lukewarm reception give to its headphone/air purifier combo, the Dyson Zone, the appliance specialists have taken a more straightforward tack with its new OnTrac headset. These wireless headphones are beautifully finished in CMC aluminium, copper and nickel, with a huge number of customisation options available courtesy of different coloured outer caps and ear cushions.
The onboard tech is impressive, controlled via the MyDyson app, and providing what the company describes as ‘best in-class noise-cancellation,’ with 55 hours of listening time. Clever Dyson touches include the three-piece headband and multi-pivoting connecting arms.
Noise cancellation is a particular focus, with a specially developed algorithm capable of sampling the sounds of the outside world up to 384,000 times a second via eight onboard microphones in order to generate the requisite cancellation for a silent sound bed for your music. Ergonomics have also been scrutinised, with ear cushions made from specially developed microfibre and high-grade foam.
Dyson OnTrac, £449.99, Dyson.co.uk, @Dyson, johnlewis.com
FiiO FT1 Closed-back Wired Headphones
FiiO’s new FT1 closed-back wired headphones have at least one USP: their ear-cups are made from real American Black Walnut or Chinese-sourced beech wood. With high quality components throughout, the FT1s have a large 60mm driver for deeper bass and a more comprehensive sound, with breathable fabric Earpads and dual TRS headphone connectors that use the universal cable standard (two sets are included). There’s also a sturdy storage bag.
FiiO FT1 Closed-back Wired Headphones, £139, FiiO.com
Sonos Ace Wireless Headphones
For its first venture into the over-ear headphone segment, Sonos came out swinging with a premium product. The new Sonos Ace is on a par – physically and financially – with the Apple AirPod Max and follows a now familiar premium playbook of leather and stainless steel.
Naturally there’s advanced noise cancelling, as well as a unique new spatial audio mode that Sonos calls TrueCinema, which is a form of advancing processing that replicates the scale and natural reverb of your listening environment, be it a front room or a vast hall. The catch is that this’ll only work in tandem with Sonos’s Arc soundbar for now. Head-tracking sensors are paired with Dolby Atmos spatial audio for a completely immersive experience.
Sonos Ace, £449, Sonos.com
Audio-Technica ATH-WBLTD Wired Headphones
Audio-Technica’s two newest wired headphone models feature hand-polished wood. First up is the ATH-WBLTD, which offers earpieces overlaid with layers of flame maple, walnut, and mahogany. The earpads are clad in sheepskin and the main material is magnesium alloy, making these a light and elegant offering. The limited model is designed to fold flat for easy stowage.
Audio-Technica ATH-WBLTD, £,1599, Audio-Technica.com
Sony ULT WEAR
Part of Sony’s POWER SOUND series of components, the WH-ULT900N Wireless Headphones are a straightforward, no-nonsense piece of kit from a name you can trust. Offering 30 hours of battery life, along with Alexa and Google Assistant along with the ride (should you want them), the headphones are available in traditional Black as well as Forest Grey and Off White. Listeners will benefit from Sony’s long experience in delivering head-shaking bass frequencies and there’s an Ambient Sound mode for when you don’t want to cut yourself off completely from the world outside.
Sony WH-ULT900N ULT WEAR Noise Cancelling headphones, £129, Sony.co.uk, Amazon.co.uk
Apple AirPods Max Wireless Headphones
For many people, AirPods Max continues to define what they consider high-end headphone. While they’re certainly a step up from any form of earbuds or even AirPods, the Max model won plaudits for its attention to detail, from the knitted mesh canopy to the innovative textiles and the Digital Crown control, a holdover from Apple Watch that translates well to the personal audio space.
Just as computational photography transforms the iPhone’s camera in to a pro-level powerhouse, the Max’s focus on computational audio shows the manufacturer’s mastery of hardware and software. As a result, Apple’s category killer brings the expected levels of Cupertino class and makes it the model everyone wants to be seen with.
Apple AirPods Max, £499, Apple.com
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Headphones
Another explicit AirPods Max challenger, the QuietComfort Ultra from Bose ticks all the feature boxes required of the premium set; noise cancelling, immersive audio, transparency mode and sound personalised to your ear shape. Total immersion is combined with a transparency mode that doesn’t block out your entire surroundings, and Bose quotes a maximum battery life of 24 hours.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, £449.95, Bose.co.uk
JLab JBuds Lux Wireless Headphones
Sitting at the more affordable end of the market are the JBuds Lux Wireless Headphones from JLab. The headphones mark the earbud specialist’s first attempt at an over-ear headphones and they’ve brought their Smart Active Noise Cancellation know-how into the sphere with support for spatial audio as well as an impressive 70 hours of playback time, including a fast charge function over USB-C that gives four hours of listening time in just ten minutes. The headphones are available in four different colourways, Cloud White, Graphite, Sage and Mauve.
JBuds Lux Wireless Headphones, £79.99, UK.JLab.com, Amazon.co.uk
Meze LIRIC 2nd Gen Wired Headphones
The second-generation version of Meze’s LIRIC closed-back headphones emphasises the elements that make this audiophile brand stand out. That includes a striped ebony wood finish, premium hand-braided copper cable, and a solid, crafted appearance. Meze’s designs are modular, allowing elements like the detachable magnetic earpads to be easily replaced or upgraded.
Meze LIRIC 2nd Generation, £1,850, MezeAudio.com
Focal Lensys Professional Wired Headphones
French audio brand Focal has followed its newest wireless speaker system, the Diva Utopia, with a new pair of wired headphones, the Lensys Professional. These closed-back, circum-aural headphones (a fancy way of saying they enclose the entire ear) are designed for all forms of audio content, from studio professionals to home audiophiles. Focal has incorporated its own patented ‘M’-shaped Aluminium/Magnesium drivers, with a lightweight headband for long periods of use. A clutch of cables and a carry case are included.
Focal Lensys Professional, £599, Focal.com
