TechRadar's Audio experts test dozens of pairs of headphones each year, and 2026 has been especially strong when it comes to new over-ears. I thought I'd pull together a roundup of our top-rated models — just in case readers were thinking of using next month's Black Friday sales to upgrade — and I was inundated with excellent options. Below, you'll find a collection of all the over-ear headphones that scored four stars or above in our tough review tests.
A five-star standout is the open-back, wired Heddphone D1, with its proprietary driver design that "blows away audiophile-grade options at three times the price". If you're looking for something better suited to, say, public transport or the office, there are plenty of wireless, ANC cans that knocked our socks off, too.
Two brands that upped their game in a big way for their second-gen over-ears were Nothing and Sonos. The Nothing Headphone (a) wowed us with their "gigantic" battery life and excellent on-ear controls, and the Sonos Ace Ultra impressed with a "fantastic" suite of features including detailed EQ options and Dolby Atmos for movies.
We also loved the AirPods Max 2, and they're a strong recommendation for anyone who has an iPhone and doesn't mind a case that looks like a bra. And for budget-hunters, the OneOdio Focus A1 Pro deliver "surprisingly good" sound and long battery life, and you won't believe how cheap they are.
Scroll down for a closer look at all of these headphones and more. Hit the More details button for a summary of the main pros and cons of each pair, as well as a link to the full review.
4.5 or 5 stars
Pros
- Incredible comfort for on-ears
- Clean, spacious sound
- Fantastic battery life
- Excellent, sustainable design
Cons
- Bass is a little overzealous out of the box
- Noise cancellation is a bit limited
- No wear detection
Pros
- Far more musical than the Ace
- Excellent Dolby Atmos for movies
- Fantastic feature-suite with enhanced ANC and detailed EQ options
- Stunning design; responsive controls
Cons
- Some rivals still offer more detail
- Case doesn’t mirror the headphones’ premium look and feel
- Not fully foldable
Pros
- Great sound that's a big upgrade over Headphone (1)
- Fantastic on-ear control options and app
- Gigantic battery life
Cons
- Still heavy, with a strong clamping force
- Some rivals offer better sonic detail
- No auto-pause feature or case
Pros
- Layered, expansive audio quality
- Still the only company regularly offering triple-device connectivity
- Competent spatial audio and ANC
- Supreme comfort
Cons
- Occasionally a little polite-sounding
- Physical buttons sometimes fail to register presses (including playback and power)
Pros
- Top tier active noise cancellation
- Live Translation that's easier to use than on Apple's earbuds
- Adaptive Audio means meatier, punchier sound than the originals
- Head-tracked Spatial Audio feels accurate and crisp
Cons
- Battery life below average
- That flimsy 'headphone bra' case remains
- Still very iOS-only (Android owners need not apply)
- No wireless hi-res codec support still
Pros
- Clear and pleasant sound
- Excellent battery life and feature set
- Comfortable and foldable
Cons
- A bit bass heavy
- No charging cable in the box
- Ear pads aren't removable
Pros
- Broad, clear soundstage
- Tight and tactile transients
- Non-fatiguing over time
Cons
- Underwhelming material construction in places
- Open-back means sound leakage
- Supplied cable quite long for desktop listening
Pros
- Beautifully detailed
- Exceptional low end
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Very expensive
- Very high impedance
Pros
- Direct, informative and wide-open sound
- They're gentle with less-than-perfect recordings or source equipment
- Remain comfortable even after very long listens
Cons
- Nothing special about the look or the materials
- A balanced cable costs extra
- Profoundly unsexy colorway with no optional alternatives
Pros
- Conjure up an impeccable sense of space
- Beautifully balanced, nuanced sound
- Premium design and feel
- Unique feature-set with personalized EQ
Cons
- Average ANC and looser fit allow quite a bit of sound in
- The price is undoubtedly steep
- Spatial audio modes aren’t class-leading
Pros
- Detailed, organized and appealing performance
- Sound more spacious and airy than most closed-back designs
- Light and comfortable, relatively
Cons
- Occasionally confuse passivity for refinement
- Cable transmits noise
- Will not suit smaller-headed listeners
Pros
- Very wide soundstage
- Excellent positioning and clarity
- Amazing on well produced music
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- May be too bright for some
- Divisive fit
4 stars
Pros
- Solid performance with impressive low-end output
- Good feature-set and battery life
- Very affordable
Cons
- No LDAC support
- Unbalanced tuning out of the box
- Middling noise cancellation
Pros
- Comfortable, suave design
- Expansive equalizer
- Long battery life
Cons
- An occasionally muddy sound
- Confusing ANC modes
- No IP rating
Pros
- Comfort and ANC vastly improved
- Extra spatial audio profiles add value
- Personal Sound and EQ tweaks well implemented
Cons
- Cumbersome, heavy, silly case
- 'Flat' audio switch is hard to locate and not available in the app
- Expensive against Nothing's excellent (and similar) budget efforts
Pros
- Very comfortable to wear
- Impressive, energetic sound
- Spatial audio works wonders
Cons
- Design feels surprisingly cheap
- Poor battery life
- Tempting to wait for a discount before buying
Pros
- Good, warm sound
- Full of features like adaptive ANC and personalized EQ
- Incredible battery life
- A lot on offer for the money
Cons
- Headphone weight sits on top of head
- Occasionally overwhelming low-end
Pros
- High-quality aptX Lossless
- Fantastic soundstage and strong Dolby Atmos
- Great features like Sound Zones and sound personalization
Cons
- Default tuning underwhelming
- Pretty weak ANC
- Ache after longer listening sessions
Pros
- Detailed, expansive sound
- Premium build quality and sleek look
- DSEE Ultimate upscaling and lossless audio
- Class-leading touch controls
- Incredibly comfortable
Cons
- Underwhelming 360 Upmix modes
- Battery life is on the lower side
- Noise cancellation is a step down from WH-1000XM6
- Can be beaten for value
Pros
- Great ANC
- Distinct look
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- Significant price hike
- Missing the mids
- No IP rating
Pros
- Tight, controlled high-end performance
- Incredibly comfortable to wear
- Absolutely look the part
Cons
- Disappointingly disordered low-end representation
- Prone to sound contamination via the cable
- No balanced outputs
Pros
- Long battery life
- Comfortable fit
- Some features you wouldn't expect
Cons
- Muddy sound
- Next to no ANC
- No 3.5mm port
Pros
- Super-low cost
- Long-lasting battery
- Decent sound, for price
Cons
- Cheap-feeling build
- No app or EQ
- ANC is light-touch
Pros
- Forensically detailed, spacious and articulate sound
- Well made and comfortable
- Balanced and unbalanced cable termination options
Cons
- Not the most sonically engaging headphones around
- Quite wide
- No travel case