Best Over-Ear Headphones with Long Battery Life

Beats Solo 4 is the long-awaited update to Beats' smallest wireless headphones, with refined audio, improved battery life, and new features including Instant Connect and spatial audio.

To begin with, the sound profile of the new product has become more neutral, the emphasis on bass is not so pronounced here, and the bass itself sounds less boomy and more controlled. Although, sometimes the bass still lacks clarity and articulation. Interestingly, the difference in sound with a wired and wireless connection is almost imperceptible, there is a slight loss of clarity in the region of 15 - 20 kHz, but it is only audible when listening to well-mastered tracks in Loseless.

It is impossible not to note the support of spatial sound Spatial Audio, which supports dynamic tracking of the user's head and can play music and video with encoded Dolby Atmos tracks. The third important difference is in the functionality. Solo 4 supports 2 types of wired connection using a regular audio cable with a mini-jack, or using USB C. Let us remind you that Solo 3 did not have a USB connection.

The battery life has also increased. Although the manufacturer promises about 50 hours of operation on a single charge, tests have shown that the headphones can work for just over 60 hours even with spatial sound turned on. This makes the Beats Solo 4 one of the longest-lasting over-ear headphones of recent years, along with the Soundcore H30i and Marshall Major IV.

Sony WH-CH520 headphones, despite their affordability, have advanced functionality and guarantee high-quality sound. DSEE sound enhancement technology allows you to fully unleash the potential even when listening to audio files in a compressed format, restoring all the details of the original recording. With Sony headphones, you don’t need to worry about the sound meeting your expectations, as the user can choose one of the ready-made presets or create their own with the EQ Custom function in the Sony Headphones Connect application. Regardless of the surrounding environment, the on-ear headphones adapt to music, phone calls, games and training. The built-in microphone works in tandem with the noise-canceling system.

The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are wire-free and can be connected via a Bluetooth module to two devices at the same time. The system automatically determines which device is active and switches to it, for example, when there is an incoming call to the smartphone. The Swift Pair function provides simplified pairing with gadgets running Windows 10 and 11. If your hands are busy, you can use the help of voice assistants. Google and Siri are always ready to manage tracks, calendar, reminders, send messages.

The headphones can be used for 50 hours, so even long trips will not take you by surprise. In emergency cases, it is enough to find a socket for 3 minutes to get another 1.5 hours of battery life. Comfortable use is facilitated by soft ear pads, a compact design based on 30 mm speakers and a minimum weight of 147 g. The Fast Pair function allows you to quickly determine the location of the headphones.

The ANKER SoundCore Life Tune over-ear headphones are made of metal, plastic and leather, so they have excellent durability and a pleasant tactile sensation. The swivel cups on the hinges provide uniform pressure to the head, and the memory foam guarantees a comfortable fit and tightness. This creates a maximally closed design, which contributes to a better perception of music and communication in headset mode.

The active noise reduction system based on external and internal microphones, according to the manufacturer, effectively absorbs up to 95% of external interference and even recognizes its type. The user can choose one of three modes (street, transport, indoors) to eliminate the typical sounds of wind, engine, voices. The headphones are perfect for traveling by any transport, studying, working in the office and just having fun.

ANKER SoundCore Life Tune stands out with high-quality HI-RES sound and a wide frequency range of 16 – 40,000 Hz. The headphones are well suited for driving rock, electronics and other dynamic genres. The first place here is occupied by bass, which is quite saturated at any volume level. The midrange frequencies are also well highlighted and complement the overall picture. The highs are expanded and allow you to enjoy the instrumental splendor of the classics.

The combined connection ensures compatibility with mobile gadgets and advanced audio equipment. When connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, you can listen to tracks from streaming services without compression, and a wired connection will reveal the potential of professional audio players.

The autonomy of the headphones reaches 40 hours when listening to music with the noise canceler turned on, and without it, the figure increases to 60 hours, which few models can boast of. Fast charging is also present - 4 hours of independence in 5 minutes.

The Marshall brand is a recognized standard in the world of musical equipment. The Major series headphones are among the most popular in the legendary British company's lineup and have been pleasing connoisseurs of good sound for more than 10 years. In 2020, the manufacturer introduced the 4th generation of Major, and we simply could not ignore it.

The Major IV retains the unmistakable Marshall aesthetic, featuring the same vintage square, slightly rounded earcups with black or brown leather embossing, connected to the headband by a practical metal headband.

The model sits extremely comfortably on the head and does not press at all: you can leave it on for a long time, although it can be hot in the summer due to the thick leatherette covering the ear pads. The cups are foldable, but not rotatable, however, due to the compactness, this does not create a problem for storage and transportation.

The headphones come with two cables - USB C for charging and a detachable 3.5 mm so you can listen to music the old-fashioned way, and even share it with friends by connecting to other headphones.

On the right "ear" you can find a charging port, an audio jack and a joystick - a traditional element for the brand to control volume, track switching, pause and voice assistant. The power/synchronization indicator is also hidden here.

The sound of Major is very solid. Unlike many other headphones, they do not try to embellish the music, the compositions sound as authentic as possible. These are real headphones for music, although they can easily be used for watching videos, there is no desynchronization between the sound and video. Voices are heard clearly, and explosions are booming.

The microphone is also not bad. The interlocutor will hear you clearly in a quiet environment, but with ambient noise, the quality of speech transmission will predictably drop.

The autonomy of the Major IV breaks all records - 80 hours of listening to music on a single charge. At the same time, it will take only 3 hours to charge, and in 15 minutes they can be charged for 15 hours of listening, in addition, the headphones are perfectly compatible with any wireless charger of the Qi standard. Although, frankly speaking, it would be better if the manufacturer bothered with ANC instead of fast charging. Moreover, the autonomy of the model is already excellent, but the lack of noise reduction is definitely a drawback for Bluetooth headphones in 2021.

Despite very good passive noise isolation and volume reserve, listening to music in the subway or on a busy street in Major IV will be problematic. True, the problem can be solved by paying an additional $ 100, or more precisely by buying Marshall Monitor II, but in this case you will have to sacrifice the gorgeous autonomy. Such is the dilemma.

Overall, the Marshall Major IV are great headphones for music lovers. Their main advantages - external authenticity, sound and long battery life - outweigh the disadvantages, making them completely insignificant.

The JBL Tune 670NC headphones feature thoughtful functionality and a design that has won the Reddot Winner 2023 award. The soft headband and swivel-folding design of the earcups allows them to be compactly packed into a bag or backpack, and also provides a comfortable fit on the head with optimal clamping force.

The right decisions were also made in terms of connectivity. The latest Bluetooth 5.3 wireless module is installed here, which is characterized by stable synchronization with gadgets and transmission of an audio signal with minimal compression and delays. Thus, the quality of music will always be high. Moreover, the headphones can be connected to two sources at the same time, for example, a tablet and a smartphone. The manufacturer has provided a wired connection to devices that are not equipped with a wireless module.

The overhead closed headphones are distinguished by a good level of adaptation to the surrounding environment. Smart Ambient active noise reduction will help you focus on voice communication and listening to music in noisy places. If you do not want to abstract from reality, then the Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes will help, which adapt the transmission of sounds taking into account external factors. You can personalize the operation of the audio device through the JBL Headphones application. Here you can select equalizer settings and manual adjustments to get the perfect sound exactly according to the user's standards. And finally, the JBL Pure Bass sound, which is the standard not only for lovers of low-frequency rhythm, but also for professional use at concerts. The overall volume is good enough to enjoy music of any genre without damaging your hearing. A nice addition is the support for voice control using Google and Siri, which will come in handy while driving a car or cooking in the kitchen.

The JBL Tune 670NC are long-lasting headphones that can play your favorite tracks for 70 hours in one go. This is enough for a week of use, and a quick five-minute charge will give you another 3 hours of battery life if you forgot to monitor the battery life.