buying guide: best over ear headphones

Compared to on-ear and in-ear headphones, which are used most commonly loved for their ultra-portability and generally low asking-price, over-ear headphones tend to be associated with professional DJs, or the best option to get if you're looking to replicate the home theater experience on a device.

It's the truth that people get down to business on all kinds of headphones, but there's a reason why people clamor for over-ear headphones: their sound and comfort and usually unparalleled. If you're ready to bite the bullet on a set of expensive over-ear headphones, check out our list of the top-ranking options on TechRadar.

Bose QuietComfort 25

Let's start the list with a no-brainer, the Bose QuietComfort 25. You, and most in your immediate network of friends and family have heard of the brand, and for good reason. They have been condensing military sound technology into consumer-digestible products for over 50 years and have been producing some of the best headphones around.

Their newest over-ear headphones are the Bose QuietComfort 25, an excellent investment for anyone who's serious about their music and their quiet time, was given our rare "Editor's Choice" award. Why? It does pretty much everything right. It's lightweight, the ANC (active noise cancelling) is incredible and the sound and design engineers did a bang-up job on the new design. It might be hard to do better for the $300 price, to boot.

• Read our Bose QuietComfort 25 review

Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZxR

For the user who likes to tinker, check out the mouthful that is the Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZXR. With a name like that, part of you hates to assume that it's aimed toward the PC crowd, but you assumed anyway, and you know what? You're pretty much right. So why is a PC headset on this list? Because being a PC headset is only one the things that it does so well.

The Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZxR was dressed with our coveted "Recommended" award, meaning that it has so much going for it that it's negative qualities don't count against it much. In this headset's case, we loved the funky design, NFC-compatibility, rocking sound and the ability to get it working with ease on PS4 and Mac.

• Read our Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZxR review

Bowers and Wilkins P7

Possibly the most regal looking on-ear headphones that money can buy, the Bowers and Wilkins P7, like the Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZxR, won the "Recommended" award. While they both won the award, that's where the comparison stops for the two headphones.

The P7 offer wonderful sound, and if you couldn't tell, they look dashing. Dressed to the nines in leather and shiny metal detail, the prowess expressed in physical detail carries over into the robust sound quality pumped out of the drivers. But for nearly $400, we recommend finding a set to try on before taking the big plunge.

• Read our Bowers and Wilkins P7 review

Samsung Level Over

Coming in out of left-field is Samsung with the Level Over headphones. What can be said about these headphones that reviewer James Rivington also said so well? Not much, but let us break it down.

The Samsung Level Over were some of the first on the scene with gesture controls embedded into the outside of the right ear well. Additionally, the battery life and the comfortable fit will please, but your desire to snag these might come to a halt once you see that they go for $300. That said, snag these if you're in the mood for an elegant headphones stocked with some smart features.

• Read our Samsung Level Over review

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