Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Over Ear Headphones (2026)
The cheapest over ear headphones is Marshall Monitor III ANC at $349. Best by the numbers — Marshall Monitor III ANC (lowest price), Sony WH-1000XM6 (newest). This page compares 12 over ear headphones across 10 brands on price and key specs — every figure sourced, updated June 2026.
12 over ear headphones compared on the specs that matter and US price — ranked cheapest-first. Every spec and price links to its source and the date we captured it.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price: Marshall Monitor III ANC at $349 (US LAUNCH MSRP $349 (September 2024), confirmed by launch coverage (mezha.media, Digital Trends, Android Authority). marshall.com currently lists $379.99, but that is a later price increase, not the launch MSRP; per this index's stated rule (priceUsd = US launch MSRP), $349 is used. Corrected from the earlier $380 current-price figure.).
- Typical price: from $349, median $414, up to $549 — across 6 priced.
- Tracked: 12 products across 10 brands, current through 2026-06-15.
- Compared on: anc, driver mm, battery hr, bluetooth, codecs, wired option.
Best by the numbers
Objective winners — each is the leader on one measured spec, with the figure. No subjective ranking.
- Lowest price: Marshall Monitor III ANC ($349)
- Newest: Sony WH-1000XM6 (2025-05)
- Longest battery life: Marshall Monitor III ANC (70 battery hr)
- Lightest: Bose QuietComfort 45 (240 weight g)
Comparison
| # | Over Ear Headphone | Price | anc | driver mm | battery hr | bluetooth | codecs | wired option | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshall Monitor III ANC | $349 | true | 32 | 70 | 5.3 | SBC, AAC | true | marshall.com |
| 2 | Beats Studio Pro | $350 | true | 40 | 24 | — | SBC, AAC | true | beatsbydre.com |
| 3 | Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 | $399 | true | — | 50 | 5.4 | AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LC3 | true | north-america.beyerdynamic.com |
| 4 | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones | $429 | true | — | 24 | 5.3 | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 5 | Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 | $449 | true | — | 30 | 5.3 | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 6 | Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) | $549 | true | 40 | 20 | 5.3 | SBC, AAC | true | apple.com |
| 7 | Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 | — | false | — | 64 | 5.0 | SBC, AAC, LDAC | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 8 | Bose QuietComfort 45 | — | true | — | 24 | 5.1 | SBC, AAC | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 9 | Edifier WH950NB | — | true | — | 30 | 5.3 | SBC, LDAC | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 10 | Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless | — | true | — | 60 | 5.2 | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 11 | Sony WH-1000XM5 | — | true | 30 | 30 | 5.2 | SBC, AAC, LDAC | true | headphonecheck.com |
| 12 | Sony WH-1000XM6 | — | true | 30 | 30 | 5.3 | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | true | headphonecheck.com |
Specs are as published by the manufacturer (or a reputable spec source where the official page was unavailable); prices are US launch MSRP. Full per-product records and all spec columns are in our open dataset.
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest over ear headphones?
Marshall Monitor III ANC is the cheapest at $349 (US LAUNCH MSRP $349 (September 2024), confirmed by launch coverage (mezha.media, Digital Trends, Android Authority). marshall.com currently lists $379.99, but that is a later price increase, not the launch MSRP; per this index's stated rule (priceUsd = US launch MSRP), $349 is used. Corrected from the earlier $380 current-price figure.), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does over ear headphones cost?
Across the 6 over ear headphones with a published price, the median is $414, ranging from $349 to $549, as of 2026-06-15.
Which over ear headphones is best by the numbers?
Lowest price: Marshall Monitor III ANC ($349). Newest: Sony WH-1000XM6 (2025-05). Longest battery life: Marshall Monitor III ANC (70 battery hr).
How many over ear headphones are compared here?
12 over ear headphones across 10 brands, with US price and key specs, current through 2026-06-15.
More hardware comparisons
How we compiled this
Products were selected as notable over-ear headphones a buyer compares in 2026, spanning flagship ANC, prosumer wireless, and premium audiophile tiers. Primary sources were manufacturer spec pages and reputable third-party review sites (headphonecheck.com, apple.com/airpods-max/specs/, beatsbydre.com, bowerswilkins.com, beyerdynamic.com, marshall.com, expertreviews.co.uk). Many large manufacturer and retailer sites (sony.com, rtings.com, cnet.com, theverge.com, pcmag.com, bhphotovideo.com) blocked automated access during collection. Corroboration sources were used where the primary was unavailable. Spec keys are: anc (bool), driver_mm (integer, driver diameter; null where not confirmed), battery_hr (integer, rated battery life at ANC-on / default mode), bluetooth (string, version number), codecs (comma-separated list of supported BT codecs), wired_option (bool, whether a 3.5mm or USB-C audio cable for passive/wired use is included or supported), weight_g (integer, without cable unless noted), release (YYYY-MM or YYYY). battery_hr uses the ANC-on rated figure where available; for products without ANC the maximum rated figure is used. priceUsd is the US launch MSRP in USD (not the current retail price, which may be higher or lower than launch). Where no US launch price could be confirmed from a credible source, priceUsd is null. accessedAt is 2026-06-15 on every source. Adversarial re-verification on 2026-06-15 corrected three records: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 (release 2024-02 -> 2025-04, priceUsd 479 -> 449), Marshall Monitor III ANC (priceUsd 380 current-retail -> 349 launch MSRP), and the Sony WH-1000XM6 priceNote (widely cited launch figure is $449.99, not $349.99).
Last verified 2026-06-15. We re-check published specs and prices on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
Embed this comparison — free
Add the live cheapest-over ear headphones list to your site. It reflects our latest data, and an attribution link is built in.