2025 Annual Headphone Shootout Part 2: The Over the Ear Models

Now it’s time for the 2^nd half of our annual Headphone Shootout: the over the ear models. This year we have some great models from some excellent manufacturers. And some have stellar features. They include JBL Tune 770NC, OnanOff Fokus+, Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2, and Master and Dynamic MW75 Neuro. With March Madness, teams are seeded; here we separate by price. We’ll start with the cheapest, and work our way up.

 

First up is the JBL Tune 770NC. JBL has been providing excellent products for almost 80 years, and headphones for many years too. And they have been able to incorporate their signature JBL sound. The JBL Tune 770NC while more of a budget product, still manages to provide Active Noise Cancelling. MSRP is a low $129.

 

Features and specs:

General Specifications

Driver size (mm): 40

Number of Microphones: 1

Audio Specifications

Driver sensitivity at 1kHz/1mW (dB): 100

Dynamic frequency response range (Hz): 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Impedance (ohms): 32

Dimensions

Audio Cable Length (ft): 3.9

Audio Cable Length (m): 1.2

Ear Cup Depth (cm): 4.8

Ear Cup Depth (in): 1.9

Ear Cup External Height (cm): 9.2

Ear Cup External Height (in): 3.6

Ear Cup External Width (cm): 7.6

Ear Cup External Width (in): 2.99

Ear Cup Internal Height (cm): 5.4

Ear Cup Internal Height (in): 2.12

Ear Cup Internal Width (cm): 3.7

Ear Cup Internal Width (in): 1.45

Charging Cable Length (m): 1.2

Charging Cable Length (ft): 3.9

Weight (g): 232

Weight (oz): 8.2

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth profiles: A2DP v1.4, AVRCP v1.6.2, HFP v1.8

Bluetooth frequency: 2.4 GHz – 2.4835 GHz

Bluetooth transmitted modulation: GFSK, π/4-DQPSK, 8DPSK

Bluetooth transmitter power: < 10 dBm (E.I.R.P)

Bluetooth version: 5.3

Battery

Charging time (hours from empty): 2

Maximum music play time with ANC off (hours): 70

Maximum music play time with ANC on (hours): 44

Maximum play time (hours): 70

Maximum talk time (hours): 39

Features

Audio cable: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes

Charging cable: Yes

Foldable: Yes

Voice Assistant integration: Yes

Adaptive Noise Cancelling: Yes

Ambient Aware: Yes

Built-in Microphone: Yes

Detachable Cable: Yes

Flat-fold design: Yes

Hands Free Call: Yes

JBL Pure Bass Sound: Yes

Multi-Point Connection: Yes

Over-ear: Yes

Rechargable battery: Yes

Speed charge: Yes

TalkThru: Yes

Wireless: Yes

 

The JBL Tune 770NC came in a nice-looking color printed box with photos and specs of the product. Opening the box revealed a product wrapped in a cloth bag. Materials used in the constriction was mostly plastic. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish, was good. Also included was the charging cable, audio cable and manual.

 

I like the design of the JBL Tune 770NC it’s a more simplistic one. All of the controls are on the right earcup with hard buttons. And even at its low price point, you still get Active Noise Cancelling. For an even higher bang for the buck, you also get the app. Through the app you can tailor the sound to your preferences, as well as control the ANC. It’s a huge bang for the buck! Let’s see how it sounds.

 

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E:  cymbal was crisp and clean, piano sounded natural. Bass had really nice low-end extension, and was really smooth and played with authority. Vocals were silky smooth with very good texture of the timbre. Strings were also silky smooth with nice resolution of the strings. Trumpet was really dynamic with very good harmonics. Soundstage was really wide with depth as well.

Rush: Tom Sawyer: cymbal and hi-hat were really crisp and clean. Kick drum was dynamic, had great depth, and played with authority. Snare drum was also really dynamic with very good resolution of the pad. The tom drums were equally dynamic with very good pitch definition of the midbass. Vocals were also nice and smooth with good texture.

Tiesto & Sevenn: Boom: multiple different bass beats. Some were clean and nice and tight, others were equally dynamic with good authority and were even deeper.  And then there were the beats that were so, so deep, and played with serious authority, yet did so cleanly as well.

 

Next up is the OnanOff Fokus+. Originally known for their BuddyPhones, headphones for kids, they have expanded their lineup. The Onanoff Fokus are a wireless over the ear headphones. MSRP is a fair $169.

 

Features and specs:

Sound

Frequency Range: 20-22kHz

Advanced Sound Features: Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (combined feed forward and feed back ANC), HearThru Mode™, ANC Off Mode

FokusMode®:

100dB normal output Mode and optional 85dB SafeAudio® Mode

Driver Type:  40mm Dynamic driver, neodymium magnet, electro-plated diaphragm (trivalent chrome plating)

Design

Earpads: Stylish and comfortable cloth ear cushions

Fit: Over-ear

Dimensions:  140mm width x 196mm height

Weight: 254g

Battery

Battery Life: 50 hours with Bluetooth ANC OFF, 42 hours with Bluetooth and ANC On

2.5 hours USB cable / 3.5 hours thru charging stand

Charging Time: 2.5 hours USB cable / 3.5 hours thru charging stand

Battery Size: 660mAh

Connectivity

Bluetooth Version: 5.2

Sound Codecs: AAC + SBC

Microphones: 4 mics for ANC, 1 mic for voice

Inputs: 1.2m audio cable with 3.5mm jack connectors, 1.5m USB C to USB C charge cable with USB C to USB A adapter for backward compatibility Bluetooth in, Wired 3.5mm audio in

Multipoint: Simple Multipoint connects to two audio sources simultaneously

 

The Onanoff Fokus+ came in a nice-looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box revealed a well-protected headphone held in place by a hard zipper case. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal and fabric. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish was very good. Also included was the hard zipper case, desktop charging stand, detachable mic, audio cable, charging cable and owner’s manual.

 

I really like the design of the Onanoff Fokus+. They are a wireless over the ear design, with Active Noise Cancelling. And I like the cloth in the design on the outside of the ear cups. The desktop charging stand is a really nice unique touch. The hard zipper case for taking them on the go is also a nice touch. Let’s see how they perform.

 

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E: cymbals were really crisp and clean, and piano sounded really natural. Bass had really nice depth and played with good authority. Vocals were silky smooth with nice texture of the timbre. Strings were really smooth with really good resolution. Trumpet was really dynamic with very good harmonics. Sound stage was really wide and also nice and deep as well.

RUSH: Tom Sawyer: Cymbals and hi-hat were really crisp and clean with good resolution. Kick drum was dynamic, deep, and played with good authority. Snare drum was also dynamic with good resolution of the pad. The tom drums were equally dynamic with good pitch definition of the midbass. Vocals were also really smooth with really good texture.

Tiesto & Sevenn: Boom: multiple different bass beats. Some were not as deep but were nice and tight. Others were deeper but also nice and tight with very good authority. And some were seriously deep, and played with a ton of output and hit so hard.

Next up is the Shure. Shure has been a company that has been providing excellent products for generations, since they opened 100 years ago in 1925. And one of the products they are known for is their studio monitor headphones. They continue this legacy and include their studio sound in their wireless headphones. This includes their Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 wireless headphones. MSRP is $389.

Features and Specs:

Transducer Type: Dynamic, Neodymium magnet

Driver Size: 50 mm

Frequency Response: 20 to 22,000 Hz

Sensitivity: @ 1 kHz, 97.5 dB/mW

Impedance: @ 1 kHz:  39 Ω

Maximum Audio Input Power: 100 mW

Battery Life: up to 45 hours

Charging Requirements: The radio equipment requires the power delivered by the charger to be between: A minimum of 0.5 Watts, and a maximum of 2.5 Watts in order to achieve the maximum charging speed

Weight: 334 g (11.8oz.)

Operating Temperature: 0°C to 45°C (32°F to 113°F)

Storage Temperature: -10°C to 30°C (14°F to 86°F)

Antenna Type: Internal Monopole

Gain: +2.60 dBi

Operating Frequency: 2402 MHz-2480 MHz

 

Modulation Type: FHSS

RF Output Power: +13.92 dBm ( EIRP)

Supported Codecs: aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Voice, SBC, AAC, LDAC

 

The Shure Aonic 50 came in a nice color printed box, with photos and specs of the model. Opening the box reveals a well-protected headphone, held in place in their hard zipper case. Materials used in the product construction was mostly plastic with some metal, and memory foam. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the hard zipper case, audio cable, charging cable and owner’s manual.

 

I really like the design of the Shure Aonic 50. They take decades of professional audio experience and studio audio, and put it in the Shure Aonic 50. There’s adjustable active noise cancelling, as well as Spatialized Audio. It has mics outside and inside the ear cups, to maximize the ANC. The app allows you to control both the ANC and Spatialized Audio. The app also gives you access to Environmental Mode, as well as control the EQ, for your personalized sound preference. It’s a lot of great features, let’s see how they sound.

 

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E: cymbals were extremely crisp and clean with good resolution. Piano sounded very natural with excellent tone. Bass was silky smooth with excellent depth. Violin was also very smooth with very good resolution of the bow on the strings. Vocals were smooth like honey with excellent texture of the timbre. Trumpet was very dynamic with excellent harmonics. Soundstage was also not just really wide, but also really deep with excellent imaging.

Rush: Tom Sawyer: cymbals and hi-hat was extremely crisp and clean. Kick drum was extremely dynamic, had excellent depth, but also had excellent authority like a punch to the chest. Snare drum was also dynamic with excellent resolution of the pad. Tom drums were same dynamics with excellent resolution and pitch definition of the midbass. Vocals were also excellent resolution with excellent texture.

Tiesto & Sevenn: Boom: there were multiple different types of bass beats. Some are not as deep, but dynamic, tight and like a punch to the chest. Others are a little deeper, and still really clean and hit really hard. And then some are just so, so deep, and hit like a sledgehammer!

Next up is the Beyerdynamic. They have over 100 years of history, and multiple generations o history of making quality headphones. They are well known for their professional studio monitors, using their German engineering. And they tap into this professional monitor sound for their consumer models. This holds true for their Beyerdynamic Aventho 300. MSRP is $400.

 

Features and specs:

Legendary Beyerdynamic sound with German-made STELLAR.45 drivers

Spatial Audio thanks to Dolby Atmos with Dolby Head Tracking™ technology

Multipoint Bluetooth® 5.4, adaptive noise cancelling, transparency mode and automatic play/pause function when taking the headphones off or putting them back on

Ergonomic earcups and premium materials for exceptional comfort

Up to 50 hours battery life (ANC on)

Wearing Style  Over-ear

Operating principle     Closed

Transmission Type        Wireless via Bluetooth®

Remote             Without Remote

Weight headphones without cable     319 g

Battery runtime with ANC        Up to 50 hours

Headphone frequency response          5 - 22,000 Hz

Range  15 m

Supported Bluetooth® Profile AVDTP 1.3, AVCTP 1.4, GAVDP 1.3, SPP-B 1.2, RFCOMM 1.2, A2DP 1.3.2, AVRCP 1.6.2, HFP 1.8, IOPT

Bluetooth® version      5.4

Codecs AAC, aptX™ Lossless, aptX™ Adaptive, LE Audio

Charging Port Type      USB-C

 

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 came in a nice color printed box with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product, held in place in a hard zipper case. Materials used int eh construction was mostly plastic with some metal. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the hard zipper case, charger cable, audio cable and owner’s manual, USB adapter, and soft carry bag.

 

I love the design of the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300. You get quality materials, where it’s needed most, like aluminum in the swivel. The housing on the earcup is touchpad for controlling your music. The drivers are actually German made. Adaptive Noise Cancelling also has transparency mode. You get Spatial Audio thanks to Dolby Atmos, and also included Dolby Head Tracking technology.

 

Those are a lot of features, and it doesn’t stop there. There’s also the app. Thru the app, you can completely control the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300. You can totally customize the sound to you, with EQ curves. The Active Noise Cancelling and Spatial Audio is also controlled through the app as well. It’s really cool actually! There’s a lot to cool features, and they seem to come together in a synergy. Let’s see how they sound.

 

Nat King Col: L-O-V-E: cymbals were extremely crisp and clean, with excellent resolution, piano sounded very natural with excellent tone. Bass was so smooth with nice deep extension and authority. Violin also very smooth with excellent resolution of the bow on the strings. Vocals were smooth as a dove bar, with excellent texture of the timbre. Trumpet was extremely dynamic with excellent harmonics. Soundstage was so wide and deep, imaging was on a dime.

Rush: Tom Sawyer: cymbals and hi-hat was extremely crisp and clean with excellent resolution. Kick drum was really dynamic with tight deep bass and played with authority. Snare drum was also dynamic with excellent resolution of the pad. Tom drums were as dynamic with excellent resolution and pitch definition of the midbass. Vocals were also smooth with excellent texture.

Tiesto & Sevenn: Boom: there’s multiple types of bass beats. Some are not as deep, and are still tight and hit really hard. Others are deeper, and are still nice and tight and hit like a hammer, yet still really clean doing so. And some were super deep, and hit so hard my ear lobes vibrated.

Last but not least is the Master and Dynamic MW75 Neuro. Master and Dynamic is definitely a new kid on the block. They don’t have the history that JBL, Beyerdynamic and Shure have. But Master and Dynamic has been doing it right from the git go. They are high quality headphones that are built like a tank. Master and Dynamic is also innovative, and the MW75 Neuro is an example. MSRP is $699.

 

Features and specs:

Materials: Lambskin leather headband / aluminum and tempered glass ear cups / anodized aluminum controls / soft fabric EEG sensors

Dimensions: 160.75mm x 197.83mm x 83.57mm

Weight: 378g

Ear Coupling: Over-Ear

Ear Pads: Magnetic soft fabric EEG sensor ear pads Replaceable magnetic lambskin-wrapped memory foam

Drivers: 40mm beryllium

Impedance: 32 ohms

Talk Microphones: 4 Microphone talk solution with wind protection

ANC Microphones: 4 Microphone ANC solution

Voice Assistant: Compatible with native voice assistants

Battery Life: Up to 22 hours of battery life, Up to 13 hours of battery life with Focus Tracking enabled

Bluetooth Profile: Bluetooth® 5.2 range of 100ft/30m with AAC, aptX™ Adaptive up to 24 bit/ 48kHz, and SBC. Hi-res requires a compatible source device and streaming service.

Wired Digital Headphone Connection: Supports hi-res audio up to 24-bit / 96kHz using provided USB-C to USB-C cable with supported devices

Analog Headphone Connection: USB-C to 3.5mm cable for optional analog audio connection

Cables

USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable, USB-C to USB-C charging cable: Antenna

Internal antenna

 

The Master and Dynamic MW75 Neuro came in a nice-looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box, I found a well-protected product held in place in a zippered hard case. Materials used in the construction was actually mostly metal with some cloth, glass, leather and plastic. Quality of materials used was excellent, as was the fit and finish. This is a top-of-the-line product and it shows. Also included is the charging cable, audio cable, hard case, owner’s manual, and non-EEG memory foam earcup wrapped in lambskin.

 

I love the design of the Master and Dynamic MW75 Neuro. They have the typical features like wireless, ANC, and app to control the features and customize the sound. What you also get that is not typical is superior tough aluminum construction with glass covered ear cups, German made 40 mm beryllium drivers, magnetic removable earcups and Modern Thinking Cap to boost productivity using EEG sensors and Neurable IE using a proprietary brain computer interface (BCI).

 

The Master and Dynamic MW75 Neuro is not just a pair of headphones. It’s a tool. And not just for relaxation, but to also help increase your productivity. So, use it for work, and to relax after work. Through the EEG sensors, the brain computer interface and the Nearable AI to process the data, it tracks your brain activity. And through this app, you can see when your production is at peak, and when your brain needs a break. It’s a culmination of excellent features, and innovation for a superior product. Now let’s see how they sound.

 

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E: cymbals were extremely crisp and clean with excellent resolution, piano sounded really natural with excellent tone of the settings. Violins were so smooth with excellent resolution of the bow across the strings. Bass was extremely deep, really smooth, and also had excellent resolution of the plucking and decay of the strings. Vocals were smoother than honey with excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre. Trumpet was really dynamic with excellent harmonics. Soundstage was both really wide and deep, with excellent imaging.

Rush: Tom Sawyer: cymbals and hi-hat had excellent resolution and was extremely crisp and clean. Kick drum was really dynamic, tight, and played really deep with great authority. Snare drum was equally dynamic with excellent resolution of the pad. Tom drums had similar dynamics and resolution with excellent pitch definition of the midbass. Vocals were smooth like honey with excellent texture.

Tiesto & Sevenn: Boom: there were multiple bass types. Some were not as deep but still hit really hard, really tight, and clean. Other beats were deeper, also really tight with a lot of authority. And some were so deep, but so hard like a sledgehammer, yet so clean doing so.

To test the Bluetooth performance, we subject them to a torture test. It’s designed to go above and beyond the specs, to test what they are capable of. Connected to my smartphone in my basement, I walk around the basement, up to the 1^st floor, and then up to the 2^nd floor, testing how well it performs not only for distance, but thru walls and floors. And then with my phone on my front porch, I walk out 200 feet.  For the JBL Tune 770NC, basement, 1^st floor, and 2^nd floor were all glitch free, and same outside to 200ft.  For the Onanoff Fokus+, basement, 1^st floor, and 2^nd floor was excellent. And outside just a small glitch at 150ft and none at 200ft.  With the Shure Aonic 50, basement, 1^st floor, and 2^nd floor was excellent glitch free.  Outside had a small glitch at 150ft, and none at 200ft. The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 was glitch free in basement, 1^st floor, and 2^nd floor, with a few small glitches at 150ft and 200ft but useable at 200ft. Lastly for the Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro, it was a little glitchy in the basement and 1^st floor but usable, 2^nd floor was too glitchy to be usable. And outside it was just a little glitchy at 150ft but none at 200ft so usable.

 

For Active Noise Cancellation, all except the Onanoff Fokus+ used an app to control the ANC and it worked very well.  It was also really nice having Ambient Mode, so you can hear what was going on around you.  The JBL Tune 770NC removed around 85% of the noise.  Onanoff Fokus+ removed around 90% of noise.  The Shure Aonic 50 managed around 95%.  Beyerdynamic’s Aventho 300 got around 90% of noise removed.  Last but not lase, Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro removed around 95% of the noise. 

 

I was impressed with the sound quality at the various price points. For the JBL Tune 770NC, you can see they cut corners on build quality using mostly plastic, yet it was still sufficient and put the money where it was needed most in the sound quality, and still managed to provide ANC and an app.  The sound signature was just a hair on the warm side, with excellent resolution for its price point!  For the Onanoff Fokus+ the sound signature was just a little on the warm side, with slightly reduced resolution compared to the JBL, and no app. But you do get slightly better build quality with some metal used, and a charging stand which is perfect for those who use them for work at an office desk. For the Shure Aonic 50 Gen2 you get a neutral sound signature, much better build quality that it typical for a flagship product.  And as expected from Shure you get excellent sound quality as well as high bass output.  With the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 you also get a neutral sound signature, as expected with their legacy of professional monitors.  Bass output was not quite as high as the Shure, but the resolution was just a hair better. Build quality was also very good as it should be for a flagship product.    Last but not least for the Master & Dynamic you get even better build quality as it is built like a tank with mostly aluminum. Sound signature is also neutral, with bass output a bit more that the Beyerdynamic, yet with similar resolution.  And for those that use their headphones for double duty: work calls and music, the neural app can help with your productivity.

This year’s contestants proved to all be excellent performers.  The lowest priced model JBL Tune 770NC sacrificed a little in build quality, but sound quality was what would be expected at twice it’s price.  The Onanoff Fokus+ provided almost as good of sound quality with extra versatility of working great for work and music. And the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 and Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 both provided sound quality similar to a studio monitor in a wireless product, with the Master & Dynamic improving just a hair with built like a tank construction.  Depending on what you are looking for, all 5 are excellent products. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the Onanoff Fokus+ has earned our Value Award, JBL Tune 770NC our Highly Recommended Award, and Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2, Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, and Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro our Editor’s Choice Award.   For more info and complete specs, check out their websites at www.beyerdynamic.com, www.jbl.com. www.onanoff.com, www.masterdynamic.com, and www.shure.com.