An iMac is already one of the best all in one computers that you can buy, but why not purchase a great pair of over-ear headphones to go with it? You can use the over-ear headphones to block out the world while trying to work and listen to great music or a podcast. You can also use a good pair of headphones to participate in a video call or edit a video.
Most of the headphones featured in this list support wireless pairing with your iMac over Bluetooth, but you can also connect your headphones to its 3.5mm headphone jack using a wire. We'd always recommend headphones with active noise-cancellation (ANC) if you work on your iMac in a noisy environment, but you'll need to pay a bit more for the privilege. With all that in mind, let's take a look at the best over-ear headphones for iMac in 2024.
Quick list
Best overall
The AirPods Max are built to pair with other Apple products, making it a perfect set of headphones for your iMac. They feature Apple's H1 chip for easy pairing and power management. The AirPods Max have always-on Siri, 20 hours of battery life, active noise cancellation, a great transparency mode, and spatial audio. You can choose from five colors. On top of all that, they sound pretty great.
Best AirPods Max alternative
Apple makes Beats, so you know these were built with your iMac in mind. They feature Apple's H1 chip for easy pairing and device switching, active noise canceling, transparency mode, 22 hours of battery life, and always-on "Hey Siri." You can also choose from your choice of three colors, black, ivory, or gray.
Best for sound
Sony's noise-canceling headphones have been class-leading for a long time, and the WH-1000XM5 is the current flagship. While arguably not quite as comfortable as the WH-1000XM4 (also featured in this list) before them, they sound utterly fantastic and noticeably better than what we had before. The noise-canceling is great too, and you can customise lots of settings in the Sony Headphones Connect app.
Best for value
The Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones are no longer the company's flagship cans, but they're still brilliant, and can often be found on sale. They feature Sony's own Edge-AI processing that upscales compressed digital music files, so your digital music will always sound great. They feature 30 hours of battery life, digital noise cancellation, five built-in microphones for outstanding call quality, and have Alexa built-in.
Best for noise-canceling
Bose have been leading the way with noise-canceling headphones since their inception, and the QuietComfort Ultra are the brand's best yet, thanks to unrivalled ANC that is highly customisable, brilliant sound, and the introduction of spatial audio support. They're not cheap, but if blocking out the world is your priority, you won't find better.
Best wired headphones
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50X are wired over-ear headphones with sound that top audio reviewers have praised. They feature an extended frequency range with deep bass response. These headphones also feature a comfortable professional-grade earpad and headband, so you can keep them on for hours comfortably.
Best on a budget
Often the lower end of the market is deprived of active noise-cancellation in its headphone offerings, but Anker squeezes it into its budget-friendly Soundcore Life Q30, allowing them to filter out 95% of low-frequency ambient sound. The 40mm drivers are excellent performers for the price, and you get 40 hours of battery life with ANC turned on.
Best for battery
British audio brand Cambridge Audio waited a long time to launch its first pair of over-ear headphones, but the Melomania P100 was worth the wait. Not only do these cans sound brilliant, taking full advantage of Cambridge Audio's high-end audio know-how, but their battery life is pretty much unrivalled, offering up to 100 hours of listening time, or 60 with ANC.
Q & A
How to choose the best over-ear headphones for iMac
You may want a great pair of over-ear headphones for editing video, recording podcasts, or simply tune out the world and listen to some great music. Whatever you want them for, there are some great choices for over-ear headphones to use with your iMac.
Our staff pick is the AirPods Max, made by Apple itself. The AirPods Max are built to integrate with other Apple products, making them the ideal choice to use with your iMac. They feature fast device switching using the built-in H1 chip, meaning you can move them from your iPhone to your iMac in seconds. The AirPods Max also feature active noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio, 20 hours of battery life, and a choice of five colors. If the price doesn't scare you away, these are the headphones to buy.
If your budget is tight, you can't go wrong with the Anker Soundcore Life Q30. They have a lot of the features of our higher-end picks, yet come at a budget price. And Sony's WH-1000XM5 and XM4 headphones are both excellent all-rounders. If long battery life is important to you, consider Cambridge Audio's Melomania P100, the newest headphones in this list and definitely among the best.
