Top 10 Over-Ear Workout Headphones 2026 – Expert Tested

Customer Review: The Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones are the overachievers of the budget headphone world. They show up, cancel the noise, last forever on a single charge, and do not complain about it. The active noise cancellation actually works, which feels mildly shocking at this price point. Airplane hum, coffee shop chaos, that one coworker who types like they are angry at the keyboard, all toned down. The sound is warm and bassy, so the music feels full and energetic rather than delicate and analytical. These are not “sit in a leather chair and study the violin section” headphones. These are “block out the world and get things done” headphones. Battery life is ridiculous. You will forget where the charger is. Comfort is solid, build quality is perfectly respectable, and overall, they punch way above their weight. If you want luxury, spend luxury money. If you want dependable, affordable, and surprisingly impressive, these are a very smart buy.

Customer Review: These headphones are a game changer I didn’t even know what noise canceling really was until I had these. They feel really durable and not cheap they are very comfortable the sound quality is amazing and the noise cancelation is perfect. I’ve never had a problem with battery life and they feel very tough and sturdy I highly recommend these if you want a entry level but very good pair of noise canceling headphones. It also works multiple on devices at the same time which I’ve never been able to get working properly on other devices. but these somehow manage to do it.

Customer Review: Firstly, the color is soon cute, and exactly as pictured. I am so in love with the aesthetic of them. They also came fully charged, which was awesome so I got to use them immediately. Secondly, the quality is super good so far. Whether listening to podcasts, rap, or metal music, the sound quality has been perfect. They are compatible with both my switch 2 and my phone which is to be expected, but still happy there were no surprises or difficulties there. They aren’t exactly noise canceling though. When they’re on with no sound playing, other sounds are just dulled ever so slightly. When sound is playing, you can still hear people talking and other sounds like fans, but outside sounds aren’t obtrusive and are blocked fairly well. I also really like how big the ear holes in the pads are, I wasn’t expecting that. My whole ear fits inside them, which makes them super comfortable since they aren’t smooshing the tops of my ears into the arms of my glasses. It also makes them really comfortable to wear while laying down, again because they don’t smoosh my ears. I haven’t had them long enough to really put them through the paces on charging or audio hours, but I will come back to add to this review a little later to comment on that. So far, so amazingly good! Super pleased with the quality for the price I paid.

Customer Review: For an inexpensive pair of headphones, I’d say it was a good investment. The sound quality is very clear, although songs like Golden Hour the instruments could sound more crisp. They do not fully cancel noise, however, but do block out some. They can also reach high volumes without becoming tinny, although I have never used at full blast to avoid bursting an eardrum 😂 They are very comfortable and light weight. I just wish they fit on my neck better because they are very right. I also love the color- it’s so bright and fun! That is partially why I went with this brand, too. They connect very well to my iPhone, too. While there are better headphones, I would recommend if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money. They will work and don’t break in a month and you’ll overall have a fairly good sound.

Customer Review: My wife took these running during a light rain, used them on the treadmill, did strength training, and walked to work in them. She absolutely loves them. They are a huge upgrade from her older wrap around the back headphones from around 2010. She said they are extremely comfortable, the bass is great, and the deep surrounding sound makes music more immersive. She cannot hear anything outside while wearing them, and she likes that a lot for her workouts. The design is clean and modern, and she really likes the breathable ear cushions. The fact that it comes with three different cushion sets is a nice touch, since she can swap them out for cleaning or switch to a new set when needed. They feel light on her head and do not squeeze too hard, so she can wear them for long sessions. Wireless connectivity has been rock solid. The multipoint feature works well, and she was able to switch between her phone and laptop without reconnecting. The range is also very good. She can walk across our living room or kitchen without losing signal, which is helpful when she is cleaning or moving around during workouts. The battery life has been a standout feature. She has been using them every day for almost a week and still has not needed to recharge. Charging is easy and fast, and the headphones are always ready when she is. Overall, she is very happy with the comfort, the sound, the reliable wireless range, and the long battery life. These fit her active routine extremely well and feel like a big upgrade in every way.

Customer Review: I bought a pair of these for my teenage son to replace some Skullcandy Crushers that were broken. I was blown away by these headphones. I liked them so much that I purchased a second pair for myself. These definitely have better sound quality than the Crushers he used to have (although slightly less bass). The sound quality is not quite as good as the Sennheiser Momentum 4s that I have, but other considerations prompted me to get a set for myself. Things I like/love: 1. Extra ear pads – the cloth ear pads are so much nicer for the gym. No issues with sweat and they are washable. 2. Sound quality – These actually sound pretty great and the bass is good 3. Noise cancelling – They do a great job with noise at the gym (haven’t tried on a plane yet) 4. Battery life – outstanding battery life 5. Head clamp – These fit tighter on my head and don’t wobble when working out like my Sennheisers. They are also very comfortable and not overly tight 6. Control buttons – the buttons are simple and easy to control My only real complaint is the lack of a case. I travel a lot by plane and always have headphones in my backpack. A nice small hard case would be great for travel.

Customer Review: I went through a half dozen pair of other options that were less pricey before settling on these. Other versions, I tried lasted, at most, a couple of months, before they broke. One pair broke while I was removing it from my head. Then I found these Sony headphones, which were a total game changer! I still have the first pair I purchased, which have lasted me for more than a year; and I recently purchased a second pair in another color for the office. They are such good quality, very comfortable, easy to adjust to fit children and adults, the sound quality is phenomenal, and they are easy to pair with your devices! I have used them for everything from Zoom calls, to music, listening, and beyond, without any issues. Several people at the office have ordered themselves a pair because they’re so great, and they have loved them as well! If you’re struggling to find headphones that last and/or can survive your kids’ wear and tear, look no further! These are well worth the money and they last, and look great! So far, I’ve ordered these in the blue color and the beige/cream color, and both are lovely, and do not look cheap at all. Highly recommend!

Customer Review: These Bluetooth on‑ear headphones deliver excellent everyday performance at an affordable price. They’re comfortable, lightweight, and have impressive battery life — up to ~50 hours on a single charge so you can go days without recharging. The wireless connection is stable, the built‑in mic works well for calls, and the sound is clear and balanced for casual listening. A great pick if you want reliable daily headphones without breaking the bank.

Customer Review: I’ve been using the Raycon Essential Wireless Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones for a few weeks now, and overall, I’m very pleased. The sound quality is rich, balanced, and immersive, with clear highs and deep bass that make music and podcasts sound fantastic. The Active Noise Cancelling feature works well — it blocks out background noise without distorting the audio, which is great for working, studying, or traveling. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and the battery life is incredible — I easily get close to the advertised 50 hours between charges. The 5 built-in microphones make phone calls crystal clear, and I’ve had no connection issues when switching between my phone and laptop. The only learning curve was getting used to the button layout and controls, especially after using Beats Solo headphones for years. Once I figured them out, operation became much smoother. I also appreciate the IPX4 water resistance, which adds peace of mind for workouts or walks in light rain. These headphones offer premium performance, reliable Bluetooth connectivity, and excellent value for the price. They look sleek, feel durable, and deliver a truly enjoyable listening experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking everyday comfort, powerful sound, and long battery life in a modern, wireless design.

Customer Review: Sound great. Comfortable. Great noise canceling. Also nice volume, can be loud like speaker around neck.

Customer Review: These earbuds have great sound quality, I prefer these now over my phone in-ear earbuds, much more comfortable and easy when I talk to someone. Great product for the price!

Customer Review: The sound is pretty good. Can’t beat them for the price. A little awkward when wearing glasses though, but not impossible

Customer Review: These headphones are really awesome. Sound quality is amazing and they have a strong bass. They are very comfortable and they have a 35 hour battery life. I have only two complaints. The first is that while they do fold flat they won’t completely articulate into a tight package. As a result they are a little bulky to travel with. Also you do lose bass when you turn the ANC on. I was originally going to leave a 4 star review for this reason but then I compared them to my friend’s Bose q35. With ANC on the sound quality was pretty similar but when you turn the ANC off these headphones actually have better bass, noticeably better. The fact that these headphones have better sound quality than headphones which are over 4 times the cost makes them a five star product. Updated: My first set of Z2’s started cutting out in the left ear cup. This gave me an opportunity to test the lifetime warranty. It took about 4 weeks from when I first noticed the issue to getting my new headphones. I’m satisfied with the customer service and I didn’t have to pay more money for new ones. It seems that these guys stand behind their products. I’ve now had these headphones for several months and some of my opinions on them have changed. The best feature of these headphones is the sound quality. You get a balanced sound with amazing bass. They honestly sound better than several of my friend’s headphones which cost more than three times as much. If you want amazing sound quality but you are on a budget, Z2’s all the way. The ANC does work but it really leaves something to be desired. I’ve tested these in my car on road trips and it works okay but more expensive headphones such as the Bose QC35 will perform better when it comes to ANC. I have not yet tested these on a plane so we will see if that changes my opinion. Also the “hiss” other reviewers have mentioned about the ANC is present but it is very moderate and you really only notice it in quiet settings. Usually when I am in a quiet setting with these headphones I leave the ANC off anyway because the bass will perform better when the ANC is off. I’m still leaving my 5 star rating because these headphones still perform so amazingly well. My criticisms of the ANC are being made compared to 350$ headphones which still makes these a great deal. Also I have no been able to test their customer service and I am satisfied.

Customer Review: Needed some headphones to pull double duty for a trip and the gym. It is pretty obvious looking at the box that I got someones return that had the ear cup broken off. Just a bit aggravating to have to return these but no replacement until after trip. I will update this when I get the new pair, they do sound good just holding them up to my ear. Hopefully they were mishandled and this is not a sign of things to come. Update: These really do sound very good. I am not an sound junkie but I have tried quite a few over ear headphones. I usually wear my wired Bose QC25 to lift, which I think are very comfortable and sound really good (with ANC on). These sound almost equally as good whether ANC is off or on on the Z2. The ANC on the Z2 isn’t Bose but it works OK for $80 and brightens the sound (if that is a thing). Loved the low profile look, they adjusted well but the ear cups were a bit small and shallow for me (wear 7 5/8 hat and probably have bigger than average ears). They are very light but after seeing so many pics with the ear cups broken I sent them back. I am more of a “throw the headphones in the gym bag with no case” kinda guy and don’t think they would survive. I don’t like reviews where people comment on the quality/durability of an item after owning it for a day or two but I am hard on headphones so It was just my opinion. One more Update: Treblab ended up contacting me and I ended up getting a pair of these through them at a discount. They asked me to try them out but I told them I was not going to baby them since my concern was the durability. I have used them for the last 3 months and they have been great. I cut grass, used them for lifting at the gym, wore in a hot tub a few times, threw them in and out of my gym bag and they spent a week on the floor board of my car. I had no issues. I still stand by the fact that they sound really good, somewhere with my Sony CH700N and Ghostek SoDrop2 (which have more bass). They are more comfortable than both of the headphones I mentioned but not quite as comfy as my Bose Qc25. The pads are soft and do a good job sealing around my ear after they warm up. Noise cancelling is decent but it is not a good as my Bose (most are not anyways) but there is a little loss of bass I feel. These are very balanced headphones sound wise. I bought a pair of Ghostek Sodrop Pro’s that I sent back because these sounded better. Over all for sub $100 headphones I like them. I go between these and my QC25 for the gym, I have a big head (barely have these adjusted out) and these don’t have too much clamping force but enough they don’t fall of my head when doing bench press (Sodrop2 would never stay on). I sweat like crazy in them and have not had an issue. If i had to be picky I would say make the logo grey on the ear cups and don’t put “right” and “left” on the outside of the headband, small things.

Customer Review: My wife took these running during a light rain, used them on the treadmill, did strength training, and walked to work in them. She absolutely loves them. They are a huge upgrade from her older wrap around the back headphones from around 2010. She said they are extremely comfortable, the bass is great, and the deep surrounding sound makes music more immersive. She cannot hear anything outside while wearing them, and she likes that a lot for her workouts. The design is clean and modern, and she really likes the breathable ear cushions. The fact that it comes with three different cushion sets is a nice touch, since she can swap them out for cleaning or switch to a new set when needed. They feel light on her head and do not squeeze too hard, so she can wear them for long sessions. Wireless connectivity has been rock solid. The multipoint feature works well, and she was able to switch between her phone and laptop without reconnecting. The range is also very good. She can walk across our living room or kitchen without losing signal, which is helpful when she is cleaning or moving around during workouts. The battery life has been a standout feature. She has been using them every day for almost a week and still has not needed to recharge. Charging is easy and fast, and the headphones are always ready when she is. Overall, she is very happy with the comfort, the sound, the reliable wireless range, and the long battery life. These fit her active routine extremely well and feel like a big upgrade in every way.

Customer Review: I bought a pair of these for my teenage son to replace some Skullcandy Crushers that were broken. I was blown away by these headphones. I liked them so much that I purchased a second pair for myself. These definitely have better sound quality than the Crushers he used to have (although slightly less bass). The sound quality is not quite as good as the Sennheiser Momentum 4s that I have, but other considerations prompted me to get a set for myself. Things I like/love: 1. Extra ear pads – the cloth ear pads are so much nicer for the gym. No issues with sweat and they are washable. 2. Sound quality – These actually sound pretty great and the bass is good 3. Noise cancelling – They do a great job with noise at the gym (haven’t tried on a plane yet) 4. Battery life – outstanding battery life 5. Head clamp – These fit tighter on my head and don’t wobble when working out like my Sennheisers. They are also very comfortable and not overly tight 6. Control buttons – the buttons are simple and easy to control My only real complaint is the lack of a case. I travel a lot by plane and always have headphones in my backpack. A nice small hard case would be great for travel.

Customer Review: The hybrid ANC works incredibly well on airplanes and in busy coffee shops. The ear cushions are soft, and I can wear them for hours without any discomfort. Bass is punchy but not overwhelming. Overall, an excellent pair of headphones.

Customer Review: I’ve tried several noise cancelling headphones, but these are on another level. The hybrid noise cancellation actually adapts to my environment, and the difference is noticeable. Super comfortable for long listening sessions too. I forget I’m even wearing them.

Customer Review: I can honestly say that these headphones are worth the investment. There are times when I still need to plug in my headphones with a 3.5mm cable, so I like that I can use them wired or wirelessly. When it comes to using them wirelessly with Bluetooth, they are amazing. You can connect the headphones to a single dedicated device or to two devices simultaneously. For me, that is such a great feature. I use the headphones to connect to my computer for work purposes, but they’re also connected to my phone as well. The sound quality is the best I’ve ever gotten from a set of headphones. I’ve never experienced noise-cancelling audio as precise as this. And for the times when you don’t need to totally cancel everything out, the ambient sound mode provides audio that is just as good. The Sony Sound Connect app you use with these headphones is designed to deliver the best possible sound. The equalizer function lets you control how you experience whatever you’re listening to, offering options like bright, relaxed, vocal, speech, and bass boost. I use these headphones all day while I work, and they hold a consistent charge. I still have plenty of battery life left at the end of the day, but I usually plug them up to charge when I’m done with them. The volume control buttons on the headphones are easy to use. The only thing that can be frustrating at times is that the button to stop/start a song or move to the next track is right in the middle of the volume buttons, so I end up hitting it when I want to raise the volume. However, it is nice that they’ve also included a button on the headphones to toggle between noise-cancellation and ambient sound. Again, I use these for work, so I wear them for the majority of the day. They fit well and are comfortable to wear. As the day wears on, my ears do get a little warm from the cushions around the headset, but compared to how much I like using the headphones, it’s a minor issue. The only other item of note is that, given the investment, it would be nice to include a storage box or bag. If you’re on the fence about buying these headphones, I highly recommend them. They are worth the investment, and you’ll be pleased with both the sound and design.

Customer Review: SECOND UPDATE – 11/9/2023 OK, so I have been living with these for a couple of months now and I feel I can say some things with more confidence. 1. Comfort is still a bit hit or miss. I will say the choice to put those microphones or whatever those things that stick out on the insides of the earcups was not great. I don’t always feel them pressing on my ears but the earpads are not very thick and if you don’t have them on in exactly the right way (assuming you can find a way that works for you) then the pads will flatten a bit and you’ll feel them on your ears. It’s not exactly painful. Just unpleasant. 2. And I feel the need to come back to the ear cushions themselves. Again, they just barely fit over my ears. And I wear glasses so this is a big issue with most headphones. I can sometimes get the cushions just right so they don’t smash the tips of my ears against the arms of my glasses too much but it sometimes takes a bit of extra fiddling around with them that can be annoying when I’m not in the mood for it. Again, not too much of a knock against Sony since this is a widespread issue with headphones in general. Manufacturers just seem to think if they make the cushions soft, they will be comfortable. Nope. If it smashes your ears, it will start to hurt after a while no matter how soft it is. 3. The battery life is decent but I do find myself having to charge them more often than I expected. Prior to these, I had an inexpensive pair of Jlab headphones and although their sound quality and features were lacking, the battery life was outstanding and I was just used to not charging for days and days. I pretty much wear headphones all day every day and I generally find that these will be at 50% after a couple of days. Of course that’s with noise cancelling on. But also, these are noise cancelling headphones so they were designed to be used with it on for long periods. Or should have been. I don’t know what the capacity of the battery is in these but the battery packs they use in wireless headphones are not expensive items anymore. You can buy a set of $30 wireless headphones now with a huge capacity battery. So, yes. These are lower end Sony but they’re still well above the price you pay for really basic wireless headphones. They shouldn’t have skimped on the battery capacity. That said, though I haven’t actually kept track of how many hours, it probably does meet the stated runtime. I had just hoped they were being conservative with the numbers. But also, you can’t use them and charge them at the same time so if you use your headphones constantly, that can be annoying. I don’t like to run lithium batteries much below 50%. I don’t know that it’s bad for them exactly but all of my lithium batteries have lasted me for many years using that policy so that’s what I do. When I see 40-50% I charge the battery. I know they have the quick charge feature but I like to charge and forget for many hours. It would be more useful if I could plug into a power bank for 15 minutes and still use the headphones while it’s charging. But nope. You plug into a charger and the headphones turn off. Everything said, I’m reasonably happy with them but I paid the $150 asking price they were selling for when I bought them. Knowing all I know now, I would not pay that price again for these. These are $70 headphones. Tops. They’re not that comfortable. The battery life is easily matched (or surpassed) by the least expensive wireless headphones on Amazon. The stock sound quality is not impressive at all. (I will say they sound pretty good if you tweak the EQ). The only things I have been really happy about is once I got them paired with my PC, they always connect right away when I turn them on. That’s something that is hit or miss with most bluetooth devices. And can be incredibly annoying when you have to fight to get something connected every single time. I’ve also been pretty satisfied with the noise cancelling. Which they’re the first NC headphones I’ve ever owned so I have nothing to compare it to. I’m not really understanding what Sony was trying to do with these. Their top of the line ANC headphones might be some of the best ANC but are they really $400 good? Well, if they’re anything like these, they are good but significantly overpriced. UPDATE – 9/25/2023 I realize my original review is a bit long and probably most people don’t want to read all that so after living with these for a week or so, here are some key points that I think people will want to know. 1. Comfort is just OK for people with small or medium ears that don’t stick out too far. Beyond that, the comfort might be anything from uncomfortable to painful. 2. The ANC is good enough for me. I don’t fly. I don’t use them on a bus or train or anything. I use them at home. They block out things like computer fans and voices in adjacent rooms. I have a fan right by my head and although I can still hear it, the ANC really tames it to a very gentle hiss. If voices or TV are in the same room with you, it will cause them to seem to recede quite a bit but you will still probably hear them (especially TV). The ANC works better on some frequencies than others. It almost eliminates some noises but (for example) the sound of water running nearby is something you will definitely hear. 3. I use these 90% with my Windows 10 PC and I have not experienced any of the disconnection issues that many have reported with them as long as I am only using them with my PC. However, when I do connect them to my Android phone, if I leave them connected for a while, things can get glitchy and if I then turn off the bluetooth on my phone, it will sometimes make weird things happen. Like if I have the ANC turned on on the headphones, it will turn off and forget the EQ settings I have chosen. Also, sometimes when I try to disconnect them from the phone by simply turning off bluetooth, they don’t make the disconnect sound. I don’t know. I’m glad I didn’t buy them to use exclusively with the phone. I have a different set of headphones for that. I just wanted to include this in my review to note that I did indeed notice some issues when I left them connected to my phone for a while. I will be keeping them because PC is all I care about. END UPDATE———————ORIGINAL REVIEW Things that mattered to me in choosing these headphones… 1. I’m not going to try and sugar coat this too much. I don’t have money to burn. But a set of headphones that check all my boxes without doing anything I hate for a price I can handle is a tall order. Good headphones have never been cheap. ANC is still a premium feature (though this is changing fast). These headphones were just barely in my price range at $150. And frankly, although I like everything about them (so far) I think $100 would have been closer to the price these should be selling for. This segment of the market is crowded and if I was willing to gamble even more than I did, I could have probably gotten something I was happy with for significantly less than that $150. I went with Sony because I’m an old guy and I know that you usually don’t pay more for a Sony product for no reason. 2. Comfort. Of course, we’re talking perceived comfort. Comfort involves a lot of guesswork. For these, it appears that I mostly guessed right. These just fit my ears with a little pressure here and there. My ears are not small but also not that large. If you have large ears, you should probably go somewhere where you can try the headphones on before you buy. I probably should have done this myself because comfort is always my top priority (other than price). Most likely the pads on these will not be difficult to replace should the need arise. And it usually does with headphones. Sooner or later, the pads will always wear out. 3. ANC – Of course. This is my first pair of ANC headphones and it’s everything I want. The transparency mode is slightly quieter than I would like but it’s acceptable. I’ve seen some people complaining about the ANC not being effective on these. Not sure what they’re talking about but maybe they’re coming from much higher end ANC. For me, the first day I had them, I had some people come to see me and they were banging on my door. I heard absolutely nothing. They were freaked out because they thought something was wrong. So….my verdict on this is if you want perfect ANC, maybe shop around. I’m not here to tell you it’s the best. I don’t have anything to compare it to. I can only say it leaves me wanting nothing and I’m happy with it. 4. Sound quality – Out of the box, I found the factory sound to be lacking. But that usually happens with me when I have new headphones. I can’t say for sure if the burn in effect is psychological or real but all I can say is a new pair of headphones takes some getting used to for me. At least the EQ is sufficiently adjustable in the app and I managed to get them to sound very nice. It’s nice that the settings you choose in the app will be stored in the headphones so the same settings will apply on other devices. I mostly use Bluetooth headphones on my Windows 10 PC so I’m not going to be fiddling around with the app much. These can go pretty loud and have decent bass. The drivers can provide good clarity for mids and highs if you fiddle with the EQ. The stock EQ sounds muffled. But that also might be a result of them not having been burned in. CONS – It’s really nitpicking for me to find many cons. These are great headphones (at least initially). 1. The buttons could be a bit more tactile. In particular, I find the play/pause button a bit difficult to find and always find myself hunting for it. It is right between the Vol +/- buttons and should stick out a little more than it does to make it obvious. Also, the ANC button is nearly flush with the earcup and still makes me hunt for it a bit more than I like. I think I’ll get used to these buttons eventually but I don’t love them. 2. The shortest timer for the auto off that’s available in the app is 15 minutes. I was really kind of surprised that there was no option for a shorter time. 3. The headband is adjustable by clicks. So if the size you need is between two clicks, you might have to have them slightly too tight or slightly too loose. The higher end Sony headbands with no clicks seem like they would be better in this way. 4. Although (as I said) the comfort is pretty good, it’s not great. But this is not terribly unusual for lower end headphones. I strongly prefer over ear (earcups that surround the ears rather than sit on them and smash them) and I’m very picky about it. I don’t like it if my ears are not completely inside the earcups and I don’t think it’s asking much since my ears are not enormous. I find that these do kind of smash the tops of my ears. It’s not something I notice right away but after about half an hour or so, it starts to become something I’m almost constantly aware of. It’s not exactly painful but it isn’t really pleasant either. To make matters worse, there is a seam in the fake leather that runs all the way around the inside where your ear is probably gonna be if your ears are just slightly larger than the ears of a child. I find that many of these types of earpads have that seam and I don’t know it’s purpose but I know that ones that don’t have it tend to be easier on your ears even if your ears don’t fit perfectly. So all I’m saying is this isn’t some upstart company. This is Sony. These are low end Sony headphones but they’re still not really cheap and they’re still made by an enormous company that’s been around for many decades. I don’t know what it is. Almost every company that makes headphones of this sort makes the earcups too small for even slightly larger ears. I guess they think people with larger ears don’t use headphones. Of course my ears could be really large. In which case, I probably wouldn’t be able to wear them even if they were a little larger. 5. Also, I have to kind of agree with all the other reviews that mentioned the little plastic part that sticks out from the area where the driver is on the inside of the earcup. I am not sure if it actually pushes on my ears or not but it seems like it might. I kind of feel something and it does stick out far enough to where I can see how it could rub your ears. I think these pieces are the place where the microphones are mounted so if that’s the case, they kind of have to be there but they probably don’t have to be as poorly designed as they are. I feel like I might be able to trim some of the plastic off if I really wanted to but I’m not going to start working on a brand new set of $150 headphones. It doesn’t bother me (yet) so maybe I’ll change my mind later on. I think this could have been avoided if the padding were a bit thicker on the earpads.