How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a proven, feature-dense over-ear headphone with a wired fallback, multipoint pairing and low-latency aptX for video, choose August Over Ear; if you need true active noise cancellation with a long 30-hour battery for flights, trains and noisy offices, choose commalta Active Noise Cancelling.
• August Over Ear — biggest strength: A rare feature set for this class, with aptX Low Latency, NFC tap-to-pair, multipoint Bluetooth, a 3.5 mm wired option, a companion EQ app and a built-in mic for calls.
• August Over Ear — biggest trade-off: It uses sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation, and its rated battery life is around 10 hours per charge.
• commalta Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: Genuine active noise cancellation paired with a rated 30 hours of playtime, ideal for long sessions in loud places.
• commalta Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: No wired mode, no low-latency codec, no app EQ and no announced multipoint — it is a wireless-first, simpler tool.
• Who each pick is for: August Over Ear suits people who switch between devices, watch a lot of video and want a cable backup; commalta suits people who mainly want to silence the world around them for hours at a time.
The August EP650 is the more "connected" of the two. Its headline trick is aptX Low Latency, which keeps audio and video in sync when you are watching a series on a laptop or gaming on a compatible device — the kind of lag that makes cheap Bluetooth headphones feel unusable for anything but music. Around that sit NFC for quick pairing, multipoint so it can hold two sources at once (say a phone plus a PC), and a free August Audio EQ app for Android and iOS if you want to nudge the tuning toward deeper bass, a flatter response or brighter highs.
Physically it is a 235 g over-ear design with 50 mm dynamic drivers rated from 60 Hz to 20 kHz and a 50 ohm impedance, wrapped in an ABS, metal and PU build with soft padding and an adjustable, flexible headband. The controls live on the earcup as a side remote: volume, track skipping and call handling, backed by a built-in mic that also works for VOIP apps and gaming chats. Power is rated at about 10 hours from a 2-hour charge, and the package includes a carrying case.
Who should buy it: commuters and desk workers who juggle a phone and a computer, anyone who watches a lot of video and hates lip-sync drift, and people who want a cable option for when the battery runs out — the 3.5 mm jack means it keeps working as a plain wired headphone. Who should skip it: if your priority is blocking out engine drone or open-plan office chatter, sound isolation is a passive approach and will not match real ANC. The 10-hour battery is also modest next to the commalta's 30 hours, so a long-haul flight on ANC alone is not what this one is built for.
The commalta Model 6 is built around one idea: quiet. Its active noise cancellation is designed to reduce the noise around you so you can stay focused on what you are listening to, and the brand explicitly pitches flights, subways, cubicles, open offices and home offices as its natural habitat. If your day involves engines, air conditioning hum or a room full of other people, that is the feature doing the real work here.
The sound side is handled by 45 mm acoustic drivers, tuned for crisp highs, present mids and clear bass. There is a built-in microphone with call technology for taking calls on the move and a voice-driven control method, so you are not hunting for buttons mid-conversation. Comfort is a stated priority: it is described as lightweight and adjustable, with memory foam ear cushions, an adjustable headband and angled swivel earcups so you can angle each cup to suit your head. The rated playtime is up to 30 hours per charge, and the frame is plastic, with the model listed for ages 12 and up.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, train commuters, students in busy libraries, and anyone in an open office who wants the room to fade rather than just be muffled. Who should skip it: if you need a wired connection, a low-latency mode for gaming, app-based EQ or dual-device pairing, none of those are part of this specification — it is a wireless ANC headphone first and foremost, and that is the whole point.
• Best for noise cancellation → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. It is the only one of the two with active noise cancellation; the August relies on passive sound isolation.
• Best for battery life → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. Up to 30 hours rated versus roughly 10 hours on the August.
• Best for watching video without audio delay → August Over Ear. aptX Low Latency is the specific feature for keeping sound and picture together.
• Best for switching between two devices → August Over Ear. Multipoint pairing lets it stay connected to a phone and a computer at the same time.
• Best for a wired backup → August Over Ear. The 3.5 mm jack means it works even with a flat battery; the commalta is wireless only.
• Best for customising your sound → August Over Ear. The August Audio EQ app lets you adjust the tuning; the commalta has no companion EQ app.
• Best for comfort over very long sessions → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. Memory foam cushions and angled swivel earcups are aimed squarely at all-day wear.
• Best for quick pairing and calls on the go → a split. August offers NFC tap-to-pair; commalta leans on voice control and its built-in call mic.
If I had to pick one for myself, I would buy the commalta Active Noise Cancelling. The reason is simple: the feature I would actually use most is active noise cancellation, and 30 hours of rated playtime means I am not babysitting a charger on a long trip. In my opinion, if your environment is the problem — planes, trains, shared offices — ANC is worth more than any codec or app.
That said, if you watch a lot of video, hop between a laptop and a phone, and like the safety net of a cable, I would recommend the August Over Ear instead. It is the more versatile tool; the commalta is the quieter one.
Yes, on paper. The commalta has active noise cancellation, which uses electronics to reduce surrounding noise, while the August uses sound isolation — passive padding that blocks some noise but does not cancel it.
The commalta, by a wide margin. It is rated at up to 30 hours of playtime, while the August is rated at around 10 hours from a 2-hour charge. If you fly long-haul or forget to charge often, that gap matters.
Yes. It has a 3.5 mm jack, so you can plug it in and keep listening when the battery is empty. The commalta is a wireless-only design, so there is no wired fallback.
For synced audio and video, I would lean to the August Over Ear, because aptX Low Latency is designed to minimise the delay between picture and sound. The commalta is more about blocking out the room than about low-latency timing.
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