HeadRoom's 10 Best Headphones
This is where we boil down all our voluminous headphone knowledge to its bare essence and recommend around ten (or so!) headphones... So, in roughly ascending cost order, here they are:
Our current favorite inexpensive, general purpose, portable-application 'sealed/closed' headphone is the efficient beyerdynamic DT231-Galactic model. It sounds decent with a clean silky treble range extension and features a sealed-earcup [a.k.a "closed"] construction to provide some degree of external/ambient noise-blocking. For a little better sound, but without the ambient seal, have a look at the Koss Porta Pro or the equally excellent, but better-looking, Sennheiser PX100.
The Grado Labs SR60 has long been our recommended entry point for folks looking for excellent sound from an affordably-priced open headphone. Perhaps our favorite can in the entire Grado 'SR' line, the SR60 model likely delivers the best overall sound quality under $100. Sure it’s not the best-looking pair of headphones ever, but you're not going to mind looking a tad old-school with a noggin full of awesome sound.
Its bargain $99 price tag makes the Sennheiser HD280 Pro the official “go-to” recommendation for full-sized, sealed/closed headphones. Obviously, great sound quality will win our hearts (& ears!) over every time but a very good ambient noise seal, plus the handy ability to fold up into a smallish lumpy bundle for transit, makes these headphones a really spectacular buy at the price. However, another $50 bucks up and you own the incredible DENON AH-D1001K sealed-back headphone, which we feel to be sonically superior to many headphones at nearly twice their price.
In the formerly-ignored, lowly 'earbud' category, the Yuin PK1 easily remains the most impressive earbud performer we've heard especially when mated with any dedicated portable headphone amp. Frequent travelers realize that 'ear canal headphones' (ECHs) provide far better isolation and overall sound quality than 'noise-canceling' or even high-end sealed/closed headphones. About the best thing to ever happen to an iPod or Mp3 player, the Shure SE310 is an ECH with a nice mix of excellent audio performance, great ambient noise isolation, and a reasonable price.
Shure’s older-model ECHs may have perhaps been a little hit-and-miss in the distant past -- ABSOLUTELY no longer! Their recent SE530 earphones not only sound truly impressive and deliver near-total isolation but the entire build quality/ergonomics/looks equation is a big winner. These miniaturized cans are simply superbly detailed, evenly balanced, and ultra-dynamic throughout the entire musical frequency spectrum, a rather rarified mix of traits even for top-shelf ear canal headphones (ECHs).
Moving on to conventional full-size "audiophile" headphones: For a slightly 'quicker' (or more forward-sounding) and very lively top-of-the-line headphone, the Sennheiser HD 595 comes fairly close to it’s more elegant, smooth-sounding, and very sophisticated big brother HD 650 in overall audio performance but provides a bit more "up-front" and less laid-back sonic presentation. The HD595's ultra-efficient 50-ohm operation is also a big plus and quite rare in this caliber of high-end headphone.
The newest incarnation of AKG’s flagship headphone is the K701 and, boy, does it sound amazing! After a rather lengthy initial break-in period, the K-701's sound eventually becomes textured, refined, and punchy -- a superb combination of sonic characteristics. Pair it up with a world-class HeadRoom headphone amplifier and a reference audio source, and we promise you one of the purest high-end listening experiences you’ve ever had. Speaking of pure reference listening, the intensely impressive Denon AH-D2000 headphone is one of the best headphones in the industry -- in either the closed or open categories -- and offers the kind of timbral clarity and tonal precision formerly unheard in closed-back cans, EXCEPT for maybe its warmer-toned big-brother Denon AH-D5000 model at double the price! Finally, the terrifically analytical beyerdynamic DT880 is supremely dynamic and precisely detailed throughout the entire frequency spectrum and is also amongst the most ergonomically comfortable full-size headphones on the market... And, of course, please don't forget our standard HeadRoom 30-day 'no-questions-asked' satisfaction policy absolutely guarantees you'll love whatever you hear!
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Sennheiser PX 100Great sound, unbelievable ergonomics, fab price; Must-have upgrade for your portable player or iPhone. |
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$59.95 |
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beyerdynamic DT 231Well-balanced sound & superbly comfortable fit. A top choice amongst inexpensive sealed cans. SOLD-OUT! NEW DT235 MODEL COMING SOON! |
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$79.00 |
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Grado SR 60Perhaps lacking fashionista looks, these set the standard for superb sound amongst inexpensive headphones. |
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$69.00 |
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Sennheiser HD 280 ProHigh marks for this workhorse sealed headphone. Tremendous price-to-performance ratio. |
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$199.95 |
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DENON AH-D1001KHigh-caliber sealed headphone. Excellent price-to-audio performance ratio |
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$149.99 |
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Yuin PK1Upscale Amp-Powered Earbuds Featuring Amazingly Superb Sound |
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$159.00 |
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Shure SE310A solid step into performance ear-canal headphones, and a new world of music in your noggin. |
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$299.99 |
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beyerdynamic DT 880Invitingly accurate and open-toned reference listening ... Perhaps the best, period? |
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$489.00 |
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AKG K 701WOW! AKG’s contender for the top-of-the-heap dynamic headphone delivers a headful of great sound. |
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$449.95 |
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DENON AH-D2000Accurate, lively presentation and true reference sound rarely found in sealed headphones. |
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$349.00 |
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Shure SE530Outstanding Audiophile Performance From Category-Leading Ear-Canal Headphone. |
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$499.99 |
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Sennheiser HD 650Sennheiser's gleaming flagship headphone. A world-class can with an organic, refined, and laid-back sound. |
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$599.95 |
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DENON AH-D5000The top sealed headphone we've heard and as good as the best open cans. Yep, you read that right! |
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$699.00 |
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