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Ear Pad Headphones

This category contains headphones that have earcups that do not completely encircle the ear, and are typically fairly small in size. This type of headphone is more properly called a "supra-aural" (on top of the ear) headphone, but we don’t like using the word as we have to explain it every darn time. People buy this type of headphone because they want something ergonomic, lightweight and potentially easy to stuff into a backpack or briefcase. This is a huge category of headphones; here you’ll find cans ranging from $20 to $700. These headphones are typically 'open' designs since many don’t enclose the ear canal well enough to fully shut out external noise. But there are also some excellent sealed-design headphones within this supra-aural "earpad" category as well. We will discuss both!

Ear Pad Headphones under $50

The category of low-cost, very small and/or folding earpad headphones has been really heating up the past few years and a number of the bigger manufacturers have joined in with the traditional offerings from stalwart Koss. The old-standby from Koss Porta Pro is a dependable little can and we’ve steadily recommended it for years. It continues to be perhaps the best-sounding of the bunch that follows … by a VERY slim margin. The Sennheiser PX100 is not quite as well-extended at the extremes of the audio spectrum, but easily wins the ergonomics/comfort/looks race against the Koss hands down. Getting a proper earcup seal on the PX200 isn’t easy, but these cans will effectively attenuate the outside world and they sound decent-- if you can get them to fit right. At an even lower pricepoint, which is amazing all by itself, AKG offers the now-discontinued K-26p and K-24 models. The low-priced AKG K24P wasn't nearly as refined as the excellent PX100, or the only slightly larger Sennheiser HD202, but it might have been a valid consideration for an extra-tight budget. The K26P had a bit bigger kick in the bass than any of any of the above 'phones, and in a nicely full-sounding way; Its a great rock/hip-hop/funk/modern produced music sort of headphone! And given fact that it’s a sealed-earcup design makes it all the better for a useful inexpensive pair of 'noise-blocking' cans. The honest truth is all the headphones mentioned here are awesome value-loaded purchases.

You’ll find a big bunch of headphones clustered just under $50 bucks. We'll talk about just a few: Once again, the discontinued AKG K26P was the perfect young rocker/ rapper/ trancer/ dancer/ turntablist headphone for listeners needing a sealed can for walking-around, work, or scholastic purposes. (A newly re-tooled 26p model is on the way soon from AKG.) Also a great choice at the pricepoint is the Sennheiser HD205. These mid-size headphones have a tight and a modestly excessive bass hump … but we mean that in a good way. We hate boomy, mushy unresponsive bass, and luckily these cans do too. Fairly tight, high-impact dynamics and an acceptable well-balanced audio response make these headphones a very cool portable listen at a really good price.

Ear Pad Headphones, $50-$100

The Beyer DT231 Galactic, and Sennheiser EH250 are both very good sounding smaller-sized sealed headphones. The Sennheiser is slightly easier to drive from portable players and perhaps more stylish, the Beyer may have a slight edge in sound quality with a slightly rounder, brighter overall tonality, but both are really quite good cans at the pricepoint.

There are a couple of great-sounding sub-$100 small-sized earpad 'open' earcup headphones too: the Grado SR60 and the Sennheiser EH350. Both these cans are excellent audio performers at the price, with the SR-60 playing articulate and vivacious to the warmer and smoothly lush tone of the EH 350. The Grado probably still retains the leading edge as a sonically exciting headphone for many listeners, but you’ll may lose some minor comfort to get it.

Ear Pad Headphones, $100 and up

Once you get over a hundred dollars, this whole 'Earpad' category starts to fall apart a bit. The never-ending quest for upgraded sound will likely take you into full-sized (circumaural) headphones while this particular 'earpad/supra-aural' headphone category becomes increasingly specialized to some degree.

Having just said that, we’ll have to elaborate as we explain that many hardcore headphone audiophiles revere the Grado line of earpad headphones. Grados are all somewhat different in design from other high-end cans since the Grado earpads tend to partially rest on your earlobes rather than completely around the ear as most "full-sized" audiophile-grade cans do. Grado headphones are based on a singular rather old-school design philosophy, but when you got a horse that runs this strong, ride it over the hills & far away! Grado headphones have long been known for their intense immediacy, clarity, and terrific sonic punch, an exciting sound for many listeners. They are also considered by some to be a little edgy-sounding and not particularly richly extended deep into the bass bracket. Out of the entire Grado line, we think the Grado SR60 and SR225 are probably the best overall buys. However, the stratospherically priced RS1 and the impressive GS1000 ($995) are a true audio connoisseur's lushly-colored delights. We highly recommend either of these uber-fun Grado models as true culmination headphones alongside your more technically "neutral" reference headphones.

Sennheiser's Noise-Canceling Ear Pad Headphones

A wide array of Sennheiser "Noise-Canceling" headphones are available between $100-$450usd. Generally, we believe that ear canal headphones (ECHs) are the best way to block-out nearly all ambient noise, but if you don’t want to stick something into your ear canal, a regular 'sealed/closed' earcup headphone will provide both better isolation & much better sound than "active" Noise-Canceling headsets. But then again, who the heck are we to stand in the way of a technology that works so handily on airplanes?! -- If seeking active Noise-Canceling cans, the bargain-priced Sennheiser PXC 150, Sennheiser PXC 250, Sennheiser PXC 300 and especially the clean-sounding, circumaural [full-size], audiophile-oriented Sennheiser PXC 350 and the "Talk-Through" Sennheiser PXC 450 version -- with upgraded noise-canceling -- are all highly ergonomic, well-made Noise-Canceling headsets and typically sound equal or superior to the other big-name NC headphones out there.

Sennheiser Sealed Ear Pad Headphones

Not that most drummers would have the ability to read this far (JUST KIDDING!...We love drummer jokes-- who doesn't?) but these next two cans are great headphones for the percussion or bass-entranced listeners out there. The Sennheiser HD25-1 and HD25-SP WILL definitely stay on your active head; the superb HD25-1 model even has a well-crafted comfy split headband that can partially encircle your head for unbelievable head-banging stability. Both these cans are a bit hard to drive from portables but when plugged into a mixer or headphone amp they will rock your world.

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