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top selection guides

10 Best Headphones
Our top 10 favorite headphones ... it's so hard to just pick ten.

Top Noise Blocking Headphones
A selection of great headphones for isolated listening, including in-ear, noise cancelling, and sealed types.

Top Picks for Audiophiles
Our favorite headphones and electronics for the established audiophile.

HeadRoom's Top Amps & DACs
HeadRoom's most popular amps & DACs for getting the most out of your headphones.

See All Selection Guides

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Selection Guide: Ultimate Headphones

home >  selection guide > headroom's top picks > ultimate headphones

If Looking for World's Best Headphones, You've Come to the Right Place!

After 20 years of listening to and bench testing thousands of headphones of all stripes, HeadRoom knows "great" when we hear it. The following list represents many of the world's very best headphones. Historically, the top-performing headphones have been open designs, but lately some incredibly good closed-back headphones have appeared that rival open-back sound quality. Even some reference in-ear headphones can now be found on this list. Without question, all these headphones are good enough to warrant an excellent headphone amplifier for maximized acoustic detail, dynamics, and musical resolution.

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Etymotic ER-4S
our price:
$299.00
sugg. retail price:
$299.00 add to cart more info

Etymotic ER-4S

Universal-fit in-ear headphones w/ -23dB of isolation; travel never sounded so good! 100 Ohm impedance ideal for headphone amps.

Sennheiser HD 650
our price:
$499.95
sugg. retail price:
$499.95 add to cart more info

Sennheiser HD 650

Gleaming world-class audiophile headphone with articulate laid-back sound

Shure SE535
our price:
$499.99
sugg. retail price:
$549.99 add to cart more info

Shure SE535

3-driver reference in-ears with detachable flex cord and top acoustics. Add iPhone or smartphone cord w/ mic. Pick a color!

HiFiMAN HE-500
our price:
$699.00
sugg. retail price:
$699.00 add to cart more info

HiFiMAN HE-500

Organic liquidity and dynamic ease from beauteous planar magnetic 'Orthodynamic' headphone

DENON AH-D7100
our price:
$899.00
sugg. retail price:
$1,199.00 add to cart more info

DENON AH-D7100

NEW! Heir to the lush and lauded D7000, the D7100 neatens the bottom-end for acoustic balance

Audeze LCD-2 Bamboo
our price:
$995.00
sugg. retail price:
$995.00 add to cart more info

Audeze LCD-2 Bamboo

Revolutionary planar magnetic 'Orthodynamic' reference headphones with juicy accuracy. Leather headband, bamboo earcups.

Fostex TH-600
our price:
$1,299.00
sugg. retail price:
$1,299.00 add to cart more info

Fostex TH-600

NEW.  Little brother to the venerable Fostex TH-900, the Fostex TH-600 headphones are a premium sealed headphone.

Sennheiser HD 800
our price:
$1,499.95
sugg. retail price:
$1,499.95 add to cart more info

Sennheiser HD 800

Touted by many audiophiles as "The World's Best Headphones!" Do you agree?

Sennheiser HD 800 Balanced
our price:
$1,649.95
sugg. retail price:
$1,949.95 add to cart more info

Sennheiser HD 800 Balanced

Sennheiser HD800 converted by us and made ready for HeadRoom BUDA XLR balanced-drive headphone amp

Fostex TH-900
our price:
$1,999.00
sugg. retail price:
$2,399.00 add to cart more info

Fostex TH-900

The most expensive sealed headphones in the industry -- and totally worth it for spare-no-expense music freaks.

AKG K 701 White
our price:
$349.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

AKG K 701 White

Highly dynamic and accurate, a top contender for most precise audiophile listening experience under $700

JH Audio JH13 Pro
our price:
$1,099.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

JH Audio JH13 Pro

6 discrete drivers per side and the most musically accurate in-ear monitors available in the industry. 'Nuff said.

HiFiMAN HE 6
our price:
$1,299.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

HiFiMAN HE 6

High-end planar-magnetic audiophile 'Orthodynamic' headphone with pristine detail and fluid clarity

Beyerdynamic Tesla T1
our price:
$1,399.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

Beyerdynamic Tesla T1

Spot-on tonal balance and spatial imaging matched with superb ergonomics. 600 Ohm German headphone wizardry

Grado PS1000
our price:
$1,695.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

Grado PS1000

Extreme and beautiful high-end audiophile/professional headphones from Brooklyn industry lions

Audeze LCD-3
our price:
$1,945.00
Stock Status:
1 to 2 Weeks
more info

Audeze LCD-3

Striking clarity and deep engagement from new LOTUS planar-magnetic drivers freshly engineered from ground up.

JH Audio JH16 Pro
our price:
$1,149.00
Stock Status:
Special Order
more info

JH Audio JH16 Pro

Another JHA first: Double dual low-frequency + dual midrange + dual tweeter drivers & 3-way integrated crossovers. You read that right. 16 audio drivers, 1 perfect custom in-ear headphone. Pick your color.