I've spent the last year obsessively delving into the world of audiophile headphones and there are a few things I want to share right off the bat.
First, while price and sound quality correlate within a given price bracket, this relationship isn't strictly linear, and past a certain threshold, paying more yields diminishing returns. But there are exceptions. (If the price range below is too rich, I would also advise you check out my list of the best budget headphones, as there are some great options there for under $200.)
Second, a neutral-sounding headphone is going to be considered excellent by the majority of listeners. That doesn't mean you should ignore sets with distinct colourations. It just means that the majority of people will find a neutral tuning to be better quality. I've included all sorts in this list, because I enjoy all sorts, and I make it clear what type of tuning each pair of headphones is aiming for.
Third, it doesn't matter how good a pair of headphones is if you can't wear them due to comfort issues.
Fourth, value is as important as tuning.
This list, therefore, is a highly personal take on the best-sounding headphones that I've come across after listening to around 100 headphones. I consider price, value, comfort, to a lesser extent design (as it's so subjective), and to a greater extent tuning for each. If you want some in-ear options, check out my list of the best budget IEMs (starting at $23).
Best overall
30-second review: If I could only have one headphone, this would be it. Upon its release last year, I suggested HEDD was aiming for perfection with the D1, and although I know that unattainable, D1 is currently as close to perfect that any headphone brand has got for the majority of people. Crystal clear, detailed, and supremely balanced, this is the reference headphone that I compare all headphones to... and none can equal.
Price & value: At $799 / £599, this is an investment. But as I think this could be the only headphone that you own, for both audiophile, critical listening purposes and as a pro, mixing engineering tool, I still think it's good value.
Sound: Colourations such as elevated bass or treble, or dips in the midrange to give a sense of space... none of that is going on here. What the D1 is aiming for is to represent each recording as neutrally and realistically as possible. The down side to this is where a bassy headphone might cover up the sins of a thinly recorded track, you get no such generosity with the D1. The up side of that is that when you listen to well-recorded and mixed music, everything shines!
Comfort: Although the headband padding could have been softer, I don't have any meaningful comfort issues with the D1. Some reviewers have had issues with that band, and so have bought an extra Capra strap to make the headphone feel like it's floating on your head, and having tried that, it's nice, but not essential for me.
The ear cups are incredibly well-cushioned, and the otherwise metal shell feels utilitarian and like it'll last a lifetime.
Bassy closed-back
30-second review: The FT1 headphones are giant slayers and value kings, and a lot of fun. Whereas bass can get bloated very quickly on a poorly tuned set of commercial headphones, the FT1 offers bass quality as well as quantity – it's textured and punchy and a lot of fun for everything from rock to EDM. It also looks cool and is super comfy.
Price: At $159, I think these are one of the best-value options on sale in the closed-back market. You can definitely spend less for headphones, but there's a reason why I choose this the best overall headphone in my list of the best budget headphones. The balance of price, value and sound quality elevated this above its peers.
Sound: Usually closed-back designs can spell problems for a resounding bass and a lack of nuance in the rest of the tuning, but not so with the FT1. The bass is big and bold, but also textured and punchy. None of which would matter if the rest of the frequency response was a mess, but it isn't. The midrange is remarkably balanced for a closed-back, and the treble, although a bit spicy, makes this a highly enjoyable V-shaped sound signature.
Comfort: A bit hit and miss, to be honest. The headband is on the thin side, and I've bought a Capra strap, which elevates the comfort to close to perfect (though that is an extra $35). The ear cups, however, are big and cushioned and very comfortable.
Mid-price open-back
30-second review: These were the first audiophile headphones I ever bought, and what an introduction to the hobby they were! It's all about the midrange with these headphones, but with a more extended bass response than their older brothers the HD 600 and HD 650. The HD 550 also has slightly different emphasis in the treble to those classics, and depending on who you ask, it comes across as brighter. I think there's more action around the 5 and 6kHz region of the HD 550, so things like vocals are presented in a brighter light, which also diminishes the timbral accuracy of the presentation, but the up side is things feel a bit cleaner with more perceived detail.
Price: At $350, this is a step up from the budget bangers that I recommend. Still, for the experience of neutral/bright, I think this is exceptional value – and that crisp profile also works excellently for gaming, extending its potential use for you.
Sound: When I first heard the HD 550, I had that cliché 'first audiophile listening experience'. I heard details in familiar music that I had never heard before, and I was more fully engaged with the totality of the music than before. That's because the HD 550 is an incredibly well balanced headphone that verges on bright, and so puts a spotlight on a lot of instruments and vocals. Its midrange is the star, which is rich and full, and its bass plenty punchy too.
Comfort: The HD 550 are some of the most comfortable headphones I've tried. That's largely because they are so light at 237g, but also the design allows for room around the ears, so you never feel cramped, and the clamp force is less than many other Sennheiser models. I'd understand if someone thought the light, mainly plastic shell felt a little cheaper than the heftier models out there, but I think that's a compromise I'd take every day of the week.
Smooth treble
30-second review: The Edition XV gives a very open, detailed experience, but not at the cost of your ear health – unlike most audiophile headphones, it does not have a treble-forward or bright tuning. That means you probably won't get the perceived details that come with bright cans, but it also means that if you're sensitive to treble frequencies, you're in safe hands with the Edition XV.
Price: This is $400, and to my mind it's worth every penny. Again, I would suggest this could be someone's one and only pair of headphones, especially if this is the warm/dark tuning for you.
Sound: As mentioned, this has a warm upper bass/lower midrange, a slightly pulled back upper midrange, and a smooth, though still extended, treble. The result is that you can listen to these for hours on end without your ears getting fatigued from elevated upper midrange/treble burnout. I actually think there's plenty of detail on show here, it's just more measured than the treble screechers out there. The Edition XV really is a quintessential open-back headphone, and I feel that there's plenty of room given to instruments.
Comfort: With its in-built faux leather head strap, and massive ear cups that wouldn't even touch Dumbo's ears, this is a very comfortable headphone. And just as well, as it can definitely be used for multi-hour listening sessions with its inviting sound profile.
FAQs
What's the difference between commercial, pro and audiophile headphones?
Commercial headphones are characterised by extreme V-shaped sound signatures – elevated bass, elevated treble, and whatever midrange can be discerned between the two. Anyone that is coming from using this type of headphone – Beats by Dre, for example – is in for a detail shock when picking up any of the headphones above.
Then there are pro headphones, that generally serve a specific purpose other than making music sound 'good'. There are closed-back studio headphones mainly used for tracking in a studio – they need to isolate sound, prevent mic bleed, and withstand heavy use. You can also find open-back pro headphones, used for mixing and mastering. They can be tuned to spot mistakes in the mix, so it's common that you'll get an elevated upper midrange or treble to put that range of instruments / vocals under the microscope.
Then there are audiophile headphones that are just for the sheer joy of it all. There's no one 'good' tuning for these, but the Harman research found that what people describe as 'neutral' was also what they described as 'good', so that can often be a tuning goal.
However, there are as many differently tuned headphones as there are tastes in music, so choosing an audiophile headphone is a fundamentally personal journey.
Do you need a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and amplifier to use these headphones?
Yes, but you likely already own them, and if you don't you probably don't have to spend a lot of money on getting them.
If you own an Apple Silicon (M-series) MacBook, it will have an in-built DAC/Amp that you use when you use the 3.5mm jack. Actually all laptops with a 3.5mm jack port do, but the quality varies – MacBooks are universally well-regarded. With most of the headphones in this list, a laptop will suffice in making the most of your new headphones.
There's a whole industry based on DACs and amps, and you might hear that the better the DAC/Amp the better the audio experience you will have. I broadly disagree with this.
There are now a number of excellent, affordable DAC/Amp dongle options out there that will do the job of letting your headphone shine – after all, that's where the vast majority of sound characteristics come from.
I have expensive desktop DAC/Amps because I've got them through work, but my MacBook would suffice if I didn't. Whenever I write a review, I test headphones across all my source gear. Aside from peak volume limits on harder-to-drive units, I hear no meaningful sound quality benefit when running them through a $700 desktop setup versus a cheap portable dongle. I'm listening to the D1 headphones right now, through my $33 FiiO dongle, playing lossless Spotify on my smartphone, and it sounds just as great as it does through the Luxsin X8.
Ultimately, your ears may pick up differences that you find meaningful enough to justify spending lots of money on desktop DAC/Amps. Perhaps I'm just blessed that mine haven't. But if you're in doubt, you can blind test different DAC/Amps and find out for yourself. I have done this, and I cannot find meaningful differences between various DAC/Amps that are not broken or designed to distort the frequency response.
Of course, a nice-looking DAC/Amp is more than just a source of power – they can be designed beautifully, and using them can be a lot of fun. Again, that's a very personal thing. So, do you need to spend as much on a DAC/amp as you did on your headphones? In my humble opinion, hell no.
