headphone reviews

As many you already know, Monster had a partnership with Beats to manufacture Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which now come in a variety of styles and sizes. Not too long ago the two companies severed ties, but that hasn't stopped Monster from making new headphones, and its Inspiration models officially arrive today, making their initial appearance at retail in Apple stores.

The Inspiration comes in two flavors -- a $299.99 model with active noise-cancellation and a $249.99 model with "passive" noise-cancellation. It's also available in three colors and it features a swappable headband cover that allows you to customize the look of your headphones (Monster includes an extra headband cover in the box and you can purchase a three-pack for $15). … Read more

I'm hoping the whole celebrity-branded headphone shtick will soon run its course, but I have to admit Monster's new Earth Wind & Fire Gratitude in-ear headphones are pretty spectacular.

Earth, Wind & Fire was one of the most popular funk bands of the 1970s, so naturally they were primed to attach their name to a headphone. That's fine, but I have to judge a headphone on its build and sound quality, and the Gratitude is a very decent headphone indeed. The heavy gold accents on the earpieces were a little gaudy for my taste, but that's … Read more

The market for quality headphones is still growing by leaps and bounds, so there are lots of new brands getting into the game.

When Hifiman introduced the HE-5 headphone in 2009, I was so impressed I compared it with $1,000+ models from Audio Technica, Denon, Grado, Sennheiser, and Ultrasone, and the upstart company's headphone model more than held its own.

More recently I looked at the Hifiman HE-500 headphones ($699), and compared them with one of the best headphones in the world, the Audeze LCD-2 ($945). That one's low bass felt more solid and had superior impact, but the HE-500's midrange and treble were more detailed and present.

The HE-300 ($249) shares the HE-500's styling, but uses more conventional driver technology. It's lighter in weight (270 grams), has a leather headband and soft velvet earpads, and comes with a user-replaceable 9-foot-long cable terminated with a 3.5mm plug (and there's a 6.3mm adaptor). The long cable is bulky and a little stiff, but since it's user-replaceable, HE-300 owners may find shorter, more flexible alternatives. The headphone comes with a sturdy padded storage case. Comfort over long listening sessions was good, but not up to full-size Sennheiser headphone standards. That company has a real knack for making comfy headphones. … Read more

Thinksound's awesome little ts02 in-ear headphones($100) knocked me out in March, so I was eager to hear the company's new model, the ms01.

It doesn't look a whole lot different than the ts02, but that's not a bad thing. Both models are smaller and more comfortable than most in-ears, and both block a good amount of external noise. Almost as much as a noise-canceling headphone, and unlike NC models, the ms01 doesn't run on batteries.

The ms01 in-ear monitor ($100) features an 8 mm high-definition driver, PVC-free cables, and hand-crafted, sustainable, wood ear-pieces. The … Read more

We test a lot of headphones here at CNET, and the good ones tend to set you back more than $100. But a new headphone company, Sol Republic, is hoping to change that with a line of headphones that deliver very good sound and durability for a more affordable price.

In case you're wondering what "Sol" stands for, it has nothing to do with the sun but is an acronym for "soundtrack of life." The company's founders have a good pedigree in the headphone business, and co-founder and CEO Kevin Lee is the son of Monster Cable founder Noel Lee, widely credited for driving the popular Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones at Monster. … Read more

BlueAnt branches out from its Bluetooth wireless roots with a wired stereo "headset" it calls Embrace. The stylish over-ear headphones include an integrated mic and controls for iOS devices that allow you to make hands-free calls and play, pause, and track-forward audio selections. Although their $200 retail price tag sways toward the higher end of the consumer market, we recommend these over-ear headphones for their robust, well-defined sound and padded comfort.

As far as their design, the Embrace headphones seem to have drawn inspiration from Bowers and Wilkins' P5 headphones. They have rectangular earcups that are aptly padded … Read more

First things first: I think most in-ear headphone designs are pretty uninspired-looking things. Sure, ear-canal headphones are so tiny there's not a lot to work with, but I have to say Bowers & Wilkins' new C5 is a stunning piece of industrial design. The tungsten and aluminum headphone is the prettiest in-ear design I've seen to date.

The headphones' proprietary Secure Loop cable is a unique design element and can be adjusted to fit in the inner ridge of your ear to help secure the tip in place. My ear canals are bigger than average, so I don'… Read more

Most of the Bluetooth headphones we review sit on top of your head, but the Outdoor Technology Bluetooth Tags fit in your ears with a long cord that wraps around your neck, which comes in handy when you're not listening to music. They're meant to dangle off your neck like a pair of dog tags, and a small plastic clip on the wire lets you twist them together.

The set comes with three colo-coded ear tip sizes, a Mini-USB cable for charging through a port on your computer, and a small plastic carrying case.

Since there's no room on the cable for the remote control, all the navigation is done directly on the right earbud using three buttons: one multifunction button to play and stop, and two directional buttons to skip forward or backward through a playlist.

The company also includes two plastic ear clips that securely fasten to your ears while you're listening. The tags weren't specifically designed for athletes, but the clips make it easy to add a soundtrack for jogging, cycling, hiking, and other active sports.… Read more

Introducing a great new headphone resource: Inner Fidelity, created by audiophile and technician Tyll Hertsens. When I met Hertsens about 10 years ago he quickly became my prime source for information about headphones. Now with his new Web site, everyone has access to Hertsen's knowledge base.

He made a big splash with one of the site's first reviews, the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo headphones, and let's just say Hertsens didn't love them. You won't have to read between the lines to learn how Hertsens feels about a set of headphones. He also did a … Read more