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Wired headphones

What's the best headphone to buy this holiday season? Well, you've got a number of good options to choose from in various styles and price points.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
David Carnoy
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1 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony MDR-1R

The Sony MDR-1R is a very comfortable over-the-ear headphone that also sounds quite good.

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2 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

KEF M500

KEF, another British company known for its high-end speakers, has entered the headphone market with a luxurious on-ear model, the M500.

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3 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony MDR-7506

Sony's MDR-7506 has been around for ages. But it's also aged very well.

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4 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sennheiser Momentum

It's not cheap, but the beautifully designed Momentum delivers true audiophile-grade sound.

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5 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

In terms of pure performance for the money, Audio-Technica's ATH-M50 is right at the top of our list.

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6 of 14 Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins P5

Bowers & Wilkins' new, more expensive over-the-ear P7 ($399) delivers richer sound than the P5, but the P5 is still one of our on-ear favorites.

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7 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Audio-Technica ATH-M30

The ATH-M30 may not have the build quality of the ATH-M50, but it's one of the best-sounding "budget" audiophile headphones.

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8 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Moshi Mythro

At around $30, the Moshi Mythro delivers excellent sound for the buck.

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9 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Bose Quiet Comfort 15

It's been around a while, but the Bose Quiet Comfort still delivers best-in-class noise cancellation and a highly comfortable fit. Through the end of the year at least you can also pick it up in the limited edition slate/brown version pictured above. And if you want you're QC15s to stand out even more, Bose is also offering swanky customized color options for $100 more.

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10 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Beats Studio 2013

The original Beats Studio hyped the bass hard. The new Beats Studio 2013 doesn't.

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11 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

V-Moda Remix Remote

The in-ear V-Moda Remix Remote delivers excellent sound (with lots of bass) in a relatively affordable package.

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12 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

V-Moda Crossfade M-100

We gave the V-Moda Crossfade M-100 an Editors' Choice Award for its combination of excellent sound and build quality.

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13 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Klipsch S4i II

Everybody seemed to love the original Klipsch S4i. The second generation features a better, more durable cord design.

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14 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Bose Quiet Comfort 20i

The Bose QC 20 is expensive, but if you're a frequent traveler looking for a noise-cancelling headphone in a small package, them make a lot of sense.

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