The Monoprice 8323 Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphones are, hands-down, the best full-size, over-the-ear headphones you can buy on the cheap. I doubt anyone will think the mostly black-plastic pair of headphones has a luxury design, but the 8323s aren't the least bit flimsy or poorly made.
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RHA
RHA MA450
I haven't covered too many inexpensive earphones in this blog, mostly because I prioritize sound quality, and precious few under-$50 models cut it. The RHA MA450 really stands out in this crowded market, not just because it actually sounds pretty decent; the look and feel are outstanding, and RHA sells the MA450 with a three-year warranty. Reid and Heath Acoustics products are designed at its research and development center in Glasgow, Scotland.
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Velodyne
Velodyne vPulse
Velodyne makes subwoofers -- great ones, in fact -- and the brand is now following a string of speaker manufacturers venturing into the headphone market: Klipsch, Polk, PSB speakers. The vPulse is the best-sounding under $100 pair of in-ear headphones I know.
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Noontec
Noontec Zoro
It's impossible to keep up with all of the new headphones crowding the market, but great-sounding headphones are still pretty rare. The Noontec Zoro is the rarest of the rare, an audiophile-oriented design that's affordably priced. It's one of the best-sounding full-size $100 headphones you can buy.
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Phonak
Phonak Audeo PFE 132
Headphone manufacturers are hip to the fact that most people prefer headphones with pumped-up bass, so they rarely make truly accurate-sounding headphones. But what if you could buy a pair that gives you accuracy and extra bass when you want it? The Phonak Audeo PFE 132 ($239) is such a pair of headphones.
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Hifiman
HiFiMan HE-400
Though the $399 price tag exceeds the reach of audiophiles on a budget, the HiFiMan HE-400s are the best-sounding full-size, home headphones I've ever tested.
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Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic T-70
I usually prefer open-back, full-size headphones, but I really loved the closed-back Beyerdynamic T-70 ($595). The clarity is addicting, and closed-back headphones are what you need if you want to block environmental noise. The T-70 is an awesome set of headphones, and it's one of the most comfortable over-the-ear models I've ever had the pleasure of testing.
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Sennheiser
Sennheiser RS 220 wireless headphone
The Sennheiser RS 220 headphones ($595) are the best-sounding, audiophile-grade wireless headphones you can buy; a full review is in the works.
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FitEar
FitEar ToGo 334
Priced at $1,349 this handmade-in-Japan in-ear pair of headphones is the most expensive of its type I've heard, but it's worth it. The FitEar ToGo 334's clarity is off-the-charts amazing, and the stereo imaging is the best ever from an in-ear pair of headphones (review to come).
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JH Audio
JH Audio JH-3A amplifier/headphone system
The JH-3A ($1,748) is a complete amplifier/headphone system from Jerry Harvey Audio. The system includes a pair of JH 16 headphones that are custom-molded to your ears. Each earpiece has eight drivers (bass, midrange, and treble drivers). The amplifier sports analog and digital inputs with up to 24-bit resolution and 96kHz sampling rates. The sound is extraordinary.
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Steve Guttenberg
Audeze LCD-3 headphones
During the course of writing the Audeze LCD-3 headphone ($1,945) review I brought them to a recording session to use as monitors, and they blew my mind. As impressive as the LCD-3s were at home -- and they were exceptional -- it was great to have the opportunity to hear the sound of a blues band playing live in the studio, and then hear their music over the LCD-3s. I have never heard a set of headphones that got even remotely close to the sound of live music the way this one does. Audeze's LCD-2 headphone ($995) delivers 80 percent of the LCD-3's sound. Both models are made in the U.S.A.
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Discuss: The Audiophiliac picks 11 of the world's best headphones (pictures)
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.
Discuss: The Audiophiliac picks 11 of the world's best headphones (pictures)
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.