Headphones Reviews

Best Headphones Reviews: (out of 18)
OnHeadphones.com, CNet.com, Consumer Reports

Best Headphones: (out of 80)
Sennheiser HD 650, Grado SR60, Bose QuietComfort 2

Fast Answers - Best Headphones

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Sennheiser HD 650 (*est. $400) >> Where to buy	Best headphones, full-size. Experts say the Sennheiser HD 650 headphones offer the cleanest sound, even at high volume, and experts say this model has enough bass range to handle hard-driving rock and electronic music in additional to low orchestral tones. The Sennheiser delivers the fullest bass and precise left/right matching. At 9 ounces, the Sennheiser HD 650 headphones aren't very portable, but reviews do say they are comfortable. These are not a great choice for iPods and other mobile players that simply can't deliver enough power. (compare prices)
• Grado SR60 (*est. $70) >> Where to buy	Best value, full-size headphones. The Grado SR60 score points in reviews where it counts – sound quality, including bass reproduction. The Grado SR60 headphones have a huge following among music lovers, who say they're great companions to an iPod. However, people around you will hear plenty of what you hear because these are not meant to seal in sound. Some don't like the retro styling, and other reviews say they need to be handled gently. But overall, almost every reviewer comments on the Grado's excellent value. (compare prices)
• Bose QuietComfort 2 (*est. $300) >> Where to buy	Noise-canceling headphones. The Bose QuietComfort gets the most attention among noise-canceling headphones; this type of headphone uses special technology to "cancel out" ambient noise so you can hear music better. Reviewers say the Bose QuietComfort 2 do a great job of filtering out ambient noise – especially low tones like the drone of an airplane engine. Some reviewers give them mixed reviews for overall sound quality, however, and at 7 ounces, they can be heavy (though reviews generally say they are comfortable). In-canal earphones are another option if you want to be isolated from outside noise. (compare prices)
• Sennheiser PXC 250 (*est. $100) >> Where to buy	Budget noise-canceling headphones. If you want noise-canceling headphones but don't want something as expensive and heavy as the Bose QuietComfort headphones, experts point to the Sennheiser PXC 250. Reviews say these also do a good job of using electronic circuitry to cancel out ambient noise. The lightweight Sennheiser PXC 250 weighs just 2.3 ounces and sits on the ear rather than around the ear. The experience might be less immersive, but the PXC 250 is also more portable and less pricey than the Bose headphones. (compare prices)
• Sennheiser PX 100 (*est. $40) >> Where to buy	Lightweight headphones. Reviewers say the 2-ounce Sennheiser PX 100 headphones outperform their price, with rich, full sound and accurate sound reproduction. These Sennheiser headphones fold up, so they are even more compact. Furthermore, reviews say they are more durable than they look, and that they make a good complement to an MP3 player. (compare prices)
• Etymotic ER-6 Isolator (*est. $75) >> Where to buy	In-canal earphones. Reviews say the Etymotic ER-6 are a great match for iPods and other portable music players, and that they cost far less than most well-built in-canal earphones. Most reviews say bass is a little thin but that the Etymotic is a great value, and that they do a great job of blocking outside noise. These headphones come with several ear tips for different ear sizes and shapes. However, not everyone likes the feel of in-canal earphones, which extend into the ear canal farther than earbuds. (compare prices)
• JVC HA-F130 Gumy (*est. $10) >> Where to buy	Earbuds. There are two major complaints about earbuds in general -- the sound isn't very good and they're fragile -- so earbuds usually get lukewarm reviews. For that reason, most reviews say there's no need to spend more than $20 or so on this type of headphone. Testers say the JVC Gumy is more comfortable than most earbuds, offering decent sound on all but dance music and rap (because the bass isn't especially deep). (compare prices)
>> Comparison Chart

Full Story

What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated September 2007

There are hundreds of headphones out there to choose from, and almost as many people who would like to tell you which headphones or earphones to buy. The best starting point for headphone reviews is OnHeadphones.com, a new website whose motto is "all headphones all the time." OnHeadphones.com credibly rates a plethora of headphones and retailers. Editors try to explain everything plainly and there's a vast glossary of audio terms that can be used to translate more technical reviews you encounter elsewhere.

CNet.com, Playlist.com and PC Magazine offer trustworthy reviews that evaluate a decent number of headphones on an ongoing basis. Reviews in mainstream publications include a six-model roundup at Money magazine. Consumer Reports divides ratings of 28 corded headphones and earphones into four categories.

Buyers are wise to be wary of those who rate headphones as well as sell them; however, the ratings in the HeadRoom section of retailer site Headphone.com appear objective, and it's a good site to visit if you want to learn more about technical aspects of headphones. Less useful are user-review sites, mainly because individuals usually only have experience with one pair of headphones. Still, Amazon.com and Epinions reviews often contain helpful comments on headphone comfort and durability.

OnHeadphones.com seems painfully honest, yet balanced. It can give an "editor pick" to the AKG K701 (*est. $400) yet acknowledge it "might not be the ideal headphone for rock music." It can savage the Phillips SBCHP430 (*est. $35) by saying "charging $38 for these is insulting," yet acknowledge that they are "very comfortable." It says the inexpensive Sony MDR V150 Monitor Series headphones (*est. $15) "are totally useless as studio monitors" but "decent everyday headphones at a decent price." Of the Apple iPod earphones, OnHeadphones.com says wearing them is "like being poked in the head with a sharp stick all day."

Most reviewers agree that even $10 earbuds are very likely to sound and feel better than the headphones that came with your MP3 player. After that, it gets a little trickier. Is $300 a lot to spend on headphones? Not to audiophiles who paid $15,000 for the since-discontinued Sennheiser Orpheus. Will $70 get you a high-quality headphone? It can. That's the approximate price of the Grado SR60 (*est. $70) , widely praised for years as a spectacular value among full-size headphones. But that $70 will be expensive if you intend to chuck an unprotected Grado SR60 into a travel bag instead of packing it carefully.

Experts say that choosing headphones requires not just product knowledge but a degree of self-knowledge. Even if price is no object, a pair of $1,000 "cans" may be a lot more headphone than your ears, your equipment and your choice in music require. As with some other products – wine or men's suits, for example – there exists a level of craftsmanship that may go unnoticed by all but the most serious connoisseur, and if you're not one, paying that much just doesn't make sense. Most audiophile experts say if you can't hear the difference, don't spend the extra money. We found excellent reviews for good-sounding general purpose headphones in the $50 to $100 price range. ... Continued

>> Full story continued...
>> Headphones prices

Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Corded Headphones	Details from Amazon.com
5	Sennheiser PX100 (*est. $40)	details
4	Grado SR60 (*est. $70)	details
3	Sennheiser HD 650 (*est. $400)	details
3	AKG K701 (*est. $400)	details
1 each	Grado GS1000, Grado RS2 , AKG K26 Pro , Sennheiser HD 280 Pro , Sennheiser HD 595 , Grado SR80 , Beyerdynamic DT 231 , Voyetra Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA , Koss PortaPro , Koss KSC75
# of Picks	Noise-Cancellation Headphones	Details from Amazon.com
4	Bose QuietComfort 2 (*est. $300)	details
2	Bose QuietComfort 3 (*est. $350)	details
2	Sennheiser PXC 300 (*est. $150)	details
2	Sennheiser PXC 250 (*est. $100)	details
1 each	JVC HA-NC100 , Panasonic RPH-HC300
# of Picks	In-Ear Headphones and Earbuds	Details from Amazon.com
3	Shure E500PTH (*est. $500)	details
2	Shure SE310 (*est. $245)	details
1 each	Sennheiser CX 300 , Creative Zen Aurvana , Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro , Shure SE310 , Shure E3c , Shure SE530 , Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10 Pro , Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pro , JVC HA-FX33 , Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 , Etymotic ER6i , JVC HA-F120 , V-Moda Bass Freq , Sony MDR-ED21LP , V-Moda Remix , V-Moda Vibe , Brookstone Retractable Earbuds

When it comes to traditional, full-size headphones, reviews prefer the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Grado SR60. Sennheiser also makes many lightweight headphones that test well, and top-rated in reviews are the Sennheiser PX 100.

Among noise-canceling headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 3 and less compact QuietComfort 2 get good scores for blocking ambient noise and for excellent sound quality. But the Sennheiser PXC 300 is also good at blocking ambient noise, and these headphones cost far less than Bose.

When it comes to in-ear headphones, reviewers prefer expensive Shure in-canal earphones, but the Etymotic ER-6 Isolator is good value. We didn't find much agreement on earbuds, but there are a handful of standouts in reviews.

>> Full story continued...
>> Comparison Chart
>> Where to Buy

All Reviews

Full Story

Fast Answers

Where to Buy

>> Do you know of a review that we've missed? Click here.
>>