Headphones Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Headphones. See our ratings criteria

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Headphones Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Headphones Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. OnHeadphones.com	Headphone Reviews Editors of OnHeadphones.com As of Sept. 2007		This new online magazine rates not only headphones in every category but also the major retailers that sell them. The page for each type of headphone offers an at-a-glance listing with star ratings, price and date tested. Its selections aren't outlandish -- like almost everyone, editors like the AKG K701 and Sennheiser HD 650 for full-size headphones and the Grado SR60 as a budget full-size choice -- but testers are unafraid to make unconventional suggestions such as the JVC Gumy, a $10 earbud, or even to point out that you can get surprisingly good sound from the gimmicky 190S TEC Fleece Ear Warmers with Stereo headphones (*est. $30). Clicking on the product name will get you more information -- an at-a-glance "the good, the bad, the verdict" and then a longer narrative.
2. CNet.com	Editors' top headphones Editors of CNet.com As of Sept. 2007		CNet.com maintains a list of its top-rated earbuds, full-size headphones, noise-canceling headphones, wireless headphones and portable headphones. Short summaries and editors' ratings include links to in-depth reviews. The Shure SE310 tops the earbuds list, and "will probably outlast your MP3 player." The pricey Grado RS2 Reference Series are the top full-size headphone, "strong contenders for world's best sound." In the noise-canceling category, the Bose QuietComfort 3 and the JVC HA-NCX77 earbuds top the ratings. The JVC HA-NC100 and the Sennheiser PXC 300 are the top-ranked portables. CNet's editors rate a large number of headphones, so reviews have a good uniformity of testing.
3. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Headphones: Buying advice Editors of Consumer Reports Dec. 2006		Consumer Reports ranks eight over-the-ear, on-ear and in-ear headphones and four earbuds and offers some sound general advice for how to choose the category that will best suit your needs, as well as how to try them out. Consumer Reports stresses the need for hands-on experience before buying, and cautions that those who choose to shop online should check out return policies.
4. Playlist magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Playlist Picks: Our favorite headphones Dan Frakes As of Sept. 2007		Playlist is an online magazine for digital music lovers. Like CNet.com, it reviews headphones of all styles in a comprehensive fashion throughout the year, and on a single page keeps a running list of headphones ratings, with links to full reviews. The Grado SR60 headphones get high marks in the full-size category; Dan Frakes says they have "punchy but natural sound and will floor most first-time listeners." Frakes also gives his highest rating to the Sennheiser PX 100 in the lightweight category, and recommends the Shure E3c in the in-ear category, based on their relatively low price.
5. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Headphones Editors of PC Magazine As of June 2007		In addition to occasional roundups, editors at PC Magazine also review new headphones individually. The very expensive Shure E500PTH (est. $500) and the Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10 Pro (est. $400) win Editors' Choice ratings for in-canal earphones. Another Editors' Choice rating goes to the expensive Grado GS1000 in the full-size category. This page serves as a landing page for all of PC Magazine's headphone reviews, making them easy to sort.

Headphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Headphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. Gear Digest	Eight Earphones to Sweeten Your Listening Pleasure Jean-Pierre Roché Feb. 10, 2006		This is a roundup of a variety of headphones designed for listening "on the go." Although it is not a systematic ranking, Jean-Pierre Roché says the Sennheiser PXC 250, a version of the PX 200s with noise reduction, provide "high-quality reproduction" with detailed bass range. It is "our favorite of all the sets we tested," writes Roché, who also recommends the Koss PortaPro, a semi-open supra-aural set that delivers "perfectly balanced, very enjoyable reproduction."
7. HeadRoom	Our 10 Best Headphones Editors of HeadRoom As of Sept. 2007		While Headphone.com is in the business of selling headphones, its HeadRoom section gives each one what appears to be an objective comment based on technical testing as well as a "value ranking," although it is unclear what criteria are used to determine this. The most interesting thing about this site for the technically inclined, however, is a device that will allow you to build graphs comparing any four headphones by frequency response, harmonic distortion, isolation and impedence. One downside is that this site only rates headphones it sells, so there are some significant omissions in coverage.
8. Money Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Easy listening: The best (noise-canceling) earphones Wilson Rothman Aug. 2007		The author rode a lawn mower to assess how high he had to adjust the earphones' volume to enjoy the music. He had audiophile writer Michael Fremer assess the sound quality while sitting in a noisy Manhattan Starbucks. They test just six earbuds, but the Creative Zen Aurvana is top-rated overall.
9. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Headphones to shut out the world David Pogue June 14, 2007		This is a critical roundup of nine noise-canceling headphones, listed from cheapest to most expensive, yet without any attempt to rank the products. The author concludes by writing that "nobody has yet knocked Bose off its pedestal," yet offers that the Panasonic RP-HC500 produces "quality that's nearly indistinguishable from the Boses -- for a third the price" and that the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC is "Bose without the marketing campaign." (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com/The New York Times.)
10. USA Today Magazine	Fancy headphones make lovely music, but they cost more than a song Edward C. Baig Aug. 10, 2006		The four headphones reviewed here are all designed to reduce noise. The Shure E500PTH Sound Isolating Earphones use a passive method -- form-fitting foam sleeves -- to achieve noise reduction. Both the Shure and the Bose QuietComfort 3 (which use noise-reduction technology) receive 3.5 out of 4 stars, but are significantly more expensive than the Voyetra Turtle Beach ANR-20 and Sennheiser PXC 250, which each get 3 out of 4 stars. While it's clear that Baig prefers the high-end models, he regrets that the solitude of the Bose and Shure "comes at such a high price."
11. First Glimpse Magazine	The Perfect Earphones: Something for Every Occasion Gregory Anderson Jan. 1, 2006		This roundup recommends headphones for working out, traveling, movie viewing, basic listening, "music appreciation" and work environments. While Anderson recommends a grab bag of choices, from the $20 Koss KSC75 SportClip to the $399 AKG Acoustics K701, there's no clear recommendation for those who can only afford one set. But the Sennheiser PX 100 (*est. $40), are noted for being affordable, comfortable and offering very good sound quality.

Headphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Headphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. Goodcans.com	Headphone Recommendations Bill Keyser Not Dated		True, the author sells headphones, but he sells many top brands and seems reasonably objective in making suggestions in various price ranges, making some unconventional calls, such as the Koss PortaPro over the Sennheiser PX 100 for budget portables. The much-praised Sennheiser HD 650 is "big bucks for minor improvements" over its predecessor, the HD 600. Keyser also says the Grado SR60 and SR80 are "hands-down our favorite headphones" because "price/performance ratio is about the highest we have found."
13. Gear Digest	Money No Object: Are The Top-End Shure E500's Really Worth The Top-End Price? Mary Branscombe Sept. 19, 2006		A comparison between Shure's E500 and E3c sound-isolating in-ear headphones has the E500s coming out on top, with "simply superb sound." But the E3cs are praised for "plenty of detail and clarity in midtones" and good sound isolation.
14. Amazon.com	Headphones Contributors to Amazon.com As of Sept. 2007		While there are no expert reviews here, a number of users have reviewed their own models. However, with so many headphone options and so many given top ratings, it's hard to say which set rises to the top. Amazon.com is a great place to spot complaints, such as persistent comfort issues. It's also a good place to look for reviews on products with a lot of press hype.
15. Epinions	Untitled Contributors to Epinions As of Sept. 2007		Epinions invites owners to rate their own headphones. There are a fair number of scattered reviews here, but it's difficult to gauge users' expertise. Like Amazon.com, Epinions is a good place to get a feel for real-world performance and durability.

Headphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Headphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

16. Headwize.com	Headphone reviews Contributors to Headwize.com As of Sept. 2007		This is a good site for headphones and headphone accessories. From earpiece construction to systems for the hard of hearing, Headwize.com covers the gamut of questions on the internal and external workings of headphones. The disclaimer does tell us that Headwize.com "does not recommend specific brands or models," but there is a thread titled "FAQ: What headphones should I buy?"
17. AudioReview.com	Headphones Contributors to AudioReview.com As of Sept. 2007		This website, trafficked by audiophiles, invites user ratings. Older models receive more reviews, but top picks change frequently here as more reviews are added. Some reviews are more helpful than others, especially those that include comparisons to other models.
18. Consumer Guide.com	Headphones Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Sept. 2007		Consumer Guide has significantly slimmed down and simplified its headphone reviews, and gives the Bose QuietComfort 2, the Sennheiser PXC 300 and the Panasonic RP-HC300 noise-canceling headphones Best Buy ratings. However, no testing data is discussed at all, so it's not clear if these headphones were actually tested. This page offers a link to a short "headphones buying guide."