Even with audiophile-level gear (actually, especially with audiophile gear), the right choice depends on your personal preference. They feel like two soft cushions on your ears. The ear pads are soft and plush. For little money, you get an excellent closed headphone (I recommend the velour pads) with a more V-Shaped sound signature. The term is somewhat misleading-headphones that are intended for studio musicians or mastering or mix engineers needn’t be exclusively enjoyed by people in these professions. We enjoyed testing these headphones: they sound great, they look great, and they fit well too. These over-the-ear headphones comprise large ear cups that are well padded with plush foam material. The JBL Tune 750BTNC sound great, look great, and we found they fitted very well. The Hifiman He400se and 400i 2020 are both musical and very easy headphones to listen to. And for the very accessible price the Hifiman HE400se is going for, they’re the ideal recommendation to a whole lot of people. They’re reliable and easy to use, and while you might miss waterproofing and a few minor features, at this price it feels foolish to complain too readily. The Stellia feels like the flagship for the person who’s perhaps not quite the traditional hobbyist who’s looking to add something to their collection and enjoy the nuances between different headphones.
As a result, I can only add the Sennheiser HD 560S to our recommended buy list, especially if you’re looking for a neutral and accurate, yet musical tuning at a lower budget. The only flaw I can find with it is its main quality: open-back design. I like open-back dynamic headphones and it’s no secret, but that doesn’t mean that I liked the Sivga SV023 just because of my preferences. Ultimately, if the headphones sound amazing, the technology employed to get them there is a somewhat secondary concern, provided it isn’t drastically degrading the signal somehow. You don’t have to know a lot about personal audio and technology to love these headphones. Yes, we know you’re used to buying everything online now, but there are still plenty of brick-and-mortar stores that sell headphones, and most of them understand the two key advantages they hold over any online retailer: Allowing the customer to try out a few options first and providing the immediate gratification of walking out the door with a chosen pair. But if you don’t see the pair you’re looking for in the listening station, try asking a salesperson to open up a box for you-you may be surprised how often they do, especially if there’s a good chance of a sale.
The SV023 has a very well-balanced, open and spacious sound, which made me say; “this is more like it”. Over-ear headphones generally provide fantastic richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and sounds much easier. We’re going to go ahead and say: Don’t buy earbuds, which are the flat-style earphones that sit against your ear but don’t seal off the ear canal. The Meze 99 Classics ticks off most, if not all the boxes. The X still is one of my favorite headphones when I’m not reviewing but a good amplifier is absolutely necessary. Even though it’s one of the most expensive gaming headsets out there, you won’t regret buying it. One trait in this realm that is common, though not quite a given: Most cables will lack an inline remote control and microphone for operating mobile devices and making calls. Though you’ll hear arguments favoring one type of driver over another, there isn’t one that is innately superior to all others. In conclusion, the Edifier H840 Audiophile Over-The-Ear Headphones are not just the most affordable audiophile headphones but also one of the best high-fidelity headphones on the market. And we’ll go one further in that regard: If you see an in-ear listening station, you should probably avoid it.
If you like to keep things minimal in the headphones department, you probably won’t like the showy, opulent design of the Focal Stellias, and they definitely do feel a little chunky for wearing on the commute into work. The sound quality is excellent for the high price. It’s not too hard to drive, and it certainly has what it takes in terms of being a reference headphone for the price. These are both great all-rounder headphones with reference qualities. Typical “tracking” headphones for musicians to wear in the recording studio can often be quite affordable, while reference pro-level headphones intended for engineers to check their mixes on can cost quite a bit more. We think the DT 1990 Pro are the best over-ear headphones, but for listening on the move we think you should consider the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro for a closed-back version that’s a little more socially friendly. It’s built like a tank, amazingly comfy, magically linear, sounds like a 4 digit headphones, and will completely cut you from the outside world. It’s built like a tank, amazingly comfy, magically linear, sounds like a 4-digit headphones, and cut sounds like a champ.