Best Headphones Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best headphones you can buy on any budget in 2018.
The benefits of a decent pair of headphones are obvious as soon as you start playing your favorite song: Clearer sounds, tighter, more focussed bass, and more detail in your music are just a few of the benefits of spending a little more.
Dig a little deeper and you can also get your hands on advanced functionality like noise-cancellation and wireless operation, and you can do so without emptying your bank account. It's a whole new world of audio out there.
To help you navigate it, we've selected the best headphones for each form-factor, and we've even picked out a less-costly option for each so that you should be able to find an excellent pair of headphones, no matter your budget.
Here's a quick look at the best headphones this year:
- Best in-ear headphones: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone
- Best budget in-ear headphones: RHA S500u
- Best on-ear headphones: Grado SR60e
- Best budget on-ear headphones: Urbanears Plattan II
- Best over-ear headphones: Oppo PM-3
- Best budget over-ear headphones: AKG K92
- Best noise-canceling headphones: Sony WH-1000XM2
- Best budget noise-canceling headphones: Taotronics TT-BH22
- Best wireless headphones: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless
- Best wireless earbuds: Optoma NuForce BE6i
- Best true wireless earbuds: Jabra Elite Sport
Don't forget we've also got our form-factor specific guides to the best in-ear headphones, the best on-ear headphones and the best over-ear headphones in addition to our guides to the best noise-cancelling headphones and the best wireless headphones if you can't find what you're looking for on this list.
After spending a few weeks with both the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones and the 1MORE Quad Driver in-ear headphones we were blown away at just how much value each one gave in their prospective price ranges.
For $100 (£100, about AU$168), it’s hard to think of a better sounding and built headphone than the 1MORE Triple Driver. (That said, if you want just that little extra refinement and luxury materials, the 1MORE Quad Drivers are still a bargain at twice the price.)
There’s very little we can fault the Triple Drivers for. Its rubber cable is annoying and its remote control feels cheap but these are just nitpicks. But, for its price, it’s impossible to do better than 1MORE's Triple Driver in-ear headphones.
Read the full review: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone
- Want more options? Check out our full guide to the best in-ear headphones.
If you have a tendency to lose or break headphones but still value sound quality, it’s hard to think of a better value than the RHA S500u. These headphones have no business sounding so good for the price: Sound quality is balanced with a slight mid-bass bump. Bass is slightly emphasized but not egregiously and features good impact while maintaining good control. And highs, while sibilant at times, makes music sound more exciting.
Read the full review: RHA S500u
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best headphone deals.
For your money, you can't do any better than Grado's SR60e. The third-generation of the Brooklyn, NY-based company's Prestige Series is its best and most refined yet. The SR60e in particular is a smart choice if you're looking for an entry-level set of headphones that sounds like it should cost you way more than it does. Its open-backed ear cup design makes them a more breathable experience than what most on-ear headphones can deliver. In a few words, it's our gold-standard when it comes to on-ears.
(Our review is for the SR60i, but the newer SR60e headphones are largely similar in design and performance.)
Read the full review: Grado SR60e
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best on-ear headphones.
While the original Plattan headphones were just fine for a pair of on-ear headphones, Urbanears wasn’t satisfied with being mediocre. The company took customer feedback to heart and addressed many complaints about comfort, sound quality and isolation. For the most part, Urbanears succeeded, making the Plattan II a worthy sequel to the company’s most popular headphone.
In short, these are basic headphones without a ton of features. But, because they're feature-light, you get a good-sounding pair of wired headphones for significantly less than you would otherwise.
Read the full review: Urbanears Plattan II
The Oppo PM-3's are a truly stunning pair of headphones. Make no mistake, we've reviewed a lot of headphones in the last 10 years but none have we become more fond of than the PM-3.
They're equally comfortable being plugged into a headphone amp at home as they are commuting through the hustle and bustle of a big city, and they stand head and shoulders above rival products from bigger brands. We really can't recommend them highly enough, they're just amazing.
Read the full review: Oppo PM-3
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones.
AKG has the right idea when it comes to budget headphones. Instead of spending lots of money on an expensive, heavy construction, the company has instead clearly spend the bulk of its money on the K92's drivers, which sound appropriately excellent.
So yes, the K92's might feel a little plastic-y, but they have a good amount of power where it matters the most.
Read the full review: AKG K92
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones.
When you buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you're often trading sound quality for the ability to block out outside noise. It's a trade that we've been willing to make for years because, honestly, we just hadn't been able to find a headphone that could do both noise-cancellation and Hi-Res audio.
Until now.
The Sony WH-1000XM2 is the follow-up to the surprisingly great MDR-1000X. They might have a slightly shorter battery life than Bose’s flagship over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort 35, but Sony’s WH-1000XM2 outclass the QC35 in terms of both performance for the price and overall feature-set.
Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM2
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones.
We make it a habit to not look up pricing of a product before reviewing and if we had to guess the price of the Taotronics TT-BH22, we would have guessed it cost $150. We were shocked to find out that the MSRP for the TT-BH22 is $70 (£60, about AU$86), and can regularly be found for even less online.
The TT-BH22 feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which is unheard of in this price range, and on top of that, you get a rated 25 hours of battery life. They're not perfect, but if you need noise-cancellation and you don't want to drop your next two paychecks on headphones, they're worth checking out.
Read the full review: TaoTronics TT-BH22
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones.
These no-holds-barred wireless headphones are oozing with positive qualities, but for many, they're almost prohibitively expensive. However, if you're an audio lover that can spare the expense, do not hesitate on this comfortable, hard-working set of headphones that will likely last for years.
Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best wireless headphones.
Continuing the trend that the original NuForce BE6 started, the Optoma Nuforce BE6i are a minor update to an already great pair of earbuds and remain one of our favorite in-ear wireless headphones for the price.Offering good sound, build quality and battery life in its segment if you're looking for a pair of wireless in-ear headphones that can survive a strenuous work out, the these should be on the top of your list of headphones to try.
Read the full review: Optoma NuForce BE6i
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best wireless earphones.
Since the release of the AirPods the popularity of 'true wireless' earbuds, which remove the cable between the two earbuds, have exploded.
The Jabra Elite Sport are the best of the bunch at the moment. They not only feature great sound quality, but they'll also track your heart rate during workouts.
Because they need to fit their entire body into your ears the Jabra Elite Sport don't have as long a battery life as other wireless pairs, but if you want the freedom true wireless affords then there's little out there that can compete.
Read the full review: Jabra Elite Sport
- Want more options? Check out our guide to the best true wireless earbuds.
Press on to page two to see how to pick out a good pair of headphones along more of our recommendations.
There's usually more to a set of headphone than meets the eye. As such, we've provided a breakdown of what you can expect to find in each kind of headphone.
Not only will learning more about headphones help you make a more informed purchase, but you'll know when you're really getting your money's worth.
What headphones should you buy? Check out our video below for everything you need to know.
In-ear headphones
This type of headphone, more commonly referred to as an earbud or earphone, is usually the cheapest and easiest way to pump audio into your ears. If you've purchased an MP3 player, or more recently, a smartphone, it's likely that a set was included with the purchase.
Earphones rest in or just outside the ear canal, creating a tight seal to keep air out and sound in. Compared to other types of headphones, these are the most discreet ones you'll find. Their small form-factor also makes them the king/queen of portability and the prime choice for athletes.
You're not likely to find strong performers at the low-end of the price spectrum. Their sound delivery is generally muddled, lacking bass and overcompensating for that with harsh mids and highs. That said, it won't cost you much money at all to find a value-packed option complete with inline controls and a microphone.
On-ear headphones
While similar to over-ear headphones in appearance, they fit to your head a little differently. Instead of enveloping your ears with a soft cushion, on-ear headphones create a light, breathable seal around your ear. Thus, the noise isolation is much less effective than in-ear or over-ear options. This might be a dealbreaker for some, but there are big benefits to consider here.
On-ear headphones are usually more portable than their over-ear brethren, and as such they appeal to travellers and the fitness crowd. Taking a walk or a jog around town is also safer, as you can hear traffic go by and be aware of potential hazards.
Over-ear headphones
This ear-muff style of headphone generally provides greater richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and sounds much easier. Additionally, over-ear, or circum-aural headphones, go around the ear and offer a generous amount of padding.
The price range for a set of on-ear headphones begins around $100 and from there, the sky's the limit. For example, the Oppo PM-1, while excellent, are priced exorbitantly at $1,099. It's definitely not necessary to spend that much. That said, you tend to get what you pay for.
If your headphone budget is in the $2-300, you'll start getting into options that have excellent build quality, premium materials and amazing sound and features like ANC (active noise cancellation.)
Wireless headphones
This style of headphone doesn't limit you to a specific form factor like the others. In fact, you can find in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphone styles sans wire.
Opting to go wireless will cost you a premium of anywhere between $50-100 over the price of wired cans. Going futuristic isn't cheap. One important thing to consider is that your music player must support the Bluetooth wireless protocol, as it's required to use this type of headphone.
Speaking of Bluetooth, it has become exponentially more reliable over time, but it's always susceptible to disturbances in the force. In short, any little thing, from the understandable (conflicting Wi-Fi signals, microwaves, cordless telephones), to the absurd (sticking a hand in the space between the device and the headphones) can sometimes interrupt a wireless listening experience.
Noise-cancelling headphones
This category, like wireless headphones, isn't limited to a form factor. You can find this clever mix of technologies integrated into the ear pieces of in-ear and over-ear headphones alike.
Many companies falsely claim to offer true noise cancellation with just the padding included around the ear cups. Don't believe it. This is PNC (passive noise cancellation), and it doesn't amount to much. You can even replicate this effect by cupping your hands around your ears, so why shell out the big bucks for it?
On the other hand, ANC (active noise cancellation) is the real deal. This technique employs a set of external microphones, which detect the decibel level outside. Once it has an idea of the incoming noise level, the headphone speakers inside transmit a noise generated to dampen the racket. The end result is an effect that hushes the outside noise, allowing you to focus.
posted by Campus94
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