Best Headphone Ranking

HecticArt

Administrator
Oct 19, 2008
49,832
17,485
168
Toledo, Ohio
18 Headphone Brands Ranked from Worst to First

Full-time rapper and part-time headphone brand Dr. Dre likes to say that “people aren’t hearing all the music.” A more accurate assessment: people aren’t buying the right headphones.
Today, the audio industry is saturated with marketing. Clueless consumers snap up name-brands at $300+ price points while merrily scrolling past better, cheaper pairs. The problem? We’re conditioned to shop by brand, rather than by true audio experience.
It’s time for change. We set out to separate the sound from the unsound. Which brands deserve our attention, and which should customers avoid?

After gathering the specs, review scores, and features for nearly 3,000 headphones—from budget earbuds to full-featured DJ pairs—we scored every product out of 100, based on the following factors:
  • 75% – expert reviews (CNET, Wired, TechCrunch, What HiFi, Good Gear Guide, PC Mag)
  • 25% – specs and features (frequency, sensitivity, noise canceling, etc.)
The results might surprise you. In the words of Dr. Dre, “Sit back, relax, and strap on your seatbelt—you never been on a ride like this before.”

The Rankings?
Read on......
TIME - Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews
 
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hyson

Forum Jerk
Oct 19, 2008
11,844
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I still enjoy my cheap-o Skullcandy Ink'd earbuds (with their lifetime warranty).
 

semipenguin

Cheeseburger Connoisseur
Oct 11, 2008
25,162
9,251
168
54
Janesville, MN
Headphones used to be huge!

Then they become small, with mesh around them, or they were sideways & could fit in your ear, but they still went over your head.

Then they became earbuds.

Then wireless.

Now they're huge again! :eek:
 

Wolf

Well-Known Member
Oct 11, 2008
33,309
10,059
168
Phoenix
I use to own a pair of Beats by Dre wireless version, until some asshole stole them, I thought the quality was pretty good, but I'm pretty satisfied with my Apple earbuds.
 

hyson

Forum Jerk
Oct 19, 2008
11,844
1,061
113
I'm not smart enough to enjoy good fidelity.

I am, however, smart enough to figure out how to get 2 more pairs of earbuds for free due to lifetime warranties - cheap or not.
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
27,230
13,833
168
Toronto, ON
I love my #12 Bose headphones (earbud model).


Sent from my iPhone5 using Tapatalk
These are the first headphones to last me more than 4-5 months. Also the first to have seamless pause and restart as well as volume controls on the earpiece.


Sent from my iPhone5 using Tapatalk
 

HecticArt

Administrator
Oct 19, 2008
49,832
17,485
168
Toledo, Ohio
My Bang and Olufsen's are about 12 years old, and still sound great.
1.jpg

The chord is finally starting to wear out. I think they were about $140 or $150 when I got them. Awesome investment. I keep thinking I should get another pair.
 
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Vols44

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2008
1,228
143
63
Been nursing a pair of $30 Sony buds for a year. I usually go through a pair of cheap ones in a couple of months and as rough as I treat them a pair of expensive ones would be a waste. Whenever the Sonys buy the farm I'd take a long look at a comparable pair.

Must haves are L shaped plugs, multiple covers with a recessed screen So I can remove ear wax on a regular basis.

Saw some waterproof models with rubber studs and said WTH. Found that nickel coated instead of gold gives up sound quality for moisture control.

My weighted priorities are: durability, comfort, color, sound quality and price.

The 7.1 surround sound on my son's Plantronic Gamecom 780's are perfect for PC, TV and related USB hardware.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
27,230
13,833
168
Toronto, ON
Been nursing a pair of $30 Sony buds for a year. I usually go through a pair of cheap ones in a couple of months and as rough as I treat them a pair of expensive ones would be a waste. Whenever the Sonys buy the farm I'd take a long look at a comparable pair.

Must haves are L shaped plugs, multiple covers with a recessed screen So I can remove ear wax on a regular basis.

Saw some waterproof models with rubber studs and said WTH. Found that nickel coated instead of gold gives up sound quality for moisture control.

My weighted priorities are: durability, comfort, color, sound quality and price.

The 7.1 surround sound on my son's Plantronic Gamecom 780's are perfect for PC, TV and related USB hardware.
I used to think the same way. I used to do new pair every 3-4 months. 2 xmases ago I got my Bose ones and they are still good as new. Did get the extended war enter on them just in case.


Sent from my iPhone5 using Tapatalk
 

HecticArt

Administrator
Oct 19, 2008
49,832
17,485
168
Toledo, Ohio
I finally got another pair of the bang and Olusen's in May. We were in Boston for a funeral, and walked by the B&O store, so I picked up another pair.
I'm still using the old pair for lawn mowing and whatnot.

That's something like $12 per year. Not too shabby.
 

Casual Fan

Surprisingly nice
Oct 14, 2008
19,024
3,053
163
Roanoke, VA
I have Sony earbuds. They have all the features I like: cheap and sound okay. I also have a pair of Sony over-the-ears from back in the late '80s that I still use.

Nothing beats a pair of 150-watt 3-way speakers, however.
 

JHDK

Release Robin's Bra
Oct 11, 2008
28,632
13,303
168
40
Hyrule
Been nursing a pair of $30 Sony buds for a year. I usually go through a pair of cheap ones in a couple of months and as rough as I treat them a pair of expensive ones would be a waste. Whenever the Sonys buy the farm I'd take a long look at a comparable pair.

this is exactly how i feel. i just stop by walmart around 2 times per year to get a pair of these for $15.

14139442_120612203000.jpg


i really like the sound and the price is perfect. when they break, and they always do, i dont feel bad about just buying another pair.

I used to think the same way. I used to do new pair every 3-4 months. 2 xmases ago I got my Bose ones and they are still good as new. Did get the extended war enter on them just in case.


Sent from my iPhone5 using Tapatalk

i know i buy the cheap ones but i just dont trust myself or the durability of the in ear pricey phones. after anywhere from 3-8 months one ear ALWAYS dies. its like clockwork. if i had a ton of money the bose in-ears do look good.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
27,230
13,833
168
Toronto, ON
I love my #12 Bose headphones (earbud model).

These are the first headphones to last me more than 4-5 months. Also the first to have seamless pause and restart as well as volume controls on the earpiece.

I used to think the same way. I used to do new pair every 3-4 months. 2 xmases ago I got my Bose ones and they are still good as new. Did get the extended war enter on them just in case.

Well, 2 months before the extended warrantee was to run out, I noticed that the covering below the left ear bud had become frayed. They were still working great but I figure it was a matter of time before they gave out. So I opened a call with warrantee people (store doesn't do straight exchanges after 1 year). They e-mailed me shipping label for UPS and I mailed the headphones back. I got a gift card for full refund in the mail good for full purchase price + tax (less extended warrantee cost). (Whole process via e-mail took 2 days.) I notice the exact model I had before was no longer offered. They had some close but then I saw these. I had some extra $$$ from work bonus lying around so I purchased them.

Bose® QuietComfort® 20 Headphones | Bose

They are freeking amazing. They fit as well as old Bose ones did and sound as good or better. But the noise cancellation is amazing. And when I am crossing the street they have 'aware mode' so I can hear the truck before it runs me over. They have 2 models of this the QC-20 and the QC-20i. One is for iPhone (the i one) and the other is for Android/Blackberry. Only difference is iPhone model also controls iPhone volume. Obviously this is the one I got.

I also find I can listen at lower volumes now that I no longer have to overcome background noise. If you have $350 to spare, I would certainly recommend this.
 
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Kryptonite

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
11,670
1,837
113
I was using a pair of Sony "behind the neck" streetstyles. After a while, they were pinching my ears, so they were only good in short increments. Plus, the foam padding...not cool. Maybe the ear-pinching was because I only used the right side (easier to hear other noises with only one ear covered.) And...behind-the-neck doesn't lend well to lounging on a couch.

I switched to the SkullCandy Uprock. :)

...I'm just looking for something in the $30 range...and no, the earbuds won't work. I never could get them to fit in my ears and I hear they're worse for long-term hearing, the way the sounds vibrate off the eardrum.
 
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