1. Urbanears Humlan
Brand spanking new ‘phones look great and sound better,
hence are idea for musos. Available in a range of colours, there’s a Humlan for
every human. The washable parts ensure you can get these dirty, then bung them
in the wash and there’ll be right as rain.
Price: £39
2. Focal Spirit One
Clearly not the pair of ‘phones to buy if you’re looking to
blend in with the crowd, these are colourful and chunky, really quite chunky.
No matter though, the sound is the most important part and they have a real hit
of punchy noise, extremely balanced bass and great volume. Another nice touch
is that they are foldable, making them nearly in your bag.
Price: £139
2. KEF M500
Boasting highly detailed sound, memory foam constructed ear
pads for extra comfort and a design that just reeks of style and sophistication
we have to say these cans are easily some of our favourites. The lack of sound
leak is also highly welcomed – both by us and others who may wear them.
Price:
£250
4. Denon AH-D340
The D340s follow many of the same ideas as the D7100s.
Aesthetically they're a little closer to the acceptable middle ground, and the
drivers are a little smaller (40mm instead of the D7100's 50mm) but aside from
that, the two are very similar. The 2-axis adjustable ear cups and pentagonal
memory foam pads are as pillow soft as comfortable as before. Prolonged use
does result in some sweaty ear syndrome, but it's a small price to pay for the
comfort. And those 40mm drivers really deliver some thumping sound.
Price: £180
5. Griffin WoodTones
As you can probably tell by the name, these over the ear
headphones aren't made out of run-of-the-mill materials like plastic - these
include features made out of real wood. Available in a variety of tones, these
Griffin cans have an air of classiness about them, though they still feel really
sturdy and durable. Sound quality is impressive too, with a range of levels and
crisp notes. Other nice additions are the detachable cable, handy remote and
mic for taking calls on your phone and the overall affordable price-tag. Do
they feel nice on your ears? You betcha - they're comfy and you'll barely
notice you've got them on.
Price: £74.99
6. Harman Kardon Soho
Takings design cues from Harman’s CL range of over the ear
heaphones, the Soho offers a tad more durability thanks to a tougher chassis.
Those hard to miss rectangular earpieces pack high-performance 30mm drivers and
will come in a range of colours.
Price: £179.99
7. Philips Fidelio L2
An update to the successful L1, these L2 cans feature a
redesigned headband, lighter materials and variety of sound improvements. This
high-definition audio comes from 40mm optimally vented neodymium speaker
drivers, which aid dynamic range. Philips’ are clearly marketing these at folks
with discerning tastes by adding luxurious touches such as aluminium, fine
leather, detailed stitching.
Price: €279
8. Velodyne Vquiet
Best known for their subwoofers, Velodyne are now entering
the over ear headphone market with these active noise cancelling cans. Designed
to dampen ambient noise by up to 90% - especially that of pesky engine noise,
these headphones also feature a nifty mode to allow easy switching from music
listening to call taking.
Price: $299
9. Sennheiser Momentum
While it’s nice spending some time away with the kids, you
need to relax, too. Unwind and block out the incessant nattering with these
durableyet- audiophile cans.
Price: £170
10. Denon AH-D7100
Denon has always been associated with high-performance
audio, so it should be no surprise that the Japanese brand hasn't held back on
the AH-D7100. Mahogany ear-cups and 50mm 'Free Edge Nano Fibre' drivers make
the D7100 into Denon's best performing home audio headset. The styling choices
won't appeal to everyone, especially when they retail around £1000. But you can
find a pair for closer to £500 if you look around a bit, which makes these a
bit of a bargain.
Price: £999
11. Ultrasone Edition 10
The butterfly-inspired Edition 10s are the first open-back
headphones made by Ultrasone, and they're the epitomy of over-the-top design.
The ear cups and headband are Ethiopian sheepskin leather - apparently the
smoothest leather in existence. The main chassis of the headset is made from
Ruthenium - a noble metal that retains a nice finish without going dull or
corroding. And with Ultrasone's S-Logic Plus technology, the 10s sound as good
as anything on the market.
Price: £2,040
12. Audio Technica ATH-W5000
The ATH-W5000's are slightly unusual, in that large, over
ear, premium headphones usually have open-back ear-cups. The open back creates
a clearer, live sound - generally preferred among audiophiles. Audio Technica's
premium 'phones have a closed mahogany (or ebony if you prefer) back, which
ought to create a punchier sound. Strangely, the one thing that is slightly
lacking is bass definition - but aside from that, these are stylish cans at a
good price.
Price: £990
13. Beyerdynamic T1
You may not be familiar with Beyerdynamic, but the German
company is well respected in broadcasting and production, and renowned for
making high quality industrial products. Now, it's bringing plenty of high
quality audio to consumers, all of which is led by the T1 headphones. The
industrial look is retained, and is accompanied by some extremely comfortable
velour ear-cups and Beyerdynamic's Tesla technology, which makes the T1s
incredibly powerful, and still very power efficient.
Price: £899
14. Grado PS1000
Like others, Grado uses a mixture of mahogany and metal in
the construction of it's flagship, professional headphones, and the result is
spectacular. The PS1000s were 50 years in the making, and thanks to a unique
blend of quality and looks, they're widely regarded as the current industry
pinnacle of premium audio. If you're looking to ditch that expensive home
cinema kit, and get on board with the best pair of headphones money can buy,
these are your boys.
Price: £1,990
15. Sennheiser HD 700
Sennheiser's HD 700s (and the top-end HD 800s too, for that
matter) are big and clunky, but brilliant. As is often the case with high end
headphones, styling concerns have made way for audio purity. The enormous cups
encase your ears in a bubble of very clear, transparent sound - the trick being
that the driver is further from your ear, thus creating a sound that feels more
like listening to live music in an open room, rather than having heavy bass
tones stuffed down your lugholes.
Price: £599
16. Sony MDR-1
Plush leather headband and huge, cushioned earpads make the
MDR-1s exceedingly comfortable, putting them in the same luxury league as Dr
Dre Beats Executive and B&W’s P5. The 40mm angled drivers have a range of
4Hz-80kHZ, and offer up a clean, impressively accurate sound that doesn’t lean
too heavily on the bass – a little surprising considering dubstepper Magnetic
Man and urban popstress Katy B were consulted.
Price: £299
17. Philips Fidelio X1
We loved the L1 cans, and now the X1s are the latest member
of the sleek Fidelio headphone range that are designed for serious sound
sessions in the home. Built from metal and calf leather, the deluxe headphones
also feature memory foam ear pads and velour cushion material so you can expect
equal amounts of style and snugness around the ears. Two 50mm neodymium drivers
and open back architecture make these 'phones an excellent choice for
audiophiles who are looking for clarity over punchy bass.
Price: £270
18. Bowers & Wilkins P5
The P5’s bring not only the trademark audio quality
associated with the brand, but also a beautiful design. Audio quality is very
warm, with excellent clarity and a great middle range, but heavy bass is
obviously lacking, as these are not true over-ears. If you're looking for a
pair of headphones you can wear on your commute as well as at home, and you
don't mind sacrificing a bit of audio quality as a result, these are an
excellent option.
Price: £250
19. Parrot Zik
The Parrot Zik headphones are a gadget fan's dream, and
among the most technically impressive cans to hit the shops so far. You can
control your volume and skip tracks by swiping the side of the ear-cup like a
touchpad, whilst removing the 'phones from your head will automatically pause
your music. They may not look it, but the Ziks are very comfortable to wear,
and the audio - while obviously not in the same league as the thousand pound
plus audiophile 'phones - is nice and punchy.
Price: £349
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