Open Your Ears - A First-Time Buyer's Guide to Headphones

Headphone or audio experiences in general tend to be rather subjective. Much of what I report here is based on my experiences in critically auditioning the equipment listed herein. You are more than welcome to disagree, and your input is encouraged. Feel free to ask about any other technical things pertaining to headphone audio. I will answer all of them. There are some I purposely left out, most of them being "consumer grade" headphones such as Sony, JBL and some others. While they may be adequate, much better sound can be had for much less than you will pay for those over-hyped brands.

Are you finally ready to explore premium-sounding headphones? "Premium" doesn't necessarily mean expensive. Here I walk you through all the issues and considerations you will face in getting the best sound quality headphones for a price that might surprise you.

i've been involved in Hi Fidelity audio since 1977 in one way or the other. From a 8K dollar Phase Linear rack system to my current headphone/amp setup, I've been somewhat obsessed with getting the best sound I can achieve on a relatively modest budget. Yeah, the days of 8K audio systems are long gone for me. But that doesn't mean I've had to settle for less. When it comes to headphones, you don't have to spend a fortune to truly enjoy your music.


I do not consider myself an "audiophile" and this is a good time to 'splain some terminology. In a nutshell...


Audiophile: (from Merriam Webster) a person who is enthusiastic about high fidelity sound reproduction.




AudioPhool: (from Ken) A person who insists they can hear the difference between the stock cables that came with their system as opposed to the $1000.00 cables they were convinced would revolutionize the sound of that system.


And yeah, $1000.00 audio cables are a real thing. Fortunately, these outrageously priced cables have been exposed as complete foolishness. Yet, there will always be a market of those who claim it improves their sound system to the nth. It doesn't. At all. But as long as there are those who swear by them, someone is always going to be willing to take their money. It takes the most sophisticated audio analyzing means to even show any differences. We don't listen via graphs, we listen via our ears and our ears just don't hear what the "experts" tell us we will hear.


We're going to dive into a number of factors you will want to take into consideration prior to purchasing a set of headphones. Note that we are going to be talking about wired headphones in this article. There's no place for bluetooth or wireless headphones here. The truth of the matter is, a wired system delivers a superior sound experience through headphones. As convenient as bluetooth or wireless headphones may be, you will sacrifice significant amounts of detail and sound precision when using wireless earphones.

For many of you, that's just fine. But for others, the absolute magic of hearing a recording the way it was meant to be heard can be transformative. So that brings us to the first question you will want to ask yourself.


A. Do you want to hear your music?

or

B. Do you want to listen to your music?


That may seem to be silly questions on its face, but it's critical in choosing the right headphones for you. Most times, we listen to music while doing something else....more background noise than anything. Other times, we want to listen to the magic happen. A good set of headphones can make you hear "that old song" in ways you've not heard it previously.


Most music, regardless of style or type has nuance...small details that make the music happen. The artist and recording engineer know what they want you to hear and they make that magic happen so it comes across on the medium, whether it's CD, Vinyl or other means. When I got my first "audiophile level" headphones, I was listening to Dark Side of the Moon and at one point, it took my breath away.


Literally. It took my breath away.



I've listened to that album hundreds of times, but when a well-known passage played, that particular sound wasn't being played into either of my ear speakers. it came from somewhere, floating behind me, spatially that is. Not in my head or ear as you would expect, but from behind me. That's when I fully understood and appreciated well-engineered recordings and the equipment necessary to hear it the way it was meant to be heard. That particular effect is known as soundstage, and it's an important consideration when purchasing headphones. At the same time, so is "imaging". Let's get those definitions out of the way because they tend to confuse new folks.


"Soundstage is the virtual 'stage' that you can imagine when you sit down and listen to music. That's one thing I've always loved about my HiFiMan Sundaras..the soundstage is amazingly wide and layered. You can pick the individual instruments out of the air and the stage extends out well beyond the actual speakers.



Imaging would be the image created by the vocalist or a particular intrument. Ideally I like the the vocalist to be front & center and a little forward in the soundstage. When you get it right, imaging is like a 3d effect, you can almost reach out and touch the vocalist. That's when the recording sounds exactly like it should and you reach 'audio bliss".


Some headphones do these better than others, and it's not always the most expensive ones that do.
There are two basic types of headphone. Open-backed and closed. In the simplest of terms, here are the differences:


Closed headphones will isolate you from external ambient noise to varying degrees. Open headphones do not block out ambient noise completely and allow low amounts of audio leakage out of the earpieces. ... However, open-back models can often sound more airy, clear or spacious versus their closed counterparts.


So closed-backed headphones tend to be a bit more intimate and you can use them in confidence when in public. Not everyone will share the enthusiasm of hearing your music preferences. These are not "noise cancelling", but "noise isolating". Noise cancelling headphones insert inaudible white noise witchcraft into the music, negating most sounds coming into the headphone experience. Noise isolating headphones just create a good seal against your head, closing out as much as 30db of outside noise.


One important caution - closed back headphones should not be used in the public space, especially when crossing busy streets or walking along busy traffic areas. One extreme example should illustrate the importance of this.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jogger-hit-by-plane-likely-didnt-hear-it/

Now, before I suggest what headphones you may want to consider, let's talk about those you might not want to consider.


Mo money don't always mean Mo better


Headphone prices can range from 20.00 to 6,000.00. Some up to $50,000.00. Personally, I can't even imagine what a set of 6000.00 headphones would sound like. Fortunately, you can achieve surprisingly good results for way less. Unfortunately, there are some extremely expensive headphones that just do not sound good at all. You hearing me Beats?


There's a belief around the headphone community. Purchase Beats or Bose headphones and you lose your butt on Craigslist. Purchase Sennheiser headphones and you are a customer for life. Sennheiser is a well-known manufacturer of headphones, but you could substitute Sennheiser for Beyerdynamic, HiFiMan or Phillips as easily. The point being, most people are so dissatisfied with the Beats or Bose experience, that they rarely, if ever purchase that brand again.


Think not? Go to any craigslist and type in "headphones". For every one brand name headphone for sale, you'll find four Beats or Bose listed. Why? Beats are nothing but overblown, overpriced bass cannons hawked by a once-famous rap star. "Muddy" is the best descriptor I can think of to describe their sound.


Bose has a horrible way of synthesizing their sound with inline equalizers automatically, thus taking that option away from the user. They decide for you what sounds best for every song. Some progress has been made to address this, but you have to use a Bose app on your phone to make it work. That's just unnecessary layers of complexity and listening to the music the way they think is best, not you.

The only thing Bose does well is noise cancellation and they do it better than anyone else. Pity that. Heaven forbid, some sound bleed-in might distract from the sub-par reproduction quality of Bose headphones. To me, Bose headphones are Sort of like 2-Buck Chuck bottled as a Chateau de Mouton Rothschild.


Beats headphones are usually purchased by younger folks, more interested in being seen in public with stylish headphones rather than their sound. A fashion statement more than any particular care for sound quality. 

Bose is often purchased by first time headphone customers, based solely on slick magazine marketing and product recognition.


It seems to me, in my journey to understand and appreciate the complex science of sound, young people are the most likely to not particularly care for the nuance of the music they prefer. Hence, those who hear music rather than listen to music. The cheap pods that come with their phones pretty much pump sludge into their ears with a slight similarity to the sounds they expect to hear. But to them, as long as they look good in public, well; who cares? Right? Well, you probably care.


So Many Choices.....


I've taken the liberty in whittling down the number of choices, based on price vs performance and build quality. I've spent dozens of hours in headphone auditioning rooms, audio conferences and other gatherings on which to base my opinions. While there are way more expensive offerings out there, here are my recommendations to those making their first quality headphone purchase. I do own or have owned all the headphones listed here. While this a small sampling, I chose these over the dozens I've auditioned.


$100.00 range


There have been huge improvements in sound reproduction quality through headphones in the last decade. The sound quality I have at hand right now, would in 2010 cost thousands of dollars. There isn't a better time to spend a little to get a lot.


Sennheiser HD 280 Pro


This closed-back model of headphone has been around for over a decade. The model is so popular, Sennheiser has chosen to revise and improve it over the years, as opposed to an upgrade model. I still have the same model I purchased over 8 years ago. These are particularly popular with talk show/podcast hosts, DJs and the casual listening consumer. However, don't let the "casual listening" part put you off. I have it on authority that when Sennheiser purchased the audio company Neumann, the Sennheiser audio engineers took some of the technology from the $500.00 Neumann NH20  headphones, and incorporated it into the latest release of the HD 280 Pros.


I have auditioned the Neumanns extensively and I've just recently auditioned the new 280s. Bringing my old 280s with me, I was astounded at the improvements made with the new release. I could also clearly hear the Neumann influence. Crisp, expansive and satisfying. If you are a first time buyer, or just getting your feet wet in the headphone pool, I cannot recommend these enough. But in order to offer these headphones at this price, Sennheiser has cut some corners on build quality.


Gone is the replaceable cable and you'd have to drill into the headphone drivers themselves to find any scrap of metal at all incorporated into them. However, I've not been terribly considerate when handling my old 280 pros and they've held up nicely. Just don't expect any leather earpads and if you damage your cable, you're out a hundred bucks.


Sivga SV006 




Sivga makes a number of decent headphones, but the closed-back Sigva SV006 is without a doubt the best of the bunch. For most occasions, these are the headphones I reach for when I need good noise isolation and great sound.


To quote a much-overused phrase, these headphones punch way, way above their weight. From build quality to the technology used in perfecting their sound and true walnut earcups, these are probably the best headphones you can buy for the money. With a replaceable cable, gorgeous walnut earcups and solid leather and aluminum headband, these will get you some attention in public. The bass response is good and punchy without muddying up the mid range or treble, and the treble is sharp without being sizzling or distorting. I don't think you could replace this solid headphone with anything even within the $200.00 range.

For a Few Dollars More...

Now, we're going to step up a little bit in price and quality, but be aware...anything mentioned below will best be experienced via a desktop or portable DAC/amp. Not expensive, but necessary. I'll cover DAC/amp combos after the headphone listings.


Phillips Filelio X2HR open-back



It wasn't long ago, these open-back headphones retailed at $300.00 and they were worth every penny at that price. Most recently, Phillips has dropped that price by half and they are becoming hard to order without a waiting period for a restocking. However, at the time of this article, they are available on Amazon.


Of all the headphones I've owned or auditioned over the years, these are the most "fun". Phillips has tuned them to have a bit more bass presence along with an improved 50mm driver that runs rings around the competition. They have a satisfying bass thump that doesn't muck up the mids or treble. What surprised me most, was the expansive soundstage and immaculate imaging. These indeed tick off many of the "audiophile" boxes while remaining affordable for most. These are my car phones.

Now, on to my favorite, my pride and joy.


HiFiMan Sundara




These are my Sundaras with my Ifi Zen Desktop DAC/amp.


So yeah, now we're talking some serious money, but we're also talking about headphones that compete at the $700.00 or $800.00 level on many counts at half the price. However, they do require some amplification. (as seen above) These too are open-back headphones but they are also planar magnetic headphones. That's the reason these are a bit more expensive than those listed above. I won't go all terminology crazy on you. Let me just link to a description of what planar magnetic headphones are and why they are considered to be some of the best made.


You can read for yourself here.


I spent an entire 4 days auditioning headphones at different stores and shops. I wore the poor guys out at Guitar Center; asking for different models to try. Sadly, I didn't buy from them but I got an education in what sounds good, and how Mo money don't always mean Mo better. They have open, airy, room-filling sound that just happens to take place between your ears. The bass is gratifying and the treble, imaging and soundstage beats headphones starting at twice the price. 350.00 dollars is a lot to pay for headphones, but you can consider these an investment you will enjoy for years to come. I listened to dozens of headphones before I realized that the Sundaras were probably the best in class under $700.00.


Let's Talk DAC/Amps


As I mentioned, the first two headphones I listed could be plugged into your phone and you'd be fine. Plenty of volume, plenty of bottom end. However, increase in impedance and drops in efficiency will necessitate the use of an amp or amp/DAC combo.


For most people, a portable amp will suffice both on the desktop and phone since they are small enough to strap to your phone yet powerful enough to drive these headphones at your computer. a DAC is a Digital to Audio Converter. They generally improve the sound quality while eliminating any noise or electronic junk your player might be producing. DAC/amps are as plentiful as headphones and can run into the thousands. However, I have personal experience with three of them and I'll list them in order of preference. In my opinion, spending over 100.00 on a DAC/amp has some pretty sharp diminishing returns

Paying twice the amount won't generally increase the quality of the experience by 100%...or even 25% in many cases.


Ifi Hip DAC - This is my go-to when I'm home listening via my computer or when I leave the house. Now, in the world of headphones, you can find models that equal or surpass those more expensive, but in the world of the DAC/Amp, you get what you pay for. This unit makes the world of difference, even though my LG V40 has a built-in DAC. It has a high gain and bass boost at your fingertips. If you can afford an extra $150.00, this is the portable solution you are looking for.


FiiO K3 portable DAC  A bit smaller and a tad less powerful, this DAC is fine for any of the headphones I listed above. It has an easily accessible and notched volume button with a built-in volume and bass boost option on the front of it. The only reason I prefer the Ifi is the battery life is about 4 hours longer than the FiiO. Other than that, you should be fine with this one. A bargain at $110.00


Ifi Zen DAC If you are looking for a non-portable or desktop solution, you couldn't do better than the Zen. My Zen DAC has both balanced and unbalanced inputs and you can connect it to your receiver, speakers or turntable via RCA cables. It connects via USB so you don't have to fool with a power adapter. However, any 5V that fits the power stub will suffice. Most of you will have one laying around the house. You can get this DAC/amp on your desktop for about 130.00.


The Zen has been a perfect desktop solution for me and after trying a number of others, I kept the Zen and returned the others.


This has not been at all comprehensive, so if you have questions, post them in the comments and I will answer them all. I don't think many people appreciate how their music is supposed to sound. Between sub-par bluetooth performance and some of the junk on the market, getting around to really appreciating your music can be an expensive voyage. It doesn't have to be.

Welcome to my world.

Yours Wryly.....

Ken



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