Everyone has encountered headphones in their life, most people have some of these noise-making devices. Nowadays, Bluetooth headphones are popular, but wired headphones also have a right to exist. The market has become quite polarized in recent years, there are gamer headphones, headphones with microphones designed for listening to music, and control headphones called studio monitors. Then there are the fancy functions, such as noise filtering, app-based control, surround sound, head movement tracking, and so many other things worth talking about. What should the audio encoding be? How to change ear cushions? We will try to answer everything.
contents
- These are the best headphones (2025)
- Everything you need to know about headphones
- Headphone accessories
- Advantages and disadvantages of headphones
- Tips and tricks for shopping
- Frequently Asked Questions
Almost all of our colleagues have several headphones, which is no accident: you need a target device for a target task, and usually you can't cover everything with one piece. That's why we tried to compile our list in such a way that everyone can find the right one for them. Nevertheless, it is impossible to cover all needs, so it is worth looking not only at our top list, but also at the category of the ones that ran, since there are gems there that we could not put in a selection of 10. Important: good sound remains good sound years later, these devices become obsolete more slowly than other technical solutions, so it is not a sin to buy older pieces. However, there is a kind of moral obsolescence, especially in the field of software functions: newer pieces get more and more extras, take this into account when choosing.
These are the best headphones (2025)
The headphones on our list were selected based on the following criteria:
- more than 10 years, based on our own experience as testers
- we all own several models and use them on a daily basis
- we go to places where these can be tested
- based on individual research, which is based on domestic and international customer opinions
- in various forums and special - e.g. Based on opinions read in Facebook groups
WIRELESS HEADPHONES
Who we recommend it to
The Picun ANC-05L was launched on the market last year, and the manufacturer targeted the entry-level category. Compared to that, however, they made quite a big splash in terms of sound quality, the little one sounds good, and not only compared to its price range. It can be folded to a small size, it is an excellent kick-and-cut speaker for travel, even for a second person, because of the low price, you really don't need to take care of it. We recommend it to those who want to spend little, and the main thing is portability and sound quality, they would be happy to forgo extra functions.
Why is it out of stock?
It's worth clarifying at the outset that the Picun ANC-05L is a cheap wireless headphone, so you have to have the right expectations for it. Compared to this, the 50-hour operating time and the presence of ANC are extra, as is the connection to 2 devices. There is no app, NFC, or fast charging, but the latter doesn't matter if the headphones can play 50 hours of music.
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: Wireless
- Head pillows: are interchangeable
- Coding: LDAC
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: 40 mm
- Operating hours: 70 hours, 50 hours with ANC
- multipoint: YES
- Tap-to-talk: NO
- HearID: YES
- Noise filtering: ANC, ENC and Transparency
- Collapsible: YES
- Quick charge: 5 hours in 5 minutes, 2% in 100 hours
- Application: YES
- NFC: NO
Who we recommend it to
1MORE used to be Xiaomi's in-house studio company, they tuned countless of their earphones. Then in 2021, they started releasing devices under their own name, and from 2022, 1MORE Sonoflow wireless headphones came, which properly kicked in the door of the lower-middle category. We recommend it to those who want the Anker Soundcore Life Q35, need good ANC and want a bunch of extra features.
Why is it out of stock?
There is one thing to note about the 1MORE Sonoflow - codenamed HC905 - wireless headphones: the newer models also came out under this name, for example the SE, which does not support LDAC encoding, so don't buy it. 1MORE Sonoflow not only has a sound, but for example its noise filtering is also surprisingly good, there is also filtering on the microphone side, its operating time is "one week", it has an app where you can perfectly customize the main parameters, including the sound image.
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: Wireless
- Head pillows: are interchangeable
- Coding: LDAC
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: 40 mm
- Operating hours: 65 hours, 50 hours with ANC
- multipoint: YES
- Tap-to-talk: NO
- HearID: YES
- Noise filtering: ANC and Transparency
- Collapsible: YES
- Quick charge: YES
- Application: YES
- NFC: NO
Who we recommend it to
The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 headphones, which we have been using for 3 years, should be here, but they have been discontinued, fortunately their successor, the Anker Soundcore Space Q45, has become even better. A true all-knowing solution that does not lack anything it needs. The small million function wouldn't be important if the sound wasn't good, but it ticks that one off, and it's also convenient. A true all-rounder, it perfectly meets average needs, and it is also capable of high-bandwidth LDAC transmission. We recommend it to those who are looking for non-entry-level headphones, who travel a lot, but don't want to do without a bunch of functions.
Why is it out of stock?
The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 knows everything it can, it's a real Swiss army knife. It has countless software functions, but the real trick is its five-stage noise filter, which many compare to the Sony WH-1000xm series. In terms of sound, it's also on point, and compared to LDAC, so if you have a good quality sound source, it sounds great. An alternative is the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, which is a similar piece, sharpened for carrying. If someone comes across the predecessor model, the Anker Soundcore Life Q35, they can also buy it.

Source: Steelseries
Steelseries Arctis Nova 5P wireless headphones - The ultimate in gaming
Advantages of wireless headphones:
- BT and 2,4 GHz connection
- virtual surround sound for games
- A dongle that can be plugged directly into the PlayStation 5
- volume control and microphone mute buttons
- software adjustable EQ and other parameters
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: BT, 2,4 GHz and Type-C based wired
- Head pillows: are interchangeable
- Coding: SBC
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: 40 mm
- Operating hours: 60 hours
- Dedicated microphone: YES
- Surround sound: YES
- Noise filtering: NONE
- Music presets: 100+
- Quick charge: 5 hours in 5 minutes, 2% in 100 hours
- Application: YES
- NFC: NO
Who we recommend it to
The Steelseries Arctis Nova 5P wireless headphones are completely off our list, because they were not invented for listening to music, but for games and everything else was subordinated to that. In more detail in this video you can see what it's all about, but the point is that this is a headset that can connect directly to a PlayStation 5, has 100+ sound profiles specifically designed for games, and communicates via Bluetooth and 2,4 GHz. We recommend it to those who play games a lot and want a V-characteristic, very comfortable headset with a microphone that emphasizes the sound of the games.
Why is it out of stock?
All the functions of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 5P are designed for gaming. Surround sound with which you can hear the sound and direction of footsteps and shots, convincing depth due to explosions, an excellent microphone that can be pushed back into the body of the headphones for team games and clan wars, an application for parameterization, and the list goes on. It can communicate on several channels at the same time, the sound can be sent via Bluetooth, 2,4 GHz dongle or Type-C. The dongle is compatible with PlayStation 5, so you don't have to use Bluetooth even when gaming on the console (there is also an Xbox compatible version of the headset called Nova 5X). Not incidentally, it is also very convenient for marathon online runs. One of our colleagues uses it for meetings, so it is also excellent for video calls.

Source: Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones - Deaf room level noise cancellation
Advantages of wireless headphones:
- great sound
- a member of the legendary 1000XM series
- real-time file compression - DSEE -
- LDAC protocol support, high bandwidth
- category-leading noise filtering, combined with Bose's QuietComfort product
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: Wireless
- Head pillows: are interchangeable
- Coding: LDAC
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: 30 mm
- Operating hours: 40 hours, 30 hours with ANC
- multipoint: YES
- Tap-to-talk: YES (called Speak-to-Chat)
- Surround sound: YES
- Noise filtering: ANC and Transparency
- Collapsible: YES
- Quick charge: 3 hours in 3 minutes, 3% in 100 hours
- Application: YES
- NFC: NO
Who we recommend it to
The Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones are the latest member of a legendary series. The sound image is very nice, the lows are a bit more dynamic according to public taste, but the XM5 series is already very chiseled, with a large dynamic range. We recommend it to those who, in Hungarian terms, are willing to spend relatively much in exchange for excellent noise filtering and good portability.
Why is it out of stock?
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are not a product focused on sound quality, but they do not sound bad at all. The catharsis is not that you let your hair down, how the second string of the violin sounds - because it's the Sennheiser HE1 - but all its parameters beat the average. It's great for traveling because of the strong noise filtering, and for listening to music because it sounds nice, it connects to several devices, it supports real-time file compression - DSEE -, it has a great app, it's convenient, so it doesn't really do anything wrong. We would buy it too, especially if we were to make a lot of long journeys by plane.
WIRED HEADPHONES
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: wired
- Head pillows: N/A
- Coding: none, wired connection
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: 50 mm
- Connection: 3,5 and 6,3 mm
- Noise filtering: passive
- Collapsible: YES
- Accessories: headphone holder, coaster
- Application: NO
Who we recommend it to
The OneOdio Pro-50 is a low-cost wired headphone recommended for DJing and studio work, i.e. its sound image is very neutral. However, the above use also eliminates some functions, since DJs do not make calls and do not filter noise. In return, it provides such comfort that your eyes water, it has a very thick, extremely pleasant and soft head pillow, and I could go on and on. We recommend it to those who want to solve music listening for pennies, but only that, or want to monitor sounds.
Why is it out of stock?
I don't think most people will understand why the OneOdio Pro-50 is good. I recommend them to buy one, because it's such a cheap item that it's still worth trying, even though we don't usually recommend it to anyone. It has two types of inputs, it is very comfortable, its sound is neutral, it has large diaphragms that sound excellent, the dynamic range is large compared to the price range. It's also collapsible, although wired heads are rarely used for travel. You get a very long, flexible cable with it and it can get caught in things. If you definitely need a wired solution where the cable can be removed, then there is the Superlux HD688B, for a similar amount.
Specification
- formation: over-ear, closed
- Transmission: wired
- Head pillows: replaceable
- Coding: none, wired connection
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: N/A
- Connection 3,5mm
- Noise filtering: passive
- Collapsible: NO
- Accessories: converter, portable fan
- Application: NO
Who we recommend it to
The Shure brand may not be as well-known as JBL, Sennheiser or AKG, and you won't see billboards advertising their products on the street, but their stuff is widely known in studio technology. The Shure SRH840 wired headphones - and the 440 as well - are headphones blessed with a not so neutral sound, rather warm - few sharp, piercing sounds - and emotional sound characteristics. It mostly leans towards the popular V, which is very close to what the public used to say "sounds good", especially strong in the mid-bass range, so we recommend it to those who like a chiseled sound image and a wide dynamic range, and who are primarily looking for a device for listening to music and are not bothered by a little more bass and treble than the midrange.
Why is it out of stock?
It's hard to write about the Shure SRH840 because you really have to hear what it's like. Anyone who likes funny videos is you can be smart here, but the point is that it reproduces what is called a "warm sound image" very well. One of the weaknesses of wired headphones is that the cable will have a contact failure, but luckily the Shure SRH840 has eliminated this by being removable so that it can be replaced in the event of a fault. And the headband cushioning really has to be felt live. Fortunately, it doesn't cost very much, so those who want to spend a little more on the subject won't end up financially bankrupt either.
Specification
- formation: over-ear, open
- Transmission: wired
- Head pillows: N/A
- Coding: none, wired connection
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: N/A
- Connection 3,5mm
- Noise filtering: passive
- Collapsible: NO
- Accessories: N/A
- Application: NO
Who we recommend it to
AKG is a legendary manufacturer, the K612 Pro is a cheap model, at least compared to the K700 series. Its sound image is very neutral, the output sounds are close to what comes through the input, so it is great for listening to music and studio work. The frame is extremely light, only 238 grams, so the headphones remain comfortable for longer periods of time. We recommend it to those for whom listening to music is the first thing and who do not like the sound image colored by electronics, but would like to hear the original.
Why is it out of stock?
The main characteristic of the AKG K612 Pro is the neutral sound image, so the bass or treble will not be enough for many, but one of the cornerstones of listening to music is that it is good to hear what the musician originally played on an instrument and not what the electronics mix up. If you look at its construction, it is an open, over-ear headphone, but the ear cushions are not the usual artificial leather, but "velvet" design. It feels great to wear, with one drawback: it tends to pick up lint. However, its comfort is extra, as is the low weight of the wire-frame headband, which is at least as important a feature as the pleasing sound image.
Specification
- formation: over-ear, open
- Transmission: wired
- Head pillows: replaceable
- Coding: none, wired connection
- technology: dynamic driver
- Speaker size: N/A
- Connection 3,5mm
- Noise filtering: passive
- Collapsible: NO
- Accessories: jack converter
- Application: NO
Who we recommend it to
Do you know when the Sennheiser HD 600 was first released? Hold on to the arm of the chair: in 1997. And its successor, the HD 650? in 2003. Yes, the devices have been available since then, which is no coincidence: the Sennheiser HD 600 is used by audio purists for reference playback. In other words, the sound of the cheaper devices is compared to the headphones, it sounds so clear and neutral, it is the closest to what musicians play on an instrument. We recommend it to those who need absolutely clear sound and appreciate such niche things. As they say: good sound never gets old.
Why is it out of stock?
The Sennheiser HD 600 replaced another legend, the HD 580, more than 20 years ago. What made it so cool? Very good quality, great reference target device, open structure so that the sound does not beat in the closed space, that is, everything has been grammed for a perfectly neutral sound. The ear cushions are quite large, they easily surround the ear, a real polished target tool, which will not be good for everyone, but those who are crazy about very clear sounds should find and listen to one, because the sound image of the Sennheiser HD 600 is very close to this.

Source: HifiMAN
HifiMAN Sundara open, wired headphones - Extra sound quality thanks to the planar driver
Advantages of wired headphones:
- excellent quality
- it has both an open and a closed version
- sound suitable for the premium segment
- one of the cheapest headphones in its category
- it has a planar drive, not a dynamic one
Specification
- formation: over-ear, open
- Transmission: wired
- Head pillows: replaceable
- Coding: none, wired connection
- technology: planar drive
- Speaker size: N/A
- Connection 3,5mm
- Noise filtering: passive
- Collapsible: NO
- Accessories: N/A
- Application: NO
Who we recommend it to
HifiMAN is a high-end Chinese manufacturer, their cheapest product is approx. 150 USD. The HifiMAN Sundara costs roughly twice as much, and this is no accident: it uses planar drivers, not dynamic ones, which gives a much more detailed sound image than the other 9 headphones on the list. This means that you can hear sounds with these drivers that you couldn't with the previous ones. It's worth going to a place where you can try them on, the difference is quite noticeable. This is clearly the premium category, basically we recommend it to those who want to delve a little deeper into the technological side of listening to music and want a chiseled, high-oriented, "ringing" sound image.
Why is it out of stock?
The HifiMAN Sundara exists in two versions, one with a closed and one with an open driver housing, the former is much cheaper, but the latter has a better sound image, it is on our list. According to the smart people, open speakers are good because the sound doesn't bounce off the back panel, so you get a clearer, richer, more detailed sound image. HifiMAN Sundara knows this, in addition to using premium materials, their device is very comfortable to wear, so they offer a kind of "gateway drug" to enter the set of more serious headphones, and this model of theirs is still in the affordable category.
Headphones worth mentioning
The biggest database that organizes and evaluates public headphones known to us is the unfortunately already "offline" database crinacle.com. You can find thousands of headphones here, but since it primarily ranks based on sound image and sound quality, it doesn't really take into account the extras that users require with average use. It's also worth it Rtings you should check out their website, they write about headphones in a professional manner.
Since wireless headphones with Bluetooth transmission almost always offer worse sound quality than wired solutions, they are usually rated worse than their wired counterparts. Does the average user notice this difference? Almost never, but what and how you hear is completely unique anyway. That's why it's worth trying out as many headphones as possible live. Where can you try these? For example:
- in the technical department of hypermarkets such as Auchan
- on the brand islands of malls, such as the Dyson island (yes, they already have headphones)
- Alza center in Budapest
- in shops selling different musical instruments
- in brand stores, such as Denon
So what was left out of the above list? The very expensive stuff, worth hundreds of thousands or millions of forints. Meze, Focal, Bowers&Wilkins, Bose (e.g. QuietComfort), Bang&Olufsen, Sonos, and premium products from thousands of other manufacturers. By the way, the Chinese also have such brands, for example a moondrop or the SIVGA.
Chinese is not so premium ear fun, which is a very good, up-and-coming brand, and then there is the all-in-one manufacturer Awei and the Baseus, but you can really run into everything on Aliexpress. It used to be our favorite Edifier, but they haven't flashed much lately. Unfortunately, the BlitzWolf none of the products made it to the list, even though they used to launch great headphones on the market, but the new series turned out to be quite weak. And of course we must not forget the Xiaomi nor, they are also present in the market.
Everything you need to know about headphones
We think that everyone has used headphones in their lives, they are such a basic accessory in our lives, and of course essential for listening to music. However, according to our experience, almost everyone not only has headphones, but also earphones and some kind of speaker, so as a primer, you should read our other two articles, which can bring you closer to the world of music:
It can be seen from the above that the music transfer strongly dominated by wireless standards, including Bluetooth, for reasons of practicality. However, if wired solutions have a right to exist somewhere, it is headphones, so let's start by examining how such devices are built and work.
The headphones are nothing more than a built-in amplifier and 2 speakers for the right and left ears, plus the "fringe" that connects the two sides. Of course, I have made the matter more general now, as these are also very important elements of the device, as they determine how comfortable a headphone will be. In other words, headphones are nothing more than a relatively closed device designed for listening to music, which in most cases we use in peace. On the other hand, they are not so easy to carry, they fit in a bigger place, and their everyday use is more fiddly.
But then why doesn't everyone buy themselves headphones? The easiest way to understand this is to list the main features of the headphones:
- large membranes, typically 30-60 mm
- high-capacity battery, long operating time (up to 100 hours)
- physical button control
- better isolation thanks to the ear cushions
- high level of comfort, "womb" feeling
- much better music quality than headphones
- lots of extra features
- there is also a mouth-mounted, microphone and wired version
In the case of headphones portability is more of a secondary consideration, while you can even put the headphones in your pocket, which is why in many cases - for example, on a shorter trip, for sports, if you don't have a bag, etc. – it is more convenient to carry a wireless bluetooth headset with you instead of a headset.
How are headphones built?
The headphones are not built like earphones. Almost all headphones/earphones have:
- 1 sound-generating membrane per side
- physical buttons for control
- 2 ear cushions
- 2 open or closed back panels
- adjustable headband
- battery
- a wireless transceiver or a wire if the device is wired
- microphone, which can be behind the ear cushions, built into the frame, or a boom microphone that can be pulled in front of the mouth
- a connector for charging and audio transmission
- other extras like LED lights
Based on the above, headphones can be classified into different categories in countless ways, which basically determines how comfortable they will be, what their sound quality will be like, and what they can be used for.
Based on ear pad design
There are several types of ear cushions for headphones:
- Over-ear – ear-hugging
- On-ear – placed on the ear
- In Ear – placed in the ear, these are earphones
- Ear Pads, Clip-on – can be clipped onto an earpiece
Over-ear (Circumaural)
Solutions that wrap around the ear can be considered common, most headphones are like this. Their big advantage is that they perfectly isolate sounds, which act as a passive noise filter, and they are also very comfortable, listening to music feels intimate. On the other hand, they are sweaty to wear in warmer weather, and the skin underneath also burns. Due to their large size, such solutions are heavier, so they are not so easy to carry.
Our own experience is that even these can easily be pulled around the neck, and most of the ear cushions can be folded up next to the headband and stored in a carrying case, so the size is usually not that much of a disadvantage in practice.
On-ear (Supraaural)
The opposite of Circumaural, it does not wrap around the ear, but fits it from above. A smaller and lighter solution than the over-ear, it doesn't heat the ear at all, so you won't sweat in it. However, there is a kind of noise pollution, external sounds filter in much more, because of this the isolation is not really good, and it puts pressure on the ear, which is why it is less comfortable. We tried the Bose models, and above a certain level it is possible to solve the comfortable wearing with the very soft sponge, moreover, it is a very filigree solution.
Source: www.wearefilmseries.com
In-Ear
This is practically the design of the earphones, which the in our article about headphones we wrote in more detail.
Ear Pads (Clip-on)
A pinching solution, it used to be more popular, but today the first two are more common. Very light construction, no headband, instead it has two hooks to hang the headphones on the ears. The two speakers are connected by an intermediate cable, a bit similar to wireless, collar-shaped earphones.
From the above the first category is much more typical, like the other two, such devices make up the majority of the market.
It is also worth knowing that in the case of the first two categories, the size of the headband can be adjusted, of which the more durable is the one where the adjustment mechanism is made of metal. Most of the ear cushions can be turned almost 180 degrees, and the better ones can also be turned to the side by 90 degrees, so the headphones can be folded very small, which solves the problem of portability. The Ear Pads design is basically very small and easy to pack.
Closed or open headphones
The "case" located on the back of the ear cushions and membrane can be of two types, closed or open, in English this is called closed/open back. Perhaps it can be translated as a back cover, in Hungarian they are called simply closed and open headphones, but Sony, for example, refers to this part as a "unit". The essence of the matter is that the ear cushion and the back plate create a closed vibrational space around the ear, where the sound waves bounce back and forth.
The sound reaches the ear through the ear canal, while the sound is absorbed in the other direction, so it is dulled and reflected to some extent from the surface of the ear cushion and the back panel. The same happens with earphones, only there the vibration field is closed by the rubber bell located in the ear canal. The advantage of closed headphones is that the sounds only travel inward, not outward, so they do not disturb the environment, for example, when watching a movie in the evening, only you hear the sounds and no one else.
Source: www.soundmanual.com
In principle, the closed design worsens the sound quality, so in the case of more serious headphones, the back is also opened backwards, that is, the surface is perforated and permeable. In this case, the sound spreads not only inwards, but also outwards, so that the environment also hears what you hear. The sound range is better, there is no reflection and thus the sound waves do not interfere with each other, overall the quality is better.
In theory, on-ear headphones can also be designed with an open back, but that doesn't make much sense, since they don't insulate anyway, so almost all of them come on the market with closed backs.
Wireless or wired headphones
The modern headphones the vast majority are installed wirelessly. This is also called Bluetooth headphones, it's the same, in fact almost all headphones have a BT module that does its job, it provides wireless transmission, which has its advantages and disadvantages.
On the contrary a cable is integrated into wired headphones, which ends in a jack connector and the headphones, so there is a galvanic connection between the source. The contact is almost always provided by a 3,5 or 6,3 mm jack connector, 3,5 mm is used on everyday devices, while 6,3 mm is more common among professional, studio devices, but for example I also found this on guitar amplifiers. The transition between the two is usually solved with converters. The smaller one is more convenient to use, the larger one provides better signal transmission.
What advantages do these solutions provide?
How is it that wired headphones haven't died out of the market yet? The answer is relatively simple, wired solutions are not as much of a hassle for headphones as they are for earphones, in return they have countless advantages.
The wired headphones:
- they are physically connected to the sound source, there is no need to compress the music.
- since no compression, so there is no loss (plus, it is not necessary that both the source and the receiver support the compression procedures).
- more stable signal transmission, clearer, more detailed sound.
- low latency, a few milliseconds (in practice it is almost zero, the delay is not noticeable, which is important for games and studio work).
- no power supply required, so not for batteries either. Such devices do not expire.
- no disconnection or stuttering, no interference.
- they have a longer lifespan.
If we want to summarize the above, then a sound quality and the reliability what wired headphones do better than their wireless counterparts. Then why were bluetooth headphones created, if everything is so great with wired solutions? Because:
- in some cases they cannot be used, for example during certain sports and similar activities.
- uncomfortable, as well as the hooking of the cable itself is also a source of error, since the device may have a contact fault, and it is not always possible to replace the cabling (some manufacturers solve this by disconnecting the cable using a female jack connector, into which a male-male extension cable is inserted, this is connected to the audio source (Example: Superlux HD 668B).
- the newer wireless headphones operating time is very long.
- LDAC and LHDC encodings are almost lossless and they also have a high bandwidth (900-990 kbps).
- for most encodings has a low latency version, this is usually denoted by "LL", which stands for low latency, which means roughly 30-40 ms.
In other words, thanks to technological advances, the advantages of wired headphones have largely been transferred to wireless headphones as well. Of course, professional use allows fewer compromises and expects better quality, so wired solutions remain.
It is also worth explaining in a little more detail the principle of operation of wireless, alias bluetooth headphones, and thereby better understand how the above achievements work.
This is how the data transmission of wireless headphones works
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard, similar to Wi-Fi, but requires significantly less power and is more energy efficient than the former, making it ideal for portable devices such as voice and data transmission. The lower consumption is associated with a shorter range, which, depending on the version of the standard, is 5-30 meters in the open field, while, according to our experience, it is 10-15 meters indoors. Low power consumption results in longer operating time for Bluetooth headphones.
You can find out how modern the technology is from the Bluetooth version number, we are currently at version 5.4. The newer the standard, the greater the range - between 15-30 meters - and the more stable the connection. To get a sense of this, let's try a newer, version 5.x device compared to an older, 4.x standard device: the difference is astounding.
In the case of sound, Bluetooth is only the "carrier", sound quality is also influenced by other factors. For example, the sound needs to be encoded and decoded, for which various codecs are used by manufacturers. To understand this, it is worth going back to the concept of uncompressed and compressed music, which basically determines sound quality. Music can be:
- Uncompressed (lossless): the entire sound spectrum is preserved, which gives the closest quality to the original sound, although it means a large file size. An example is the WAV format.
- Compressed, but lossless: aims to reduce the file size, so for example FLAC files are also included.
- Compressed and unprofitable: smaller file size, but part of the sound spectrum is lost. This is a compromise solution, in exchange, the files can also fit on portable devices with a relatively small storage capacity. For example, MP3 and most streaming services use such formats, such as Spotify, while Tidal is an exception.
The file format of the music is not sufficient information in itself: it is important to sampling frequency (kHz), which shows how many samples the device takes from the signal per second, and the bitrate (kbps), which indicates how much data is used per second for storage. The higher their value, the better the sound quality. How do you check? Under Windows, you can find them on the details tab under file information.
Now that we know what the music carrier is, let's get back to how Bluetooth works. It's a low-power, frugal standard that also has limited bandwidth, although improvements are constantly increasing this. Different codecs are used for audio transmission, which we will now look at in more detail.
Bluetooth audio codecs
The encoding and decoding of the sound is necessary because the sound is stored in digital form - in a file - which is then converted into analog vibrations by the BT headphones. An important question is what data transfer rate Bluetooth supports and what codecs it uses. If not indicated separately, then for Android devices default is SBCwhile Apple's AAC. There are also higher bandwidth codecs:
- SBC (low complexity subband coding): widely used, used by all stereo BT headphones, its theoretical maximum is 345 kbps at 44,1 kHz, with average sound quality.
- AAC (advanced audio coding): codec of the Apple iTunes platform, theoretically better than SBC, works at a speed of 250 kbps.
- aptX: developed by Qualcomm, offers wideband stereo sound at 350 kbps. The aptX LL version is low, approx. Provides 40 ms delay.
- aptX HD: improved version with 576 kbps and 48 kHz sampling, low latency and less background noise.
- aptX Adaptive: the adaptive version of the previous one, which dynamically changes the bandwidth, with a maximum speed of 420 kbps.
- LDAC (lossless digital audio codec): Sony standard with up to 990 kbps transmission, which is close lossless provides a musical experience, ideal for playing FLAC files.
- lHDC (low latency high-definition audio codec): developed by Savitech, with 900 kbps and 48 kHz sampling, low latency, the LL version of which provides 30 ms latency.
Latency refers to how fast the earphones are able to play the sound compared to when it was sent by the source. The default delay for Bluetooth headphones is 200-300 ms, which is not disturbing when listening to music, but when watching movies and games, the image and sound may drift apart, and of course, a long delay cannot be tolerated in any studio. In 100 ms, this is barely perceptible, but you can achieve the best experience by using a cable. The new low-latency codecs provide almost the same quality with a value of 30-40 ms.
It is important to note that while Windows 10 does not, Windows 11 already supports the LDAC standard, so in a Microsoft environment it is worth switching to the newer system in order to achieve better sound quality if the music source is also of adequate quality.
Which one is better?
It is an almost undecidable question, it depends on the use. In addition to general use, wireless is preferred, we recommend high-bandwidth solutions, because you can take them with you, while hardcore music fans should stick with wired models.
Built-in or boom microphone
Most BT headphones have one or two, or possibly more, microphones. These are included in the devices not only because they can also be used as headsets, but also because ANC and Transparency mode use sound samples from microphones to filter noise and mix sounds into music.
Of course, the microphones can also be used for conversations - using a more fashionable name, using the workplace jargon: meetings - where basically, the sensitivity of the microphone and its distance from the mouth will determine the sound quality. Based on our experience, even a higher-quality – meaning more expensive – headphone produces sound quality good enough for you to use them for games or video calls.
However, there are models that place special emphasis on the sound quality of the conversation. Anyone who has ever seen a call center knows that these headphones have a microphone that can be turned from one side in front of the mouth, which results in much better quality than on-ear solutions. Moreover, these are not necessarily more expensive than the "traditional" ones. Typically, gamer headphones have such a function, in some cases the microphone can be pushed back and hidden in the headphones.
Nature of use
Manufacturers like to label their individual devices, usually for positioning reasons. Since every product that can be used for listening to music solves a problem, it doesn't matter what you need and what you want to use the headset for.
For general hobby use
However, most people don't overthink it, just one for "general" use looking for suitable headphones. Typically, but not exclusively, such devices must have the following properties:
- portability, so most people buy wireless headphones - also known as Bluetooth headphones
- long operating time
- good sound quality
- noise filtering
- be relative comfortable
- have some extra software features
Having explained the above, portability primarily means a foldable design and small size, for which on-ear solutions are better. In fact, all wireless headphones today have a long operating time, usually at least 40 hours, of which ANC use takes approx. You lose 33%. Since the 60-hour operating time is completely standard, 40 hours is almost guaranteed, which means 5 working days, 8 hours of listening to music per day. In practice, this is usually enough for 1-2 weeks. Some models also have a fast charging function, which usually means charging 5-10 hours of energy in the battery in 3-8 minutes.
Good sound quality is relative, but primarily from the unique characteristics of your ears and it consists of getting in - which, according to many, is getting your ears used to it. The best thing is if you can hear the devices live, but the more expensive stuff almost always means better sound quality, but this process is not proportional. You usually have to pay much more for better sound quality than the actual improvement in sound quality.
In a simplified way, noise filtering works like this: cheap devices are all weak, and expensive ones are quite good. Top tool a Sony WH-1000XM series, the XM3 was already very good, and the newer ones are even better. It is also worth mentioning Bose QuietComfort and that Anker Soundcore Space Q45, but other manufacturers also have models that filter noise decently. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, don't expect very good noise cancellation.
What do we consider relatively comfortable? Which doesn't tire your ears and you won't sweat. Unfortunately, the two properties contradict each other, since the softer and more spacious the ear cushion is, the more it warms your head, and in return, the more comfortable it is. This is also influenced by the unique shape of your ears, one more reason for a personal test.
As for the extra software functions, see below, except for noise filtering, most of them are just spectacular, not as decisive as you might think, but all of them are useful.
Along with games
Based on the above logic, gamer stuff, in addition to being well priced, should have certain unique features:
- bass boost (explosions, gunshots and other sound effects usually sound in the low range)
- low latency (do not delay the sound compared to the picture)
- great microphone, for headset use
- LEDs and other cool stuff like wild looks
- surround sound
- Spec connections (2,4 GHz dongle or Type-C adapter for consoles, for example)
The first of the above actually the V characteristic, where the sound image is pulled in the direction of bass and treble. You can do this in software with any headphones, you simply highlight them with the help of the equalizer and that's it. Why V characteristic? Because the sound effects of most of the games are gunshots, explosions, vehicle sounds and these sound in the low range, while the scary sounds are more in the high range.
Az low latency - under 100 ms - but it is important that don't let the sound slide during the action. Of course, you can play Heroes 3 with anything, but the general public usually understands gaming as action-packed games. The microphone is primarily for team games - e.g. World of Tanks, DOTA, etc. – necessary for proper communication. By definition, wired solutions are better at achieving low latency, but the encoding standards of wireless Bluetooth headphones marked with low latency - aptX, LHDC, etc. – are also good, and most devices have a gamer mode, which also means activating a low-latency function.
And LEDs are the basic equipment of all gamer stuff, let everyone decide if they need something like that. By the way, the gamer headphones will also be great companions for meetings because of the separate arm microphone.
Music listening and professional use
It is surprising, but most people buy headphones not only for listening to music, but for multifunctional use. For those who want to return to the basics, the following will be important:
- good sound quality
- great thick padding, passive noise filtering
- very comfortable design
- the easier the better
- if the headphones are wireless, then high bandwidth transmission
What does sound quality depend on? A lot of things, but primarily how you hear the sounds. We have to make everyone delusional: average people can't hear particularly well compared to the sensitivity of an instrument - e.g. headphones emit sounds between 10 Hz and 40 KHz, while children can hear up to 20 KHz - but they don't know about it, and it gets worse with age. So what high sound quality is for you will be the result of an individual, subjective assessment.
Most of the points are worth a separate chapter, because they contain general truths that deserve further elaboration.
The sound quality of the headphones
If you are looking for the library's definition of what makes the sound quality of headphones - or rather sound fidelity - good, then you have to compare it with the sound of acoustic instruments. In other words, if you listen to a violin live and it sounds the same in headphones as the original, it has perfect tonal fidelity and a neutral sound image.
This will not be the case, because the rendering of the sounds will never be 100% - you cannot do infinite sampling, it will deteriorate due to compression, etc. -, in addition, the sound of the headphones is "tuned" to something, that is, the amplifier part "distorts" the outgoing sound, compared to the way it arrives at the device. For example, in the case of the V characteristic, low and high sounds are emphasized, that is, the original sound image is transformed.
The closer the output sound is to the original incoming sound source, the better the sound fidelity, which is labeled Hi-Fi - High Fidelity - which literally means sound fidelity. These devices minimize distortion and noise, and their sounds are clear, such as the Sennheiser HD-600/HD-650, which are legendary "neutral" headphones. The Harman target curve is used to tune the headphones. What is the target Harman curve? Here is a simpler summary of it:
“In developing the Harman target curve, researchers conducted extensive listener testing to understand preferences for headphones with different frequency response. These tests showed that most listeners prefer sound close to Harman's target curve, which aims to reproduce the sound of room speakers through headphones.
It is important to note that although the Harman target curve is a widely accepted reference for evaluating the sound of headphones, not all listeners have the same preferences. For example, some people like more bass or higher frequencies, while others prefer a more neutral sound. Therefore, the Harman target curve serves more as a starting point for headphone tuning that manufacturers and users can modify according to their own preferences.”
How can the sound image of a headphone be checked in practice? Mostly by listening to several instruments one after the other and determining for yourself how they sound compared to each other and whether you like it. Our method is that, moving from the cheaper to the more expensive device, we pay attention to whether additional details emerge in the music when listening to the same track. It is not really worth looking at the technical parameters directly, because it is very difficult to infer the sound quality from this. However, there are some rules of thumb that you should follow:
- if the device is wireless, for coding with the highest possible bandwidth be capable (LDAC, LHDC).
- your music sources should also be of the best possible quality (e.g. Spotify is not).
- closed design look for something that passively isolates external noise if you don't want to disturb others. However, if this is not a consideration, an open design is better.
- Do NOT use ANC, find a quiet place to listen to music instead.
- Most consumer stuff with dynamic drivers mounted, but a planar and that electrostatic drivers are capable of producing much more detailed and chiseled sounds (you will rarely come across them, because they fall into the HUF 200-500 category).
There are thousands of other parameters, impedance, distortion, sampling and much more, the bottom line is that if you are not an audiophile, you don't need to go deeper into the subject.
The cushioning and comfort of the headphones
One of the most underrated features of headphones is comfort. This mainly depends on the cushioning, but as a rule of thumb: over-ear headphones are more comfortable than on-ear solutions. The quality of the cushioning can be characterized based on several parameters. The cover can be leather, synthetic leather, plastic pretending to be leather, plush, sponge and the like. By definition, leather breathes best, but it is expensive, while plush is very comfortable, but collects fluff, and synthetic leather and sponge are dusty.
The thickness of the ear cushion is provided by the inner sponge seal, but there are also gel solutions. The thicker it is, the more comfortable it is and provides better passive noise insulation, but it also makes your head sweat more. It is very important that the ear cushions of the headphones can be replaced, because this can significantly extend the life of the device. In the case of most headphones, it is worth looking around on Aliexpress for their replacement, and of course you can also find ear pads for the better-known Chinese brands here. A good example of this is the Anker Soundcore Q series, all of which have Alin accessories like this, and we have already replaced several, because with regular use, a set dies in 2-3 years.
It is not a big task to replace them, usually they cling to other parts of the headphones with snap-out plastic nails, you have to reach under the edge with a bank card and they jump out of place.
Source: Aliexpress
The low weight and good padding of the headband contribute greatly to comfort. There are headbands with a metal interior and a plastic frame, and those working with a pillow attached to a wire frame. The latter is more airy and lighter, but more difficult to adjust than the former. According to our experience, it is the headband that tends to press the head, not the ear cushions, and if the headband is poorly held together, the headphones will feel wobbly.
In the case of wired headphones, the design and length of the cable are also part of the comfort. If it is short, there is no freedom of movement, if it is long, it gets caught in everything. It doesn't matter how they are designed, the more demanding ones are coated with some kind of surface. Solutions equipped with a removable cable are also quite good, since if the cable breaks, it can be replaced.
In principle, you should try all headphones, although unfortunately you won't have the opportunity to spend a few hours in them either, because of this you may develop false beliefs about their comfort.
Headphone operating time
As you may have noticed in the last couple of years, the operating time of headphones has increased drastically, this is no longer a problem for headphones, unlike, for example, Bluetooth headphones are still a key issue. In practice, no wireless headphones are released that do not work for at least 40 hours on a single charge, but even with ANC, they have 30 hours, so it is not very possible to drain them in one day.
However, there are some conditions that can drastically reduce the operating time, so the device will not deliver what the manufacturer claims. So the first thing you should know is that the operating time of the headphones is given with the LED lights and ANC off, at medium volume, with basic equalizer settings. No extra functions are activated - e.g. bass enhancement - so any additional function can reduce the operating time.
But what really accelerates electron consumption? Mostly from these:
- LED lights: they eat brutally, we also experienced a 50% reduction in operating time for the speakers, fortunately the situation is not so serious in the case of headphones.
- noise filtering: reduces operating time by approximately 25%.
- high volume: by definition, the battery drains more at higher volume.
- extra bass: in this case, more current is applied to the coil behind the diaphragms, the diaphragm moves more, which consumes more current.
Fortunately, most modern bluetooth headphones have it with fast charging. This means that they can pump 5-10 hours of operating time into the headphones in 3-8 minutes, so if you need them quickly, this can be used as an emergency solution.
How do headphones break?
It is often a neglected topic, but it is worth talking about, since on the one hand it can be mitigated with accessories, and on the other hand you can prepare for it in advance. In our experience the ear cushions mostly fall apart, especially sweat can eat them. The stitching on the artificial leather cover is bursting, and the sponge is simply destroyed by the iron teeth of time. In such cases, it is not necessary to throw them away, but since the sponge falls and goes into the ear, it is worth replacing it. One of the aspects of the purchase can be if you check whether there are spare ear pads and how much they cost, and buy a set right away, you usually need them every 2-3 years.
The other one it affects the wired headphones, and this is the cable with a contact fault. This is quite a pain to repair at home, but a service center can fix it. To this solution if the wire can be removed, in this case it can be replaced at home, but one more connection is added to the chain, which can cause signal loss. This is of no importance in the basic case, but it can play a role in a studio or in case of professional use.
It is also a common mistake that the cover cracks at the stem of the foldable and movable ear cushions. This is primarily an aesthetic thing, it doesn't affect the use, you can stick it or wrap it around with insulating tape, it won't look pretty, but if it doesn't bother you, it's not worth throwing away the otherwise well-functioning headphones.
It can affect wireless headphones decrease in battery life, which, surprisingly, we don't often experience with headphones, in contrast to BT earphones. The reason for this is that a BT headset capable of operating for 50-60 hours needs to be charged much less often than a TWS headset, where the berries last 4-8 hours. A good battery will serve its owner for many years, based on our own impressions, consumers are more likely to replace these devices because of moral obsolescence than because of a technical fault. Almost all wireless headphones have a jack connector, they can also receive power from there, so if the battery fails, they can always be used as wired headphones as an emergency solution.
Other functions of the headphones
Although we have written a lot about the various other functions of Bluetooth earphones, since today they are devices suitable not only for listening to music, but also for other uses. We would highlight some differences at the beginning:
- You can't sleep in headphones, so these types of software functions, such as sleep assistance, are eliminated. Nevertheless, such sound samples have a relaxing character, so you can relax in them as well.
- No software control adjustment, or if there is, it is not an important function, since most headphones have physical buttons. There is room to install the switches next to the membranes, a much more reliable technology than the touch-based one. There is one exception: tap-to-talk, see below.
- The operating time is almost "infinite" compared to BT earphones with charging cradles, but definitely longer than a day. For this reason, there is not much time for charging, and some models can also emit sounds while charging. This limitation does not apply to wired solutions.
Knowing the above, let's see what more interesting functions you can expect. Most of these can be set from the application, the vast majority of new headphones have an application, if it is not a wired solution, they cannot do such a thing by definition.
ANC, Transparency, wind noise filtering
ANC is the abbreviation of Active Noise Cancellation. The essence of this is that it creates a counter-frequency with the same amplitude and phase opposite to the external noise, which suppresses typically low-frequency noises. Since the electronics cannot completely separate the music from the background noise, the sound quality may deteriorate slightly; a low hum or sometimes a popping sound can be heard, but the noise is really reduced. The effectiveness of noise filtering is measured in dB, and its quality varies widely: in some cases it is barely perceptible, while in others it creates almost complete silence, a "deaf room" effect. There are Bluetooth headphones with multilevel noise cancellation, and some models can also reduce wind noise. It is important that the system requires a closed sound field, so on-ear solutions perform poorly in this genre.
Western manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and JBL with adaptive noise filtering also equip their products. This technology adapts to changes in environmental noise, often using artificial intelligence (AI), to adjust the filtering. Certain sounds, such as an ambulance siren, are deliberately let in by the technology, so you will hear them. It is often combined with deep neural networks (DNN) to make noise filtering even more effective.
Passive noise filtering is a simple physical barrier against external noise. This can be the ear cushions of headphones, or even a concrete wall, which reduces the propagation of sound waves.
Az ENC stands for Environmental Noise Cancellation, which is often for noise filtering on the microphone side also called This is also an active technology, but it mainly filters the ambient noise picked up by the microphones to remove background noise during the conversation. This technology can be used with any Bluetooth headset that has a microphone.
Spatial audio and head tracking
Spatial audio is a 3D sound that creates the feeling that sound waves are coming at the listener from all directions. It is as if the listener were sitting in the middle, surrounded by the sound sources, and the sounds flowed towards him in 360 degrees, which results in a wider, spatial sound experience, bringing the feeling of home theater sound closer.
Head tracking, also known as dynamic headtracking, is a feature that shapes 3D sound by taking into account head movement and ear position. Bluetooth headphones achieve this with gyroscopes and accelerometers, detecting changes in the position of the head, so the sound seems much more lifelike as if the sound source were fixed in space and you could move independently. This is usually used in conjunction with surround sound.
Bluetooth codec switching
This is one of the most important settings. Serious Chinese and Western manufacturers - such as 1More, Anker Soundcore, Edifier - also allow the use of aptX or LDAC codecs, which provide better sound quality compared to traditional SBC or AAC codecs. Some manufacturers, such as Sony, Huawei and Samsung, use their own, protected ("proprietary") codecs, which are only supported by the products of that company. Although we can choose different codecs on Android as well, according to experience, the it works really well with manufacturer applications. However, most music streaming providers don't support them, so you're left with SBC or AAC.
Smart playback
This is what 1More calls this proximity sensor-controlled music stop and start function, but each manufacturer calls their solution something. The proximity sensor built into the headphones monitors the change in distance from the skin surface. When we remove the headphones from our ears, it stops the music, and when we put it back, it starts again. The operation and sensitivity can be adjusted in the application, but according to experience, it is not always reliable.
Smart Loudness
This is a volume compensation function that evens out distortions at higher volumes.
Tap-to-talk
That's what Anker Soundcore calls this feature, which Sony calls "Quick Attention." The essence of the function is that when you tap the headphones, the music fades out, which is useful if you don't want to take the device off your ear, but want to talk, for example when buying a ticket. To activate it, you have to touch one of the sides of the headphones, which is usually the only function that can be controlled by touch.
HearID
HearID is a technology used in Soundcore headphones to personalize the listening experience, but competing manufacturers also have it under a different fancy name. This is the function intelligently tests the user's hearing, and creates a unique sound profile, which is specially adapted to the ears of the given person. The Soundcore app also allows full EQ control, typically with over 20 preset profiles, so users can optimize and customize the sound to their own preferences.
Equalizer
The equalizer allows you to adjust the sound image, with several profiles that can be used to emphasize low or high sounds. Most apps also offer preset options.
OTA software update
OTA stands for over-the-air software update. During the test, for example, our 1More Sonoflow Bluetooth headphones were updated and new features appeared in the app. OTA updates can not only bring new features, but also fix bugs.
Soothing Sounds
Also known as a sleep aid function, which plays repetitive natural sounds - such as rain, sea waves, birds chirping - preset repetitive sounds, thus helping you fall asleep. In our experience, this really works, although wireless headphones are usually too big for comfortable sleep. If you are looking for such a device, you should look for BT earphones rather than headphones.
Multipoint connections
Multipoint connection is nothing more than connecting to several devices at the same time. This is usually done by connecting the headphones twice to 1-1 device, but of course nothing prevents the thing from working with more than two gadgets. We have encountered two types so far, when the connection is established but the device is offline, and when the connection is online on several devices. In the case of the former, it must be revived, in the latter case you can usually switch between devices in the app.
Gamer mode
It usually means nothing more than a lower latency mode, in which case such devices go down below 100ms. Codes with the LL designation know this by default, for example aptX LL.
White noise generator
This is nothing but the function used to break in the headphones. Some people question break-in as a process, saying that it's just your ears that need to get used to the characteristics of the headphones' membranes, while others swear that the process is necessary to achieve ideal sound quality. The length of time this means is determined by your device, usually fifteen hours.
Headphone accessories
You can buy countless accessories for headphones, there are a lot that are really useful, and some that are not necessary, but make use more comfortable.
Among the solutions invented for carrying, we believe that the portable fan the less good solution, as it hardly protects the headphones from external damage, the product does not get dirty or scratched at most. THE hard cases they are much more resistant, protect the head better, and you can add a USB cable for charging, or a jack cable or converter. In addition, these tend to be very sophisticated solutions. Of course, all cables can be purchased together 3,5 to 6,3 mm jack converters, if for some reason you need to connect a headphone to studio equipment, a mixing console or an amplifier, because these use the larger standard.
Also a useful supplement a headphone holder stand. Of these, you can usually find two types of solutions: the one with a base, the one standing on the table, and the one that can be drilled into the tabletop from below. The former takes more space, the latter is fixed. The only problem with these is that they constantly press on the padding of the headband, which in the long run softens it, loses its shape and will no longer be as comfortable as before. In addition, the armrest of a chair can be used for much the same.
Perhaps the most important thing, which is not so much a supplement as an "accessory": a ear cushion. This is the first thing to break and which must be replaced, and it is worth checking when buying whether a spare is available at all. You can improve these, there are often better and worse quality, different colors, and so on. If your headphones wired, but the cable can be removed, so it's worth stocking one of these as well, because this is usually one of the main sources of errors. There are cables where controls are also integrated, such as volume adjustment, mute, and in rarer cases they may even include a microphone.
Wireless headphones are almost exclusively these days USB Type-C port it can be charged through, so it is worth getting such a cable, but they almost always give one as part of the basic package. You don't need to buy a piece capable of transferring a particularly high current, as these are typically low-current devices.
Advantages and disadvantages of headphones
The wireless - also known as Bluetooth - headphones advantages:
- portability
- software, app-based functions
- New functions can be added with OTA updates
- Most wireless headphones can also work as wired
- Thanks to modern technical achievements, they already have a long operating time, are capable of fast charging and have low latency
The wireless - also known as Bluetooth - headphones disadvantages:
- with the same knowledge, they are more expensive
- although their delay is low, it is still not "zero"
- no matter how much battery they have, sooner or later they will die
- their sound quality is lower than their wired counterparts
The wired headphones advantages:
- virtually zero latency
- they are cheaper with the same knowledge
- no interference and uncertain transmission
- better sound quality can be achieved with a galvanic connection (no coding, no bandwidth limitation)
- at the professional level, these are better because of their reliability
- the battery never runs out (the headphones are powered by the jack)
- in some cases - e.g. studio work - only the wired solution is the way to go
The wired headphones disadvantages:
- it needs a constant power source
- in many cases, the existence of the cable is a problem and also a source of error
- you have to give up many functions in the case of wired solutions
- with average use, it only causes discomfort, for example, it is difficult to carry
Overall, it is worth noting that for general use, flexibility is one of the most important qualities for an average person, like this wireless headphones are a better choice, because it can be used in more life situations than the wired version. Wired solutions are better for professional use and "just" listening to music.
Tips and tricks for shopping
The first and most important thought is that you can choose good headphones if a target device for a target task you bought. Ask yourself questions: Where do you want to use it? Would you like to connect to one or more devices? Do you travel a lot? Is there a lot of background noise? Maybe you need a meeting? These already clearly outline what kind of device you will need. It is completely normal for you to buy yourself several earphones and headphones, we also have people who have 4-5 at home. We use something else for sports, listening to music, traveling, and meetings, because they are for different purposes.
All headphones break at some point, and the first component to wear out is usually the ear cushion. So check to see if this is available. If you bought a wired solution, that is one typical source of error is the cable. It will break, crackle, have a contact fault, and it is not very likely that you will solder it at home and replace it. If it is not for professional use, then a removable cable design not a bad choice, many manufacturers have such models.
Don't play sports with headphones, if you don't have to. Little by little, the sweat eats away at the seam of the ear cushion, wears out the sponge, which will then fall off. We used to have a Jabra Move headset, and it destroyed the adhesive and the headset simply fell out. For sports, look for Bluetooth earphones, they are a much better choice than headphones.
For longer journeys and flights, the best choice is a wireless headphone with good noise filtering. A TWS earphone cannot withstand a 10-hour trip, and it is not comfortable enough. However, you should know that solutions with effective ANC are always expensive. Even in the $100 price range, you can't really find any really good ones. The best we've tried is the Sony WH-1000XM series, which is a real deaf room, but in return it's already in the 300-400 USD category. It is the noise filter with the best price/value ratio Anker Soundcore Space Q45.
The price does not increase linearly with the music quality, but rather exponentially. In other words, if you want 10-20% better music quality, there's a good chance you'll have to pay twice as much for it, and this is even more true for big brands, where the name is included. That's why we tend to find the best value for money headphones among lesser-known but high-quality Chinese brands, such as Edifier, Anker, 1MORE and others. It is not by chance that these manufacturers dominated the entry-level and lower-middle categories.
A sound quality does not get old, so you could also buy older models if this is the only main consideration, a good example of this is the Sennheiser H5xx and H6xx series. Headphones usually go through moral obsolescence, technology passes them by, but if that doesn't bother you, you can easily choose an older model that sounds good.
A the Chinese do not excel in technological achievements and high-end models - of course there are exceptions, e.g. HifiMAN and Moondrop - because they often only imitate the top manufacturers, where there is also a serious heritage, some companies can look back on a history of 100 years or even longer. In this segment, companies such as Sennheiser, Focal, Stax, Audio Technica, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Denon, and a thousand other manufacturers that the general public has not even heard of excel. However, you can still catch real gems, for which it is worth looking at independent lists. The largest, independent list available on the Internet, although no longer actively maintained, is a Crinacle, with everything from $20 minimalist items to $60 headphones.
Because no one can listen to all the contestants side by side and listening to music is terrible anyway SUBJECTIVE experience, therefore it is conceivable that what is pleasant to our ears will not be so to yours. We can tell you how ANC works, what it's like to wear the headphones, how much they cost and a thousand other parameters, but not how you will hear them.
Nonetheless there are models accepted by the public as "good"., which used as a reference. These are neutral-sounding headphones, the sound of which is closest to the way an instrument - i.e. the original sound source - would sound in reality. With these, the sound image is not artificially distorted with electronics, they sound plastic. It is very important that public taste may differ from this, for example, someone who likes a sound image full of bass will perceive them as "dreary" or not deep enough. A few ideas, if you come across something like this, you should listen to them:
- Sennheiser HD650/HD6XX: very neutral sound image, reproduces the original sound well and is relatively cheap (at this level).
- AKG K612 Pro: also a very neutral sound image, similar in price to the HD650.
- Sony WH-1000XM and Bose QuietComfort: very good noise filtering, practically a deaf room. We know XM3, but they are already at the 5th series, which is probably even better.
- Soundcore Space Q45: Sony supplement, this is usually recommended in the budget category as the best travel, noise-filtering headphones, almost as good as the XM.
When you read things like cold, neutral and warm sound image, you should understand the following:
- cold: more high-pitched, sharp, hissing sounds in the soundscape
- neutral: very similar to the original sound source
- warm: more deep, softer, muffled sounds
- V characteristic: named after the shape of the equalizer, stronger low and high range, weaker vocals (midrange, 500-2000 Hz)
Often individual musical sound ranges are also broken down into sub-ranges, for example, is strong in the mid-bass, this 80-250 Hz range within the full bass range. Sub-bass is usually in the range of 20-40, while bass is in the range of 40-80 Hz. It obviously makes no sense for a violin solo - approx. 200-4000 Hz - emphasize the sub-bass range, unless you're listening to Lindsey Stirling's dub-step violin. In practice, these have no particular significance, they are only used to somehow characterize the sound image in the tests, the point is whether you like the sound image or not.
It is also worth mentioning that the average person almost only comes across headphones that dynamic drives are used, so it is not really worth clicking on this technical detail. Why? Because the price of a headphone equipped with a planar or electrostatic driver starts like this: the planar one is USD 300, the electrostatic one is USD 450, so you have no chance of getting one for less than HUF 150, and the sky is the limit. The price of really high-end stuff is measured in 000 dollars, and even here there are solutions equipped with a dynamic driver, so this is not the final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the best headphones?
The one that your ears hear and that still fits in your budget. Listening to music is a subjective genre, and these devices now have countless extra functions, so new demands may arise. Of course, this is a Dodonian answer, so if you want to hear only one name: Sennheiser HE-1, but no one will have money for that. So, if you want a realistic alternative, check out the top list at the beginning of this post.
How do I choose headphones for myself?
The easiest way is to ask yourself questions that limit the possibilities. Here are a few non-exhaustive examples:
- What do you want to use it for? Listening to music, gaming, traveling, DJing, etc.
- How much do you budget for it? 10-20 or 000-50 HUF, etc.
- Do you want to play sports in it? Headphones are better for sports.
- Would you like to get it from home or abroad? Warranty, price, invoice, etc.
- Would you use it in a noisy or quiet environment? It's a question of noise filtering.
- Do you conduct video calls and meetings? Microphone quality.
- What sound source did you have? Spotify, Tidal, flac or mp3 files?
- Is it comfort or transportability? Open or closed, over-ear or on-ear?
The list could be continued ad infinitum, and everyone will give unique answers to these questions, but it is still worth writing them down on a sheet of paper and answering them, because it clears up the picture a lot.
What are the categories of headphones?
Basically, we distinguish between wired and wireless headphones, but of course according to use – listening to music, playing games, traveling, etc. -, the devices could also be classified according to price category.
The biggest difference is between wired and wireless headphones.
What price bands and categories are there?
Based on Hungarian earnings - but this is also valid abroad - the headphone market is roughly divided as follows:
- HUF 10 (under USD 000): the "approx. it doesn't matter" category, usually there is no noise filtering, but you can use sensible wired headphones (some models of Superlux). It is one of the most entertaining segments in the sense that you can search for diamonds in the trash if someone wants to.
- HUF 10-20 (USD 000-30): the former category, supplemented with some features, with decent functionality.
- 20-50 HUF (000-50/100 USD): there are serious Chinese headphones blessed with a pleasant soundscape, as well as the entry-level models of more serious Western brands.
- HUF 50-100 (USD 000-100): USD 300 is a significant change in category from a technological point of view, because from here on, not only pieces equipped with a dynamic drive are available. Quite a few Chinese manufacturers list their products here.
- HUF 150-200 (USD 000-300): the playground of planar and electrostatic headphones, but there are already quite serious ANC-equipped headphones here, e.g. Sony, Bose, etc.
- HUF 200-300 (USD 000-500): more serious headphones, with one below the high-end segment.
- 300+ (over $000): in fact, this is an infinitely large category, since there is a six-fold price difference between a 1000 USD and a 6000 USD headphone. Very niche things and extremely expensive technologies are also to be found here.
Based on our experience, the vast majority of customers choose headphones from the first 4 sets.
What are wired headphones good for?
Primarily for listening to music, where quality is paramount. Wired headphones are also used for studio work. Where low latency is important, wired solutions come to the fore.
What are wireless headphones good for?
Primarily for traveling and carrying, but for the average music listener, they also provide sufficiently high-quality music.
What Chinese manufacturers do you recommend?
In the last couple of years, these companies have risen brutally, but they mainly produce devices for the consumer category. In other words, they have assets up to and including HUF 100, but rather HUF 000, but they are premium. You should never stick to a single manufacturer, instead you should focus on individual models. You should check out the following manufacturers:
Entry and lower-middle category
- Edifier
- Soundcore: Q30 and Q35, Q45, Space series
- 1More: Sonoflow
- One hate: Pro-50, A70
- A Tronsmart some models of the brand (stronger in earphones and speakers)
- BlitzWolf: BW-HP5
- Picun
- Mpow
- ear fun: Wave Pro
Top category
- HifiMAN: high end stuff, expensive
- moondrop: niche, high end stuff
What western manufacturers do you recommend?
The range is incredibly wide, depending on the age group and the purpose for which they are produced. THE Sennheiser, The AKG, Angry, Sony, a Denon they are deservedly famous, the former two also have products in the million category. We could mention the premium Focalt Or the Audio Technique, possibly a Beyerdynamic-him. You can spend all the money in the world on sound technology, the sky is the limit.
And then, of course, there are the recognized names of the Western European consumer category, such as JBL, Jabra, Beats and a hundred others. Always listen to your ears, if you can, it will decide which is the most suitable device for you anyway.
The set of gamer earphones is a separate genre: SteelSeries, Kingston HyperX, Logitech and many others.
What headphones did you use?
The variance within the editorial office is quite large, everyone uses everything. The biggest consumer is Don Kartács's colleague, he has it Superlux (HD 668B), One hate (A70), Anker Soundcore (Q35 Lite) headphones, each for a different purpose, and also 4 earphones, mainly for sports.
Atti is one SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5Pwith and one Kingston HyperX Cloud IIbeats him with , but there is OneOdio and Edifier also - since you need the reserve -, Mrgergoke is one Sadest and one BlitzWolf BW-ANC6drives, Moniq one Zalman ZM HPS300, SonkaMod, who is the biggest penny-pincher among us, swears by it ACME BH316-listens to music with As you can see, everyone thinks something else is good - or it was just cheap - because, as we have written many times before, sound is a subjective genre.
What does good sound depend on?
What we consider good sound is very difficult to define. It is generally considered to be which is best represented by the original sound source – usually an instrument – his voice, that's why they used to test with classical music. The closer to the original sound you hear from headphones, the more neutral the sound image. BUT, public taste is not like that, but according to the given age, something - e.g. V characteristic - prefers a sound image, even genre and age characteristics play a role in what is good and what is not.
If we approach things from the technological side, then it matters:
- membrane size
- the underlying technology (dynamic, planar, electrostatic)
- isolation (how well the headband insulates)
- the design (closed or open)
- if wireless, then encryption
- the audio source you are playing
and these are only the most obvious parameters. But as we already wrote, Choose headphones based on the ears, not the technical parameters, either wired or wireless.
How can I tell which headphones sound better?
The answer is simple: go and listen to them, if you know. If this is not possible, tests and forums, or know what works for you. V characteristic, neutral, highlight vocals? Only you can answer these questions for yourself.
What are the typical faults of a headphone?
Most synthetic leather and other petroleum derivatives ear cushions get tired in a few years, it is worth buying a spare. The sponge can also descend, Respectively the cable may have a contact fault, this can be replaced if the model has a detachable cable. The plastic cover of the folding models can crack along the folding stem, which is a bigger problem, but it can usually be glued and does not significantly affect the use.
Should you buy over-the-ear or over-the-ear headphones?
The two categories in English over-ear and on-ear they are called headphones and represent two separate sets.
Az over-ear it completely surrounds the ear, so it is more comfortable, but it fills the skin more. Listening to music is more intimate, and in return it makes you sweat more. If it also has a closed back - that is over-ear closed back the most typical design for reasons of practicality - then it warms up especially in the long run. In return, he barely lets any of the sounds out.
Az on-ear headphones sit on the ear, isolate less, but you don't sweat under them either. They are a bit like over-ear solutions with an open back, the environment can hear the sound being played and, in our opinion, they are also more uncomfortable than over-ear solutions. In principle, the back of the on-ear design could also be designed to be open, but this is not typical.
Should you buy closed or open headphones?
A closed back the back of the headphones is closed, so they block out external sounds much better, but they not only isolate from the outside to the inside, but also from the inside to the outside. Somewhat because of this they muffle the sound, which worsens the sound quality, the overall effect will be duller. But with this one you can stop disturbing others, for example, while watching a movie at night, since the sounds are not heard outside, or not so much. The disadvantage is that it warms the head from the side and back and can stuff the ears, so it is not a very good choice for all-day wear in a warm environment.
A open - open back - The headphone design is the exact opposite of the closed one, it clogs the ear less, but it doesn't close it from the back either, so it doesn't insulate as much. However sounds can flow freely, like this they speak not only inwardly, but also outwardly, thereby better sound quality is available. In principle, there is also a semi-closed solution, but this is more just a marketing text, in fact it does not embody the advantages of either of the two.
What is noise cancellation good for? What is ANC and ENC?
Noise filtering means cutting off unwanted sounds by software. Usually, the low range is cut off, but more skillful headphones - Sony WH-1000XM series - polish the entire spectrum brilliantly. A typical use is a noisy flight, which most manufacturers use as an example. The ANC degrades sound quality, a low hum enters the music, and some people also feel pressure on their eardrums, so there is no point in using it in a quiet environment.
Az ENC the noise cancellation on the microphone side means, it does pretty much the same thing as ANC, only it tries to filter out the background noises that can be heard in the conversation.
What good is NFC for headphones?
NFC is a chip that makes it easier for Bluetooth devices to connect to each other. Contactless technology, the two devices near each other can automatically build the intermediate communication channel.
If you couldn't find one of your questions in the FAQ, or if we didn't have a clear answer, then contact us at one of our contact numbers listed on the page or on Facebook. To the best of our knowledge, we try to answer all questions about headphones!
Specification