Best Audiophile Headphones for Music and Gaming 2024

Sennheiser is a name that’s been associated with top tier headphones for over 75 years. Their commitment to excellence in the audio industry is unparalleled. They are often considered to be the headphone manufacturer that all other headphones are measured against. The HD800S is no exception to the previous statement.

The HD800S weigh in at under three-quarters of a pound but these reference class open-back audiophile headphones pack the punch of heavyweight sound quality. The HD800S uses a high-performance transducer with phenomenal audio extensions and that’s just one element of the HD 800 S and its sound reproduction system.

After placing a pair of HD 800 S over your ears, it’s made abundantly clear that these headphones are built for comfort, which is exactly what you’ll need because it’s not easy to take these beauties off once the play button is pressed. They are ergonomically designed and sport an adjustable metal headband, microfiber ear and headband padding on key contact points alongside an inner damping element for maximum comfort.

Now, let’s have a talk about the electronics behind the HD 800 S. They have an incredibly low impedance of 300 ohms which allows for magnificent audio reproduction of the highest highs and the lowest lows. The acoustic absorber system prevents frequency masking for a completely unheard-of sound detail delivering a very natural and spatial listening experience. All of the attention to detail, both sonically and from a comfort perspective, make these our best sounding headphones.

Packaged with the HD 800S are two cables, 1/8” and 1/4” and a microfiber cleaning cloth for keeping them as pristine as they were the minute the box was opened. These headphones are perfect while out in the world or immersed in your own world in the comfort of your home.

Pros: Great headphones at a great price. Classic manufacturing.

Cons:No carrying case.

Focal headphones are a statement piece; they stand out visually just as much as they do audibly. And the Bathys are no exception. They are both fashionable and functional. Making the Bathys travel-friendly was a primary concern for Focal. They had a target weight of 350g, so components were designed and decided on specifically for that point. The Bathys are made with a Black/Silver aluminum and magnesium construction and have been designed to share the same aesthetics as their fellow Focal closed-ear headphones, like the Celestee or Stellia.

For the sound, they chose to invest in magnesium for the driver and then use aluminum mechanical construction. The Bathys are tuned to the Focal sound so the naturally are dynamic. They reproduce a nice full sound and when the bass hits it’s present but not too boomy. You can listen to them for hours at end without feeling ear fatigue. However, you don’t have to listen to them loud to enjoy them.

Technologically, the Bathys are Bluetooth 5.1 with multipoint (meaning it can connect to multiple devices so you can pick up a call from your phone and listen to music from your computer) and they’ve moved to some of the latest Bluetooth Codecs. The Bathys have the standard SBC connection (which is universal among Bluetooth headphones), AAC for iPhone connectivity, and AptX as well as AptX Adaptive for Android devices (with AptX Adaptive being capable of up to 24bit/96kHz sources). The Bathys have 8 microphones for their Active Noise Canceling and they can be used for phone calls or virtual meetings. There (4) mics per ear cup. (1) for Bluetooth. (1) for ANC and (2) set inside to monitor the output of headphones to reduce total harmonic distortion per ear cup.

The Bathys are an exceptional set of Bluetooth headphones and sound great wirelessly. But if you want to be extra, Focal created a DAC mode. Just connect the Bathys to your phone or computer via a USB-C cable, and you can listen to music up to 24bit/192kHz. Focal wanted to make sure they weren’t just making one of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market, but they wanted to make sure the Bathys didn’t disappoint if you went deep into listening to them.

Unless you’ve been hibernating for the last 40 years you know that Focal is an industry leader in high-end audio. Speaking of high-end audio, check out what we consider to be easily the best closed back audiophile headphones we’ve tested. With the Focal Stellia Over-Ear Headphones, the listener can now bring their classic home theater audio directly over their ears with a beautiful pair of headphones that weighs in at under 1 pound.

These everything-but-over-the-top stylish headphones have full grain leather ear cups with more than 1 inch of memory foam for total comfort. The matching head band secures the headphones to the listener's head and the Cognac finish solid aluminum yoke ergonomically contours to your face shape. But enough about how sensational these headphones look, let’s get down to the best part… the sound.

Behind the ear cup you’ll find a full-range 1 9/16” Beryllium dome speaker driver with a very low impedance of 35 Ohms. This makes the Stellia a no-brainer for use with a portable audiophile audio player on the go. Their frameless voice coil, combined with the properties of Beryllium, results in crystal clear reproduction of the tiniest details at both very high and very low frequencies.

The Stellia is packaged with a 4-foot unbalanced cable that fans out to (2) 1/8” stereo jacks which make it even more of a no-brainer for listening at home.

The carrying case that ships with the Stellia is small and lightweight and a perfect complement to these already perfect headphones.

Pros: Lightweight. Comfortable.

Cons: Wired only, no Bluetooth option. A hefty price tag for a colossal pair of headphones.

Focal’s Utopia headphones are not your best go-to headphones for portable use. These are designed for the listener who might want to sit down with their favorite record and enjoy the listening experience with no interruptions. Made in France and backed by over 40 years of sound passion and innovation, the Utopia headphone returns with a reworked design from their 2016 introduction. Additional improvements have been made to the overall sound quality to make a giant leap in quality to command the respect of the most serious audiophile.

The Utopia is loaded for bear with a set of full range speaker drivers with pure Beryllium “M”-shaped dome which are open at the back to offer near perfect duplication of the source material. The tireless engineering squad at Focal have also created a copper and aluminum voice coil for a revamped sound signature and incredible reliability and makes the Utopia the best high-end open back headphones.

After several hours of listening time these headphones will begin to “break-in” or open up. If you want to speed up the process of breaking the Utopias in, you can run very bass heavy music through them for 24 hours at a fairly loud volume. They need time to push and pull in order to stabilize the speaker drivers to get the absolute most out of the headphones.

The comfort of the Utopia headphones is not to be trifled with. The headband is made of genuine leather and the earpads are made from a perforated memory foam, and the ear pads are also leather bound – these things are soft and comfortable and weighing it at just a touch over 1 pound are designed for long haul listening without the listener fatigue of other headphones.

In the box you’ll find 2 cables, a 4-pin XLR cable and a TRS style connector as well as a quarter-inch adapter for connection to your Hi-Fi system at home. There is also a hard-back carrying case for safe and easy transport of the Utopias. An optional headphone stand is also available from Focal so you can display these at home like you would a piece of art, and that’s exactly what these headphones are.

Pros: Focal’s Flagship Pair of headphones. Attention to design and sound quality are unrivaled.

Cons: The high price point could deter some shoppers.

Have you just spent all morning getting ready for work and getting every single detail of your hair looking just perfect? Do you want to fire up some tunes on the commute in to work, but don’t want your time preening to go to waste by throwing a pair of over the ear headphones on? Sennheiser has a couple of options for in-ear headphones that sound, feel and perform just as great as a traditional set of headphones.

Introducing the IE 600 and IE 900 headphones. We’ll start off with chatting about the IE 600’s and then make our way up the mountain to the IE 900’s.

The IE600 Wired In-Ear Monitor Headphones are comprised of an Ultra-Resilient ZR01 amorphous metal housing and utilize two 7mm TrueResponse transducers. These transducers are assembled by Sennheiser and they are built for the long haul. The production of the amorphous metal housing is completed by both machine and manual steps in a plant in Germany. The result of the careful manufacturing is a pair of IE 600 headphones that will remain in near perfect condition year after year of use. The IE 600 headphones have a robust protection against corrosion and scuffs and dings from wear. These headphones are designed to keep delivering amazing sonic – and visual – joy for many, many years.

We’ve tried these out and not only do they sound incredible, but their comfort is off the charts. Included with the IE 600’s are two different styles of ear bud tips, both silicone and memory foam, and they are provided in three different styles to make a comfortable seal in the ear. The ear hooks themselves are flexible and have some adjustments to ensure long-lasting comfort. The IE600 is quite possibly the best audiophile in-ear headphones we’ve seen, and we have seen A LOT.

Included in the box with the IE 600’s are both a balanced and unbalanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm and 3.5mm connector, respectively. There is also a balanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm connector. Another nice touch by Sennheiser is a serial numbered carrying case and a presentation box with a signed customer certificate as well as user manuals.

Next, let’s look at the IE 900’s. The IE 900’s physical characteristics are that unlike the IE 600’s these are made of a precision-milled and anodized aluminum housing. A five-axis CNC machine precision cuts each housing individually out of a solid block of aluminum. Once the aluminum is anodized the housing of the IE900’s are super resistant to showing signs of wear and corrosion. On top of that, the drivers in every pair of IE 900’s sold are matched during the manufacturing process to eliminate variance, which provides a totally accurate soundstage.

A huge point of separation between the IE 600’s and the IE 900’s is that the IE 900’s utilize what is referred to as and Acoustic Back Volume. What is that, you’re asking? It’s a small chamber within a chamber that Sennheiser has tuned to separate the low frequency and the mid-range frequency. The back volume helps to achieve a clear and natural sound signature by controlling the direction of the overall volume as it flows through the transducer system. The result of this is a very consistent and disciplined bass and mid-range listening experience.

Comfortable? Comfortable. Included with the IE 900 headphones are silicone ear adapters as well as three different elastic ear adapter sets in three different sizes. The “what’s in the box” for the IE 900’s is almost exactly the same as the IE 600’s except for one BIG difference. There is a balanced 4.4mm (quarter-inch) cable included for a connection to a hi-fi system in the home. Why have the best headphones in your ears and not be able to utilize them in your home system? Yeah, Sennheiser thought of that too.

Pros: Carefully designed headphones priced for all audiences.

Cons: Wired headphones are looked down on in favor of Bluetooth.

Have you just spent all morning getting ready for work and getting every single detail of your hair looking just perfect.? Do you want to fire up some tunes on the commute in to work, but don’t want your time preening to go to waste by throwing a pair of over the ear headphones on? Sennheiser has a couple of options for in-ear headphones that sound, feel and perform just as great as a traditional set of headphones.

Introducing the IE 600 and IE 900 headphones. We’ll start off with chatting about the IE 600’s and then make our way up the mountain to the IE 900’s.

The IE600 Wired In-Ear Monitor Headphones are comprised of an Ultra-Resilient ZR01 amorphous metal housing and utilize two 7mm TrueResponse transducers. These transducers are assembled by Sennheiser and they are built for the long haul. The production of the amorphous metal housing is completed by both machine and manual steps in a plant in Germany. The result of the careful manufacturing is a pair of IE 600 headphones that will remain in near perfect condition year after year of use. The IE 600 headphones have a robust protection against corrosion and scuffs and dings from wear. These headphones are designed to keep delivering amazing sonic – and visual – joy for many, many years.

We’ve tried these out and not only do they sound incredible, but their comfort is off the charts. Included with the IE 600’s are two different styles of ear bud tips, both silicone and memory foam, and they are provided in three different styles to make a comfortable seal in the ear. The ear hooks themselves are flexible and have some adjustments to ensure long-lasting comfort. The IE600 is quite possibly the best audiophile in-ear headphones we’ve seen, and we have seen A LOT.

Included in the box with the IE 600’s are both a balanced and unbalanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm and 3.5mm connector, respectively. There is also a balanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm connector. Another nice touch by Sennheiser is a serial numbered carrying case and a presentation box with a signed customer certificate as well as user manuals.

Next, let’s look at the IE 900’s. The IE 900’s physical characteristics are that unlike the IE 600’s these are made of a precision-milled and anodized aluminum housing. A five-axis CNC machine precision cuts each housing individually out of a solid block of aluminum. Once the aluminum is anodized the housing of the IE900’s are super resistant to showing signs of wear and corrosion. On top of that, the drivers in every pair of IE 900’s sold are matched during the manufacturing process to eliminate variance, which provides a totally accurate soundstage.

A huge point of separation between the IE 600’s and the IE 900’s is that the IE 900’s utilize what is referred to as and Acoustic Back Volume. What is that, you’re asking? It’s a small chamber within a chamber that Sennheiser has tuned to separate the low frequency and the mid-range frequency. The back volume helps to achieve a clear and natural sound signature by controlling the direction of the overall volume as it flows through the transducer system. The result of this is a very consistent and disciplined bass and mid-range listening experience.

Comfortable? Comfortable. Included with the IE 900 headphones are silicone ear adapters as well as three different elastic ear adapter sets in three different sizes. The “what’s in the box” for the IE 900’s is almost exactly the same as the IE 600’s except for one BIG difference. There is a balanced 4.4mm (quarter-inch) cable included for a connection to a hi-fi system in the home. Why have the best headphones in your ears and not be able to utilize them in your home system? Yeah, Sennheiser thought of that too.

Pros: Carefully designed headphones priced for all audiences.

Cons: Wired headphones are looked down on in favor of Bluetooth.