PREFER EARPHONES? READ MORE: Best Earphones 2024

BEST ENTRY LEVEL HIGH-END

Audeze MM-100 – £399.00

The Audeze MM-100 is a versatile headphone designed for both studio engineers and music enjoyers on a budget. It can be driven by just about any source, making it ideal for life on the go. With its Audeze patented planar magnetic drivers, it delivers precise, studio-quality audio with incredible detail and clarity, making it ideal for mixing, mastering, or casual listening. The sound is stunning, especially when paired with a quality setup and completely outperforms anything else in its price bracket at just £399. Lightweight and comfortable, the MM-100 ensures long sessions are a breeze and gives an immersive listening experience to anyone who put them over their ears.

BEST BUDGET WIRED HEADPHONES

SoundMAGIC HP151- £88.99

The SoundMAGIC HP151 offers excellent audio quality with a balanced sound signature and impressive detail for its price. Its spacious soundstage and comfortable design make it an ideal choice for budget-conscious listeners seeking reliable, wired performance. Priced just under £90, it is a great pick for anyone looking to upgrade without breaking the bank.

BEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES

1More SonoFlow HQ51– £89.99

If earphones aren’t your thing, then the SonoFlow HQ51 makes a perfect upgrade choice under £100. With its extended 70 to 100-hour battery life, advanced ANC, The SonoFlow HQ51 also features an all new DLC 40mm dynamic driver. Comfortable to wear, it is equiped with Bluetooth 5.4 and has 12 EQ modes, it’s ideal for immersive listening at an affordable price. The SonoFlow is a great alternative challenger to the pricier options out there from Sony, Bose and Sennheiser.

final UX3000 ANC Wireless Headphones – £119

Final have really worked their magic here. Solid build quality, paired with great sound and effective ANC for under £120 is something rarely heard of. Add to that fantastic mic quality and you have an absolute bargain on offer. The UX3000 can be recommend to absolutely anyone looking for a portable over-ear headphone and you will only see smiles on their faces.

SoundMAGIC P23BT Portable Wireless Headphones – £49.99

How do they do it? SoundMAGIC have once again made a killer headphone for a super price. The P23BT doubles up as a headset too with the included cable and boom mic (great for home office or even gaming). In addition, the headphone is lightweight and comfortable. Add into the mixer an incredibly impressive battery life and a simple ease of use and you have got yourself a bargain. They sound full and warm yet never bass heavy. They really do sound incredible and for a Wireless on ear headphone what more could you want?

WATCH VIDEO: SoundMAGIC P23BT Wireless On Ear Headphone Review

READ MORE: Christmas Gift Guide 2024

BEST OVER-EAR HEADPHONES

5. Audeze LCD-X Planar Magnetic Full Size Headphones – £1149

The Audeze LCD-X are a real eye-catching headphone. For a retail price that seems crazy at first glance, the bottom line is that the price-performance ratio of this headphones is absolutely fantastic. Not only due to the impeccable manufacture, but also a robust construction, use of high-quality materials and wonderful, detailed sound Loved by Audiophiles and sound engineers alike. If you want to give yourself a birthday or Christmas present, you can safely consider surprising yourself with the Audeze LCD-X.

READ MORE: Audeze LCD-X Planar Magnetic Headphones

READ MORE: Christmas Gift Guide 2024

Audeze MM-500 Planar Magnetic Full Size Studio Headphones – £1699

Audeze MM-500 is designed to suit the requirements of long daily listening sessions under almost any condition. World-class studio monitor? Check. Quick reference on-the-go? No problem. Deep late-night listening? Done. With its ease of drive, comfortable fit and trustworthy sound, you can count on the MM-500 to deliver in every situation. The MM-500’s planar magnetic drivers provide realism that audio professionals like Manny “can’t live without.” With lightning-fast transients, accurate frequency response and trusted mix translation.

READ MORE: Audeze MM-500 Planar Magnetic Studio Headphones

Final D8000 – £2,999.00

Instead of going for the usual neutral-ish sound signature of most high-end models, Final instead decided to make the D8000 enjoyable, with very punchy and dynamic bass and impressive clarity across the board, the D8000 stand out from the crowd.

Audeze LCD-5 -£3,999.00

The Audeze LCD-5 is a masterpiece of audiophile engineering, delivering unmatched clarity, precision, and emotional depth to your music. Audeze’s Flagship LCD has a lightweight magnesium frame and the premium materials ensure long-lasting comfort, while the cutting-edge planar magnetic drivers reveal every nuance in your favorite tracks. For those seeking the pinnacle of sound reproduction and a transformative listening experience, the LCD-5 is still there, in a league of its own. Full Review

READ MORE: Christmas Gift Guide 2024

BEST GAMING HEADPHONES

Audeze Maxwell Ps5/Xbox – £319.00/£349.00.

The Audeze Maxwell redefines what a wireless gaming headset can be. With its planar magnetic drivers, it offers astonishingly clear, detailed sound that brings games and music to life. Combine this with ultra-low latency performance, an 80-hour battery, and a premium build, and you have a headset that’s as serious about sound as it is about gaming. The Maxwell remains the gold standard for serious gamers and audiophiles alike and a must have in 2024

Have We Missed Anything Out?

Please feel free to leave a comment below and let us know…

The post Best Headphones 2024 appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

Focal Elear Open Back Headphone Review

Focal has caused a stir recently with their two new additions; the Utopia and the Focal Elear headphones. In the hunt for a snappy title, we have found that the word ‘Elear’ has no definition in either English or French, so we had to make do with a click-baity title instead.

With the Utopia at a wallet-wilting £3499, the Elear has missed out on a lot of attention due to its less sensational price. However, £899 is still a fair whack for a pair of headphones so let’s see if we can define ‘Elear’ here.

Pros:

• Excellent clear sound
• Strong, well made cable
• Great presentation, beautiful!

Cons:

• Some may find them heavy

Design and Appearance

The Focal Elear comes in a very impressive looking box, although it won’t stand up to much use without starting to look scruffy, as it’s made of paper-coated wood or card. Given the Elear’s intended uses however, we don’t imagine that it will need to go back in very often. The headphones themselves are very well built, with great styling. Imagine the Sennheiser HD600 being designed by a Frenchman and the Elear would not be far off.

Durability and Build Quality

The Elear is of relatively light construction in terms of the way the components fit together. For instance the headband and earcups have a little bit of give to them, but this is down to helping achieve a good fit rather than poor design. Whether these parts loosen in years to come, time will tell but we don’t think so. That’s where the lightness ends though, as the Elear weighs in at a relatively hefty 434 grams (15.3 Oz – nearly a pound!).

Also the cable is quite substantial; it makes most other cables look like spider silk but it’s not cumbersome; ‘reassuringly lavish’ probably fits. It’s a rubber-coated affair and matches the headphones very well.

Comfort

There’s plenty of padding under the headband and with the soft and pliable earpads on the Elear, no particular part of the head registers discomfort. These headphones can be worn for hours depending on your neck muscles; those 434 grams can start imposing themselves after a while.

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READ MORE: Shanling M1 Portable Audio Player Review

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Sound Characteristics

The Focal Elear‘s tuning is pitched slightly warmish, but with a respectable presence in the mid/treble region too. It is good at reproducing the subtle variations in volume offered by acoustic instruments and so excels with live and acoustic performances. Having said that, studio recordings are pretty convincing too. The Elear is fairly forgiving with less than perfect recordings, old records and music files; pops and scratches are there alright, but not brought into sharp relief. Enough fun can be had with old MP3 files without feeling as if we need to rush out and get these in higher resolution in order to enjoy the Elear.

• Bass

Bass is in no short supply, but is well balanced with the rest of the frequencies; it doesn’t tend to dominate unless the music is already bassy. Sub bass gives a pleasant rumble if required, and mid bass is punchy and tight; it’s well behaved up to the midrange and the transition to the higher frequencies is nice and even.

• Mids

Plenty of space here; decays are as long as needed and vocals/backing vocals are clear and well defined. Fans of acoustic and classical music are in for a treat as a strong impression of the recording space is given by the Elear, with the ebb and flow of natural reverb being very well reproduced.

• Treble

Treble is not pushed at us but is very resolving and we find ourselves ‘reaching in’ to the recording to find tiny details which are all the more natural-sounding. Transient speed is excellent with clear, sharp percussive sounds. Also, be ready for unplanned sounds in recordings, such as when a singer opens their mouth, ready to sing. Unplanned perhaps, but fun to spot and enjoy as an added level of realism.

• Soundstage and Separation

Width is great with studio recordings but as noted above, all the more realistic with recordings made within a performance space such as classical or opera. Imaging is impressive, with subtle harmonic details giving a strong impression of instrument shape and form.

Music genres good for and why

The Focal Elear is a good all-round choice; if this is the only headphone you have, it will do everything well but it really shines with classical and opera; anything which is recorded within a performance space really.

Summary

Focal’s Elear may sit in the shade next to Focal’s current flagship headphone (The Utopia) but can really dish up the goods. Prices for top of the range headphones have been pushing up and up recently, but if you wish to keep your feet on the ground then the Focal Elear is one of the best which can be had for under a grand.

The post Focal Elear Audiophile Headphone Review – No Definition appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

Meze 99 Neo Headphone Review

The Meze 99 Neo are an aesthetically pleasing, warm sounding, easy listening headphone suitable for kicking back and enjoying rather than analysing.

Pros:

• Looks
• Build quality
• Smooth sound

Cons:

• Bass is not the tightest
• Not the widest soundstage

Aesthetics, Build quality and Accessories

The Meze 99 Neo have a vintage look about them, with silver accents and black cups the colours compliment each other perfectly. There is nothing overly remarkable about the appearance of these headphones, but they do look very sleek and stylish.

They are well built, the cups are plastic the headband is solid metal, the cable and earpads are replaceable, all in all a very well built headphone.

The Meze 99 Neo comes with a great range of accessories, you get a hardcase to transport them in, a 1.2m cable with microphone and a regular 3m cable and a jack adaptor, a great array of accessories and all that is needed.

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READ MORE: Pioneer SE-MS7BT Bluetooth Headphone Review

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Comfort and Isolation

These headphones are very comfortable, the earpads encapsulate your ears nicely, and are deep enough so that your ear does not touch the driver. I am a big fan of the headband pad as it is elasticated and conforms to the shape of you head better than most headphones out there.
These are closed back, and use pleather pads so your ears will heat up over long listening sessions, but overall they are a very comfortable headphone.

Isolation is fine for general home, office and most portable use, but they are not the best for very noisy environments.

Sound quality

• Bass

The bass on these is very full, almost too full sometimes, but manages to keep controlled and not affect the mids too much. The bass manages to dig deep with excellent rumble when called for, the punch is backed up with good body but is not the fastest and struggles to keep up with heavy rock music.

• Mids

Male vocals sit a little farther behind in the mix, due to the full nature of the lows, whereas female vocals come across a little more forward and cleaner. Separation and placement is well done, and the tonality is good, and there is no harshness at all in the mids.

• Treble

Laid back is how I would describe the treble on these, the treble is well detailed and present, but not in huge quantities.

• Soundstage and Separation

The soundstage is not huge, they offer quite an intimate presentation but the separation is very good, and layering is very well done.

Conclusion

The Meze 99 Neo are a relaxed sounding headphone, they are easy to sit back and listen to, the bass sounds a little uncontrolled during certain tracks, but they offer great build quality, looks and good sound quality for the price.

The post Meze 99 Neo Headphone Review appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

Grado GS2000e Open Back Headphone Review

Grado has enjoyed tremendous success over the years with various models, but has never departed from their basic headphone design as illustrated by the Grado GS2000e. It’s unusual in this world of fashions and fads that Grado has kept so faithful to this design but it’s obviously working for them! So is the GS2000e without match, or is it matchwood?

Pros:

• Nice neutral sound
• Fantastic imaging and soundstage
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Ungainly standard cable which cannot be removed or replaced

Design and Appearance

Indeed there are no surprises here; we may as well expect our US cousins to drive on the proper side of the road as revise this design. There is a tweak though; the GS2000e is a slightly different shade of brown. The slightly differing colour is due to the mixture of woods in this model. Mahogany to give the sound a bit of a polish, and maple which makes it more syrupy.

..Or perhaps the maple gives a brighter presentation which is held in check by the mohogany, for a clear and well-balanced sound.

The cable is still a non-removeable serpent-like affair which threatens to restrict the oxygen of careless music lovers, so there’s no change there.

Durability and Build Quality

Despite our gentle teasing, the cable is up to the job and there are no concerns regarding quality. The cable is stout with a heavy duty coating; it might have come off the Brooklyn Bridge itself. The 1/4 inch jack is military grade and the headphones themselves, while being light and comfortable, are made to last. They probably won’t appreciate being sat on though.

Comfort

Some have complained about comfort issues with some other Grado models, but the GS2000e benefits from the large earcups; any clamping force is distributed over a wider area. Also with glasses, there are no points of pressure which are making themselves known. However, after a couple of hours things might start to feel a bit claustrophobic in there!

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Suitability for intended application

The Grado GS2000e is definitely one to keep at home; they isolate exterior noise as if they weren’t there at all, and your music will be broadcast as if you’re a Public Access TV show. But for those quiet moments at home, they are just perfect.

Sound Characteristics

The GS2000e has a slightly understated sound when compared to the GS1000e; the emphasis on bass and treble is reduced, which makes the midrange more of a centrepiece. Harmonics and therefore imaging will be a little stronger on the GS2000e, thanks to the relatively present midrange.

These were tested using a Chord Hugo.

• Bass :

Bass goes deep, and is clear. It’s not there in quantities to make fans of dance music jump, but does a good job of reproducing what’s there. It is also very detailed and well controlled.

• Mids:

This is the focus of the GS2000e’s sound; they do come across as reasonably neutral with perhaps a tad of extra presence at the upper end of the midrange. There is generally no sign of sibilance here however, although the odd recording may give a bit of trouble depending on the mastering.

Detail is superb, further enhancing soundstage and imaging. The sense of space with acoustic or classical recordings is wonderous.

• Treble:

That feeling of ‘air’ we know from the entry-level Grados is not so forced but is still there, and the detail is amazing. However it’s not pushed at us so much; we need to peer inside and dig it out, which is much more enjoyable.

• Soundstage and Separation

Soundstage is excellent and much the same as the GS1000e; however separation/imaging is slightly enhanced on the GS2000e, due to the relatively present midrange.

Music genres good for and why

The GS2000e is probably better for acoustic music, classical recordings and the like; the neutral sound does not lend itself well to dance and pop genres when compared to other lower-cost headphones, but these can easily be enjoyed when the wearer gets used to this setup.

Also, older recordings are given good treatment; the smooth treble is quite forgiving which makes the Grado GS2000e perfect for fans of vintage music and old vinyl.

Summary

Grado’s GS2000e is a worthy addition to their lineup, and a good idea for those who fancy a more neutral version of the GS1000e.

The post Grado GS2000e Audiophile Headphone Review appeared first on HiFiheadphones.