Audio Gear
You don't need to be an audiophile to appreciate uncompressed music
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Choosing to wear headphones instead of earbuds means you’ve made the conscious choice to sacrifice portability for audio quality, but you can take that commitment to sound quality a step further by picking up a pair of the best wired headphones.
Being tethered to your audio source is obviously less convenient and can cause snags, but it’s still the most reliable way to get high-quality audio from the source to your ears. It’s also much more affordable, and, as of late, the cool way to get your music. There’s an entire Instagram account called Wireditgirls that showcases celebs who’re rocking wired headphones, and Addison Rae made corded cans one of the centerpieces of her music video for last year’s single Headphones On.
There are plenty of little reasons to choose wired headphones over a wireless pair: You never have to worry about charging them, you can listen to high-resolution audio without compression, and the components won’t degrade as quickly, which means you can use them for longer than most wireless cans. You also won’t have to deal with wired headphones cutting out if there’s a lot of wireless interference in densely populated areas.
Another reason why musicians, producers, DJs, and other audio professionals use wired headphones is the lack of latency, or lag. There’s a (typically) imperceptible amount of lag between when you hit play on your audio source and the music actually hitting your headphones. If you’re cutting a track, that little bit of lag may throw off a part of your song, making it sound wonky during production. Similarly, active noise cancellation — a common feature of wireless headphones — can change their sound profile. You don’t have to make music to reap all the benefits of using wired headphones, but we do especially recommend keeping a pair of them around if you do.
I tested the best wired headphones by listening to music from different genres and sources. The majority of my tests involved listening to lossless or high-resolution audio via Apple Music and 256kbps AAC files from my local music library. I also listened to CDs using Fosi Audio’s new Merak CD player. If the headphones terminated in a USB-C jack, I listened to music through my MacBook Pro and iPhone. If the headphones terminated in a 3.5mm audio jack, stuck to listening on my laptop or to CDs.
Headphone style: Headphones come in two styles: on-ear and over-ear. On-ear headphones are lighter and smaller, but don’t cover your entire ear like over-ear headphones do, which allows outside noises to leak in a little more. Over-ear headphones are bigger and heavier, but generally sound better overall, and create the best listening environment. Both styles of headphones have large drivers (the part of headphones and speakers that create audio), so they’ll sound better than earbuds.
Open vs. Closed: Wired headphones can also be separated into open- and closed-back styles. Open-back headphones allow audio to freely leak in and out of them, but generally sound a little more like listening to music through speakers. They’re not great for use in public spaces, and give up some bass, but some users find that open-back headphones sound more “natural.” Most headphones have a closed back, which isolates you from the world and doesn’t let sound leak out as much. However, sound will hit the back of your headphones and reverberate, which can reduce the quality compared to open-back headphones. Most headphones have a closed back, so you won’t notice any difference unless you conduct an A/B test with the same music to find the style of headphone that suits you best.
Connector type: I tested headphones that terminate in a USB-C jack, which allows you to plug them directly into a smartphone or tablet without an adapter, and models that terminate in a 3.5mm audio jack, which you can still find on some computers and CD players. Some models with a 3.5mm audio connector also come with an adapter that allows you to connect them to a headphone amp, stereo receiver, audio interface, or other more specialized audio equipment. You can still connect that style of headphone to your portable device, but you’ll need to pick up a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.
Active noise cancellation: One of the biggest technical features you give up when choosing wired headphones is active noise cancellation. You’ll still get passive noise cancellation (the result of your headphones’ padding providing insulation), but the difference between that and ANC is stark. It makes wired headphones less appealing for traveling or commuting on public transportation. Many noise-canceling headphones allow you to use them as a wired pair via either USB-C or through a 3.5mm audio jack built into the cans, but many times you’ll still need to turn them on to unlock that feature, which will drain their battery.
Detachable cables: Some wired headphones’ cables are soldered directly to them, while others allow you to swap out the cord. The benefit of using headphones with a detachable cable is that you can easily and inexpensively replace that component if it frays over time, which can extend their life. The downside is that the cable can pop out at both ends, or the port can degrade from exposure to the outside world.
Replaceable earpads: Another design feature of certain wired headphones is replaceable earpads. Sweat and movement will eventually cause the earpads of almost every pair of headphones to flake and fray, though that can take several years of daily use. Some models allow you to swap out earpads, so you can extend their life. Be sure to search the exact model of headphone you’re using, plus the word earpads, when looking for a replacement.
Best Overall
Beyerdynamic continues to impress me with its entire range of headphones by offering cans that balance price and audio quality. The DT 900s are wonderful to wear thanks to their large velour ear cups, which are noticeably better than real or faux leather.
Listening to my music through the headphones was really fun. I detected no distortion from instruments and vocals across the frequency spectrum, even when listening to live tracks, which are more raw than their studio counterparts. In those cases, I had the feeling of “being in the room” with the sound. If I could only recommend one pair of wired headphones, the DT 900s would be it.
premium Pick
Audeze’s LCD-X are hands down the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried, making them well worth the high price. The open-back headphones are large, but felt light on my head with enough clamping force to stay on, but not so much that they felt like a tight squeeze.
All of the audiophile clichés were true with these headphones. My music sounded like it was coming through a pair of high-end speakers I could take anywhere, and I could clearly hear each instrument. It also revealed any flaws or background noises that would’ve been muddied with almost any other pair of cans. Simply put: These headphones are a piece of “end game” equipment, where you should never think about upgrading.
Budget Pick
The Tune 520C didn’t have the same level of overall clarity as the other headphones I tested, but they were light, comfortable to wear, and didn’t have any obvious audio faults. The bass response was a little weak, but never muddy, and there wasn’t any sibilance when listening to instruments in the high or mid frequencies.
I was impressed by their construction and performance given their sub-$50 price tag (you can routinely get them for under $40), though, and the fact that they terminate into a USB-C connector meant I could use them with all of my devices. They also sold me on on-ear headphones as a legitimate alternative to over-ear pairs, which I typically prefer, because they felt so comfortable to wear on my ears and around my neck.
Best USB-C
Sennheiser’s HD 400U makes a great case for headphone makers to adopt USB-C connectors, or at least offer them as an option if you have a detachable cable. I was able to plug them directly into all of my gadgets without an adapter, which made them feel like a true alternative to wireless headphones or earbuds.
Overall, I was happy with their level of comfort and the way they sounded. Their midrange response wasn’t quite as good as some of the other headphones I tested, but those alternatives cost a lot more. I didn’t find a track, or even genre of music, that the HD 400U couldn’t present well, though, and they’re an excellent wired headphone option for under $100.
Best studio monitors
Audio Technica’s ATM-M50X are a great pair of wired headphones for music listening, but they’re also well-suited for folks who want to make music thanks to their tuning. If you’re used to listening through headphones with a lot of audio processing (all wireless headphones) or a distinct “point of view” (boomy bass, for example), your ears may take a short period to adjust.
That happened to me, but within an hour or so, I felt as though I was listening to music the way the artist intended. I didn’t do any serious recording with the headphones, but I did strum a little guitar through an interface, and felt pleased with what I was hearing while monitoring myself live, and playing the recordings back.
Best noise isolation
Giving up active noise canceling is the biggest technical hurdle when moving from wireless to wired headphones, but Shure’s SRH400A blocked enough noise at moderate volumes that I generally didn’t notice. These headphones were also made for recording, and I appreciated their collapsible design, which made them easier to take around.
Music sounded good, though not quite as detailed as it did through some of the more premium headphones I tested. The soundstage was also a little narrower, but it was only really noticeable when I directly compared them against other headphones. These are another pair of studio monitor-style headphones, and are a good choice if you’re putting together a bedroom studio on a stricter budget.
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