Best Headphones - Review of the Top 10 Best Headphones (all Types)

Reviews of the best headphones across the three most popular categories of headphone.

Choosing the top ten best headphones from the massive selection available is a not a simple task. With so many different types of headphones and such a variety of applications where you might want to use headphones it is absolutely impossible to nominate a single headphone as the 'best'. Instead this review is a summary of some of the best quality headphones available from a broad selection of different categories, applications and budgets.

Check out the reviews of some of our favourite headphones and earphones below - reviews are in price order from LOWEST to HIGHEST:

Best In Ear Headphones

One of our favourite categories is the in ear sound isolating headphone, also called In Ear Monitors (IEM's) or Ear Canal Headphones (ECH's). This type of earphone is designed to seal in your ear canal, which means you can listen uninterrupted by the noise around you. The design makes this type of headphone perfect for commuting and travelling.

IEM's can take a little while to get used to and do need some perseverance with fitting, but in our opinion can offer the best experience when listening to headphones in active everyday situations.

For a larger selection of earphones read our Top 10 Best In-Ear Headphones Review.

SoundMAGIC PL30

A truly value for money earphone is the SoundMAGIC PL30, which offers well balanced, accurate sound at a price that is hard to beat (RRP £34.95).  The cabling is designed to run up and over the ears to the back of the neck, which means the earbuds stay very securely in your ear.  This fit system works very well for sports use, although it does take a bit of practice to get the hang of - it really is worth the effort.

The SoundMAGIC PL30 is robustly built, with well made cables and good strain relief to protect the cabling from damage. The PL30 comes supplied with a handy travel case (small enough to put in a pocket) and plenty of different size ear tips to ensure you get a good in-ear fit.  Comply Foam T-400 tips work with this earphone, which gives the best possible seal and noise isolation.

Sound quality with the PL30 is exceptional considering the price and compares well with earphones costing two or three times as much. The PL30 has plenty of punch at the bass end and the clarity is exceptional in the trebles.  Highly recommended.

A well thought out product with high standards of build quality and clear, balanced sound.  Hard to beat at the price.

Phonak Audéo PFE Perfect Bass 012

With 60 years experience developing hearing devices, Phonak have the know-how when it comes to getting a comfortable and secure in-ear fit, which makes the Phonak Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones (PFE) aptly named.

The new Perfect Bass PFE models (the PFE 012 and PFE 022 fitted with iPhone mic) are supplied with an acoustic filter to give clear, well defined bass response.  The sound signature of the entire PFE range is accurate, but these new models add low end punch for music that demands more powerful bass response.

We think Phonak have got the sound balance just right with the new PFE Perfect Bass models.  The detail and instrument separation is incredible for an earphone at this price point and the comfortable fit is as good as it gets without moving up to custom fit earphones. Even people with the smallest ears will find the PFE fits comfortably.

These innovative Swiss designed, precision made earphones are very comfortable for all ear sizes and have clear, detailed sound that will satisfy audiophiles, with enough power to satisfy bass lovers.

Sleek Audio SA6

The innovative Sleek Audio SA6 secured a first in earphone design with the possibility of customising the audio response to match the individuality of your ears and musical tastes. Sleek Audio call it finding your audio fingerprint. It's a great idea and it actually works. These miniature earphones are also very comfortable and easy to fit due to their diminutive size.

The SA6 also comes with a wireless option that makes this earphone even more unique.

It's at this price point where ear canal headphones get really interesting, the sonic improvements become dramatic and of course the headphones get more expensive. The Sleek Audio SA6 comes in at a RRP of £179.99.

In contrast to the approach taken by dual driver designs such as the Ultimate Ears Super.fi Pro 5 and Shure SE420, the Sleek Audio SA6 is a single wideband driver design (the Klipsch Image X10 is another single driver design). The result is a very balanced sounding earphone. In fact we feel that the sound from the SA6 is more balanced than the similarly priced dual driver designs. Sleek Audio claim this is due to the lack of crossover electronics, which is required for dual driver designs.

The Sleek Audio SA6 sounds very impressive, with an excellent level of musical detail in the mid-range and a punchy bass response. The SA6 is an great choice for upgrading an iPod or MP3 player and can be driven without a dedicated headphone amplifier, although reports on the Head-Fi forums suggest that a headphone amp extends the bottom end and highs very nicely.

The SA6 is very comfortable for everyday use, with robust replaceable cables, and offers well balanced sound reproduction across the entire audio range. In our opinion the SA6 definitely deserves the title of best mid-priced in ear sound isolating headphone.

Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro

The top of the range Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro is a truly incredible set of in ear sound isolating headphones, but don't come cheap with a RRP of £249. The three drivers of the UE Triple.fi 10 Pro provide amazing clarity and definition, from the deepest bass notes right through the upper registers.

The UE 10 Pro earphones are fitted upside down with the cable running over the ear. The cables are malleable and hold the earphones securely over your ear. This fitting system works really well for most people and means they can even be used for sports such as running and jogging.  The cables can also be detached and replaced in case they get damaged - a very useful feature when you are spending so much money on your earphones!

If you are serious about your music then the UE Triple.fi 10 Pro should satisfy your craving for the best possible quality earphones you can get your hands on.  In our opinion the Triple.fi 10 Pro is equally as good as the top end Shure SE530 , and also offers slightly better value for money.

Best HiFi Headphones

If you are listening at home or in an office then a pair of full size headphones is worth considering. The major choice when buying full size headphones is whether to go for a pair with open back ear cups (for a more open sound, but the sound leaks in/out) or closed back ear cups (for better noise isolation, good bass, but a more boxed in sound).

Audio-Technica ATH-AD700

The full size headphone market if often dominated by Sennheiser with it's HD range, but there are other options. A solid performer in the full size headphone category are the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 open back headphone, which have a very open and natural character to their sound and come highly recommended (RRP is £139).  The equally good closed back model, the Audio-Technica ATH-A700 is also well worth considering.

Audio-Technica are the number one headphone brand in Japan, and for good reason. The AD700's are very well engineered and offer a very detailed, neutral sound. With full over the ear cups and velvet pads the AD700 is a very comfortable headphone for long term listening sessions.

The soundstage is truly immense on the AD700, i.e. you are able to discern instruments all around outside (and inside) your head.  The AD700's give good depth to bass notes, without being overpowering, and are particularly detailed in the upper midrange. This is a superb pair home listening headphones that compares well with many much more expensive 'cans'.

Grado SR80i

Next up we have to mention one of the Grado SR range. Choosing the best Grado headphone is a little tricky as they are all excellent, but the sensibly priced Grado SR80i headphone is a worthy contender for best mid-priced on ear Hi-Fi headphone (RRP is £120).  The Grado SR225i is another highlight in the Grado line-up.

The SR80i is a energetic sounding headphone, with excellent clarity through the mids/highs, highly detailed resolution and a solid bass kick. Grado's have a very up-front sound that can bring music to life.  The SR80i is an on-ear headphone, so they can require a bit of re-adjusting after some use to get them comfortable again.

Unlike some audiophile class headphones, both the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 and the Grado SR80i's are sensitive enough to give good response without any dedicated amplification, as they are both rated at a very efficient 32 ohms.

All of the Grado range are fully open back, which means sound can leak in and out of the ear cup. If this isn't a problem then the SR80i is a very solid choice for a home Hi-Fi headphone.

Beyerdynamic DT880

A firm favourite in the Beyerdynamic headphone range is the semi-open DT880, available in a high impedance 250 Ohm version (designed for studio use) and a much more sensitive 32 Ohm version for lower power audio sources (RRP £276).

The semi-open ear cups are a great compromise for situations where small amounts of sound leakage (in and out of the ear cups) is acceptable.  The sound is more open and airy than a fully closed back headphone, but there is some degree of noise isolation.

Sound is lively and exceptionally detailed, with enough excitement to put a big smile on your face and send shivers up your spine. Bass is tight and well controlled, but with enough presence and power to bring large performances to life.

As with any of the German made Beyerdynamic range the build and finish is exceptional and obviously designed for a long life.

A professional design with accurate and exciting sound that is up there with the best headphones at this price.  One of our personal favourites.

Best On Ear Headphones

The on ear headphone category contains a mixed selection of headphones that suit a many applications, including upgrades for standard iPod headphones, high quality Hi-Fi headphones for listening at home and even sports headphones.

Generally speaking on ear headphones are not great at isolating you from external noise as they do not seal on the ear, so the majority of headphones in this category are open back.

Koss PortaPro

A very worthy mention in this category is the inexpensive, but high performance, Koss PortaPro headband headphone. The Portapro has incredibly been in production since the 1980's, which definitely shows in the retro styling. We love the way the PortaPro's sound and can definitely recommend them as an upgrade from the cheap standard headphones supplied with an iPod, MP3 player, laptop/PC, portable CD/DVD/MiniDisc player, or portable radio.

The headphone fit is very good, thanks to the headband that has extra supports which sit just above your ear. The Koss PortaPro's are perfect for active listeners. If you like the retro look of the open back PortaPro they are excellent value (RRP of £39.99) and are ideal for listening on the move.

Sennheiser PX200-II

If you are looking for something a little more modern looking than the Koss PortaPro and also need better sound isolation then the closed back Sennheiser PX200-II is another great choice. The sound quality is excellent for the price (RRP is £69.99). The extremely lightweight PX200-II conveniently folds away for storage and sits very comfortably on most ears.

Although the noise isolating properties of the Sennheiser PX200-II do not compare well with a full size sealed headphone or an in ear sound isolating earphone, the closed back design does help reduce outside noise to some degree. The sealed back also reduces the leakage of sound from what you are listening, so you can listen to the headphones sitting on a bus or train without annoying people sitting nearby.

Grado iGrado

Without doubt the best pair of street style headphones currently on the market are the incredible sounding Grado iGrado neckband headphones (with a reasonably RRP of £49.95). The drivers used in the iGrado are the same as those used in the Grado SR60, so you can expect a lively delivery of your music across the entire frequency range. The iGrado's sound every bit as good as their home listening cousins. The styling of the iGrado's is not too everyone's taste, but who cares what you look like when the music sounds this good!

The only downside for commuters is that the iGrado's have open backs, so sound leaks out and in. This is fine for walking on the street (as long as the traffic isn't too loud), but is no good for travelling on underground trains or while sitting next to someone on a bus.