These Audiophile Headphones Are Worth the Splurge

Why You Need Wired Headphones

For the time being, wired headphones are capable of delivering better audio quality than their wireless counterparts on most occasions for a variety of reasons. The latter include higher audio latency over a Bluetooth connection, as well as loss of audio quality due to compression, among others.

Wired headphones are also more durable than their wireless relatives. When you're about to drop a serious amount of money on a pair of high-end cans or in-ear monitors, this is an important thing to consider. Though, to be fair, wireless headsets are infinitely more comfortable to live with on a daily basis.

Open-Back or Closed-Back Headphones

Open-back headphones can let the sound flow a whole lot better, which leads to a more expansive sonic experience. This is one of the reasons why the best over-ear headphones feature open-back design.

The downsides of the open-back headphones are that they let outside noise creep into your listening experience, so it's best to enjoy them in a quiet environment. (Their design will enable people around you to hear what you are listening to.)

Closed-back headphones offer better noise isolation, thus allowing you to tune out your surroundings much better.

The Benefits of Planar Magnetic Headphones

Planar magnetic headphones became popular in recent years, thanks to a number of excellent offerings by the California-based company Audeze. The technology enables headphones to deliver superb audio quality with incredibly low distortion even at high volume levels. Their frequency response is also excellent.

Planar magnetic headphones also feature relatively low impedance, which enables you to drive them without an amplifier. For a deeper dive into the technology behind them, check out this great article by Inner Fidelity.

The Importance of an Amplifier and High-Quality Content

In order to deliver the best experience, a lot of high-end headphones require that you connect them to an amplifier. This step is particularly important for models with high impedance, as most smartphones and computers won't be able to drive them on their own. There's an overwhelming amount of audio amplifiers to choose from out there, so you can choose one to your exact liking.

High-quality content is just as important. Playing your favorite Spotify tracks on a pair of expensive open-back cans will do little to wow you. However, experiencing your favorite songs in a lossless format might be an eye-opening experience.

One Last Thing

Hearing is a personal thing, so it's best to try various headset types to find out which one suits you best. Each brand and model of audiophile headphones comes with its own character and sound signature, so there's no need to like them all.