The 9 Best Headphones For Music - Winter 2020
Reviews

The best headphones for bass-heavy music genres are the Sony WH-1000XM3. These over-ear Bluetooth headphones are comfortable and don't cause any fatigue even when you wear them for long periods. They're well-built with a clean design and come in two colors: black or white.

Sony brings a lot to the table when it comes to features. Besides already having outstanding passive isolation, these headphones have one the best active noise cancellation technologies on the market, which is very effective at dampening environmental noises, such as subway trains, buses, and low chatter in a coffee shop. Of course, this feature does take a toll on battery life, but surprisingly, these headphones are still able to manage a 27-hour playtime with ANC on.

Their default sound is bass-heavy, with deep punchy bass more suited for R&B, house, funk, or dubstep. If that isn't to your liking or you have a more eclectic taste, Sony has a great companion app that lets you adjust the sound profile easily, either through a different preset or manual tuning through the equalizer. One other feature worth mentioning is DSEE HX, a feature specific to Sony products, which is an upscaling effect to make compressed music sound closer to hi-resolution.

All in all, these headphones are pricey, but their versatility makes them easy to recommend, even if you're not a bass head.

The best headphones for vocals and instruments that we’ve tested so far are the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee. Having an open-back design, these aren't made for traveling or to listen to in crowded environments, as they don't isolate you from environmental noises and also leak sound, which can be bothersome to others nearby. Although these headphones have large ear cups and soft padding, there is significant clamping force, which makes them harder to wear for an extended period. Thankfully, the open-back design allows for decent airflow and doesn't get too hot.

As for sound, these headphones have great bass and the mid-range is exceptional, which is crucial to reproducing vocals that are accurate and balanced. Overall build quality is good, but the joints holding the frame can feel a bit fragile.

All things considered, the Sennheiser provide outstanding value for their price thanks to their great sound quality and they're very easy to recommend.

If you're simply looking for the best sounding headphones and you can afford them, the Sennheiser HD 800 S are the best sounding headphones that we've tested so far. The build quality is excellent and feels durable, being mostly made out of metal. Although they're comfortable to wear for long listening sessions thanks to their big ear cups and suede-like padding, portability isn't their strong suit, as they're heavy, open-back headphones, made for listening in a quiet environment. They're also high impedance headphones, which means that they require a powerful amplifier to sound at their best.

These headphones lean towards a bright sound but are still able to maintain a good, punchy bass with an even mid-range and treble. The open-back design delivers an incredible soundstage that's spacious and natural, along with outstanding instrument separation.

These headphones truly cater to the most demanding audiophiles. These headphones may be out of reach for most people, but for those who are looking for the best experience possible, they're exceptional.

If you're shopping for good sounding headphones with a limited budget, check out the Superlux HD 681. They're semi-open headphones that deliver an incredible sound at an affordable price. Although their build quality feels a bit cheap, they're actually very comfortable to wear due to their light weight and large, well-padded ear cups. They have an overall sound signature that's well-balanced, with great bass extension; however, the treble can sound overly bright for some, especially on tracks that are already bright or poorly recorded.

Like most open or semi-open back headphones, they're not made for portable use, as they let in a lot of ambient noise and leak as well, so it's best to use them in a quiet environment. That said, the semi-open design allows these headphones to produce an incredible soundstage that feels large and spacious, which is a quality often associated with headphones that are much more expensive.

Overall, if you're willing to compromise a bit on build quality, these headphones are definitely worth considering.