Overreviews — Headphones
Headphone Reviews
Consensus reviews of over- and on-ear headphones — many independent reviews read at once and weighted by how expert and independent each is. Where they agree, that’s the verdict; where they split, the camps are named rather than averaged away.
Latest reviews
- Headphone· 2026-07-04
Sennheiser HD 599
Sennheiser's featherlight, warm-and-cozy gateway open-back — a bargain on sale, second-guessed at list.
8 sourcesconsensus 673 contested - Headphone· 2026-07-03
Sennheiser HD 490 PRO
Two pads, two tunings, featherlight comfort — and one question reviewers can't stop asking: why not just buy the HD 600?
12 sourcesconsensus 673 contested - Headphone· 2026-07-02
Sony WH-1000XM4
The default noise-cancelling pick for years — adored for its quiet and its comfort, and argued over for a warm, bass-forward sound that a lot of owners quietly EQ.
9 sourcesconsensus 706 contested
Audeze LCD-S20
Audeze's first sub-$500 closed planar: everyone agrees it shuts out the world — and argues about almost everything else.
Headphone13 sourcesconsensus 726 contestedas of 2026-06-03Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
The default 'first good headphone' of the 2010s — loved as a fun, tough all-rounder, dismissed by enthusiasts as an overrated V-shape.
Headphone16 sourcesconsensus 595 contestedas of 2026-06-02Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
The studio workhorse everyone owns — and everyone argues about its treble.
Headphone13 sourcesconsensus 714 contestedas of 2026-06-02Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The quietest, comfiest headphones most reviewers have worn — once you get past the bass, the battery, and a price that picks a fight with Sony.
Headphone9 sourcesconsensus 714 contestedas of 2026-06-03FiiO FT1 Pro
A $200 planar nearly everyone calls a steal — and no two reviewers tune the same way.
Headphone14 sourcesconsensus 695 contestedas of 2026-06-02HiFiMan Sundara
The default first audiophile planar — a detail-and-imaging benchmark reviewers still can't agree is bright or warm.
Headphone12 sourcesconsensus 694 contestedas of 2026-06-02Koss Porta Pro
The featherweight 1984 classic everyone gets told to buy first — adored as a warm, fun bargain, dismissed by others as overrated mud.
Headphone12 sourcesconsensus 663 contestedas of 2026-06-03Sennheiser HD 480 PRO
A closed-back studio headphone reviewers love for comfort and balance — and split on for its bass, treble and price.
Headphone13 sourcesconsensus 783 contestedas of 2026-06-03Sennheiser HD 490 PRO
Two pads, two tunings, featherlight comfort — and one question reviewers can't stop asking: why not just buy the HD 600?
Headphone12 sourcesconsensus 673 contestedas of 2026-07-03Sennheiser HD 560S
The budget reference open-back the measurement crowd loves — and a bright streak that still splits the room.
Headphone13 sourcesconsensus 692 contestedas of 2026-06-05Sennheiser HD 599
Sennheiser's featherlight, warm-and-cozy gateway open-back — a bargain on sale, second-guessed at list.
Headphone8 sourcesconsensus 673 contestedas of 2026-07-04Sennheiser HD 650
Hi-fi's most-recommended open-back — and the one its owners least agree on.
Headphone9 sourcesconsensus 672 contestedas of 2026-06-02Sony MDR-7506
The studio standard everyone owns — half hear an honest reference, half hear a bright, dated legacy buy.
Headphone17 sourcesconsensus 665 contestedas of 2026-06-02Sony WH-1000XM4
The default noise-cancelling pick for years — adored for its quiet and its comfort, and argued over for a warm, bass-forward sound that a lot of owners quietly EQ.
Headphone9 sourcesconsensus 706 contestedas of 2026-07-02Sony WH-1000XM5
The travel headphone everyone recommends for silence — and argues about for sound and build.
Headphone12 sourcesconsensus 618 contestedas of 2026-06-03