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· $899· 2026-08-08Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire
The pads made it a different headphone — and left reviewers agreeing on the graph while arguing about almost everything on it.
11 sourcesconsensus 754 contested
Headphone· $4500· 2026-08-08Dan Clark Audio Stealth
The closest thing to a settled measurement — and an argument about slam that it never settled.
17 sourcesconsensus 845 contested
Headphone· $4500· 2026-08-07Dan Clark Audio Expanse
The best-measuring open-back one lab had ever tested — and the graph still doesn't settle the argument.
14 sourcesconsensus 845 contested
- Headphone· $499
Focal Azurys
Half the reviews call its treble bright, half call it dark — and the measurements show why both are right.
consensus 7417 sources2026-08-07 - Headphone· $649
Focal Hadenys
One measured quirk — ear gain shifted a half-octave high — explains almost every argument reviewers have about it.
consensus 7316 sources2026-08-06 - Headphone· $1499
Focal Clear Mg
Focal took the Clear's famous treble peaks away and filled in its upper bass — which fixed the old complaint and started a brand-new argument.
consensus 6914 sources2026-08-06
Shelf notices
Highest consensus— 84
Dan Clark Audio Stealth
The closest thing to a settled measurement — and an argument about slam that it never settled.
$450017 sourcesTonality · Imaging
Best under $100— $99 · consensus 67
Philips SHP9500
The cult budget open-back everyone agrees is comfortable, open and cheap — and no one agrees is bright-and-clean or thin-and-sibilant.
$998 sourcesComfort · Value
Most contested— 9 aspects split
FiiO FT5
FiiO's warm, build-first planar flagship — richly musical to some, too coloured to others, and a pad-and-EQ chameleon to everyone who tinkers.
$44911 sources
- AKG K371$14972
- AKG K702$17972
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45$12068
- Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$54968
- Audeze LCD-2 Classic$79962
- Audeze LCD-S20$49972
- Audeze LCD-X$119968
- Audeze Maxwell 2$32971
- Audeze MM-500$169964
- Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X$14960
- Audio-Technica ATH-M40x$10960
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x$15059
- Audio-Technica ATH-R50x$16975
- Audio-Technica ATH-R70x$29972
- Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa$34974
- Aune AR5000$29969
- Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO MKII$59972
- Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO$54971
- Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X$29970
- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro$17571
- Beyerdynamic DT 880$19968
- Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X$29972
- Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (250 Ω)$15967
- Bose QuietComfort 45$19970
- Bose QuietComfort Headphones$17972
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$42971
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)$44973
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3$47981
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8$74978
- Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire$89975
- Dan Clark Audio E3$229979
- Dan Clark Audio Expanse$450084
- Dan Clark Audio Noire X$99975
- Dan Clark Audio Stealth$450084
- Drop + EPOS PC38X$17070
- Drop + HIFIMAN HE-5XX$11971
- E-MU Teak$45072
- FiiO FT1$14971
- FiiO FT1 Pro$19969
- FiiO FT3$22075
- FiiO FT5$44965
- Focal Azurys$49974
- Focal Bathys$69970
- Focal Clear$99067
- Focal Clear Mg$149969
- Focal Elex$50082
- Focal Hadenys$64973
- Focal Radiance$65078
- Focal Utopia (2022)$499972
- Fostex T50RPmk4$28066
- Fostex TH900mk2$149971
- Grado SR325x$29572
- Grado SR80x$12571
- HIFIMAN Ananda Nano$34971
- HIFIMAN Arya Organic$76977
- HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version$59970
- HIFIMAN Deva Pro$19970
- HIFIMAN Edition XS$26970
- HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth$94979
- HiFiMan HE400se$10967
- HiFiMan Sundara$32569
- HIFIMAN Susvara$600076
- JBL Tour One M3$40068
- Koss KSC75$2066
- Koss Porta Pro$4066
- Meze Audio 105 AER$29978
- Meze Audio 109 Pro$79971
- Meze Audio 99 Classics$30967
- Monoprice Monolith M1060$40061
- Neumann NDH 30$64969
- Philips Fidelio X2HR$13069
- Philips SHP9500$9967
- Philips SHP9600$7964
- Sennheiser HD 25$14969
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro$9963
- Sennheiser HD 480 PRO$39978
- Sennheiser HD 490 PRO$39967
- Sennheiser HD 505$20073
- Sennheiser HD 550$30074
- Sennheiser HD 560S$17569
- Sennheiser HD 599$11067
- Sennheiser HD 600$27972
- Sennheiser HD 620S$35070
- Sennheiser HD 650$40067
- Sennheiser HD 660S2$31968
- Sennheiser HD 800 S$149970
- Sennheiser HDB 630$50074
- Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless$20065
- Sony MDR-7506$10066
- Sony MDR-M1$23071
- Sony MDR-MV1$40066
- Sony WH-1000XM3$18066
- Sony WH-1000XM4$25070
- Sony WH-1000XM5$40061
- Sony WH-1000XM6$44969
- Sony WH-CH720N$10065
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless$35068