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Audiophile quality headphones offer immersive audio and quality materials, but at a higher cost.
Consumer headphones provide convenience, features and good sound quality at a more affordable price.
Spending $200-$300 is the maximum you should spend on headphones with great features and sound quality in mind – but you can spend a lot less.
Good technology has always been expensive, especially when it comes to headphones. Audiophile-grade headphones can cost thousands of dollars with the promise of a superior listening experience. However, after trying it, I decided to stick to my consumer headphones.
What do the headphones “Audiophile” bring to the table?
As you can probably guess, the whole idea of these audiophile quality headphones revolves around creating the best sound quality and listening experience possible. That is why many of these headphones are large in size and cost for your wallet.
These headphones are made to replicate the experience of listening to a piece of music live. You’ll hear a significantly wider range of frequencies, including instruments, vocals, or editing that you might miss when using cheaper headphones. Not only do you hear every instrument, note and vocal clearly, but the overall feel of the audio is also much more immersive. It’s really something you have to experience to fully understand.
Other advantages include better shape, finish and materials used in the body of the headset. They are also often open, compared to the closed design on most consumer headphones. U difference between closed and open headphones can significantly affect the quality of the audio, which you need to know. That’s where the benefits end in my opinion.
Audiophile headphones have massive drivers to run them, they need more power – a big reason why you don’t often see wireless offerings in this space. Using a cable helps compensate for the impedance needed to run the drivers. This means you’ll need to add a DAC, as most phones don’t have a headphone jack, and your PC might not be able to power the headphones to their capabilities. After all, if you want to enjoy lossless audio, you need to have the equipment for this.
Speaking of which, there is a difference between lossless and high resolution audio. Your regular subscription to Spotify or YouTube Music might not cut it, meaning you’ll likely spend more on a lossless audio service. Creature comforts such as multi-couple and noise cancellation are also not included.
In general, buying and using audiophile headphones is a much more expensive and involved affair. If you want to hear every beat of your music, by all means, go ahead. But living with all this extra hassle becomes very difficult every day.
Because your “average” headphones are pretty good
Most consumer quality headphones, even if you’re looking at mid-range ones, offer a ton of convenience and features while ensuring that sound quality doesn’t take a massive hit. You can buy something as cheap WH-CH720N by Sony and you get features like two-device pairing, noise cancellation, and excellent audio quality for as little as $149.
If you go to something more flagship level like the WH-1000XM5u Bose QC35 IIor even the Apple AirPods Maxyou get much better battery life and noise cancellation alongside a healthy boost in sound quality. These are some really good headphones. In my opinion, there is a limited point of return here, and after these, the difference between general purpose headphones and audiophile quality headphones begins to blur.
Wireless connectivity is also a massive convenience. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD518 open-back headphones and a WH-CH720N, and I always find myself reaching for the WH-CH720N because they sound pretty good and remove a lot of the resistance between my music and me.
On the Sennheiser, I have to sit at my desk and plug my headphones into a DAC before I start listening to anything – not very useful when you’re in a crowded subway or walking down the street. They also have no noise cancellation, which means that in a city environment, you will hear every sound in your surroundings. All for an increase in audio quality you may or may not be able to hear in the first place.
Not many people can tell the difference in audio quality beyond what you already have with most streaming services. Consumer grade headphones take this into account to create products that you can use in your everyday life without adding extra weight or hassle. They have also come a long way, and as long as you choose a decent pair of headphones, you will have no complaints about the sound quality.
Wireless technology has improved significantly over the years, to the point where I use wireless technology everywhere I can. You can get pretty good range, battery life and performance out of most good wireless headphones and given the convenience they offer, the drop in sound quality seems like a small price to pay.
How much should you spend?
Headphone prices are affected by many factors, including design, features and sound quality. How much you spend is entirely up to you – what features you like and the sound signature and quality you prefer. We’ve already covered that how much should you spend on headphones and what you can expect in each price range. To recap, $200-$300 is about the most you need to spend.
With the wireless headset and headphone market heating up, there are many options in the sub-$100 range, such as Soundcore Space One headphones (check out our Soundcore Space One review). You can spend as little as $20-30 and get a good pair of TWS (truly wireless) headphones. The headphones will cost you a bit more, with the best options heading towards the $100 price point.
However, you will find headphones in every price range, which will be a good deal for the money. Of course, they will not be made with premium materials and fantastic features, but they will be very good for listening to music on the go.
You can also step up to the $300-$500 range and get high-end consumer headphones, like the Sony WH1000XM5with the best features and sound quality possible. At that price, it also enters the range of the entry-level audiophile, and you will find some really good headphones, albeit with the aforementioned drawbacks.
If you let go of the audiophile label and start looking at the practical use of the headphones, you can get a much more versatile pair of headphones that you can use every day. Yes, it won’t sound at audiophile level, but they will sound pretty good.