This list is just a guide, often products suit one purpose or another quite well but we can't just list every single model. The models listed here are stand-out models in their respective pricerange.
Sub-$100;
Earbuds;
Yuin PK3 - There is no reason to have stock buds while these exist. Seriously, get a pair, even YOU can afford these!
Canalphones;
Head Direct RE2 - Really great sounding canalphones for the price, as long as you're not after something bassy.
Vsonic R02Pro2 - Arguably one of the best sounding sub-$100 canalphones, not quite as easy to fit or as comfortable as models like the Shure or Sennheiser, but they make up for that in sound quality.
Portables;
Koss KSC-75 - Hands down these are the best portables for the price, in fact for under $100 they're one of the best sounding headphones around - everyone should have a pair of these at least as a benchmark. We don't recommend the KSC-55 generally as you can't adjust them at all and they can get uncomfortable, but if you need something more secure the 55 may be a good option (skating/snowboarding etc).
Closed;
Sennheiser HD201 - Cheap, closed, well built, comfy. Not amazing, just a decent headphone for a low price.
Shure SRH240 - The best sub-$100 closed headphones around. Good comfort and build and excellent sound quality for the price.
$100-$200
Earbud;
Yuin PK2 - A big step up from the PK3. If you're a fan of earbuds and don't want to break the bank, these are a great choice. "What's the difference between these and the PK3?" The PK2 sound better.
Canalphones;
Head Direct RE0 - Fantastic sound, comfortable, easy to fit and low profile (fit under a motorcycle helmet), what's not to like? Easily the best value for money canalphones around today.
Portables;
Audio Technica ATH-SQ5 - Great sounding, great looking portable headphones. Although fairly large they're still compact enough to be transported easily. Their closed design offers a good bit of isolation from outside noise too.
Audio Technica ATH-ES7 - A step up from the SQ5 in sound quality, with slightly lower profile and shiny too! Great for looking and sounding good on the road.
Closed;
Beyerdynamic DT231pro - Comfortable, lightweight and good all-round sound. These are good for use in a work environment where you still need to be able to hear what's going on around you (phone etc) while not disturbing others (low leakage levels).
Shure SRH440 - Probably the best sub-$200 closed headphones around, build quality, sound quality and comfort all outdo the other closed alternatives. If you need a closed headphone and have less than $200 to spend, get these, don't bother with the rest! If you don't need closed, go open.
Open;
Alessandro MS-1 - Between $100 and $200 these are very hard to beat when it comes to music listenng. They are easy to drive, lightweight, comfortable and sound great.
For PC gaming they tend to fall a little behind some other models due to their narrower soundstage, but the overall sound quality of them is fantastic.
For "all-round" use (PC gaming, some music, movies etc) I recommend the Audio Technica AD400. They are comfortable and have sound that's well suited to a wide range of applications. For music I'd say the MS-1 is better overall, but where you want more of a soundstage the AD400 is a good choice.
Headset;
Beyerdynamic DT234pro - This is a DT231pro with a mic attached, it cleans the floor with every headset of similar value that we've heard (yes, this headset is better than the Sennheiser PCX55 range). To get better than this you pretty much need to go for the Beyer MMX300.
$200-$300
Canalphones;
Ultimate Ears SuperFi5 - Excellent allround sound, high levels of comfort and good durability, the SF5 is a versatile canalphone with good looks as well.
Atrio M8 - Great rock and roll canalphones. If you want your canalphones to have some real punch these are the choice for you. Great for rock/dance/trance/electronica/hiphop etc. Good durability and high isolation too!
Open;
Audio Technica ATH-AD700 - Fantastic for the price. If these headphones were branded with a name that starts with S they'd cost $300+. A very balanced and detailed sound, however the even bass response might not be suitable if you're after heavy "doof doof" bass levels and nothing else.
Great for games, great for music, easy to drive and comfortable. They leak like a sieve and are huge so not suitable for use where leakage is a problem and not really that great for portable use unless you don't mind the stares
Beyerdynamic DT440 - Easy to drive, good allround sound suitable for pretty much any application. Downside is the comfort; they tend to be a little heavy and some people find the earcups to be a little too shallow causing your ears to touch the inner foam. Overall I find these sound better than the AD700, if only the 440 was more comfortable.
Closed;
Ultrasone DJ1 - Great closed headphones for the price. Heaps of isolation from outside noise, foldable for good portability. These are great for LAN gaming, DJ use or music listening where you want slightly harder hitting bass.
Audio Technica ATH-A900 - These are a good headphone for gaming and movies, easy to drive, comfy, reasonable isolation. Downside would be the size making them a poor choice for portable/transportable use. For a little more the Beyer DT250 is definitely better sounding, but if you're on a tight budget these are an ok alternative.
Shure SRH840 - Excellent build quality, comfort and isolation combined with good overall sound quality make these an excellent closed headphone for the price. They offer a darker sound presentation than the A900, but their build quality makes them more suitable for use where a more rugged design is required.
Active Noise Cancelling; - Audio Technica ANC7b - The ONLY active noise cancelling model I recommend. If you absolutely cannot use canalphones, these are a good alternative with decent sound quality for the price and excellent noise cancelling.
$300-$400
note: in this pricerange and beyond models tend to be "more suitable for..." rather than "good/better/best" meaning we're likely to recommend models for specific tastes and applications so this is a short list, there are many models that might not be "recommended" but are still very suitable to specific needs.
Canal;
Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5Pro - Easily the best sounding canalphones under $400. Isolation levels aren't as high as the Etymotic ER-4P, but many people find the balance of the SuperFi 5Pro to be more enjoyable to listen to. Comfort levels are also excellent.
Open;
Audio Technica ATH-AD900 - These are awesome. Easy to drive, comfy and fantastic balanced sound. A lot of headphones tend to sound too "technical" but these are a very emotive headphone without leaning too much toward an overly "robotic" sound. If they were branded with a name that starts with S they'd probably be $500+
Closed;
Beyerdynamic DT250 - Great studio headphones. Balanced and fairly neutral sound with slight treble rolloff, good listening headphones if your're sensitive to treble but also great for mixing because of their flat response. One of the best headphones around from a technical standpoint and definitely my favourite closed headphone.
Ultrasone Proline 550; - One of the bassiest headphones that don't need amplification. Comfort isn't terribly high, but for an easy to drive, high impact headphone these are a great choice.
$400+
Canalphones;
Ultimate Ears TripleFi10Pro - A really great sounding canalphone allround, with excellent balance without sounding sterile or dull. A replaceable cable is a nice touch too.
Shure SE530/SE530POTH - Easily the most comfortable of the high end canals, the SE530 is a great complete package. A lot of people ask "which is better between the SE530 and TripleFi" but there's really no straight answer to that as they're both excellent, and quite similar. If you're worried about comfort, get the Shures
Etymotic ER-4P - Huge levels of isolation from outside noise, excellent balanced and detailed sound, easy to drive and portable. These are perfect for when you want MAXIMUM isolation from outside noise and high sound quality. They isolate more and sound better than pretty much any active noise cancelling headphones on the market, including a certain model from a brand starting with B.
These may not be suitable for home/work use as you won't be able to hear anything around you, phone ringing, people talking to you, building burning down etc.
Open;
Beyerdynamic DT880 - Great balanced, wide-open detailed sound. Very nice for the price, but possibly a little too neutral for some people's tastes. They also need a lot of power to sound their best so forget running them from an unamped (PC/portable) device.
Alessandro MS-2 - ROCK AND ROLL. These headphones might not be the most comfortable around (although the comfort can be fixed easily enough) but rock n roll wasn't meant to be soft. If you want hard hitting, energetic and up front sound these are a great choice. Easy to drive, but an amp will improve overall sound.
AKG K701 - Very nice sounding headphones with reasonable levels of comfort (the headband isn't that great). Definitely a top pick. Amplification is a must! Do not buy this model unless you intend to run them from a decent dedicated headphone amp.
Fantastic soundstage with excellent natural sounding instruments. Probably not the best choice for dance/trance/bassheads
Audio Technica ATH-AD1000 - Beautifully detailed and open sound, fantastic for the price, comfy and very easy to drive. Great if you want high end sound without having to buy a dedicated amp for it. Not for bassheads though.
Alessandro MS-Pro - One of the best all rounders for use without amplification. Great for any types of music, especially rock
Nice energetic sound without being fatiguing. If you want a rock and roll headphone, these are what you should get.You will notice some of the models we recommend on our products page when you sort by recommended aren't listed here, that's just to keep this list a little more concise.
Don't get upset if you don't see your favourite model here - you can ask why it's not listed if you like.
Updated 29/7/09
