The Best Headphones for Every Budget

Publié le 3 Juin 2014

The Best Headphones for Every Budget

For truly sweet sounding tunes you'll want to ditch those bundled earbuds. These are the top-rated on-ear and around-ear headphones we've tested, at a wide variety of price levels

The truth is, the EarPods bundled with Apple devices actually sound pretty good. Still, if you're serious about your music, those plastic pods can only take you so far.

The single best accessory upgrade you can buy for a new media player, smartphone, or tablet is a solid pair of headphones.

With so many choices, ranging from $30 cans you can pick up at the local Best Buy to $1,000+ custom-audiologist-fit in-ear monitors, finding the right pair of headphones can be tough. But if you spend the time to pick the right pair, and you take good care of them, your headphones can easily outlive the device that's delivering your music. There's an endless selection when it comes to headphone design, but you'll basically be choosing between padded over-the-ear headphones or snug in-canal earphones. Both have their merits, but for this roundup we'll be focusing on the over-the-ear and around-the-ear design of traditional headphones. If you're leaning towards the more discreet in-ear option, be sure to check out our Best Earphones roundup.

Even once you narrow it down to over-the-ear headphones, there are still a ton of options out there. We've included one wireless pair, but if you're keen on cutting the cord, check out the Best Wireless Headphones. Looking to take in your tunes on your next run? We've got a roundup for that, too, with the Best Headphones for Running. And finally, if you just want to escape from it all, you'll want to check out the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones.

For in-depth headphone shopping advice, check out our comprehensive buying guide, and our headphone product guide for the latest reviews. For now, here are some of our favorite headphone pairs.