At a time when most people use music streaming services and primarily rely on Bluetooth, it might seem like wired headphones are a relic of the past. But if you’re reading this, it’s because you know, deep in your heart, that a quality wired signal is still superior to just about any streaming signal. You might need an adapter to use wired headphones with your mobile device these days, but for many the better sound quality is worth the fairly inexpensive accessory.
Here, we take a look at both headphones (on-ear and over-ear) and earphones (in-ears) that still use cables. Yes, there are even better models available than the ones we list here, but we’re cutting it off at around $1,000 to keep things reasonable. If you’re really looking to go all out, head over to our stories on the best headphones for audiophiles and studio musicians. Whichever route you go, know that many of the best models tend to favor accuracy over booming bass and heavily sculpted highs.
Note too that an increasing number of wireless headphones (and especially noise-cancelling models) can work passively via an aux cable. To keep the focus here purely on wired headphones, however, we’re excluding those products. That gives us plenty of space to talk about cabled headphones and earphones that simply output audio and, for the most part, don’t do anything else.
With all that in mind, here’s what to look for when you shop for wired headphones.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Etymotic ER4 XR
Best Earphones for Critical Listening
Why We Picked It
Etymotic’s focus on creating in-ear monitors with a purely transparent sound signature has led to some invaluable tools for engineers and anyone who values audio that’s free of sculpting. The ER4 XR earphones are a slight departure from the company’s traditional approach in that they add the slightest amount of low-frequency emphasis. But fear not, these don’t go nearly as far in that direction as the vast majority of models we test. They present the entire frequency range with ideal clarity.
Who It’s For
Sound engineers who work in music or film are the obvious audience here, but you might also appreciate the ER4 XR if you want a thoroughly accurate representation of your music—imperfections and all.
PROS
- Exceptionally accurate mids and highs coupled with rich, full bass response.
- Detachable, high-quality cable.
- Plethora of eartip options in various sizes and styles.
- Ships with several accessories, including zip-up case.
CONS
- No inline remote control or mic.
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HiFiMan Ananda
Most Luxurious Headphones
Why We Picked It
We don’t often award five stars to a product, but HiFiMan’s planar magnetic Ananda headphones deserve it, especially now that you can get them for less than half their original $1,000 retail price. They offer one of the most detailed stereo images we’ve heard in many years of testing and their frequency range of 8Hz to 55kHz translates to a magical musical presentation. And despite a fairly massive frame, they still feel quite comfortable. Even the cabling is high-end thanks to a rugged, translucent sleeve.
Who It’s For
If you’re willing to indulge in your listening hobby, these headphones won’t disappoint. No, they don’t sound quite as sublime as multi-thousand-dollar electrostatic models, but they’re a far more reasonable choice.
PROS
- Phenomenal audio performance with superb sense of space, accurate bass, and lovely detail throughout frequency range.
- Comfortable over long listening sessions.
- Ships with two detachable cables.
CONS
- Open design leaks audio.
- Cables lack inline remote control or mic.
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Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X
Best for Studio Mixing and Tracking
Why We Picked It
The closed-back DT 700 Pro X headphones deliver an accurate sound signature that never seems clinical. Their Stellar.45 dynamic drivers feature neodymium ring magnets and an integrated damping layer that allows them to achieve a frequency range of 5Hz to 40kHz. As a result, you get a reliable picture of the whole frequency range, without any exaggeration of the still-present lows.
Who It’s For
First and foremost, these headphones are great for both studio tracking and mixing. The large earcups benefit from comfortable velour padding and don’t leak much audio. Beyond that, they’re an appropriate addition to any home audio setup with quality stereo gear.
PROS
- Accurate, rich, detailed, and balanced audio
- Closed design ideal for studio recording and mixing
- Comfortable fit
CONS
- Cables lack mics
- Not for those seeking overwhelming bass depth
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Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro
Best Overall for Musicians and Engineers
Why We Picked It
Beyerdynamic’s accuracy-focused DT 1770 Pro headphones aren’t exactly affordable, but they easily justify their price. They work with a removable cable that connects to the earcups via mini XLR plugs, while internal Tesla 2.0 45mm neodymium drivers employ triple-layer composite diaphragms that help ensure a clearer, more detailed sound signature.
Who It’s For
These closed-back monitors should suit any musician or mix engineer who is after top-tier accuracy across the frequency range. They are also a fine choice if you enjoy a wonderfully balanced and transparent presentation of music.
PROS
- Superb sonic performance gives clarity and equal representation to the entire frequency range.
- Secure circumaural fit.
- Ships with two long, removable cables—one semi-coiled, one straight.
- Swappable velour and leatherette earpads.
CONS
- Can get a tad uncomfortable over very long listening sessions.
- Expensive.
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Shure SRH1540
Best Accessories
Why We Picked It
Like all the other entries on this list, Shure’s SRH1540 headphones prioritize accuracy. They are fully capable of reproducing deep sub-bass but never embellish these low-end elements. Plush Alcantara-lined earpads result in a comfortable fit, while quality accessories like two detachable cables, a replacement pair of earcups, and one of the sturdiest hard-shell cases available add up to a premium experience.
Who It’s For
If you want a pair of headphones that can present higher frequencies with excellent clarity without ignoring sub-bass, check out the SRH1540—particularly if you’re a fan of high-quality accessories.
PROS
- Excellent audio performance.
- Impressively lightweight despite large size.
- Exceptionally comfortable.
- Ships with two detachable cables, a replacement pair of earcups, and the sturdiest hard-shell headphone case we’ve ever seen.
CONS
- No inline remote control or mic on either cable.
- Not for booming bass lovers.
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Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Best Midrange Studio Monitors
Why We Picked It
The ATH-M50x monitors produce good low-frequency depth and high-frequency clarity; they don’t go overboard at either end of the frequency range, instead striving for balance. They’re comfortable over long listening sessions and relatively affordable, which makes them a solid starter choice for mixing and tracking in a home studio as well as for everyday listening.
Who It’s For
The ATH-M50x headphones are a bargain compared with other entries on this list, so they are worth a look if you need several pairs for a studio or simply have a strict budget. They aren’t nearly as transparent as pricier options, but they still provide equal doses of lows, mids, and highs.
PROS
- Accurate bass depth and ideal high-frequency clarity
- Comfortable, secure over-ear fit
- Ships with three detachable cables of varying lengths
CONS
- Plastic-heavy build
- Not for those seeking a modern (boosted) bass response
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Philips Fidelio X3
Best for Audiophiles on a Budget
Why We Picked It
The open-back Philips Fidelio X3 headphones provide an excellent spatial feel and output rich bass depth with excellent clarity elsewhere throughout the frequency range. They have massive earcups, but their velvet-lined memory foam earpads feel light, plush, and sufficiently cool over long listening sessions. Internally, 50mm neodymium drivers deliver a frequency range of 5Hz to 40kHz and angle slightly toward the ear to produce more accurate highs.
Who It’s For
Compared with what you can spend on audiophile-grade headphones, this Philips model has always been somewhat of a value option. That’s even more the case now that the street price has dropped below $150. They are also just supremely comfortable.
PROS
- Excellent audio performance with accurate bass depth and detailed highs
- High-quality materials and cabling
- Comfortable, self-adjusting fit
CONS
- Expensive
- No adapter for devices with Lightning ports
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Sennheiser HD 660S2
Best Open-Back Headphones for Home Listening
Why We Picked It
The open design of the Sennheiser HD 660S2 headphones helps create a lively stereo field, while their drivers specialize in detail retrieval. The outer panels sport metallic perforated grilles that allow you to see into the enclosure and the semi-transparent internal cloth grilles let you partially gaze upon the front and rear faces of the 38mm dynamic drivers—both are cool design touches. They cover a frequency range of 8Hz to 41.5kHz and have an impedance of 300 ohms.
Who It’s For
These headphones work best at home alongside a stereo system, but they ship with a 3.5mm adapter that lets you plug into just about every other type of source. You must be willing to spend quite a bit to enjoy their excellent clarity and balanced delivery, including in the sub-bass realm.
PROS
- Balanced and rich sound signature
- Open, circumaural design results in a wide spatial feel
- Removable cables
CONS
- Pricey
- Included cables could be longer
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Sennheiser IE 200
Best In-Ear Monitors Under $200
Why We Picked It
The ubiquity of true wireless models has left a void in the affordable wired in-ear realm (at least from mainstream brands), but Sennheiser thankfully now sells the IE 200 earphones. They look and feel more expensive than their price would indicate, fit quite securely, and conveniently use detachable MMCX cables. The best part, however, is that they offer a transparent signature with tons of detail.
Who It’s For
Most remaining wired in-ear models are largely aimed at professionals and the IE 200 earphones fit this trend to a degree because of their quality sound and construction. But we think they are best for music lovers who are (rightfully) wary of Bluetooth codec limitations and simply want to hear the full dynamics of their favorite tracks.
PROS
- Accurate, balanced sound
- Attractive design with detachable, braided cable
- Relatively affordable
CONS
- No inline controls or mic
- First-party replacement cables are pricey
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Buying Guide: The Best Wired Headphones for 2023
Do Headphone Drivers Matter?
Between headphones and earphones, there’s a range of driver styles. In headphones, the most common option is the dynamic driver—headphones typically only employ a single full-range driver in each earcup’s enclosure. In recent years, audiophiles have gotten excited about planar magnetic drivers, which use a magnetic field to vibrate a large (compared with a dynamic driver) flat surface area. Planar magnetic drivers are typically sought after for their ability to deliver high levels of detail throughout the frequency range with very little distortion and a highly accurate bass response. Like the even less common (and far more expensive) electrostatic drivers, the enclosures for these headphones are often large and not really ideal for wearing out of the house. Many earphones that employ planar magnetic drivers look rather bulky and odd as well.
Dynamic drivers or balanced armature are most common in earphones. Balanced armature drivers are notable for how tiny and lightweight they can be; these qualities allow manufacturers to include multiple balanced armature drivers in a single earpiece that cover different frequency ranges. Like two-way or three-way stereo speaker setups, this tends to lead to a more accurate sound signature, but it all depends on the driver tuning.
None of the above-mentioned options are necessarily better than the others, but they do affect the sound signature.
Earphones vs. Earbuds
Let’s keep this short: There are no earbuds on this list. That’s because no earbuds seal off the ear canal. Any in-ears that rest outside of the ear canal create a host of sonic problems—ear-to-ear suffers, as does bass response.
In-ear models that slightly seal off the ear canal (otherwise known as earphones) ensure proper left/right channel balance and can reproduce bass more effectively. People might use these terms interchangeably, and that’s fine, but for the sake of this story, the distinction is important.
Over-Ear vs. On-Ear Headphones
There are two basic builds for headphones. Circumaural designs fit wholly over and around the ear, encircling it with earpads that typically create a soft seal against the skin and scalp. Supra-aural models rest on the ear but don’t create a seal around it. These models are often called, respectively, over-ear and on-ear headphones—and frankly, both of those terms are much easier to remember for most people.
Audiophile-level headphones are more often than not over-ear; a seal around the ear leads to a more immersive experience, after all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find top-notch on-ear models. It might ultimately depend on your preference and use case: If you need headphones for recording or overdubbing in a studio, for example, over-ear headphones are often the way to go because they are less likely to leak audio.
Open vs. Closed Headphones
Not all over-ear headphones prevent audio from leaking, however. In fact, some purposefully push audio out—these are referred to as open, or open-back, designs. Why would you want headphones that purposefully leak audio? Because the open-back design, which allows you to hear your surroundings a bit, often provides a magical spatial feel by allowing more airflow around the drivers.
Closed headphones can also deliver magic, however, and are more appropriate for studio, office, and public settings, as they tend to leak far less audio.
What Does Sound Signature Mean?
Our goal is to highlight those options that we think sound best, so our choices don’t include super-bass-boosted options, simply because they don’t provide an accurate audio experience. Finding mega-bass headphones isn’t hard, however—if anything, it’s been the trend for years now, and finding accurate pairs is the problem.
In our reviews, you might often see the terms “flat response” or “flat sound signature.” This might sound like a negative thing, but a flat sound signature merely means that it’s an accurate—or close to accurate—sound that doesn’t boost and sculpt the frequency range too much.
Recommended by Our Editors
That said, all sound signatures have some boosting and sculpting—if they didn’t, everything would sound the same. In recent years, many accuracy-focused headphones and earphones have added in some bass depth because speakers and subwoofers have become more capable of reproducing deep bass rumble, and once that’s possible, artists and producers want to include deeper bass in their mixes. Thus, it’s not audiophile sacrilege to include some serious bass in a sound signature. As long as the bass is clean and accurate, it helps to replicate the deep lows that many modern mixes (and films) include.
4 ways you’re using your headphones totally wrong — Clarification Please
What to Look for in a Headphone Cable
One nice feature to keep your eye out for is a removable cable. It’s far easier and more affordable to replace a cable than an entire pair of headphones and cables are usually the culprit when things go awry.
If you need to use your headphones or earphones to take calls, pay attention to whether the cable has an inline mic and remote control. Plenty of the audiophile or studio models skip remotes and mics, though some products include two cables, one with and one without. Most wired headphones also ship with a quarter-inch headphone jack adapter for stereo and pro audio gear. This is rarely the case with earphones, but nearly all 3.5mm earphones work with a quarter-inch adapter.
How Much Should You Spend on Wired Headphones?
As we mentioned earlier, we’ve capped choices here at around $1,000. Why? There are simply too many quality options out there below that price. Many we highlight are also available for less than they originally retailed at, but that’s rarely a reflection of audio quality. Wired headphones aren’t like cell phones. There’s not necessarily a new, better model every year. Some of these models have been on the market for years and have only had minor updates. When you get something right the first time, there’s no need to change it.
Remember, wired headphones require a little more maintenance than wireless models. Once you find the perfect pair, read up on our easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and the many ways you’re using your headphones wrong.
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