Recent Headphone Reviews

Onkyo enters a crowded headphone market with an eye toward treating your ears to hi-fi. The ES-HF300 features 40mm, dual ported titanium drivers in a full-sized on-ear headphone that remains efficient and mobile-device friendly. The Japanese hi-fi company has carved a reputation for crushing cost-to-performance expectations. But its new line marks Onkyo's first-ever foray into the headphone market. In this review we'll put Onkyo's flagship cans to the test to see if they're built on the company's sound reputation or if they're just a pair of also-rans in a market that's too often more hi-style than hi-fi.

The JLab JBuds EPIC in-ear monitor is designed to bring you high quality sound, a design that keeps the headphone in your ear, and a price that won't empty your wallet. They've succeeded in all three. While the EPICs aren't without their issues, for the budding audiophile or just the workout fanatic that doesn't want to have to fiddle with their headphones, the EPICs are an easy recommendation. While the combination of in-ear and the fins that hold them in your ear won't work for everyone, most should find the perfect blend of form and function in the JLabs EPICs. Recommended!

If the OM Audio INEARPEACE in-ear headphones aren't for everyone, it is because not everyone wants accurate sound. With a dual driver design, more comfortable than most tips, and a truly tangle-free cord, the OM Audio INEARPEACE have a lot going for them. The dual drivers give them the ability to have punch bass even at low volumes while maintaining a balanced presentation at louder volumes. At $180, it is hard to find competitors with dual drivers to this headphone. If you are looking for accurate in-ear monitors, the OM Audio headphones should top your list.

While the RHA MA750 headphones might look like they are designed for use while exercising, I assure you they are not. While they may have had a bit of a bass emphasis, it was completely forgivable considering they had better bass extension than headphones nearly 3x's their price. With all the tips you could ever need, a carrying case you'll never use, and top notch aesthetics and build quality, it is very easy to see where your $120 went. Once again RHA has exceeded my expectations at their price point. One of these days they will send me a pair of headphones I don't like. Today is not that day.

Venerable high end speaker maker B&W has launched an entire family of headphones to fit our mobile lifestyle. The C5 headphones bring some unique and innovative approaches to in-ear monitor designs. The new loop-design and tungsten weight balancing will keep the earphones from falling out of your ears so that you can hear rich, detailed sound. Keeping with their pedigree in the high end audio market, B&W's C5 in-ear headphones will appeal to both the audiophile and active lifestyle user.

Bowers & Wilkins has released their new P7 over ear headphones. These are the flagship of the B&W headphone line. We had a chance to A/B them with the rest of the B&W line and they are clearly the best. At $400 MSRP, they should be. Sporting 40mm drivers, removable cushions that reveal removable cables, and a rating down to 10Hz, these headphones sounded clear and clean when we checked them out at CEDIA 2013. Shipping now, if you are a B&W fan, you've got to hear these speakers.

We took a close look at the Westone W-Series all-weather earphones on the show floor at CEDIA 2013. They looked be be very solidly built. The cable connection at the earphone was very small and proprietary but fit securely. The cable is completely shielded and sealed for maximum water resistance. These are very ruggedly constructed headphones and should be able to survive anything you throw at them. They utilize the traditional silicone and foam tips and have interchangeable faceplates. We particularly like how you can upgrade the number of drivers up to four. We weren't able to try them out (and we were one of the first ones at the booth) but we're hoping to get some in for review.

Phiaton isn't a name that's been around for terribly long, but it's Korean parent company Cresyn, founded in 1959, has been making headphones or headphone components for quite some time. These are the Phiaton Bridge MS 500 headphones, which Phiaton describes as over-ear, but we'd humbly tell you are actually on-ear, unless your ears are the size of walnuts or you really manipulate them to get them inside of the leather pads.

The Audio-Technica ATH-CP700 "Inner Ear" (basically, fancy earbuds) headphones have a lot going for them. The back head band keeps them securely in place. The rubber surrounds on the earbuds makes them much more comfortable than normal earbuds. The angled entry and rotating buds try to aim the sound down your ear canals. They have a modular cable, an inline mic and control, and are mostly waterproof. But their focus on letting in outside sounds to keep you safer when exercising outside comes at a sonic price.

What we find most exciting about the new MA600i and MA750i in-ear headphones from RHA is the handmade drivers. Often we see manufacturers putting the same drivers in every one of their offerings. Here, we have different, purpose-built drivers for each tier of their line. They've even included measurements showing how they perform (the fact that they are different is more interesting than how flat they are). We've had some good experiences with RHA offerings in the past and we're very curious to hear how these new, top-tier offerings sound. The MA600i and MA750i headphones from RHA feature aircraft grade aluminum construction, the RHA "aerophonic" design, and a three button inline remote and microphone. With higher prices to match, this in the new top-of-the-line from RHA.

The G-CUBE BH-860s are Bluetooth enabled with all the latest formats and codecs including HSP, HFP, A2DP, and AVRC. With Bluetooth v3.0, the G-CUBE BH-860s brag faster transfer rates and incorporated aptX technology for near CD quality bit rates. In addition, the G-CUBE BH-860s can connect with up to 2 Bluetooth devices at a time. The G-CUBE BH-860s have a 24 hour battery life, are HD Voice ready, and sport an integrated six setting EQ. They collapse down for easy transport in the included case, have an integrated mic with wind and outside noise canceling, and have an Uppercase 'G' on the side. Uppercase is better than lower case, right?

This review is about an experiment. Can consumer-level in-ear headphones be used as live in-ear monitors? We thought so, so we acquired a dozen of them from audio-technica and set them to work at a local church. You see, the worship band was converting from on-stage monitoring to in-ear monitors. Here's what happens—you throw a bunch of guitarists, four singers, a bassist, a keyboardist, a pianist, and a drummer on stage. Now give them each a monitor that fires up at them so they can hear when they need to perform well.

The Wicked Audio WI-8500 Evac Headphones are $60 headphones that you can find on sale for much less. Much less. When you compare them to their $60 competition, you'll find the other $60 headphones have features such as in-line controls and microphones. While the Wicked Audio WI-8500 Evac Headphones don't have any of those features, what they do have is a very similar sound to those other, feature rich $60 headphones. When you pay much less for them than the MSRP, you are getting quite the deal.

The Griffin WoodTones Over-The-Ear Headphones promise hand-turned real wood enclosures. At the $100 price point, that is nearly unheard of. With 50 mm moving coil neodymium magnet drivers, a 32 ohm impedance, 108dB sensitivity, and a claimed frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, they have a lot of real technology behind that wood. Each headphone, because of the real wood, is unique. They have a removable cord with in-line controls and microphone for calls. They are designed to work perfectly with your iDevice and Siri. If you've got a C-note to spend on headphones, you should probably put the Griffin WoodTones Over-The-Ear Headphones on your list.