What makes a quality headphone? What are the differences between $50 headphones and $5000 headphones? How does a person define their end game headphones, and what elements are a part of their decision matrix? If anyone is in the market for high end headphones, these are some of the most pressing questions. My goal is to discuss a few of these below, create some transparency, and allow everyone to have a better understanding of their needs and desires in order to purchase that perfect pair of stereo headphones.

Headphones fall into two main categories: in-ear-monitors and over-the-head headphones. This article will concentrate on audiophile over-the-head headphones. For my thoughts on in-ears-monitors please see this article. While over-the-head headphones have many subcategories, such as on-ear, over-the-ear, Bluetooth, and active noise cancelling to just name a few, for this discussion, I will only concentrate on passive open and closed headphones. Open headphones leak sound through their ear cups, whereas, closed headphones isolate the sound by having sealed cups. Open and closed designs offer different advantages and disadvantages to sound reproduction. In general, open headphones tend to give the listener a more expansive sound or larger sound stage, as one tends to hear more “freedom” in their music. Closed headphones offer more privacy and tend to provide deeper bass due to the physics of a closed design.

For this article, I will be comparing a wide range of headphones from the $200 Beyerdynamic’s DT-800 600ohm (as these headphones have not changed that much in the last 30 years, long before any of the headphones below and many HiFi companies even existed), to $1100 Sennheiser HD800’s, to $3000 HiFiMAN He1000 v2 and Focal Stellia, to $4000 Audeze LCD-4, to $4000 Focal Utopia, and ultimately a $6000 HiFiMAN Susvara. I will also briefly discuss an electrostatic headphone, the $1400 HiFiMAN Jade II.

All the testing was done on an iFi Stack, which consists of: Pro iDSD DAC, Pro iCAN Headphone Amplifier, & iESL Energiser for Electrostatic Headphones. Source was my desktop with an SSD drive and digital out via WireWorld Starlight 7 Digital Audio Cable. This triple stack has enough power to drive the most demanding headphones. While the scope of this article is not tied to components, such as DACs, amplifiers, sources, etc., it is paramount to acknowledge that without high quality dedicated components, to support your high-end headphones, one will never realize the full potential of those headphones. An underpowered amplifier cannot bring out the sound in a particular pair of headphones is trying to reproduce. After all, your cell phone may be able to power the Susvara’s to an audible level, but you will likely completely miss out on the details, dynamics, and the sound stage.

“Affordable” is a subjective term. One cannot define what affordable means to a large group of people. It is important to establish what your price point is so you can narrow your search based on that number. For the purpose of this article, I will use $700 as an arbitrary number for what is considered a high-end headphone. In general, one will see a significant improvement in build and sound quality above this price point. Furthermore, customer service is usually more responsive, and warranty terms tend to be more generous.

Since most audio reviews are very subjective, the following are just my personal observations based on my music choices and preferences. Most people, unless they know exactly what they want (such as music engineers who want flattest response possible), do not find hard measurements to correlate with real life experience. The most important aspects of a pair headphones are sound, comfort/build quality, and cost/value, in that order. For each person, some categories will be more important than others; but nevertheless, to me, sound and comfort + build/quality will each have a 40% weight and the value will get the remaining 20%.

(see Bonus section for my interpretation of sound):

Sound spectrum ranges from cool to neutral to warm and everything in between. To my ears Beyerdynamic T1 are the coolest headphones I ever tried and Audeze LCD-3 are the warmest. Everything else falls somewhere in between. Once you pair the sound spectrum with the differences of each headphone in quickness, resolution, & clarity, etc., while they are still much more subtle than the differences between T1 and LCD-3, the headphones nevertheless become easier to separate. From our group, Utopia is the fastest, Susvara is the most resolving (when adequately powered), Utopia has the best build, and Jade is the most comfortable. Below is the detailed breakdown of each headphone.

Focal Utopia: To me, Utopia’s sound more neutral than LCD-4 and Susvara and HD800, while retaining the speed and clarity. These are very fast headphones with superior resolution and separation while maintaining body and layering. Utopia’s are often compared to the electrostatic headphones in that regard. I find mid-range to be the best with very good highs and lows. Overall, it has the perfect balance of resolution, separation, clarity, and comfort. They are my favorite for open on-ear headphones.

Audeze LCD-4: Much warmer sound than HD800 and Utopia. These headphones have excellent clarity and dynamics. They are also the heaviest of all the headphones on the list. However, with very deep ear cups, they offer a natural listening experience, where the headphones are resting very comfortably over your ears.

HiFiMAN Susvara: When adequately powered, the Susvara sounds very fast with pinpoint imaging and large soundstage. It is close to neutral with a hint of warmness. In general, you need at least 3W per channel from your amplifier to get the most out of these. When underpowered, they have a tendency of sounding thin and lack that pinpoint precision that made them famous. Overall, they are comfortable with large hybrid earcups and well-designed headband.

HiFiMAN Jade II: Sounds close to LCD-4 (warmest of the test group) and very fast and clear. They are fairly similar to Susvara’s sound signature (they are slightly warmer), but sounds slightly less refined; however, it’s much easier to power. If not for the poor cable implementation (covered later in the article), they would most likely be my choice for the best headphone for the money.

Sennheiser HD800: Slightly warmer but also slightly slower than Utopia. HD800 has a huge soundstage. Some people find them to have an uncomfortable treble peak, but since I installed SDR mod on mine, I do not notice it anymore. Ten years have passed since they were released, and they are still one of the most talked about headphones in the audiophile community. Now they seem like a bargain compared to the price of the competition and are my pick for the best headphones for the money.

HiFiMAN He-1000 v2: Sounds close to Susvara but more neutral and less resolving. Nevertheless, an excellent headphone that is much easier to drive and will work very well for most users. I would say though, that between these and LCD-4, Utopia, and HD800, I would pick any of those over He-1000. LCD-4 if I wanted warmth and Utopia if I wanted quickness, and HD800 if comfort and cost was a priority for me. He-1000 seems to be jack of all trades but master of none. Compared to HD800, they are heavier while using higher end materials, but I am not sure if they are worth it, as HD800’s are ½ the cost and 2x the comfort.

Focal Stellia: Being the only closed back headphone, I did a quick comparison between these and Audeze XC. I like Audeze’s sound more because it is much warmer, thus the lack of airness and soundstage was less present as it was with Stellia. Stellia, however, is lighter and has much better built quality. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re in an environment where sound isolation is a must, Stellia is top three in its category; however, one cannot compare it to open headphones for actual resolution, airness, and soundstage.

Beyerdynamic DT-800: In some cases, costing 1/20th of some headphones, is hard to quantify. They are one of the best headphones in sub $500 category with very good sound. They are also fairly neutral, but they do not have the soundstage or the resolution of the headphones in the higher price tiers. They are light, have very good build quality, and are comfortable enough. They are one of my favorite headphones to recommend to anyone who is wading into this hobby.

Comfort is very important and is vastly undervalued by many. One does not want something that you have to take off every 30 minutes. Therefore, I give comfort the same weight as I give the sound: 40%.

Best to worst: Jade. It is the lightest of them all and has the largest cups that sit like pillows on my large head. In a four-hour listening session, I could barely feel them on my head. HD800 is next - the difference is subtle. They weigh about the same as JADE, but the cups are slightly different shape, so while being very comfortable they are slightly less comfortable than Jade. He-1000, Susvara, LCD-4 all use larger pads, so they encompass my ears and while being 3-5 oz. heavier than Jade and HD800 (LCD-4 being heaviest by an additional 5 oz.). Due to similar headband and yolk design, the HE1000 and Susvara have very similar fit when worn. Even with the slightly heavier weight, they are both extremely comfortable to wear.

Focal Utopia and Stellia have smaller cups. They are supposed to be over-the-ear headphones, but for my large head, they partially sit on my ears. For an over-the-ear design, they have a stronger clamp than most headphones in their class, which some dislike. Both are comfortable and are lighter than LCD-4, just the clamp pressure starts to work on my large head, and after an hour, I need a break. I would say out of 10 (higher being the more comfortable), JADE is a 10, HD800 is a 9 and the rest are in the 7 range. DT-880 are at a 6. The pads are very soft, and the headphone is lightest after JADE and HD800. However, the DT-880 has an awkward fit on my head, and the lack of softness in the headband, constantly reminds me that they are on my head.

Focal Utopia and Stellia are a 10 and a clear winner in build quality. You really appreciate the attention to detail when you are holding a pair of Focal headphones. Refined ear cup design and perfectly manufactured yolks just exude quality. HD800 is a 9. It has a very solid build given that it’s made up of mostly plastic parts; however, it is a very high-quality plastic. I have owned my pair for more than 5 years with no deterioration in quality. Susvara and DT-880’s are an 8. The Susvara has more wooden parts which is very pleasing to look at. My only concern is potential wood contraction over time. DT-880’s are very well built and only an inferior headband keeps them from a 9. LCD-4 is a solid 8. The only issue is mini XLR connector attachment to the wooden cups. I had some fail on me in the past, and I heard others have the same issue. Jade, however, gets a 3 on build. All has to do with the worst cable implementation that I have seen on a premium headphone. Not only is it very flimsy, but also it can fray without much of an effort. Being a pair of electrostatic headphones, the cables are not easily replaceable, so if this happens to your pair, you must send them out for repair, which could be very costly and time consuming.

This is the most controversial topic. So, you have fallen in love with the sound and build of more than one set of headphones. Now the small but complex final piece of the decision matrix puzzle - value for your dollar. For me, resale value is a significant consideration. Most of us are not able to go to a music store, sit in a perfectly quiet room for hours at a time and compare and contrast the headphones, so resale value or generous return policy from an authorized dealer plays a big role in the decision-making process. Also, as I like to experiment, I care how much replacement pads and cables will cost (see bonus section for additional thoughts on this). What about the warranty? Should warranty be an integral component of the value determination? I would prefer the best possible warranty and a manufacturer known for taking care of their customers if an issue ever arises.

There are no winners or losers here, except for the wasted potential with poor cable implementation with Jade. Before one decides on their end game pair, one must listen to as many headphones as possible; so that he or she can determine what they like or dislike. Perhaps you’re a bass head or don’t have optimal listening conditions, in this case the Stellia may be the right choice for you. Perhaps you like the tube sound that LCD-4 is closest to. If you want the best speed and resolution and already invested in higher quality Dac and an Amp, the Utopia and Susvara are likely an excellent choice for you. Only by listening and comparing, one can get a better idea for their end game headphones. In the end, the headphone game is a journey without a clear destination. I hope this article provides you with a few elements to consider before making that purchase decision.

I have tried various custom cables for the headphones in this article, from 15ft OEM cable to 5-6ft pure silver, individually braided cable. I prefer custom cables since I run a balanced system and not every manufacturer includes a balanced 4-pin XLR cable. I also prefer flexible cables about 6ft in length to keep it tangle free. Generally speaking, cables do not improve the sound; they simply pass the sound between different components. What this means is that if your source music is of poor quality, then no cable will improve it (inferior cable can definitely make it worse though). A superior cable, in this example, can improve the sound (in comparison to an inferior cable) by not introducing artifacts and shielding from interference. If any of your other components in the chain are inferior, then the cable will also not improve it. This leads up to the next most popular question. Do cables change the sound? Yes, since signal is passed through cable, it will have an impact on it. Different metals, purity, alloys, length, thickness, shielding or form of the cable itself (is it braided, is each wire isolated or anything else) will have an impact on the sound. The best cables offer superior build and shielding while having minimal impact on the sound.

Due to low-quality third-party replacement pads in the past, I never had the chance to try them to play with sound signatures. I know from following several audiophile forums that many have tried different ear pads in the past with varied success. The ultimate goal is to control the few elements that you can still control in the headphones. The two main elements users try to control are the angle of the pads and how they are sitting in correlation to the drivers, and different materials used for sound to pass through. While I only have limited experience with replacement ear pads, recently, I had a chance to spend a few weeks using Dekoni Audio Ear Pads, such as Elite Fenestrated Sheepskin for Focal Utopia, Elite Velour for HD800, & Choice Leather for Audece LCD-4. I found Dekoni pads to be very comfortable (in HD800 and Beyerdynamic’s case, more comfortable than OEMs), made out of quality materials and to have very good fit and finish. Dekoni’s Beyerdynamic replacement was actually easier to install than the OEM replacement (due to OEM have stiffer plastic lip that helps it stay attached to the ear cups and Dekoni utilizing silicone based lip). Dekoni also offers several types of pads, from velour, quality leather, to others (I was able to directly compare Elite Velour for HD800, to Elite Fenestrated Sheepskin for HD800, to Elite Sheepskin for HD800). After a few weeks, I was left with a feeling that they are an excellent aftermarket choice for OEM replacement and often offer materials that manufacturers do not, such as velour for Audeze or leather for HD800. Overall, I could not find anything wrong with these and in the future, Dekoni will likely be my choice for earpad replacements.

One of the most asked questions is this: which is better, headphones or speakers? I want to make it clear that headphones and speakers have very different functionality, and both have a place in your life, but they are almost never interchangeable. Main difference is that speakers create a sound environment in a room, and thus, there are elements that impact that sound, from room acoustics, to placement, to shape of the room, to sound isolation to name a few. Whereas headphones aim remove those variables and what you are hearing is the sound the manufacturer wants you to hear. They control the angle of the sound coming in your ear, isolation, shape of the cups, among other elements. I am lucky enough to have both, yet I use each in different situations. Headphones allow me to close my eyes and ‘float away’ with the music, while not disturbing anyone else, while speakers in the same caliber allow me to experience of ‘being there’.

(I adopted mine from Head-Fi’s extensive thread):

Warm - Spacious, often colored sound. Reminds me of a ray of sunshine on a cool day. Sounds “fun”.

Cool - Sound has elements of Hollowness and thinness and is cooler than neutral. Opposite of warm. This is where manufacturer has tried to make the headphone as neutral as possible but did not succeed.

Neutral - Sound is neither cool nor warm. Often sounds analytical and is not often fun; but mostly designed for monitoring and mixing.

Thin & Hollow - The sound is missing depth. Other elements often can create this issue, such as bad match between dac/amp/source (especially if other headphones sound better in the same environment)

Speed, Clarity & Resolution - how does a headphone perform on complex, layered, bass heavy passages. Are you still able to separate the instruments (I am not referring to clear separation, but just being able to identify them) or are they all sound as one.

Airy/Airness - Spacious and Open. Less fatigue on the ears.

Clamp Pressure: Each headphone has their own clamp pressure points. Some rely on overall heft (Susvara) or depth of the cups (LCD-4) to stay on the head, while others rely on clamp pressure (Utopia) to create solid contact. In this situation, each person will find what will be most comfortable for them, so my thoughts are very subjective.

Imaging/Pinpoint Imaging: The sense and an ability to identify voice or instrument is in a particular direction in the room.