The hardest part of being an audiophile is having to find the best quality headphone that’ll suit your taste. It’s even harder when you’re low on cash and looking to find the best budget audiophile headphones.
Audiophile headphones offer a high-quality sound that brings euphoria to the ear of the listener. However, finding one that won’t blow your budget can be quite difficult.
In this article, we will review some of the best budget audiophile headphones that are almost the same quality as the high priced headphones.
Reviews of Best Budget Audiophile Headphones
1. Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Black
(4.3 / 5)
Best Budget Audiophile Headphones
Style: Open over-ear | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | In-Line Remote And Mic: No | Connector: 3.5mm & 6.3mm | Weight: 265g
The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X open over-ear headphones offer you a high-quality sound experience. With this, you can enjoy pleasant spatial effects, natural listening, and intense emotions.
With its soft ear cups and 3D Wings headband, it offers comfortable wearing even after several hours of use. Also, you can feel each note from your favorite hits as you let the rhythm of your playlist guide you.
Great listening quality awaits you with the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X headphones. This is all thanks to its 53 mm transducers and its aluminum voice coils.
In addition to great acoustic performance, this open circum-aural model offers optimal comfort. Take advantage of a 3D Wings headband with automatic adjustment and slow-recovery soft velour ear cups.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 5 30,000 Hz.
- Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 38 ohms.
PROS:
- Good sound stage.
- Superb comfort.
- Great value for money.
CONS:
- Muddled mids.
- Weak bass.
Why Recommend It:
It offers moderate bass for a balanced and rich sound. It is an excellent headphone that is very well equipped with good quality, and comfort while remaining light. This headphone does a great job and is one of the best audiophile headphones for gaming.
2. Sennheiser HD Hearing Aid Open Back HD 579
(4.6 / 5)
Best Portable Audiophile Headphones
Style: Open over-ear | Cable length: 3.0 m & 1.2m | Wireless: No | In-line remote and mic: No | Connector: 3.5mm & 6.3mm | Weight: 260g
Are you looking for headphones with high-quality sound? The Sennheiser HD 579 will meet your expectations with its open over-ear design.
You can then appreciate all the sensitivity of your favorite songs for hours, always in absolute comfort. This makes it one of the best audiophile headphones you can find anywhere.
The Sennheiser HD 579 headphones have a38 mm transducers with EAR (Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement). The latter channels the audio signal to send it directly to your ears. This gives you a natural, refined, and extremely pleasant sound.
It incorporates soft, detachable pads and a padded headband for comfortable wearing, even after several hours of use.
As a bonus, the HD 579 headset offers two removable cables (6.35 and 3.5 mm) as well as a 6.35 mm jack to 3.5 mm mini-jack adapter.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 15- 28,000 Hz.
- Sensitivity: 111 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 50 ohms.
PROS:
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Good Audio reproduction.
- Accurately placed timbre.
CONS:
- Leaks plenty of sounds by design.
- Weighty adapter.
Why Recommend It:
With this headphone, listening is not aggressive and can be done for a long time, without hearing fatigue. Also, it is good value for money.
3. Sennheiser HD 660 S – One-Size-One Single Open Headband Headphones
(4.7 / 5)
Style: Open over-ear | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | In-line remote and mic: No | Connector: 6.3mm 3.5mm adaptor | Weight: 260g
With a new transducer and aluminum voice coils, the Sennheiser HD 660 S headphones will give you optimal listening quality. Discover crisp bass, soft treble, and excellent midrange response to appreciate your favorite tunes.
This circum-aural model has an open design and is adorned with a sober and elegant design. This is followed by an anthracite and matt black finish.
Comfort is also part of the game thanks to the padded headband and replaceable ear pads.
This best budget audiophile headphone will perfectly fit the anatomy of the ear to guarantee you comfort after several hours.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 9 – 41,500Hz.
- Sensitivity: 140 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 150 ohms.
PROS:
- Unmatched sound quality.
- Perfect for any music genre.
- Great design.
CONS:
- Often tight on the head.
- Low sound isolation.
Why Recommend It:
The Sennheiser HD 660 S audiophile headphones will enhance your long listening sessions. Comfort, versatile connectivity and cutting-edge technology are the assets of this sublime audiophile headset.
4. Sennheiser HD 650 Professional Open Headphones
(4.7 / 5)
Best Audiophile Headphones For Gaming
Style: Open over-ear | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | In-line remote and mic: No | Connector: 6.3mm | Weight: 260g
Enjoy your music in all its splendor with the HD 650 over-ear headphones. This open model incorporates exclusive Sennheiser EAR technology to make the most of your sound system’s performance.
Very comfortable, it will become your partner of choice during your music-loving moments. Take advantage of its open over-ear design to experience deep, crisp bass and pleasant sound experience. Here’s some interesting info about the Sennheiser HD 650
With an attractive and modern design, the HD 650 audiophile headphone offers a removable 3m cable with a 6.35mm jack plug. Despite its amazing qualities, the headphone still makes it to our list of the best budget audiophile headphones.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 10 – 41000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 300 ohms.
PROS:
- Comprehensive musical sound.
- Comfortable design.
- Durable form.
CONS:
- Poor noise isolation.
- No storage case.
Why Recommend It:
This headphone is one of the best budget headphones as it offers a unique blend of sound and comfort. So if you need a quality audiophile that won’t blow your budget, this headphone is a great choice
5. DT-770-PRO-32 dynamic Beyerdynamic earphone
(4.6 / 5)
Best Audiophile Headphones For Bass
Style: closed headphones | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | in-line remote and mic: No | Connector: 6.35mm| Weight: 265g
It’s hard not to fall in love with the DT-770-PRO-32 dynamic Beyerdynamic earphone. It has an exceptional classic look, an obvious acoustic performance, and tailor-made comfort.
This best budget audiophile headphone has all the assets to become a daily musical companion of choice. This headphone allows you to enjoy your favorite artists at home from your Hi-Fi equipment.
The DT-770-PRO-32 headphone shines with both its natural elegance and its comfort of use. This headphone is a real wonder for the eyes.
For their part, the pads are designed to be gently placed on your ears to offer you an enveloping sound. This is possible thanks to the use of memory foam wrapped in synthetic leather.
These high fidelity headphones are displayed with a wonderful design, made of subtle details and carefully selected materials. It will cause a sensation at each of its appearances.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 5–35,000Hz.
- Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 32 ohms.
PROS:
- Replaceable parts (except the cable).
- Superb build quality.
- Great for studio engineers.
CONS:
- Low and recessed mids.
- Too much treble.
Why Recommend It:
The DT-770-PRO-32 will accompany you on each of your trips or studio sessions to bring you your dose of good sound every day. Its superb build and sound quality make it a great option for you.
6. Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO – Studio Monitor Headband Headphones
(4.6 / 5)
Best Audiophile Headphones Under 200
Style: open dynamic headphones | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | In-line remote and mic: No | Connector: 6.35mm| Weight: 250g
You can experience intense moments in music with the DT 990 PRO headphones from Beyerdynamic. This open over-ear model will offer you a high-quality sound experience.
Its high-quality sound is due to its dynamic transducers and a comfortable premium design. Once you get a feel of the Beyerdynamic know-how in all its splendor, there’ll be no turning back.
This headphone includes a Varimotion two-layer diaphragm for better performance at low frequencies. It also offers you a greater range at high frequencies.
Its premium design will offer you ideal everyday comfort. You will surely appreciate its circumaural design which will completely envelop your ear.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 5 – 35.000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 250 ohms.
PROS:
- Well-detailed mids and highs.
- Great value for the price.
- Airy and open sound.
CONS:
- Bad for noisy environments.
- Low and recessed mids.
Why Recommend It:
This High-quality Hi-Fi headphones model will offer you a high-flying sound experience. The price is very attractive which qualifies it as one of the best budget audiophile headphones. Its combination of sound and comfort makes it difficult to ignore.
7. Sennheiser HD 598 Cs closed headphones
(4.6 / 5)
Style: closed headphones | Cable length: 3.0 m | Wireless: No | In-line remote and mic: remote | Connector: 6.35mm| Weight: 250g
The HD 598 headphone is the delight of all music lovers who cannot do without their favorite playlists every day! Designed for nomadic life, these over-ear headphones are both light and compact
This makes the headphones easier to use and transport. Once placed on your ears, it delivers Sennheiser quality sound, providing access to an exciting listening experience.
It is perfect for listening to your music from a smartphone, tablet, or MP3 player thanks to its 3.5 mm jack plug. With a closed design, it has a circumaural coupling with powerful bass and perfectly balanced midrange and treble.
Its design isolates you from ambient noise for maximum musical intensity and dynamism.
Key Features:
- Frequency Response: 10 – 28,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 115 dB/mW.
- Impedance: 23 ohms.
PROS:
- Great value for the price.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Nice build and design.
CONS:
- Low noise isolation.
- Limited bass.
Why Recommend It:
For a closed audiophile headphone, the HD 598 offers a great value for its price. It produces a high-quality sound that will blow your mind away. Its design offers complete comfort, allowing you to use it for long hours.
Buying Guide of Budget Audiophile Headphones
What is an audiophile headphone?
Audiophile headphones are high fidelity headphones made to measure from the highest quality components. These are truly luxurious audio devices that reproduce sound signals as precisely as possible.
They come in two types, the closed and the open-air headphone. Audiophile headphones are made with high-quality materials such as aluminum and titanium. Also, they are made using only the latest technology.
These products are intended for those who understand music and prefer quality above all. Of course, these top-quality headphones are expensive, because each component is of high quality.
Why buy audiophile headphones?
If you are a great lover of music and sound, you’ll agree that getting an audiophile headphone is worth it.
However, there are few other reasons you consider getting the best budget audiophile headphone.
- Offering high-quality sound, saving you the stress of greeting high-end HiFi systems.
- Often coming with the ability to drown out the noise from the environment.
- Allow you to hear barely audible treble spikes and bass roll-offs.
Things to consider when buying audiophile headphones
Of course, great sound is what you are expected to consider when choosing a cheap audiophile headphone. However, there are other factors you need to consider when looking for a suitable audiophile headphone.
The best Audiophile headphones in general offer good sounds. However, if they are unable to meet certain criteria, it’s probably worth choosing something that does.
Brand
Choosing an audiophile headphone from a well-known brand is a great step for choosing the right audiophile headphones. Popular brands are often known for their height quality products and choosing a brand that offers good quality is advisable.
Design
When it comes to design, there is something for everyone. From the most classic to the most extravagant, there will always be one that will suit your taste.
Many headphones for audiophiles can be personalized, by changing the colors of the headset or the coverings. Some parts can be replaced, in particular, the capsule pads in the event of wear.
Material
Audiophile headsets are known to be made from high-quality materials. Modern audiophile headphones are generally highly engineered.
These headphones are mass-produced and made with sophisticated silicone, vinyl, rubber, artificial leather, textiles, plastics, and foam materials.
When choosing an audiophile headphone, you have to keep an eye out for the quality of the material used to produce it.
Comfort
The comfort you experience when using budget audiophile headphones plays a huge role to determine how good it is for you. You do not want to find yourself using an uncomfortable headphone.
Good audiophile headphones are comfortable enough to let you use it for several long hours.
Sound quality
There are certain criteria to look at in terms of sound quality.
- Noise reduction
If your choice is for closed headphones, be aware that reducing ambient noise is said to be “passive”. However, some models also have a microphone that picks up ambient sounds.
These same models come with a chip processor and cancel this noise. It is an “active” noise reduction system.
- The frequency response
The human ear can hear sounds on a scale from 20 Hz (bass) to 20 kHz (treble). The values are given for audiophile headphones often go much further.
In reality, these are the frequencies that headphones are capable of delivering. Headphones for audiophiles often exceed these frequencies and guarantee a better sound rendering.
- The sensibility
Expressed in dB (decibels) for a 1 milliwatt of power, it indicates the performance of the headphone. This value is to be related to the impedance.
If you choose a model dedicated to a Hi-Fi system, the sensitivity can be less than 90 dB. If you are using a smartphone, the sensitivity should be high with a value going beyond.
- Impedance
Expressed in ohm, the impedance must remain low so as not to reduce the autonomy and deliver a sufficient sound volume.
Generally, high impedances are found on audiophile headphones that plug into a living room deck. High impedance is a guarantee of quality sound.
- Harmonic distortion
A very important element in judging the sound quality of an audiophile headphone is its harmonic distortion.
This rate, which must be closest to 0, indicates the difference in sound reproduction between the headphone input and its output.
Budget
The price of an audiophile headphone is one of the biggest barriers between music lovers and good sound. Some of the best audiophile headphones often come at very expensive prices.
However, several great budget audiophile headphones still offer great quality. Some of the budget-friendly headphones offer up 95% of the same quality with $1000 products.
Parameters/Specs
When it comes to parameters and specs, these are the average spec requirements for audiophile headphones
Open over-ear or closed headphones
Activities: monitoring, Hi-Fi
transducers with Varimotion technology
Self-adjusting headband
Interchangeable pads
a cable of 3 m mini-XLR / 3.5 mm/6.35mm jack
6.35 mm/3.5 mm Jack adapter
Weight : 240g -265g
Accessories
Some audiophile headphones come with accessories while others don’t. However, one accessory to look out for is a storage case.
When you’re not using your headphone, it is better to place it in a storage case. This will prevent it from dust particles and accidental damages.
Open back or closed back
In the case of audiophile headphones, the level of sound insulation of the capsules must be taken into account. If the headphone is closed, it is completely isolated from the outside.
In this case, the reduction of ambient noise is said to be passive and often effective. If the headset has gills or small grids on the outside of its earcups, then it is semi-open or open.
The ambient sounds are noticeable in open-back audiophile headphones. This is important in terms of security if you want to listen to music on the street or cycling.
Wireless or wired
When choosing an audiophile headphone, you need to consider if you want a wireless or wired headphone. Some audiophile headphone lovers prefer wired headphones as they do not have to worry about the battery.
Small cables are suitable for athletes, long cables are for music lovers. The cable must be thick enough to last over time. Models with a synthetic fabric sheath last longer because the thread gets tangled less. There are also models with spiral cables.
Frequently asked questions
1. Are audiophile headphones worth it?
If you’re an audiophile who loves great sound, then you wouldn’t mind spending some cash on these headphones. Once you finally get to experience the sound quality of these headphones, you’ll see that they’re worth it.
2. Are budget-friendly audiophile headphones as good as the expensive ones?
When it comes to sound quality, comfort, and design, they are both evenly matched. However, some audiophiles prefer to stick to more popular brands which are often expensive
3. How long do audiophile headphones last?
As mentioned earlier, these headphones are made from durable and top quality materials. A good audiophile headphone should last for up to 10 years without any serious faults.
4. Are audiophile headphones bad for the brain?
In general, excessive use of headphones can cause damage to certain parts of the brain as well as the eardrums. We can boldly say that audiophile headphones cause minimal injury to your eardrums or brain.
However, we advise that you try not to raise the volume of the headphone above 6 decibels. Doing this can cause real damage to your brain and eardrum.
Conclusion
As we have seen in the review, the best budget Audiophile headphones are one way to get a fuller experience with less cost. Many audiophiles believe that these headphones have to be expensive if they’re going to possess great qualities.
However, no matter how much you spend on audiophile headphones, these low budget headphones will evenly match their qualities. An example is the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Black.
The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X audiophile headphone offers some of the best qualities in our review, making it our top choice. So would you rather blow your budget on expensive headphones when you can get the same quality at a lower price????
Now you know what to look for when choosing an audiophile headphone that won’t blow your budget. So what are you waiting for, order one today and experience sound from a whole new perspective?
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