Headphone Reviews

Sort By: Post DateTitle Publish Date
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Review: Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 17, 2019  |  0 comments
While researching noise-cancelling headphones, I kept reading comparison after comparison with the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. Needless to say, I had to try out the Sony headphones on a trip and see for myself. Were they as good as other reviewers made them out to be? Will they become my new favorites? Here’s a hint: the hype is real.

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Hands On: Jabra Elite 85h Wireless ANC Headphones
Leslie Shapiro  |  May 20, 2019  |  0 comments
I’ve got an insanely long airplane trip coming up and, no surprise, my very first thought was, which noise-canceling headphones should I bring for the flight? Great news for me; Jabra just released the Elite 85h. Besides having a sound that competes with the best ANC headphones out there, they’re the only ones with enough battery life to last for my entire journey. Let’s see if they sound good enough to stay on my packing list.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
True Wireless Earbuds: AirPods and Alternatives
Stewart Wolpin  |  Apr 10, 2019  |  2 comments
You may be excused if you thought that Apple's AirPods are the first and only so-called "true wireless" earphones—completely cordless in-ear "buds" that connect both with each other and to your smartphone via Bluetooth—since their distinctive white sticks seem to be protruding from hipster ears everywhere.

Fortunately, if you're not an iPhone owner, or a fan of the AirPods' distinctive look or not-necessarily one-size-fits-all fit, there is a growing number of other "true wireless" earbud choices. And in contrast with Apple's one-for-all approach, most AirPod alternatives address specific use cases, style preferences, and budgets.

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Review: Jaybird's Athlete-Inspired Tarah Pro Bluetooth Headphones
Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 10, 2018  |  0 comments
Go big or stay home is my version of that common saying. If you’re going to go for a hike, make it epic. If it’s a run, make it a marathon. Bike ride? Better be a century. Ultra is in and you need gear that’s up for the challenge. If your legs can take a 14-hour run, why can’t your headphones?

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Sennheiser HD 569 Headphones Review
Steve Guttenberg  |  Nov 27, 2018  |  3 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $149

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Lightweight yet rugged design
Smooth overall sound balance
Two-year warranty
Minus
Isolation from external noise could be better

THE VERDICT
Audiophiles on a budget need look no further than Sennheiser’s HD 569 headphones.

My long-running fascination with Sennheiser headphones dates back to the first ones that I bought in 1972: the HD 414 with canary yellow ear pads. I can’t remember how or why they vanished from my collection decades back, so I recently bought an ancient pair of HD 414s on eBay, and the sound was even better than I remembered. I still have the company’s HD 580, which I bought in 1994—another model I keep coming back to. Listening to the company’s relatively new HD 569, I have the feeling they’ll still be cherished by their owners decades from now. They’re that good.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Campfire Audio Cascade Headphones
Steve Guttenberg  |  Oct 23, 2018  |  1 comments
Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $799

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Stunning design with consummate build quality
Pleasurable sound balance
Plush ear pads
Minus
Sound balance may be too rich for some tastes

THE VERDICT
Campfire Audio’s Cascade is a class act, with distinctive good looks and a sweet, easy sound.

Even before I start listening to headphones, their look and feel on my head can have an influence on my first impressions of the sound. On that score, Campfire Audio’s Cascade headphones really had my hopes up. The satin black machined aluminum earcups felt like they could survive a close encounter with a city bus and escape unscathed. The plush, real lambskin-covered earpads promised good times ahead. Yesiree, the Cascade makes a mighty fine first impression. What about the sound, you ask?

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Decibullz Custom-Molded High-Fidelity Earplugs Can Protect Your Hearing
Leslie Shapiro  |  Aug 20, 2018  |  0 comments
Next time you’re at a concert, look around. Want to know how to spot the audiophiles? They’re the ones with cotton balls and Kleenex sticking out of their ears. Anyone concerned with protecting their hearing knows how dangerous loud concerts and even movie theaters can be. Usually, the only options were earplugs that blocked frequencies unevenly, making it hard to understand lyrics and dialogue. Want to be a cool audiophile? Check out Decibullz Professional Filters, Earplugs, and Earphones.

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Cleer Edge Pulse Earphone Gives Your Workout an Edge
Leslie Shapiro  |  Aug 06, 2018  |  0 comments
While everyone and their sister is coming out with wireless earphones (thank you, Apple), clearly there’s a need for companies to give themselves an edge in a very crowded marketplace. The new Edge Pulse earphone from Cleer clearly has an edge over the competition.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Etymotic ER3 Extended Response Headphones Review
Steve Guttenberg  |  Jun 26, 2018  |  0 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $179

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Accurate sound, with a gentle bass bump
Best-in-class noise isolation
Two-year replacement warranty
Minus
Requires deep ear tip insertion

THE VERDICT
The Etymotic ER3XR delivers accurate, transparent sound at a very affordable price.

Have you noticed that most headphones, including plenty of models with audiophile aspirations, have pumped-up bass and highs? That intentionally less-than-accurate sound is likely due to their designers knowing that most people enjoy boosted bass and the extra “detail” of tipped-up treble. Etymotic is a company that doesn’t play by those rules, and its new ER3 Extended Response (ER3XR) is just the ticket for anyone who craves accurate sound from in-ear headphones.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Focal Clear Headphones Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 21, 2018  |  0 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $1,499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Aluminum/magnesium diaphragms
Impeccable construction
Balanced presentation
Minus
Less than spacious imaging

THE VERDICT
Focal’s Clear headphones are admirably well-balanced performers with irreproachable build quality and a gorgeous look.

Is $1,499 a lot to pay for headphones? Well, how much is a lot? Only you can make the definitive decision about what is a good buy and what would be an undue burden on your checking account. Here’s how Focal thought through the problem. This formidable loudspeaker manufacturer gave its emergent headphone line its best shot in the Focal Utopia, a four-thousand-dollar product that we hailed with a five-star review. Its latest offering, the Focal Clear, borrows technology developed for the Utopia and cuts the price by more than half.

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Beem United BeActiv E300: Active, Affordable Earphone
Leslie Shapiro  |  May 21, 2018  |  0 comments
Beem United is back with a wireless Bluetooth earphone that survives a massive workout on a single charge, while remaining comfortable and secure. For the price, it’s a decent option to grab on your way to the gym or your own pain cave home gym.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
HiFiMan Sundara Headphones
Steve Guttenberg  |  May 15, 2018  |  0 comments

Performance
Features
Comfort
Value
PRICE $499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Eighty percent thinner diaphragm
New HiFiMan aesthetic
Improved comfort
Minus
Can’t hush external noise

THE VERDICT
HiFiMan ups its game with Sundara’s new headband design that makes for a more comfortable fit and a new diaphragm that improves sound quality.

HiFiMan rocked my world back in 2009 with its revelatory HE-5 headphones. These were the first planar magnetic headphones I’d ever heard, and the sound was so clear and sweet, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way about HiFiMan’s latest planar, the Sundara.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Headphones
Steve Guttenberg  |  May 09, 2018  |  0 comments
Performance
Features
Comfort
Value
PRICE $1,199

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid machined wood earcups
Rich sound balance
Bio Dynamic drivers
Minus
So-so comfort over long sessions

THE VERDICT
At last, with the Heritage HP-3 there’s finally a Klipsch headphone founder Paul W. Klipsch would be proud of.

The Heritage HP-3 is a clean break from all of Klipsch’s previous full-sized headphones. Although Klipsch’s previous headphones were decent, I never felt they put the same passion into their headphones as their speakers. Maybe that’s why the HP-3 feels like a new beginning. Klipsch is finally going up against the big boys in the high-end audio headphone biz.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Focal Listen Headphones Review
Steve Guttenberg  |  Mar 28, 2018  |  0 comments
Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $249

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent isolation from external noise
Lightweight yet rugged design
Plentiful, but not overdone bass
Minus
Can sound too bright with harsh or overcompressed recordings

THE VERDICT
The Focal Listen delivers lots of detail and vitality, and the bass is to die for.

Focal is best known as France’s leading speaker manufacturer, but in 2016 they turned a corner and entered the fiercely competitive high-end headphone market with two extraordinary ’phones, the Elear and the deliriously great Utopia.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Grado Labs PS2000e Headphones
Steve Guttenberg  |  Mar 14, 2018  |  0 comments
Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $2,695

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Designed and handcrafted in Brooklyn
Best-ever sounding Grado
Freewheeling dynamics
Minus
The non-removable and not very flexible cable

THE VERDICT
The Grado Labs PS2000e takes the classic Grado sound to new heights, but it won’t please everyone.

Grado headphones all have a sound, and they sound like Grados. They’re some of the most viscerally dynamic and lively headphones I’ve heard, and they’re so open and spacious, you never feel like the sound is confined to the space between your ears. The new flagship, the PS2000e, takes the Grado sound to new heights.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X