Best Audiophile Headphones for Music and Gaming 2023

Mark Levinson is one of the most recognizable and trusted names in high-performance audio components. The 5909 Hi-Resolution Wireless Adaptive ANC Noise Cancelling Headphone is a prime example of the quality and attention to every single tiny detail you’d expect from such a prolific brand. 

If you’re not familiar with ANC, it stands for Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. This technology uses a combination of microphones and speakers to reduce background noise and other noises surrounding the listener. The result is an uncompromised listening experience without the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life going on around you. 

Did the phone just ring? The 5909 also has a built-in microphone with Smart Wind Adaption designed to block out the sounds of air passing over the microphone on your morning commute or a harsh wind blowing over the microphone on your walk through the city to work. 

The drivers in the 5909 are an expertly tuned 40 mm Beryllium Coated driver that are acoustically optimized to the HARMAN curve. The headphones themselves boast an acoustic response of up to 40kHz and are equipped with Bluetooth 5.1. There is also an Ambient Aware mode which allows the outside noise to come in so you can have a conversation with someone near you without having to remove the headphones. 

The 5909 has a premium leather headband over top of an anodized aluminum frame. There are replaceable ear cushions, and the ear cups themselves are painted with an automotive-grade metallic paint. The battery life is out of this world and will play for 30 hours with ANC enabled… that’s over a full day of listening to your favorite music and podcasts. Once the battery runs out, you can get a 6-hour play time charge in only 15 minutes. That’s quite a rundown of features for what we can confidently say is the best audiophile wireless headphones on the market. 

Included with the 5909 is a hard-shell carrying case, and assortment of cabling for audio and power, a handful of adapters and a microfiber polishing cloth. 

Pros: Massive Battery Life for long-term listening. Noise cancellation technology. 

Cons: The controls are very basic “on the cup” style.

Sennheiser is a name that’s been associated with top tier headphones for over 75 years. Their commitment to excellence in the audio industry is unparalleled. They are often considered to be the headphone manufacturer that all other headphones are measured against. The HD800S is no exception to the previous statement.

The HD800S weigh in at under three-quarters of a pound but these reference class open-back audiophile headphones pack the punch of heavyweight sound quality. The HD800S uses a high-performance transducer with phenomenal audio extensions and that’s just one element of the HD 800 S and its sound reproduction system.

After placing a pair of HD 800 S over your ears, it’s made abundantly clear that these headphones are built for comfort, which is exactly what you’ll need because it’s not easy to take these beauties off once the play button is pressed. They are ergonomically designed and sport an adjustable metal headband, microfiber ear and headband padding on key contact points alongside an inner damping element for maximum comfort.

Now, let’s have a talk about the electronics behind the HD 800 S. They have an incredibly low impedance of 300 ohms which allows for magnificent audio reproduction of the highest highs and the lowest lows. The acoustic absorber system prevents frequency masking for a completely unheard-of sound detail delivering a very natural and spatial listening experience. All of the attention to detail, both sonically and from a comfort perspective, make these our best sounding headphones.

Packaged with the HD 800S are two cables, 1/8” and 1/4” and a microfiber cleaning cloth for keeping them as pristine as they were the minute the box was opened. These headphones are perfect while out in the world or immersed in your own world in the comfort of your home.

Pros: Great headphones at a great price. Classic manufacturing.

Cons:No carrying case.

Focal headphones are a statement piece; they stand out visually just as much as they do audibly. And the Bathys are no exception. They are both fashionable and functional. Making the Bathys travel-friendly was a primary concern for Focal. They had a target weight of 350g, so components were designed and decided on specifically for that point. The Bathys are made with a Black/Silver aluminum and magnesium construction and have been designed to share the same aesthetics as their fellow Focal closed-ear headphones, like the Celestee or Stellia.

For the sound, they chose to invest in magnesium for the driver and then use aluminum mechanical construction. The Bathys are tuned to the Focal sound so the naturally are dynamic. They reproduce a nice full sound and when the bass hits it’s present but not too boomy. You can listen to them for hours at end without feeling ear fatigue. However, you don’t have to listen to them loud to enjoy them.

Technologically, the Bathys are Bluetooth 5.1 with multipoint (meaning it can connect to multiple devices so you can pick up a call from your phone and listen to music from your computer) and they’ve moved to some of the latest Bluetooth Codecs. The Bathys have the standard SBC connection (which is universal among Bluetooth headphones), AAC for iPhone connectivity, and AptX as well as AptX Adaptive for Android devices (with AptX Adaptive being capable of up to 24bit/96kHz sources). The Bathys have 8 microphones for their Active Noise Canceling and they can be used for phone calls or virtual meetings. There (4) mics per ear cup. (1) for Bluetooth. (1) for ANC and (2) set inside to monitor the output of headphones to reduce total harmonic distortion per ear cup.

The Bathys are an exceptional set of Bluetooth headphones and sound great wirelessly. But if you want to be extra, Focal created a DAC mode. Just connect the Bathys to your phone or computer via a USB-C cable, and you can listen to music up to 24bit/192kHz. Focal wanted to make sure they weren’t just making one of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market, but they wanted to make sure the Bathys didn’t disappoint if you went deep into listening to them.

Unless you’ve been hibernating for the last 40 years you know that Focal is an industry leader in high-end audio. Speaking of high-end audio, check out what we consider to be easily the best closed back audiophile headphones we’ve tested. With the Focal Stellia Over-Ear Headphones, the listener can now bring their classic home theater audio directly over their ears with a beautiful pair of headphones that weighs in at under 1 pound.

These everything-but-over-the-top stylish headphones have full grain leather ear cups with more than 1 inch of memory foam for total comfort. The matching head band secures the headphones to the listener's head and the Cognac finish solid aluminum yoke ergonomically contours to your face shape. But enough about how sensational these headphones look, let’s get down to the best part… the sound.

Behind the ear cup you’ll find a full-range 1 9/16” Beryllium dome speaker driver with a very low impedance of 35 Ohms. This makes the Stellia a no-brainer for use with a portable audiophile audio player on the go. Their frameless voice coil, combined with the properties of Beryllium, results in crystal clear reproduction of the tiniest details at both very high and very low frequencies.

The Stellia is packaged with a 4-foot unbalanced cable that fans out to (2) 1/8” stereo jacks which make it even more of a no-brainer for listening at home.

The carrying case that ships with the Stellia is small and lightweight and a perfect complement to these already perfect headphones.

Pros: Lightweight. Comfortable.

Cons: Wired only, no Bluetooth option. A hefty price tag for a colossal pair of headphones.

Focal’s Utopia headphones are not your best go-to headphones for portable use. These are designed for the listener who might want to sit down with their favorite record and enjoy the listening experience with no interruptions. Made in France and backed by over 40 years of sound passion and innovation, the Utopia headphone returns with a reworked design from their 2016 introduction. Additional improvements have been made to the overall sound quality to make a giant leap in quality to command the respect of the most serious audiophile.

The Utopia is loaded for bear with a set of full range speaker drivers with pure Beryllium “M”-shaped dome which are open at the back to offer near perfect duplication of the source material. The tireless engineering squad at Focal have also created a copper and aluminum voice coil for a revamped sound signature and incredible reliability and makes the Utopia the best high-end open back headphones.

After several hours of listening time these headphones will begin to “break-in” or open up. If you want to speed up the process of breaking the Utopias in, you can run very bass heavy music through them for 24 hours at a fairly loud volume. They need time to push and pull in order to stabilize the speaker drivers to get the absolute most out of the headphones.

The comfort of the Utopia headphones is not to be trifled with. The headband is made of genuine leather and the earpads are made from a perforated memory foam, and the ear pads are also leather bound – these things are soft and comfortable and weighing it at just a touch over 1 pound are designed for long haul listening without the listener fatigue of other headphones.

In the box you’ll find 2 cables, a 4-pin XLR cable and a TRS style connector as well as a quarter-inch adapter for connection to your Hi-Fi system at home. There is also a hard-back carrying case for safe and easy transport of the Utopias. An optional headphone stand is also available from Focal so you can display these at home like you would a piece of art, and that’s exactly what these headphones are.

Pros: Focal’s Flagship Pair of headphones. Attention to design and sound quality are unrivaled.

Cons: The high price point could deter some shoppers.

Have you just spent all morning getting ready for work and getting every single detail of your hair looking just perfect? Do you want to fire up some tunes on the commute in to work, but don’t want your time preening to go to waste by throwing a pair of over the ear headphones on? Sennheiser has a couple of options for in-ear headphones that sound, feel and perform just as great as a traditional set of headphones.

Introducing the IE 600 and IE 900 headphones. We’ll start off with chatting about the IE 600’s and then make our way up the mountain to the IE 900’s.

The IE600 Wired In-Ear Monitor Headphones are comprised of an Ultra-Resilient ZR01 amorphous metal housing and utilize two 7mm TrueResponse transducers. These transducers are assembled by Sennheiser and they are built for the long haul. The production of the amorphous metal housing is completed by both machine and manual steps in a plant in Germany. The result of the careful manufacturing is a pair of IE 600 headphones that will remain in near perfect condition year after year of use. The IE 600 headphones have a robust protection against corrosion and scuffs and dings from wear. These headphones are designed to keep delivering amazing sonic – and visual – joy for many, many years.

We’ve tried these out and not only do they sound incredible, but their comfort is off the charts. Included with the IE 600’s are two different styles of ear bud tips, both silicone and memory foam, and they are provided in three different styles to make a comfortable seal in the ear. The ear hooks themselves are flexible and have some adjustments to ensure long-lasting comfort. The IE600 is quite possibly the best audiophile in-ear headphones we’ve seen, and we have seen A LOT.

Included in the box with the IE 600’s are both a balanced and unbalanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm and 3.5mm connector, respectively. There is also a balanced para-aramid reinforced cable with a 4.4mm connector. Another nice touch by Sennheiser is a serial numbered carrying case and a presentation box with a signed customer certificate as well as user manuals.

Next, let’s look at the IE 900’s. The IE 900’s physical characteristics are that unlike the IE 600’s these are made of a precision-milled and anodized aluminum housing. A five-axis CNC machine precision cuts each housing individually out of a solid block of aluminum. Once the aluminum is anodized the housing of the IE900’s are super resistant to showing signs of wear and corrosion. On top of that, the drivers in every pair of IE 900’s sold are matched during the manufacturing process to eliminate variance, which provides a totally accurate soundstage.

A huge point of separation between the IE 600’s and the IE 900’s is that the IE 900’s utilize what is referred to as and Acoustic Back Volume. What is that, you’re asking? It’s a small chamber within a chamber that Sennheiser has tuned to separate the low frequency and the mid-range frequency. The back volume helps to achieve a clear and natural sound signature by controlling the direction of the overall volume as it flows through the transducer system. The result of this is a very consistent and disciplined bass and mid-range listening experience.

Comfortable? Comfortable. Included with the IE 900 headphones are silicone ear adapters as well as three different elastic ear adapter sets in three different sizes. The “what’s in the box” for the IE 900’s is almost exactly the same as the IE 600’s except for one BIG difference. There is a balanced 4.4mm (quarter-inch) cable included for a connection to a hi-fi system in the home. Why have the best headphones in your ears and not be able to utilize them in your home system? Yeah, Sennheiser thought of that too.

Pros: Carefully designed headphones priced for all audiences.

Cons: Wired headphones are looked down on in favor of Bluetooth.

Focal. The industry expert. The leader in clear sound… the most perfect sound. Ok. Enough about Focal the manufacturer and let’s talk about the Focal Clear MG Open-Back headphones.

Where do we start? Let’s start with the fact that the MG Open-Back headphones deliver just plain and simple the most outstanding sound performance using the most sophisticated design-led features. Those features? If you’ve made it this far, you know that Focal’s manufacturing process is unrivaled in the audio industry and these headphones are no exception. The MG open-back headphone drivers are composed of a unique magnesium cone, a material that enables sharp, precise impactful playback that results in the most impressive sound.

If you’re just entering the conversation and you want to talk about comfort, well the MG Open-back headphones are designed with a chestnut and mixed metal design, combined with the precision comfort of a leather headband and microfiber ear cushions. The yoke is made of a solid aluminum, that flawlessly wraps around the contour of the listener, and follows a smooth curve regardless of the head size of the user. The aesthetic mixed with the astounding comfort and superior sound quality is what makes the Clear MG the best high fidelity headphones we’ve found.

You know you’re dealing with a top-notch pair of headphones when the manufacturer lets you know that the headphones themselves require a break-in period in order to reach their maximum operational potential. This break-in period will stabilize the speaker drivers and allow the user to get the very best out of their purchase.

These ultra-stylish headphones are a sure-fire winner and should not be passed up when considering an open-back headphone purchase.

Pros: Weighing in at under 1 pound, these lightweight headphones provide super-heavyweight sound.

Cons: I honestly can’t find one.

The LCD-5 Audeze headphones are absolutely incredible. No questions asked, no bones about it. This is the cream of the crop of Audeze’s product line and worth every single penny invested in these built-to-last headphones.

Going far back in time to the LCD-2, Audeze knew they could up the ante on the design, the weight, the comfort and most importantly the sound quality delivered by the updated LCD-5. They’ve implemented a new earpad design that absolutely shatters the performance of previous build as relates to the midrange response. Audeze has also improves the structural design by incorporating magnesium, acetate and carbon-fiber into the build.

The drivers themselves in the Audeze LCD-5 are engineered with Audeze’s award-winning Fluxor magnets and updated Fazor waveguides along with their Parallel UniForce voice coils that showcase varying width partial traces to keep the impedance low (lower lows/higher highs) and provide increased headroom by carefully altering the current density within each and every trace. The result? Better diaphragm control and increased sonic resolution.

Everything above? Yeah, it’s packed into a pair of open-back headphones that weighs in at under 1 pound. Every single part of the LCD-5 has been reengineered from its predecessor to offer a lightweight and rigid set of headphones. These headphones were carefully made and manufactured in Audeze’s California workshop, and the result is a warm sunny day in the form of a majestic set of headphones. Just. Stunning.

The earpads on these highest quality headphones feature a newly sculpted, internally sloped architecture which cuts down on unwanted resonances and reflections. The ergonomic design keeps them seated perfectly in the optimal position for the best listening experience the LCD-5’s have to offer. There is very little surface contact then other over-the-ear designs which virtually eliminates fatigue and provides an amazing seal for all head and ear shapes and sizes.

So, like Brad Pitt said, “What’s in the box?”

Packaged with the LCD-5 headphones is a premium braided 2.5m - 4-pin XLR balanced cable. A 4-pin XLR to ¼” adapter. Aluminum travel case for easy and safe transport and a certificate of authenticity and warranty card.

This will be the last pair of headphones you will ever purchase, and you’ll be thrilled that you did.

Pros: Borderline magical craftsmanship. Dedication to improve upon a previous model.

Cons: The price is intimidating but an investment to last a lifetime.

There are two in-ear headphones in this guide, and this reviewer is having a hard time picking a clear winner. The ADVAR in-ear headphone is a very ancient looking and amazing sounding pair of headphones the pulls its aesthetic from Romanian Lore. Meze made it their mission when designing these headphones to capture the essence of the Romanian culture and pass it along for the owner to enjoy and celebrate. The result is a piece of equipment that is both visually and sonically impactful.

You may not have heard of Meze Audio but after this review, the Romanian manufacturer will be at the forefront of your mind, and reasonably so. Meze was founded in 2011 and forging a path through the industry by the way of their wonderful product line of audiophile in-ear and traditional headphones. Their entire product line focuses on a premium look, feel, and most importantly, perfectly replicated sound.

The ADVAR In-ear monitors feature a precisely tuned 10.2mm single dynamic driver which creates a warm, dynamic presentation that stays true to Meze’s signature sound. The diaphragm in the ADVAR in-ear headphones delivers mind-blowing control across the frequency range which leaves just enough room for a smooth and delightful sound.

Comfortable? Darn right they’re comfortable. Meze worked tirelessly to ensure the ADVAR is not only a ludicrously great sounding pair of headphones but also one of the most comfortable things you will put in your ears… and that’s saying a lot! The housing of the headphone rests lightly in the listeners ears and together with the over hooks, there is virtually no discomfort during the longest of listening sessions. The ear tips that are provided with the ADVAR were meticulously selected to perfectly fit in every ear size known to the world. The ADVAR is the best budget audiophile headphones that we’ve seen and we highly recommend them if you’re looking to keep the performance high and the cost low.

An additional upgrade package from Meze is available for a set of silver-plated custom cables, which in this reviewer’s point of view should not be passed up.

Pros: An absolutely beautiful aesthetic sure to bring on a feeling of jealousy from anyone sitting next to you.

Cons: Perhaps more attention was paid to the aesthetic than the sonic performance.

The Audeze LCD-X Creator Package headphones bring music studio quality headphones straight from the soundstage to a comfortable fit right over your ears. Designed with patented Audeze technologies including the Ultra-Thin Uniforce diaphragms, Fazor waveguides and powerful neodymium magnets are able to lasso a high efficiency operation with low impedance. What does all of that mean? It means that the LCD-X can reproduce and deliver amazing sound from any device with a standard headphone output.

The LCD-X can also be used with Audeze Reveal+ which creates an Aural Map based on special audio that is measured to the individual listers ears. A truly personal experience awaits with the addition of the Reveal+.

Used by music professionals all around the world, these headphones are built for long lasting comfort. The LCD-X features a suspension headband to allow for even weight distribution across the listers head as well as super-pillowy-highly-cushioned premium earpads for support. Weighing in at just over 1 pound, these headphones are designed so once you put them on you can work or listen into the wee hours of the morning without feeling the fatigue of a lesser headphone.

The Creator package includes a single ended quarter-inch to dual 4 pin mini-XLR cable and an LCD-X protective carrying case for the safe transportation of the headphones which makes these the best audiophile headphones for travel.

Pros: It’s what the pros use to make the music you’re listening to. Reveal+ makes the listening experience unique from person to person.

Cons: Intimidating for the casual listener with their studio feel and appearance.