Best Headphones

By budget ยท updated Oct 2026

Best headphones for music money no object

7 headphones, ranked by how many real people recommend them (owners counted separately): 272 people across this tier. Bars are scaled to the most-recommended headphone on the whole site, so a short bar here means a short bar everywhere.

Sennheiser HD 800 S tops this budget with 71 people recommending it; it sits at #10 of 31 on the whole site. The cheapest pair here is the HIFIMAN Arya at $599. In plain words: a headphone lands in this tier by its typical price when we checked, and the order is how many real people recommend it in public threads and comments, with owners counted separately. A high count means it is talked about and liked, not that a lab measured it. Each row lists what owners love and what they complain about, so read those before the price decides for you.

#HeadphonePeople who recommend itPrice
1
Sennheiser HD 800 S
open-back wiredClassicalHuge spaceNeeds amp
71recommend
71 owners ยท 675 mentions
$2000Buy
2
Sennheiser HD 660S2
open-back wiredWarmVocalsUpgrade
60recommend
90 owners ยท 688 mentions
$680Buy
3
HIFIMAN Arya
open-back planar wiredPlanar end-gameSpace
53recommend
68 owners ยท 689 mentions
$599Buy
4
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO
open-back wiredDetailTwo pad setsNeeds amp
38recommend
51 owners ยท 470 mentions
$700Buy
5
Focal Clear MG
open-back wiredDetailPunchNeeds amp
22recommend
30 owners ยท 255 mentions
$1499Buy
6
Focal Utopia
open-back wiredDetail-firstNeeds amp
15recommend
16 owners ยท 181 mentions
$4999Buy
7
HIFIMAN HE1000
open-back planar wiredAiryScaleNeeds amp
13recommend
17 owners ยท 190 mentions
$1399Buy

Other budgets

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