Headphones with a Purpose: Best Headphones for All Your Audio Needs

I had an interesting conversation the other day with my friend Will (he's a professional sound engineer) about what I should look for in a set of headphones, and what he basically said was this: the better the sound, the more expensive the set. Ok, that may be a simplified version of his explanation, but it makes sense that the better the sound, the higher the cost. The necessary features, on the other hand, are up to the user. While there is no one perfect, Holy Grail of headphones out there, I decided to put together a list of headphones suitable for users with specific audio needs.

For Portable Music Players: Whenever I think of portable music players, two things come to mind: 1) great players, 2) crappy headphones. Seriously, the headphones most companies give out are worth five dollars, and even then it's a rip-off. The problem with most portable headsets is that although most are in-the-ear buds, they are uncomfortable and do a horrible job at producing sounds and canceling outside noise. The ones listed below, however, definitely get the job done (for a price, mind you).


1. Etymotic ER4: In-the-ear but not out-the-other, these headphones ensure that no unwanted sounds get into you ears and ruin your private experience. The set also does it all without needing any special microphone, feedback, or noise canceling whatcha-ma-call-its that aren't even that good.

2. Shure E500 PTH: These recently released in-the-ear headphones surprisingly have three drivers (two for bass and one for treble) and still only weigh one oz. Bu,t while the high-quality sound produced by the phones will defiantly cancel out all unwanted noise, the set also comes with a Push-To-Hear mechanism that allows your to hear outside without making you pull out the buds. Ingenious.

3. Westone UM2: The civilian model of what professional singers use at concerts, these headphones cancel ambient and outside noises--but not to the point where it secludes the listener from the outside world. Plus, UM56 allows for custom cones to be fitted on the buds, allowing unprecedented comfort.

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For the Audiophile: Music can be beautiful to hear. But when you play it in your $50 Aiwa boombox, you might as well play the CD on a record player. For those of you who enjoy warm sounds, deep lows and detailed highs, these headphones will not disappoint. The coolest things about these headphones: you can actually here the musicians playing their instruments, providing that soundstage feel that everybody loves when they hear music.

1. Sennheiser HD650: German-made, and perfected over time, Sennheiser is not one to disappoint. The company's quality control measures are extremely meticulous. For open headphones to have such wide frequency coverage, it seems mind-boggling to mandate a 1 dB accuracy. (For those of you who don't understand what I just said: basically these headphones make the music sound exactly like it was meant to be heard.)

2. The Grado Series: GS 1000: While the wood housing may seem like a step backward, those of you who know the acoustic properties of wood understand that humans have yet to manufacture a materiel that surpasses the range and depth wood provides. With a wide frequency range and an interesting design, these headphones won't disappoint.

3. Audio Technica ATHW5000: While the Germans defiantly have quality down, leave it to the Japanese to perfect soaring price points. These headphones are priced to the point of insanity and are really only available from the manufacturer in Japan. (Actually, there are other merchants out there who sell these, but you're going to have a hard time finding them.) These closed, mahogany wood headphones immerse the listener in whole different level of audio warmth. [product page (very limited US availability)]

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For the Techies: While warmth and feel is very important for a lot of people, sometimes you don't want the true sound to be disguised. These headphones provide a lot of detail, but won't sugarcoat the sounds. These headphones were made for the Joe Friday's of audio; the gusy who want "Just the facts".

1. AKG K1000: If there were ever headphones that knew no limitations, these were the ones. A 7-watt monster, you needed an amp outlet in order to provide enough power to listen to this set. Plus, it's not a closed headset, so people around you could hear your music, too. But, damn, these things are the closest things to putting amps on your ears. Too bad they were a limited edition set. If you're lucky, though, you might be able to find a lone merchant or private seller willing to part with the headphones. [product page (discontinued)]


2. Beyerdynamic DT 880: The semi-opened headphones have the most balanced and neutral sounds of all the DT series. While neutral may seem like a bad word, once again I mention that these headphones produce the detailed and true sounds.


3. Sony MDR-SA5000: True sound in a light-weight magnesium structure, these headphones will not warm or sugarcoat anything to make the music sound more pleasurable. Defiantly for those who want nothing but the purist and truest audio, these headphones were made for those who want to edit and mix sound at its rawest form.

By: jason lee