Best Headphones in 2021 - Our favorite products this year

[@collinlewis8331]

I love these end-of-the-year round-ups

[@JTB--]

You always forget to do the category of best Headphone to wear in the shower 🚿

[@hartyewh1]

I nominate the Hi-X55 as surely it would die during the shampooing at the latest.

[@blueridge8992]

Headphones in the shower is so 2020. Kohler Moxie shower head speaker is where it’s at now.

[@samidanger3666]

Susvara 👌🥂

[@666dreamboat]

Can I use a toaster for a headphone and can I have a bath?

[@hartyewh1]

@@666dreamboat Well that would really be endgame now wouldn't it.

[@jslbrt]

Whoever came up with "food stamps Joshua Valour" is a genius

[@DarkPa1adin]

I don't get the joke.

[@metal571]

Ayy the whole team is here

[@robertpomfret561]

What do you personally think about the Monarch Mk2? Would really appreciate it if you could briefly talk about your thoughts. Thank you and Merry Christmas guys!

[@metal571]

Haven't heard it and probably won't get a chance for quite a long time. I have been looking at the M9 and SA6 to be the office headphone replacement for the Mobius when I'm just listening to music though

[@ranjanthomas5982]

Metal, why don’t you like the LCD-5? Thanks!

[@metal571]

@@ranjanthomas5982 Not sure I understand the question since if you heard about that then I assume you've seen the stream with Andrew where I also explained why

[@ranjanthomas5982]

Sorry , didn’t know about the livestream, I’ll check it out, thanks!

[@samcate7997]

I'm very happy to see Philphone getting a shoutout. Would love to see more video and written reviews about it.

[@nmnate]

Resolve, don't write yourself off as a budget Valour. You do an excellent job succinctly describing what you hear and conveying those details well. Not everything has to be about impressive b-roll footage. I come here first ;)

[@JumboRelic]

LCD-X headphones are my go to cans. I 100% agree.

[@tyler7356]

Just picked some up a few weeks ago, After having some time to listen to some music I've had a hard time putting them down!

[@tomdavis6371]

I agree. I've had my LCD-X for two months and I love them. I own the LCD-2 as well, another fabulous headphone, but the "X" is the new daily driver for me; the best sounding pair I own and likely my endgame headphone. I'm afraid my pockets aren't deep enough to keep on reaching higher and higher up the ladder for further small gains. I recently purchased a Burson Composer 3 Performance and am quite satisfied with my current set-up.

[@nmnate]

Super happy with my LCD-X I bought earlier in the year. Happy enough that my small headphone collection might stay at its current size for a while. That's saying a lot :)

[@GadZookz]

🎄 Merry Christmas Resolve! Thanks for a great year of outstanding reviews.

[@mkeysermann]

Nice picks! Was just surprised that none of the Hifiman headphones made it into any selection.

[@Andyhandle]

There's the Hifiman Ananda listed as a top pick (16m10s). I haven't tried the hifimans but heard excellent things on some of the models in particular.

[@alanpillow6679]

Food stamps Joshua Valour. Lol! You're very different content creators, I love what you do. Thumbs up

[@Starsunder81]

"Food stamps Joshua Valour " had me fucking dying lmao. too good

[@cristi724]

Any idea why Focal discontinued the Clear and Elegia? It's not common for big brands to drop successful products.

[@atravelingboy7995]

To increase profit margin through small cosmetic changes?

[@cristi724]

@@atravelingboy7995 I get where you're coming from, but unfortunately it's not just a cosmetic change.

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

The Focal Clear has not gone away: it is superseded by the Clear MG with relatively minor technical changes. New magnesium alloy driver.

[@CaremoDouasm]

Please get Chrono to work on his enounciation: AC560s = HD560s. Manetic = Magnetic lassie = lastly etc

[@321Yum]

That title made me rewind twice. I trust your opinion over his any day.

[@lth_lch]

"Food stamps Joshua Valour" LMAO

[@deshan79]

I'm still going with a young Louis CK

[@DarkPa1adin]

What's the joke? Please enlighten me

[@deshan79]

@@DarkPa1adin he's been mistaken for Joshua Valour a few times...who is another headphone reviewer.

[@DarkPa1adin]

@@deshan79 I see lol. They look like they have the same size. Plus facial hair makes it complicated

[@jayarmstrong]

Agreed on the Qudelix. It's impressive!!

[@Stuart-85]

I have run a pair of Beoplays B&O H6 since 2014, my pads are now finished. Before that, I used a pair of Sennheiser HD600 which I liked very much. I primarily use headphones through my laptop with an iFi Zen Dac. As a mature student with a young family, there is only so much money. I was wondering if you could direct me to an affordable headphone to add to my list. My budget is €350,00 I want pads that are easily accessible and relatively easy to drive, but still benefit from a headphone amp. Preferably headphones with a balance cable. I like the bass to be tight and detailed with no interference to the mids or treble. Thanks

[@disco4535]

I've been comparing the 560s and the 600 the past week. I agree that the sound stage is significantly more spacious, and does actually have better bass extension. But I disagree with it having better imaging. To me the 600 has better instrument separation, even without having the sound stage. I think it being quite a bit more resolving helps with the separation.

[@namtooh50]

any chance you could review the hifiman edition xs? been getting great reviews online,wanted to see what your opinion is. thanks!

[@herry1276]

Great choices, guys! Haven't heard the LCD-5. But LCD-X 2021 is truly a great high-end deal. Much better than the more expensive Hifiman HE1000se in key important factors for me, especially dynamics and heft. I don't get why an American made product can have much better build quality at much cheaper price. Sennheiser 6X0 series is truly a legend, and at times I find underestimated by many. With the correct upstream gears, it could be the only headphone one needs, for many.

[@herry1276]

@Audio Imperfect Which Audeze are you referring to? If it is the old LCD-X, then it has improved not only in timbre, but overall technicalities and tonalities. But it is still Audeze sound, with some relaxed and non-forward upper mids (though not as much as older models). I think it is simply beautiful sounding. There is subjective part in audio, where taste comes into play. Best if you audition first. .

[@herry1276]

@Audio Imperfect Sorry mate, I have zero experience with iem. I was talking only in context of headphones. Good luck with the Euclid.

[@kazater]

Just got a set of 560s's only listened to them briefly through a phone, but even used like that they sounded great! I'm waiting for my dac to get to hear them really shine. 👍

[@mewyattt]

At 14:50 what headphone is he talking about, anybody know? It looks like an Audio Technica.

[@Shadxw6]

yeah I think it's an r70x or something

[@CptMark]

Headphone of the year is the one, unfortunately, most of the reviewers have sleeped on: Austrian Audio Hi-X65. Imagine Focal level technicalities, Hifiman tuning, Beyerdynamic robustness and Sennheiser QC for the price of 349 EUR. A game changing model, the one that beats anything under 1000 EUR.

[@jhuckabey1976]

IF you *had* to go closed-back, do you think the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 get a nod? Or is there another you'd rec for the price? thanks!

[@CptMark]

@@jhuckabey1976 Unfortunately, X55 tuning is... problematic. My reasonably priced recommendation for closed back would be Fostex T40RPmk3.

[@bluemonstrosity259]

Focal Utopia or Focal Celestee?

[@CptMark]

@@bluemonstrosity259 Utopia

[@Dillivery]

LCD-X 2021 or Hifiman Arya?

[@FlyWithMe_666]

Nokia HDC-5 (2001) should be on the list.

[@CptMark]

Regarding Harman tuned closed backs, I would mention Shure SRH440. Same good (tuning) and bad (build, comfort, technicalities) as K371 but under $100.

[@miks_w8945]

How would you describe the sound of the Shure compared to the K371?

[@CptMark]

@@miks_w8945 Similar tuning, slightly worse tech.

[@sedraniM]

Would you say that the AKG K371 is better than the K361. Its the first time i hear of this newer model

[@MrAyrit]

Might be a weird place to do it, but I’d be curios to know about Utopia pads on those and what that does to the FR.

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Sennheiser HD560s defined as both trebly AND bassy (is this a V FR curve?)

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Bass extension is different from bass level. High bass level would be bassy or v shaped. Good bass extension means it just goes farther down into the sub bass. The 560 s is the latter, not v shaped.

[@LordVictorHalgaard]

Very curious to hear the new LCD-X at some point… because with how bad the resolution on the original appeared, I’m curious how they managed to fix that.

[@tyler7356]

Ive never owned the previous version, but I can say that the LCD-X 2021 is pretty well tuned out of the box and doesn't need much EQ to open it up. They worked some magic.

[@AvatarSampai]

He400se?

[@Legato-2057]

Can we get a list of all the headphones/items?

[@ResolveReviews]

It's in the buying guides for the most part.

[@ralphsantos6251]

Would be nice to hear which closed-backs you guys liked best as well (besides the AKG371). Have you tried the DT177X?

[@drewbrown5447]

DIdn't know this channel was a thing. So glad I found it! Awesome!! missed out on a chance to win though. Its been open and waiting to play for 2 days now too haha, damn! I'm subscribed now!

[@jb678901]

My favorite pics for audio this year that were purchased: Tin T3+ (US$65) KZ AZ09Pro ($25, discounted) + QDC to 2-pin adapter ($12) so that I can pair the T3+'s CCA CRA ($9.99) Soundcore Q30 ($70) EarFun Free Pro 2 ($45, discounted) + Oluv tuning Fiio BTR5k ($105, discounted) CS43131 DAC dongle (32 bit/ 384Khz) with removeable C-type cable ($26) Abigail DAC dongle (32/384) CX31993 ($14) Oehlback Pureclock (USB jitter cleaner) ($36) ...and yes, I refuse to pay ridiculous money for very good sounding gear. Happy New Year!

[@linolingelbach2214]

where do you buy the cra for 10 bucks?

[@jb678901]

@@linolingelbach2214 Aliexpress; discounted for a day deal.

[@DylanChau]

19:52 "Food stamps Joshua Valour" 🤣

[@rafadutkiewicz6996]

Hi, I have a koss porta pro and I am wondering what to buy, which will have similar characteristics, but there will be a significant leap in sound quality. I bought DT770 recently but it's not the same and sometimes I come back to KOSS but I would like to hear more :). The headphones may be around-the-ear or of a different construction. There can be something similar, comfortable, relaxing, but with a more hi end sound. Do you have any suggestions?

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

How about AKG K371?

[@birigu]

Was literally searching for this video yesterday and yeet

[@Andyhandle]

Great reviews and ideas of things to consider. As well as the buying guide. Any idea how ten audeze LCD X compares to the LCD 2 classic? I've got the LCD2 classics, they sound good, but I feel like they're lacking some excitement, staging and detail (compared to my shure 846 IEMs and some Edifier stax spirit s3 planars which have an appealing app). Using a musical fidelity lx2 headphone amp and an old Sony nwzx2 DAP. I like the Audeze but find them too heavy for long periods of use. Listening to most genres of music (mostly WAV).

[@michaelp.3485]

I tried Chronos EQ with my LCD-5 and I think it made it sound terrible. To me, if you buy a neutral headphone and feel the need to EQ it, than you have no business buying a neutral headphone in the first place. The LCD-5 presents music exactly as it was recorded. If you don't like it, that isn't the fault of the LCD-5; it is the music's fault.

[@draftierinfern0831]

That Okluma shirt is 👌🏼

[@barbarapearce7323]

“Food stamps Joshua Valour” I can see it

[@BobbyDigMOB]

Love this!

[@EnormeEkoH]

Im new to audio things, how do i know if for me are better iems or headphones? I do play videogames, music, video, film, live stream etc

[@HoboVibingToMusic]

Test stuff. and don't buy "gaming headset"

[@EnormeEkoH]

@@HoboVibingToMusic ye i already did the mistake with "gaming" headset, i hate sponsored pro players... how should i test them without draining my money?

[@EnormeEkoH]

@@GBR9794 ah, where i live is so shit, idk if i could try this metod

[@Asterisk3095]

headphones have better sound stage which basically means how open they seem. A bigger soundstage is better for gaming as you can hear more stuff around you. Imaging is also better in headphones. Imaging is basically how well you can pinpoint where a sound comes from.

[@wallysan31]

@@EnormeEkoH Check if any local stores have a demo section. I know NYC has both B&H and Audio 46 but most cities aren't as lucky. Zeppelin & Co's Cafe exists in Singapore. If you're in the US, maybe try to look for a Guitar Center or a Best Buy's Magnolia section.

[@mollies13]

Just make sure guys, equalize them tune it while mobile has eq they don't have full perspective.

[@imabeliever85]

Great video. I love my HD 650, It sounds so good. Looking for a closed back portable with a similar sound. Momentum 2 wired is what I have now. I like it, but the mid range is not as good.

[@ironick4545]

No Meze Empyrean ? :(

[@nelsonclub7722]

Have you not heard the Mark Levinsons then?

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

Has anyone ever tried the AKG K361? It seems like no one ever bothered to try it.

[@alanschmitt9865]

IIRC it’s just the 371 with cheaper plastic and worse tuning.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@alanschmitt9865 much worse, or just a little worse? Ironically, I still prefer a neutral V6 or 7506 anyday to the 361 anyway, but I still like them.

[@alanschmitt9865]

@@MichaelSidneyTimpson More V-shaped IIRC. Couldn’t tell you how resolving the drivers are tbf. Could be personal preference.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@alanschmitt9865 ah that explains it, I am more of a neutral guy, especially since I find excesses sub-bass and treble to be torture. Although the X2HRs are surprisingly satisfying--most Beyers less so, especially those darn "premium" editions.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@alanschmitt9865 quik question, what does "resolving" actually mean?

[@skengasaurus]

12:47 weren't you disappointed by the sa6?

[@Precogvision]

Maybe you’re thinking of someone else? It’s been on my favorites list for quite some time and I was very impressed when I first heard it lol.

[@dixter1652]

nice list.... to add one more... if you can get one while still on sale... the Hifiman He6se V2 at $549 is an amazing sounding headphone with the ifi Diablo amp...

[@ResolveReviews]

Yes, if you can get that deep sale it's a good buy. It's on our over-ear open-back buying guide.

[@dixter1652]

nice

[@wongpantai9710]

Still love my ibasso SR2

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

Is the K371 really $50 better than the K361?

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 I see, any other good harmon examples? I've spent thousands on headphones already and I hope something I have already would be a good example.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 actually a solid pair of V6/7605 seems more detailed to me than the 361s however, so maybe I care more about neutral, than harmon curve.

[@CptMark]

@@MichaelSidneyTimpson Shure SRH440

[@afrog2666]

There`s no "eck" in et cetera..

[@captain-nacho]

Anyone have a good recommendation for my first set of audiophile cans. I’m gonna listen to a lot of rap, hiphop, rock/alt, and EDM. I want something with a v shape but not muddy. Just something that will compliment these genres. I’d say preferable under $500 but a little more or less doesn’t hurt. My current daily drivers are my mmx 300s that I use for my Xbox and pc.

[@captain-nacho]

@@mettbaron83 there are none near me. Are there any that you know of that I can do more research into

[@Smood47]

No Tylerseclectic ?

[@MRFUTURETECHNOLOGYGAMING]

Marry Christmas

[@boboso388]

What’s with all the pseudonyms?

[@puttyputty123]

Anyone compared the Audeze LCD-4Z to the new LCD-5? Would like to know their impressions and take away from that. Anyway, thanks for a great video.

[@bluemonstrosity259]

LCD 5 more neutral tuning and closer to harman target.

[@alperenen]

Hi bro, video amazing

[@MatzRios]

My boy Precog really be out here representing the team! Waifu Enthusiasts unite!!!

[@DarkPa1adin]

That's really hilarious

[@gordonm6128]

You guys forgot the Meze Rai solo iem’s. Easily best under $1,000 in sound and build.

[@ResolveReviews]

Well, based on the measurements, I do not expect they'd get a favorable review from any of us. But if you like them, then that's great :)

[@bluemonstrosity259]

Didn't crinacle expose them to be rebranded Chinese iems?

[@davidmason8212]

What about Abyss 1266 ?

[@bluemonstrosity259]

Tuning too odd

[@hartyewh1]

They could make a K 371 Premium from better materials/design and double the price.

[@djhmax09]

Um, resolve? What happened to your Topping tier list? lol

[@ResolveReviews]

I think you can guess which tier hahah.

[@chefsteve8381]

So many rec's for k371, look out harman target here i come...

[@hartyewh1]

It is ridiculously good for the price. If EQ wasn't an option I'd take it over most +$1000 headphones. Easily.

[@WoodstockG54]

Aybss Diana V2?

[@warking4257]

bose QC 35 ii

[@musicxxa6678]

I want LCD X but it's over my budget. I plan to get one of the LCD 2's probably the closed one but they are too expensive. I might as well get LCD X instead. My amp plays better with high impedance headphone though, 70 ohm LCD 2's will work better.

[@fclp67]

"waifu enthusiast" lmao

[@melihcankip2743]

Nice video

[@Hyperion1722]

I think for the 1000 USD price range, LCD-X will be the one for me. Just don't know how tis compares with my Hifiman Sundara. Was thinking of buying Hifiman Arya but found out that it is also a power hog (worse than Sundara) and my portable amps might not be enough unlike LCD-X which requires much less power.

[@tyler7356]

I would highly recommend the LCD-X in your case, you can literally run it off of a phone just fine if you have too. And they sound great out of the box

[@OkiMiku]

"Waifu Enthusiast" MY MANNN

[@Ibrahim-nh3hw]

Very good..

[@alparslanalpayakyldrm8473]

Veri good

[@levansaginashviliskidney8726]

The 560s is a little too bright and has timbre issues for me personally

[@MelnikoffAlexey]

200$ jump to 1000$ it is so strange. And 4500$ - what?

[@sirdan357]

VZR Model One

[@tylerstravis]

Anyone have thoughts on the AKG 371BT? I'm looking for good closed back cans for returning to the office that also offer the ability to go wireless with a mic for zoom calls. This sounds perfect if they sound the same as the 371 when wired.

[@levinlei8881]

the bluetooth version loses some detail

[@ClaudeVanKot]

k371 terrible seal!

[@hartyewh1]

Depends on the users head/ears. I use them fine with glasses on.

[@zerousen]

Pog

[@skiiizo]

Thank you for the show and the videos you make. But could you please change your pop-up filter for a better one, or get a bit less close to the mic ? hahaha ! I say this in good spirit and not to be disrespectful. But these "p"" sounds of yours are killing me. hahaha ! sorry....Merry Christmas 🙂 (sorry for my poor English)

[@Snoeijhard]

Tnx for the video, I made my choice! (akg k371) 🙏

[@nrs_207]

Food stamps Joshua Valour 😂

[@Snoeijhard]

OMG those prices.. I thought, lets not pay 300 eur for a headphone,(pxr 550) that felt like so expensive.. And you are speaking about THOUSANDS for one headphone 😮😮 Any chance of you having a spare wireless bluetooth headphone I could borrow from you untill it stops working? 😂😂

[@astralboy]

LCD-5 is so boring, i regret purchasing it....had more fun with LCD-3, should get a LCD-4

[@ResolveReviews]

EQ is your friend on that front.

[@astralboy]

@@ResolveReviews Eq will not help, the small drivers compared to the prev LCD-4 result is low bass weight. Bass weight is inversely proportional to the bass speed. The LCD-5 sounds close to Raal SR1a, but with more bass, however raal is more smoother. In the end LCD-5 tries to be a crowd pleaser, but turns out to be nothing special at all. The LCD-X bass slam put the LCD-5 to shame......no a fan of EQing for hifi listening, for audio production ok.....plus EQing will not provide the bass slam, you need bigger drivers.

[@ResolveReviews]

@@astralboy I have to hard disagree with most of that haha, but yeah I do agree that EQ won't give more punch, just increased bass level. If you want that kind of thing, planars in general aren't that great.

[@michaelp.3485]

@@astralboy Dude you don't know what you are talking about. The Abyss 1266, the undisputed king of slam, has smaller drivers than the LCD headphones. Driver size has nothing to do with slam.

[@astralboy]

@@michaelp.3485 you dont know anything about me to make such idiotic comments, plus drop off the dude pls better fit for teenage crowd............back to it, i am 100% describing what i heard from my recent LCD5 acquisition compared to LCD-3, LCD-X, Senn HD650, TH900mk2. Flagship LCD-5 is lacking the bass slam compared to all the above, it has some subbass rumble but foregoes the bass slam. The mids are forward and can get hot in the way of listening. The soundstage is rather disappointing compared to HD650, LCD-X, Raal SR1-A. The highs are just there and nothing special to brag about, the Raal SR1-A have the better euphonic highs.......seems like an evolutional headphone in terms of driver size, but nothing wowing me here since other headphones do it it better in other degrees. I didnt event mention about the hard clamp factor, they are so uncomfortable, poor design.

[@smyy.0488]

👍

[@mikemabike]

nutforce!!!!!!

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

can someone tell me what the big deal is about IEM's? I have never found one that even comes close to the sound quality of headphones, and I always have to deal with ear pain and rashes for a week after I use them, and no, I am not playing them too loud. It always causes great ear pressure, and the sound quality always pales in comparison, in terms of definition and clarifty compared to even average headphones. How come no one else feels tremendous ear pressure or ear pain or discomfort or rashes when they use them, and find the the sound quality superior? I asked and ENT doc, and his response was "no one should EVER use IEMS, putting things inside ears will always degrade your hearing and extremely unhealthy. Humans ears are not designd for this."

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 Headphones do sound better than speakers.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 well IEMs always equal torture for me. Often they lead to ear inflammation. My ENT says people should not be sticking things inside their ears, because it risks ear damage.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 troll? How is this a troll? sorry to offend. I thought I was having a rational discussion. I love this channel.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 yep I guess I get to miss out on the wonderment of IEMs. I just feel like I am missing out.. Actually most closed back headphones I find intolerable, and don't get me started on ANC pressure...that's torture too.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

@@GBR9794 Oh I have fantastic expensive speakers that I used for years, in fact I used to hate headphones, until I discovered open-backs. I am a professional musician and orchestral and computer music composer and music professor at major universities with the best studio monitors for over 35 years. I have worked in many recording studios since high school. But there are things I can hear on headphones that I never catch on speakers, considering ambient room noise. (Which is why I am disappoonted about IEMs, I was expecting them to be amazing, but all I get is pain.). Again, must be my own physiology, so I feel really frustrated that I am missing out on something that is supposed to be amazing. That being said, I am not willing to spent $1000 on IEMs just so they will give me ear pain and result in hearing loss as my ENT doc claims and likely not hear things any better than I do with open-backs. There are subtleties I can hear with abstract avant-garde computer and orchestral sounds that I hear with a great set of open backs that I can barely sense with even the most expensive monitors. Even with a cheap DAC I hear such differences.

[@terryRBNF]

someone get Alan a brush

[@user-hb1ve6mc6f]

🥃

[@kjellhedberg7779]

A lot of trams!

[@tedtimmis8135]

“Whilst” being pretentious…

[@llevine6510]

LCD-5 is a breakthrough for Audeze but not the headphone industry. Sus already has similar weight

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

It is because Susvara is still double sided and large. Parallel uniforce means the double sided advantage for pistonic diaphragm movement is no longer as meaningful. So it's less about these headphones compared to one another, and more so what this technology means for future iterations

[@ourada46]

Waifu Enthusiast 😂😂😂

[@Stock--Rosso]

Nearly subscribed, until the social justice hairstyle appeared, shame.

[@mjjm6220]

Now I remember why I stopped watching your channel. You guys missed the mark, again! Adueze, Focal, HiFiMan….pure waste of money…..My next purchase will be Meze, either Elite or Empyrean.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Hope you enjoy :)

[@rustyshackleford4514]

How about constructive criticism instead? I found the video helpful and high quality.

[@bluemonstrosity259]

Good sound quality is waste of money. Give me a shit sounding weird tuning heaphone instead! Reeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@ismail-sg1oc]

Very good..