The 15 Best Audiophile Headphones Of 2025 - Ultimate List
, by zhengqiuying, 24 min reading time
Pursuing audio fidelity usually involves a lot of tinkering and making many audiophile headphone purchases and upgrades along the way.
If you are anything like me, you might start with a set of simple budget audiophile headphones or studio monitors like the gorgeous DT900 Pro X and combine them with a relatively inexpensive DAP (Digital Audio Player). You think your done… but you definitely aren’t.
Before you know it, you're listening to music on a full array of DACs & tube amplifiers specifically matched for each set of headphones. You may end up owning custom cables and multiple, possibly multiple sets of multi-thousand-dollar headphones.
Your pockets will be significantly lighter, but your music should sound great. That’s the purpose of this best audiophile headphone list: to give you a broad range of options at multiple price points so that you can make an informed choice and get to your perfect set of headphones as quickly as possible.
There is something about this hobby that drags you in. Once it does, it's impossible to go back to using consumer-grade audio equipment. When you own and learn to appreciate your headphones, you truly level up. For me, picking up my favorite headphones is a release, a small vacation in an otherwise hectic day. It feels like one of the few times I can just put down the phone, shut off the laptop, and immerse myself in something that makes me truly happy.
2025 best Headphone Winner: Focal Utopia
The best audiophile headphones are the Focal Utopia
I recommend them not only because of their sound quality, which is ultimately the deciding factor but also because they are packed with technology and premium materials.
They are comfortable for long listening sessions and present sound peerlessly, with natural acoustics and a huge, engaging soundstage. Please read further to see our full list of alternatives at different price points.
Category Specific Recommendations:
Best Planar Headphone: Hifiman Susvara
Best Wireless Headphones: Focal Bathys
Best Budget Headphone: Koss Porta Pro Limited Ed
Best Midprice Headphone: Sennheiser HD660S2
Best Closed-Back Headphones: Sony MDR-Z1R
Best Audiophile Headphones List 2025
1. Focal Utopia
Features: Open Back Headphone: Dynamic Driver: Carbon/Metal/Leather Finishing
Pros:
Futuristic design and modern materials pushed headphone design forward
Endgame-level sound almost perfect for every musical genre
Fully immersive
Cons:
Expensive
Why We Recommend Them
Most headphone companies hope to make waves when releasing new headphones, and Focal managed to create a Tsunami. If you come here wanting to know what headphones have the best sound quality, then the Utopia should be the first place you look if your budget can extend this far.
What makes a headphone great is not simply the sonics. In this end of the market, they need to be special in all areas, from build, design, sound, and performance.
Detail retrieval is jaw-dropping, and the soundstage is massive, providing a speaker-like presentation to the sound. It is everything I wanted when I got into this hobby, and it feels like an endgame product.
They are light and incredibly well-built, and if I could have one headphone for the rest of the time, it would be the Focal Utopia.
These will be out of reach for most headphone enthusiasts at a shade under four grand. Nonetheless, they are a stunning achievement from the French manufacturer.
2. SONY MDR-Z1R
Features: Closed back earcups: Wired (Dual entry): 70mm Drivers
Pros:
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Outstanding build quality with kevlar and carbon construction
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Massive soundstage that rivals many open-back headphones
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Fully immersive bass
Cons:
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Very Expensive
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Limited Availability
Why We Recommend Them
The Sony MDR-Z1R is a surprising take on high-end headphones. Why surprising? Well, instead of going for the predominantly popular open-back design seen on most top-end headphones, the Z1R is closed-back. It makes them a whole lot more versatile regarding where and how you use them.
Massive 70mm dynamic drivers (cone-shaped) adorn the internals with sheepskin slathered over the externals. Build quality is top-notch, as they feel premium and solid; there's no need to baby them.
Supremely comfortable, the sound is about big, powerful bass with outstanding detail retrieval. We truly rate them, and the ability to isolate ourselves from the external environment is just the icing on the cake.
Verdict: Best Closed-Back Headphones
3. HIFIMAN SUSVARA
Features: Open Back Headphone: Stealth Planar Drivers: Dual Entry Cable: 35 Ohm Resistance
Pros:
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Paired with a quality source, the Susvara is one of the best-sounding headphones ever made
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Despite the use of metal and wood, they are surprisingly lightweight and comfortable
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Micro-Detail retrieval is very well done
Cons:
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At $6000 USD RRP they are prohibitively expensive for many people
Why We Recommend Them
After hearing these fabulous open-back audiophile headphones, you will instantly know why they were added to the list. Hifiman is a colossal audio brand and one of the oldest players in the audiophile game. The Susvara is their best work yet; it is just a stunning all-around headphone that competes with the best of the niche brand headphones we list below.
The Susvara is the result of years of development, which has resulted in an actual reference headphone designed for enthusiasts and developers simultaneously. They utilize custom driver technology and an open-back housing to bring music that is very true to the source. Based on sound alone, they consistently find themselves on our list of best planar headphones.
Susvaras are constructed using wood and metal. They feel incredible in hand and on the head. We recommend you use a high-quality source and file to get the most out of them, as they are ruthless in displaying the deficiencies in poorly mastered tracks.
Verdict: Open Back planar headphones with immense detail retrieval.
4. SENNHEISER HD660S2
Features: Open Back Earcups: Velour Earpads: Dynamic Drivers
Pros:
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Value for money studio-grade audio quality at a bargain price
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Iconic styling that is also comfortable
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Great 660 tuning with elevated bass
Cons:
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The price increased on the S2 version. The updates justify it but will put it out of reach for some buyers
Why We Recommend Them
These are the long-awaited updates to the excellent value Sennheiser HD660 and Sennheiser kept a lot the same but made the tuning even more versatile.
The original HD660 headphones were one of the best-value audiophile-grade headphones on the planet. They were great for critical listening and studio work but perhaps lacked the range and versatility to sound musical. This iconic headphone is better than ever, and I found myself drawn in with the revised tuning and increased lower frequencies. The bass sounds more impactful, but this also adds an overall weight to its presentation.
Sennheiser also doesn't make unnecessary upgrades and, as such, has a longer product life cycle than other companies that try to catch the flavor of the month vibe by releasing multiple models without significant improvements.
The HD 660S2 is more refined, making it one of the best-sounding Sennheiser headphones of recent years, but it still retains the outgoing model's slightly mid-centric and warmer tones and still retains incredible detail. They are open-back headphones that pair exceptionally well with tube amps but are driven easily from most high-resolution sources.
Verdict: A reference class open-back headphones. Requires Amplification for best results.
5. Hifiman HE1000
Features: Open Back: Planar Driver: Cables: Weight - 420g
Pros:
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Lots of trickle-down technology from more expensive Headphones
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Iconic design
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Spacious and rich sounding with lots of micro detail in the midrange
Cons:
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Exists in a highly competitive price point
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The suspended headband design will be divisive
Why We Recommend Them
They use different baffle systems from the other Hifiman headphones on this list. This tech sits near the diaphragm, which reduces distortion and provides a purer reproduction of the source material.
Build quality is fantastic, and Hifiman continues to improve and refine its headphone designs to the point that the HE1000 series is some of the best-looking models on the market.
Comfort is also one of the best in class, as it is a very lightweight design paired with beautiful materials at the contact points with your head. The open design of the back allows for both breathability and a wide, airy soundstage.
Verdict: Stunning, transparent-sounding headphones. Big discounts make it a good value.
6. Hifiman Arya
Features: Open Back: Cable (dual entry): Planar Magnetic Drivers
Pros:
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Stealthy looks and premium materials
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Wide headband and large genuine leather earpads
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Full and immersive sound with big bass
Cons:
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Large size might be uncomfortable for smaller heads
Why We Recommend Them
If you don't have the funds to shell out over $3000 for outstanding sound, the Arya isn't a cheap set of headphones. However, they are one of the best planar magnetic headphones in 2025 and are well worth the money for many people.
They have a very natural and neutral sound to them. No overemphasis is added to your music, but it is displayed to the fullest. Mids are smooth and highly detailed, and the bass is consistent and punchy while not overbearing.
This is our go-to headphone for soundstage and spacing, displaying live and orchestral music with vivid reality.
The only caveat is that the Hifiman Arya benefits significantly from using a good source. If you do not have one, this will introduce extra expenses to get you to the endgame.
Verdict: With good amplification and source files, this headphone outperforms others in its price category. Fidelity is excellent, as is comfort.
7. MEZE 99 CLASSICS
Features: Closed Back: Mid-Priced Audiophile Headphones: Wooden Earcups
Pros:
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Excellent value for money
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Premium materials such as wood and metal
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Great sound with engaging audiophile tuning
Cons:
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Genuine leather earpads would level them up
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Tuning works best for rock, pop-classical etc, not suited to metal or EDM
Why We Recommend Them
Technology: Stunning design with large, dynamic drivers
The Meze 99 Classics have been around for over half a decade and are still, to this day, one of the most popular mid-priced audiophile headphones.
The design is iconic, refined, and extremely classic, making them one of the best-looking headphones in 2025. The styling is also complemented by great materials, and the 99 Classics have metal headbands combined with wooden earcups to offer a premium feel.
The sound quality is up there, but it's more of a listener headphone with good detail-balanced tuning, overtones of warmth, and a wonderful weight to the vocals. It's a headphone that works well with any genre, but most specialist headphones will work better for metal and EDM.
Verdict: These are excellent, affordable headphones that look and feel like they should cost more.
8. Focal Bathys - EDITORS GOLD AWARD
Features: Close Back Headphones: Noise Cancelling Technology: Wireless via Bluetooth
Pros:
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A luxury headphone with excellent noise cancelation technology
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Iconic Focal Styling
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The best-sounding ANC headphone on the market
Cons:
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More expensive than Sony and Bose variants of this technology
Why We Recommend Them.
The brand is iconic, and I love that they have carried over elements of their house design and sound into what is essentially a day-to-day and travel headphone. If you want to stand out from the crowd and step away from the mainstream into luxury, this is the one to go for. It's very unlikely you will bump into someone else sporting a pair.
Detailed, transparent, and unlike other wireless headphones, they also have solid mid-bass clarity, adding an extra dimension to the sound. If comfort is your thing, look no further—The large leather pads and perfect clamping pressure make them easy to listen to all day.
It’s certainly more expensive than other headphones in the category. Still, the difference in quality is there to see at first use, and the sound is representative of what Focal offers in their wired headphones
Verdict: Hands down the best sounding wireless audiophile headphone with noise cancelling technology (ANC)
9. Sennheiser HD800s
Features: Open Back: Dynamic Driver: Wired: Reference Headphones
Pros:
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True reference grade sound, perfect for monitoring, studios and audiophiles
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Large and spacious earcups reduce fatigue
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Legendary pedigree descended from the original HD800
Cons:
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Some listeners consider forward treble too much
Why We Recommend Them
The HD800 was for a long time considered the best audiophile headphone.
The sound is very pure and unadulterated. Sennheiser designed the headphones to recreate the audio being input faithfully; in that regard, they are one of the best at transparency.
Unlike the 820 models listed below, this headphone still uses an open-back construction and continues the tradition of highly detailed yet airy open sound with a massive soundstage.
It's a true classic headphone that is a worthy successor to the original.
Verdict: Pure and Transparent with a great soundstage. Visceral, it requires good music files for this headphone to sound best.
10. Sennheiser HD820
Features: Closed Back: Wired: Dynamic Drivers: Reflective audio technology
Pros:
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Similar to the HD800s but with the benefit of a closed-back design.
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The display window to the driver is super cool.
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Punchier and deeper extension in the low end than Sennheisers open back headphones
Cons:
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The price is very high, putting it in direct competition with many high-end planar headphones
Why We Recommend Them
The latest development of the Sennheiser HD series of headphones is now their best and most expensive headphones (other than the Orpheus). It is a masterpiece with outstanding resolution and transparency.
I think, however, many people are getting mistaken as to the performance of the HD820. These are not a 1-to-1 replacement for the original HD800 headphones. The HD800 is visceral and cutting. They are ruthless and add minimal flavor to the sound.
The HD820 sounds less like a tool headphone designed for the studio and more like an engaging and enthralling experience.
The HD820 is a headphone dedicated to listening with maximal pleasure.
Verdict: A super cool headphone with futuristic design. The sound is perfect for someone that wants a closed headphone with crystal clear sound. Requires amplification.
11. Avantone Pro Planar
Features: Open Back: Planar Driver (97mm); Squared design: 2 Colors (Red & Black)
Pros:
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Great tonality
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Excellent technical performance
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Excellent build quality and finishing worthy of a higher price
Cons:
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Styling is divisive, with a modern take on and old aesthetic
Why We Recommend Them
The Avantone Pro Planar is a relatively new name in the audio world, but they are crafting a solid reputation due to its performance and price. Yes, this is one of those audiophile headphones that offer a lot of bang for the buck.
For a large part, I agree with that statement. They set the bar at 90-95% of what the far more expensive headphones can do and are top-shelf performers even when you remove price from the equation. The resolution, imaging, and separation are lovely, and this is a great gateway into amazing planar headphone sound without breaking the bank.
I would advise picking up the red version, as it’s a real statement piece that looks even better in person than in pictures.
Verdict: Tremendous value. The Avantone sounds better than many headphones that cost double the price. Buy this if you want to try something different.
12. Audeze LCD-5
Features: Open Back: Planar Driver: Leather, Metal and Wood Construction
Pros:
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Pure luxury and excess. High-end materials like wood, carbon, and leather give an unmatched feel.
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Magnificent at resolving micro details in a complicated music
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Bass hits hard but doesn’t degrade when the volume is high
Cons:
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Requires high-quality components like DACs and Amps to drive them to their full potential
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Expensive
Why We Recommend Them
The top-of-the-line Audeze LCD-5 is a true luxury headphone in every sense of the word and the new flagship headphone from standout brand Audeze.
You are in for a treat with this set of planar magnetic beasts, from the exquisite and ornate packaging to the stellar build.
Made from some of the finest materials, swathed in wood and leather, they look as good as they sound.
Transparent, detailed, fast, and with an excellent sound stage is like having an entire 2-way speaker system planted right on your head.
Verdict: A true endgame headphone with flagship-defining sound quality that will make true audiophiles smile from ear to ear. Photos don’t do justice to how good they look in real life.
13. Audeze LCD-2
Features: Open Back: Planar: Wired: Reissue of Original model
Pros:
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One of the best headphone reissues of all time
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Engaging, dynamic sound
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Analog sounding
Cons:
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Audeze design is bulky on small heads
Why We Recommend Them
For years, the LCD-2 was one of the most beloved headphones in audiophile forums. This would have been an end-game headphone for many before the market moved north to the uber-expensive territory.
The sound, though, was undoubtedly brilliant. It mixed a natural and airy presentation with a crazy amount of detail and introduced thousands of audiophiles to the world of planar magnetic technology (this tech has since become one of the most dominant in the industry).
Build quality is excellent, and I love that it brings back the classic styling of the original rather than Audeze having tried to modernize everything with new materials. Pair these headphones with a tube amplifier and watch them shine, producing a wonderful analog sound.
Verdict: A legendary headphone that sounds as good now as it did back in the day. A purists headphone that is very good value for money.
14. FOSTEX TH900 MK2
Features: Closed Back: Dynamic Driver: Wired: Requires Amplifier
Pros:
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Beautiful construction from Japanese cherry birch
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Reference grade professional sound
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Tesla Coil technology
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Excellent Isolation
Cons:
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Very power hungry and requires a powerful solid-state amplifier for the best sound. Tube adds too much warmth.
Why We Recommend Them
Another legendary audiophile headphone on this list is the Fostex TH900 Mk2. I consider this an excellent closed-back headphone with a huge open soundstage and stunning low-end performance. The dynamic driver is assisted via Fostex’s well-regarded Tesla technology, which aids in moving the sizeable dynamic driver diaphragms.
I recommend pairing them with a powerful linear/neutral-sounding amplifier like the Sennheiser HDV 820 reference amp for the best sound quality.
The build quality is some of the best, and the stunning wood earcups give a premium feel to this classic design. They are available in many different colors, and using real Japanese Cherry Birch means they all have different grain patterns, so no two headphones will look exactly the same.
One final point is that out of all the audiophile headphones I have tested, the Fostez TH900 MK2 has the highest isolation level. This makes them the best option for people who don’t want to be distracted by their surroundings or are worried about sound leaking on open-back headphones.
Verdict: The best-isolating audiophile headphone with the deepest bass response while retaining adequate speed for layering in the mid-bass. Brilliant.
15. Focal Stellia
Features: Close back: Wired: Dynamic Driver: Easy to Drive
Pros:
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Sounds like an open headphone
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Not overly analytical - Designed to enhance music
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Build Quality and Styling are unrivaled
Cons:
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Too expensive. HD820 and TH900 rival them on performance for a fraction of the price.
Why We Recommend Them
The Focal Stellia sounds as good as it looks. It’s the closed-back rival to the company’s own Utopia and delivers stunning technical performance and goes a long way to creating an open-back presentation.
Drawing inspiration from the Utopias Aesthetic, the Stellia are gorgeous-looking headphones. In recent years, they have been responsible for modernizing the look of audiophile headphones, which for some time had become stagnant. This feels fresh, bold and exciting.
Focal created a unique internal waffle design on the earcups to aid tuning and reduce sonic reflection to achieve exceptional sound quality that closely mimics an open-back presentation.
Premium materials, as always, are cones to catch the eye and are suitable for use as a portable set if you wish.
Verdict: The most technically perfect closed-back headphones on the market. Buy this if you want open-back sounding headphones in a closed-back body.