Now that the iPhone 15 has a USB-C port on the bottom, the doors have been opened up to way more headphone options than you might expect — ones that need a more widely available USB-C adapter. The throes of the audiophile are for many but a new pair of headphones away, and you often need not spend as much as you might first expect.
Even then, you don’t need to go so far as to get a pair of wired headphones. There are some excellent wireless headphones that sound good and don’t break the bank; and most importantly, they satisfy that little voice that says, ‘this music could sound even better, with the right equipment’.
These Black Friday deals are all on some of the best headphones with some excellent savings, making it a little bit more affordable to join the ranks of the audiophile. You needn’t spend hundreds of dollars on a new DAC and a pair of wild headphones — just a pair that sound better than your AirPods 2.
Wired for effect
Wired headphones are long considered the territory of the audiophile, and these options exude sound quality. There are some big names here, like Sennheiser, Philips, and more. These are great if you want to plug something into your MacBook as well, with its potent DAC.
A wire will mean that there’s more bandwidth for an analog signal to travel down – that means better quality audio than you might find with a pair of wireless headphones. The only way, for example, to listen to the top-quality tracks that Apple Music can pump out is to connect a pair of wired headphones to an external DAC. That’s not something we’ll be thinking about here, but it’s worth mentioning for when you want your music to sound really good.
- Headphone deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell
- Smart speaker deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon
- Smart home deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon
- AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart
Bluetooth dreams
Wired may be the audiophile way, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some incredible-sounding wireless headphones that can bring a little sonic spice to your life. The best bit? They needn’t cost the world.
There aren’t as many options for headphones when it comes to audiophile preferences in the world of the wireless. Almost every single option is closed back, and when you plug a cable in, they often bypass the DAC on your computer, so you don’t get to hear some of those hi-res tracks you might be lusting over. Having said that, to get a critical listening session going, sometimes all you need is just a solid pair of headphones.
Audiophile Jargon buster
Do you ever read all those articles describing how music sounds from a pair of headphones, or details about how a pair is made and they’re just filled with… words? Words that mean nothing to you, words like ‘warm sound signature’ or ‘open back headphones’. You aren’t the only one, and thankfully, I’m here to give you a helping hand. This is Tammy’s Audiophile Jargon buster.
What does a “warm sound signature” mean?
Warmth refers to bass and the bits that underlay the sound of your music. If someone describes a piece as warm, then it means that frequencies towards the lower end of the spectrum are being emphasized.
That’s bass guitars, lower-toned synths, and the low notes on a strummed guitar. If you like bass, then a warm tone will be more up your street — although if too warm, then music can sound one note with too much bass.
What does an analytical sound signature mean?
Some prefer a sound that shows them every last detail of their music. You might also hear this described as ‘glassy’ or ‘crystalline’. It denotes that the sound focuses more on the high end, so that instruments like drum cymbals and the ‘attack’ (the moment pick or finger hits string) of guitar strings are emphasized.
While this brings out all the finer details of the track, letting you hear everything that goes on with each instrument, it can also become fatiguing – some find that an analytical pair of headphones can bring more headaches.
What does soundstage mean?
Soundstage, is how ‘wide’ the music sounds. A wide soundstage makes it sound like the music is coming from all around you, as if you’re in the middle of the band or the act you’re listening to. A narrow soundstage contracts the music together, so it doesn’t display as much of the music as it can. Preferably, a soundstage should be as wide as possible.
What does open back mean?
An open-back pair of headphones is just that — it opens the outside panel of the headphones out, allowing for the speaker units inside to shift more air. That extends the soundstage (see above), letting you feel more like you’re inside the music. It also allows, literally, some of the bass to leak out of the headphones, so you might find them a little less bassy than the alternative…
What does closed back mean?
… Closed back headphones. These are the opposite (obviously) to open-backed headphones, and they have a narrower soundstage. They also keep more of that bass locked in so that you can keep those songs bopping and bouncing.
