A classic evolved: Sennheiser's HD650 rolled out six years after its predecessor, the HD600, and went on to earn its own cult status.  The new millenium saw a rise in genres of electronic music and Sennheiser scored in its response with this warmer, bassier cousin to the HD600. This became one of the most important models in Head-Fi ever to have been released, justifying its place in the headphone history books. [See Product Desc. For More] Innerfidelity's Tyll Hertsens brings the social studies for one of the hobby's most important headphones. Check out the rest of Sennheiser's legendary line-up here, or view our other open-back headphone options here as well as the amplifiers to drive them here. // Most customers test the HD650 alongside the HD600, and the HD660s. // Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  // For added headband comfort: Check out the DEKONI Nuggets.

Sennheiser celebrate the turn of the decade ready to build a new legacy with the HD560S. Affordable open-back headphones now have a new face fronting excellence.  HD560S lovers will delight in its superb detail retrieval excelling in reproducing details in strings and other acoustic instruments in pristine recordings. StereoNET praise it to "someone looking for clean, no-nonsense sound without breaking the bank". [See Product Desc. For More] Spatially, angled drivers with EAR (Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement) technology from Sennheiser create a realistic portrayal of stage rarely heard in open-back headphones at price point. Its 120ohm impedance makes HD560S a great match for any integrated amplifier's headphone outputs, ruling out source impedance mismatches. Headfonia says its "balance is impressive and the longer you listen to this headphone, the better it gets", adding it to his list of Recommended Buys. This is unfussy reference listening that'll bring out the most of the recordings you want pristinely rendered – this here stands up to all scrutiny. View all of Sennheiser's other offerings here, or check out all our other headphones here.

The ATH-R70x is Audio-Technica's first pair of open-back reference professional headphones and feature specially designed drivers and acoustically transparent housings fashioned from aluminum honeycomb mesh. These headphones provide an accurate and natural open-back sound. When you're done with this hit, view the rest of Audio-Technica's line-up here, or browse our other headphones here.

Managing the complicated acoustic design for the Vérité driver in a closed-back headphone may have been ZMF Headphones' toughest challenge to date. But the way they pulled it off with aplomb would have given little hint to that. Expect nearly all the Vérité's beryllium-coated transparency and detail in this closed model, with the benefits of privacy and isolation to boot. Positive Feedback were rendered "speechless at how you achieved the performance you achieved with these". [See Product Desc. For More] Its driver starts with a sandwich driver core of softer plastic PEN for effective damping at higher frequencies, this surface being coated with beryllium for the metal's stiffness, lightness and air acceleration properties.  That means Vérité Closed's driver moves as a perfect piston over all frequencies up to and above its working range, keeping distortion down due to cone and modal break-up. Audiophile Style compared the closed version against its open brethren, publishing a comprehensive study complete with measurements to conclude "they're as good as anything on the market today" and what "ZMF have achieved with the Vérité is truly remarkable". Stereophile's Herb Reichert says the "Vérités come closer to [Sony's] MDR-R10s in basic sonic character than any other headphones I've auditioned ... may even exceed Sony's cult classics in their illusion of speed and transparency". It's rightfully Headfonia's "best-of-the-best in the closed-back world". Make the headphone that made Stereophile's shortlist of Headphone Product of the Year 2020 yours today. OR... enjoy a smoother, more relaxed sound with ZMF's Eikon and ZMF's Atticus, or browse our other closed-back options here!

Sennheiser's HD660S is a modern take on the classic HD6XX line, offering its own charms while reminiscing its classic HD600 and HD650 siblings. By being tuned cleaner and faster, the HD660S keeps up with current mid-tier headphones while still keeping the cost of entry low and attainable. Check out the rest of Sennheiser's legendary line-up here, or view our other open-back headphone options here. [See Product Desc. For More] // Most customers test the HD660S alongside the HD600, and the HD650.// Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  // For added headband comfort: Check out the DEKONI Nuggets.

Sennheiser set the bar high for what it took to be considered a modern flagship headphone in 2015 with the HD800S, and this model still holds its ground among the plethora of elite choices present. Can a lightweight headphone (just 330 grams) also be a heavyweight as an audiophile reference for Sennheiser?  LISTEN NOW HD800S father Axel Grell drops bombshell With soundstage for days, precise images and the ability to expose the tiniest detail, the HD800S continues to impress those who desire to hear everything in their music. [See Product Desc. For More] We recommend you hear it through iBasso Audio's DX320, HiBy Music's R8, or dedicate a full desktop set-up space for it. Further notes: The HD820 is popularly viewed as the closed-back equivalent of the HD800S, after they've tested Sennheiser's waters with the HD600, HD650 and HD660s. // Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  // For added headband comfort: Check out the DEKONI Nuggets. / Photography by Zepp Crew.

What a statement Bluetooth like Bathys is. Through it Focal invites anyone, to listen anywhere. In clear and obvious style. Focal's trademark M-shaped aluminium-magnesium dynamic driver brings you flagship sound on the go. 5 ⭐ came from What Hi-Fi? because "the success of Focal's first effort" isn't surprising. Headfonics say Bathys "represents a serious upgrade on consumer headphone choices from the likes of Sony and Bose", something Digital Trends second.  Superb acoustics on the part of Focal's know-how are a given, and the warm, rich and detailed fidelity of Bathys breaks new ground for a portable headphone of its size – wired or unwired. However, what makes Bathys truly compelling is its range of noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.1, Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive and app-controlled EQ. [See Product Desc. For More] Its name comes from the French word ‘bathyscaphe’, the first submarine exploration vehicle. And Bathys is the embodiment of calm, depth and absolute silence. It's already scooped up TechHive's Editors Choice award, and is ecoustics' favourite noise-cancelling headphone for 2022. Audioholics says Bathys "takes its place among the top sound quality-focused wireless headphones available", and gave it a Product of the Year award. At the cutting edge of tech, but dressed up in finery as a finished product like only Focal can. Blurring the lines between lifestyle and audiophilia has become typical from France's masters of savoir faire. Bathys is proof that Focal has mastered that.  The Bathys design comes inherited from Focal’s open and closed-back audiophile headphones such as Clear MG and Radiance. The earcup grilles repeat Focal’s design language, highly aesthetic curves drawing attention to the company's prestigious logo symbolising style, luxury and belief in better. A white back-lit system beneath the logo may be activated if desired, for an understated, chic effect. Another standout feature of Bathys is its elegant and timeless black-silver colourway, for effortless sophistication. Indeed, this wireless Focal is something you want to be seen with, but also to hear. The comparisons to its bigger audiophile siblings visually are apt, but so are they sonically. Bathys promises a big chunk of Focal fidelity on the move, its M-shaped aluminium-magnesium drivers among the most audiophile-grade mounted in a wireless headphone before.  This driver's stiffness, light weight and damping not only promises you a warm, immersive and authoritative presentation of music in stock tuning. It's also fine ground for EQ to be implemented – and Bathys comes together with EQ pre-sets for listeners to select via the Focal & Naim control app for iOS and Android. Not only does Bathys sound excellent – it can be made yours truly, too, when you select your favourite sound signature.  aptX™ Adaptive ensures wireless transmission stability in most conditions.  Focal added a Silent mode of cancellation optimised for trips with high background noise but let's you switch to a Soft mode to aid concentration at work, while Transparency mode enables you to stay connected to your surroundings. And a USB-C cable gives you the listener the final ability to access Bathys' 24/192 DAC via a computer or phone, when seeking uncompromised fidelity. The sense of completeness in Bathys' package promises that form and function have truly met. Despite its humble entry into the world of Focal, Bathys is in fact one of Focal's proudest Head-Fi releases. And there is much more to explore from Focal for those seeking ever-greater levels of wired sound quality here, and you can also browse all of our Bluetooth headphones here. 

1997 was the year this legend was born. Old but never outdated, Sennheiser's ever-reliable HD600 has continued to earn its place. Always a litmus test for correctness and neutrality, these vintage, classic headphones are a gateway into this hobby and cement their place in the pantheon of modern audiophile gear. [See Product Desc. For More] Innerfidelity's Tyll Hertsens brings the social studies for arguably the hobby's most important headphone. Check out the rest of Sennheiser's legendary line-up here, or view our other open-back headphone options here. // Most customers test the HD600 alongside the HD650, and the HD660s. // Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  // For added headband comfort: Check out the DEKONI Nuggets.

Audio-Technica's ATH-M40x professional monitor headphones are tuned flat for incredibly accurate audio monitoring across an extended frequency range. Your studio experience is enhanced with superior sound isolation and swiveling earcups for convenient one-ear monitoring. // Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  // For added headband comfort: Check out the DEKONI Nuggets. When you're done with this hit, view the rest of Audio-Technica's line-up here, or browse our other headphones here.

When Audio-Technica's classic monitoring headphone M50X went wireless, we seized ATH-M50xBT2 immediately and added it to our carts. Gen 2.0 is now the host with the most, with Bluetooth 5.0 and LDAC™ promising greater use case scenarios to enjoy its legendary sound. M50XBT2 fits comfortably over your ears, without the fuss of the cables and harnesses the legendary M50x studio sound for an exhilarating wireless listening experience, with exceptional clarity and deep, accurate bass response. Audio-Technica allow you to hear and be heard too, with dual beam-forming microphones for great voice pick-up helping you to work from home without any second guessing. // Care tip: We recommend changing earpads every year or two for hygiene reasons. Check out the KITO or YAXI range if you need to freshen the headphones up. Bad smelling headphones aren't cool.  When you're done with this hit, view the rest of Audio-Technica's line-up here, or browse our other headphones here.

An entry-offering that already gives you everything you could want in ZMF Headphones. Substantial bass that's never overbearing and a midrange plus highs that are always open and present open you up to your world of music once again. [See Product Desc. For More] The handcrafted, handmade TPE driver housed in various woods grants a flagship experience, for relatively little. Aeolus is the keeper of the winds for the Greeks, an apt name for this piece. OR... have more resolution with ZMF's Auteur, even more resolution with ZMF's Vérité, or browse our other open-back options here!