Audio headphones: I’m looking for a pair of higher-end wired headphones. I have a budget of around $300. Right now it’s between Meze 99 Classic, Focal Listen or Austrian Audio HIx55.

JKlein

I’m looking for a pair of higher-end wired headphones. I have a budget of around $300. Right now it’s between Meze 99 Classic, Focal Listen or Austrian Audio HIx55. I’m open to suggestions as well. Already have the Bose 35, just looking now for wired. Thanks so much for any input.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Check out Bang & Olufsen.

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Look into Hifiman's line of planar headphones. There a few models in your price point. The open, spacious sound is an amazing experience to behold.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

JKlein wrote:

I’m looking for a pair of higher-end wired headphones. I have a budget of around $300. Right now it’s between Meze 99 Classic, Focal Listen or Austrian Audio HIx55. I’m open to suggestions as well. Already have the Bose 35, just looking now for wired. Thanks so much for any input.

Read what the testers think are good ones.

https://www.google.com/search?q=best+headphones&oq=best+headphones&aqs=edge..69i57j0i395i512j0i512l6j69i64.4070j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Are you looking for in-ear or over the ear, and what’s your music source?

Canisdirus

I have a pair of HarmonicDyne Poseidon cans otw ... picked them up for $250 on sale.

I am building a cheap but high quality desktop tube system...and those cans are wonderful with SS...but reach new heights with tubes.

Just match your ohms with your system...with tubes...you have to make that tube work to get the 'sound'.
Highly efficient cans...don't benefit.

It's an ear wormhole...for sure.

Still looking at a $9,200 headphone tube amp...but my wife is giving negative vibes...we'll see.

SS is a lot easier to match...but the sound is... a bit meh...to me.

Of the three you posted...for me...the Focal's. Just a stellar company.

Ollieboy

Shure 535

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I have Austrian Audio Hi-x15 and I'm very pleased with them, the sound the comfort, everything. I'd recommend getting the longer lead accessory rather than an extension unless you sit next to or near to your units.

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

I have the Focal Listen Pro for use in my studio, and frankly they are not the ones I reach for most often. I tend to use various AKG models instead when tracking because they are more comfortable. For critical listening and mixing, the Focals are fine, although I use monitors as well.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

JKlein wrote:

I’m looking for a pair of higher-end wired headphones. I have a budget of around $300. Right now it’s between Meze 99 Classic, Focal Listen or Austrian Audio HIx55. I’m open to suggestions as well. Already have the Bose 35, just looking now for wired. Thanks so much for any input.

Back about three years ago I was looking for headphones in that price range and found Sennheiser to give the most crisp, natural sound of any I tried out. I found a very nice pair for around 229.00. Even though they make headphones up to around 2000.00, I wasn't in the market for that price set.

BebuLamar

I am an AKG guy but now that AKG which is part of Samsung which moves their production to China so if I need a new headphones I would go for Austrian Audio.

marvkaye

I have Sennheiser, Bose, and a couple other pairs of headphones that have mostly been relegated to use for YouTube or movie soundtracks... for serious music listening my Klipsch Reference On-ear phones win the battle hands down. They're clear, spacious, precise, all those adjectives. Next best thing to sitting next to the engineer who mixed the recording. IMHO, anyway.....

Bayou

Love him or not, Kem Rockwell is quite the audio enthusiast and has done a number of extensive headphone reviews. https://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/headphone-reviews.htm

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

BebuLamar wrote:

I am an AKG guy but now that AKG which is part of Samsung which moves their production to China so if I need a new headphones I would go for Austrian Audio.

I would second Bebu's recommendation for AKG's although their shift to China might give one pause for political, morer than technical reasons. If you see professional musicians in a recording studio, they're almost always wearing AKGs. That should tell you something.

Canisdirus

I see monitored speakers being mentioned as well as musicality.

They are not interchangeable terms.

Monitor typically means... flat...neutral.
If you are a sound engineer and do a lot of mixing...or anything with the spoken word (radio shows)...monitors are for you.

Listening to music... BORING...very.

Know what you want before starting to search.