The Sennheiser PXC 550-II will help you focus in busy environments.
Get the best noise cancelling for under $200 with the Sennheiser PXC 550-II We awarded these headphones over the Sony MDR-7506 because of their more comfortable design and detachable cable, which extends the life of the K371 over the MDR-7506.
The K371 costs well under $150 today, which makes it a great pick for listeners interested in a high-quality, portable headset. AKG provides three cables for you to choose from depending on your intended use. This modest headset doesn’t rely on gimmicks to sell, rather it has a few useful features like ear cups that rotate upwards, so you can hear your surroundings and mini-XLR input on the left ear cup. Harman’s tuning follows the contours of our house curve, and if you want a headset that can make nearly any genre of music sound good, the AKG K371 one is for you. The AKG K371 features a modern design with an accurate frequency response that bodes well for studio use. Only a small RGB light illuminates the Corsair logo on each ear cup, making these headphones perfect for professional use outside of gaming. The microphone is great for a gaming headset, though it doesn’t live up to Corsair’s broadcast-quality claims since mid and high frequencies are under-emphasized. While this is a gaming headset, Corsair kept its design modest.
On the PC, you can use Corsair’s iCUE software to tune the sound to your preferences and access virtual 7.1 surround sound. While the sound quality is good for gaming, we identified a significant under-emphasis after around 2,000Hz, which means you’ll lose details in higher-pitched sounds. Our resident gaming expert enjoyed the sound effects, dialogues, and musical score.
What’s most important for gaming headphones? If comfort and sound are high on your list, the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE won’t disappoint, as long as you’re only using it for gaming or bass-heavy music. The aluminum construction of the headphones and metal accents on the included accessories give this product a premium feel. You can connect the headphones wirelessly using the included 2.4GHz USB dongle or fall back on a wired connection through the 3.5mm audio jack a switch on the right ear cup lets you toggle between a wired or wireless connection. Ready to invest in a serious pair of gaming headphones? The Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE features a volume wheel, a detachable microUSB microphone, and up to 24 hours of battery life. Gamers should pick the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE That being said, closed-back headphones are best suited for recording and tracking, rather than for mixing and mastering. While the closed-back can help block out ambient noise when mixing, it will also narrow down your stereo image, which sound engineering purists will abhor. It is worth noting that Monoprice also sells a closed-back variant of these headphones: the Monolith M565C. For listeners looking to get the most out of these headphones, stick to quiet, indoor environments. Black metal grills and wood-finished ear cups give the Monolith M565 a premium look and feel, but this design comes at the expense of isolation.
The planar magnetic drivers make each bass note easy to hear, without resulting in masked midrange frequencies, unless the volume is cranked up all the way. What’s more, the open-back design more accurately emulates how we perceive sound in the real world. Some may balk at the emphasized bass, but the Monoprice Monolith casts a wide net, pleasing a majority of listeners. Rather, it’s the best because it transitions listeners from the world of consumer audio to hi-fi audio.
As a disclaimer, this isn’t the best sounding headset under $200 because it has the most neutral frequency response it doesn’t.
The Monoprice Monolith M565 is a great pair of planar magnetic headphones. For the best sound, listen with the Monoprice Monolith M565
Note: Bluetooth headphones don’t support lossless audio playback for that, you need a set of wired headphones. iPhone owners are left with the choice of AAC or SBC (universal on all Bluetooth audio devices), and can’t even reap the benefits of aptX streaming.
Android smartphones work reliably well with the aptX codec, though it supports AAC too, the performance is highly variable across devices. If you intend to buy Bluetooth headphones, you should pay attention to Bluetooth codecs for high-quality streaming and reduced lag. The main reason to un-toggle Bluetooth is battery savings, not safety.