The best wired headphones 2024: in-ear and over-ear options for premium sound (2024)

The best wired headphones and in-ears (often called IEMs, or in-ear monitors) are the ideal gateway to hi-res audio. They also provide comfort, security (no losing an earbud to a puddle here) and quality cables that will either snake around your ear and into their respective 'buds or attach easily to their padded ear cups.

And the delicate truth is that the best wired headphones still sound better than wireless.Yes, Bluetooth bandwidth is improving and the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones offer the convenience of simply sticking them over (or in) your ears without a snag-prone cable. But streaming over Bluetooth adds its own compression, or 'loss' to the audio you hear. And that problem goes away if you'll only embrace the wind beneath your wires and attach a cable to your device when you listen to good quality music files. Want proof? Apple Music's Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless output: you cannot currently enjoy it in its full resolution without adding at least one physical connection to the source.

We've got options covering regular 3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm and USB-C connections too – because very few phones these days sport the good old 3.5mm jack, unless you've got your eye on a Sony Xperia 1 V, which is arguably the best phone for sound ever.

Of course, any list of the best wired headphones will include a couple of money-no-object sets – wired listening is the preserve of planar magnetic drivers, open-backed ear cups and audiophiles demanding clarity and nuance, after all – but there are affordable propositions in this guide too.

We always listen to each product in comparison against the class-leaders at the level, and we always review everything before it can even be considered for this buying guide. Not sure whether you want wired or wireless earbuds? We've got a dedicated best earbuds roundup that includes wire-free, true wireless and wired designs to help you choose.Otherwise, read on.

The quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out which wired headphones are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed write-up of every pick, and our price comparison tool helps you find the best deals.

The best wired headphones 2024

The best headphones overall

These talented wired headphones were made for the mixing booth, but they're also excellent for all-round music listening thanks to their neutral sound recreation, oodles of crisp bass response, plush cushioning and the rigid headband needed to prevent vibration while you listen to your favorite tracks.

As open-backed headphones, do they leak sound? Actually, there isn’t a huge amount of sound leakage with the HD-660S, so you should be able to sit near someone without sharing your deepest and most niche music tastes. You won’t be able to use them on the subway, though – there’s little-to-no sound isolation here and thus, they will only really suit those who listen to their albums al desko at work (or lounging in a comfy listening chair when the working day is done).

Unlike many of thebest over-ear headphoneswe've tested, there's no Bluetooth or alternative wireless connectivity other than a detachable cable here but then, you came here for the best in wired listening, didn't you?

Ultimately, the HD-660S2 are best for static listening, sound mixing, or nursing a favorite album in high quality sound at home without the fear of missing a doorbell.

Read our full Sennehiser HD-660S2 review

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The best budget headphones

We'll get straight to it: for the money, this is a very good set of wired over-ears.They're not the full-ticket audiophile option (for that you'd need to spend significantly more) but as a solid step up on the similarly-priced wireless earbuds you've got right now, you need to take them seriously.

The wooden cups, 50mm drivers (which is larger and more capable than those found in most of thebest over-ear headphoneswithin their price bracket), the lovely light 280g build, soft memory foampadding and high-glossfinish and specific voicing will have you hooked.

For clarity, the Oriole feature a"balanced and wide tuning ideal for classical and jazz music", while the company's simultaneous Robin headphone release has a what the company described as a more "lively, forward sound" aimed at rock, pop, and dance music listeners.

The Oriole boast a non-taxingimpedance of 32 ohms and a high sensitivity of 108dB, which is practically unheard of in this price bracket and sonically, they're very good of for this money –almost to the point you might think the $199 / £219 / AU$399 pricing on the box is a typo.

Read our full Sivga Oriole review

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The best high-end headphones

Now then. At nearly two grand’s-worth of wired headphone prowess, if you’re attaching these cans to a mediocre music source you simply won't be getting your money's worth –and that will be on you. This is audiophile territory. Spotify free-tier subscribers, owners of virtually all smartphones that still have a physical headphone connection and folks who want to hook them straight into the side of their laptop should all a) look elsewhere, and b) spend much less money on headphones. The Liric are unapologetically intolerant of all of this.

Extended functionality? Nope. Mainstream pricing? Again no. Adaptable or undemanding? Hardly. You don’t get pampered by the Meze Audio Liric wired over-ear headphones. Buy a pair and it's you who’ll be doing most of the pampering.

That said, a considerable amount of money put Meze Audio’s way buys big, hard-wired headphones fitted with esoteric planar magnetic drivers – and though their closed-back configuration and (laughably big) carry-case makes them a bit better for your commute than most Meze Audio over-ear headphones, they’re neither discreet nor especially portable.

What theyareis beautifully made, from high-quality materials. And if there's anything you take away from this bit of text, it should be that they sound superb. If it’s detail you want, a proper reading of a recording as a performance, insight into tone and timbre and shape of individual notes, the Liric are a convincing and utterly musical listen, and ranking among thebest over-ear headphonesfor sheer fidelity.

Read our fullMeze Audio Liric review

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The best earbuds for most people

This pair of cabled in-ear monitors (IEMs) offers a terrific entry into the hi-fi world at a reasonable price for the category. Construction is excellent, with gold-plated connectors and a kevlar-esque material coating the cables. The same attention to detail is present in the design of the audio components, with some clever engineering allowing for much more of a sense of space than in-ears are often afforded.

The sound signature is pleasantly balanced, with a slight preference towards bass, which is delivered with zeal and panache, but the IE 300 comfortably handles all genres and offers stunning levels of detail while doing so.

Some prominent cable noise means that these aren’t necessarily the best IEMs for the more active among us, but it's an issue that only really presents itself with more nuanced or quieter audio explorations.

There’s no doubt that the IE 300 won’t be for everyone –sensational competition in the consumer true wireless realm (from the likes of Sony and Bose) does make wired propositions a little harder to justify –but if audio fidelity is your focus, these Sennheiser wired buds won’t disappoint.

Read our full Sennhesier IE 300 review

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The best budget earbuds

If you're after a pair of in-ear headphones that come in under $100 (£70 or AU$150), you've got a lot of choices. And these are emphatically the best of that bunch.

We consider the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones among thebest cheap headphonesright now. If you haven’t heard of 1More, listen up, because it’s a company that deserves to be on your radar.

We're blown away by how much they offer at the price range, easily rivalling some of the verybest headphones. Sound quality is where the 1More Triple Driver stand out. While the balanced but slightly warm sound signature didn’t blow us away initially, we came to appreciate the balance in relation to the detail provided by the talented triple-driver configuration.

Music is exquisitely detailed with a good sense of space. Instruments are layered and complex songs don’t sound muddled as each instrumental layer remains audible. While there are more detailed in-ear headphones out there, you’ll have to pay much more for the incremental gains in performance.

Read our full 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review

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The best high-end earbuds

As with previous Audeze models (we might point you towards theLCD-i3 in-ear headphones, but it's enough to know that Audeze is an industry-leader in planar magnetic technology), the Euclidcome with 18mm planar magnetic drivers and precision-milled aluminium casings for a lightweight build. Unlike the LCD-i3 however, you won't suffer any sound leakage with these earbuds (and neither should your fellow commuters or colleagues in the office), thanks to their closed-back design.

They come with a 3.5mm braided cable (which screams 'no more entanglements' better even than Jada Pinkett-Smith herself) and gold-plated MMCX connections with beautifully shaped ear-hooks that snake comfortably around ears, thus enabling the jewel-like black and gold earpieces to calmly assume their correct positions ready for listening.And if you want to go wireless, they are supplied with a connecting cable that includes a Bluetooth 5.0 receiver with aptX HD compatibility too.

Any downsides? They're a little big; smaller eared listeners may need to stretch their shell-likes a little to accommodate the larger housing. Unlikely as it may seem though, the Audeze Euclid in-ear monitors deliver a sound that’s even bigger than the earbuds themselves. If they fit (and you can stretch to the considerable cash needed to buy them) you're in for a rare treat.

Read our full Audeze Euclid review

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Go wireless too

While Focal is marketing these talented cans as its first-ever shot at wireless over-ears, we'd like to posit them as a very talented wired option, because if you use the USB-C cable in DAC mode, you've got hi-res audio up to 21bit/192kHz. Oh, and in case it needs to be stated after looking at the picture above, they're utterly stunning to look at.

The company makes some of thebest over-ear headphoneswe've ever had the pleasure of placing over our ears but (there's no easy way to say this) the Bathys are expensive. We understand the reasons behind the asking fee –those patented aluminum/magnesium "M”-dome speaker drivers made in France don't come cheap; neither does the backlit flame emblem in the center of each beautiful earcup – but they're more expensive than theAirPods Maxand the new, which is significant and comes with it no small amount of pressure to perform.

But put them on and you feel beautiful, buoyed up by their detail, insight and clarity. That said, the on-ear wireless controls feel a little less than high-end, the app is acceptable rather than excellent, and the noise-cancellation (you get 'silent', 'soft' and 'transparent' options) isn't at the level of the very best noise-cancelling headphones.

Read our full Focal Bathys review

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The best cheap on-ear option

You’d usually have to pay much more for a pair of audiophile-grade headphones such as these. Design-wise, everything about them – how they look as well as how they feel – makes the SR80x headphones seem more expensive than they are. They have a relatively simple headband with a silent adjustable slider and super soft padding inside. The cups are constructed from plastic, and the set is pleasingly light at just 245g.

They have an aesthetic that we described as brutalist and almost steampunk in our first impressions, and we stand by that description now. A honeycomb-like metal mesh on the earcups emphasizes the open-back design of the Grado SR80x headphones and sound does leak directly from these holes. The trade off for that minor inconvenience is excellent audio quality.And we do mean excellent.

Of course, if you don’t like the idea of sound leakage or getting used to a pair of wired headphones again, these aren’t for you. But if you’re looking for affordable headphones that sound sensational and feel very good, consider the Grado SR80x headphones. If you can handle those minor inconveniences, you will not regret it.

Read our full Grado SR80x review

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The best over-ears for analytical sound

Fiio has always been about value for money and it might just have outdone itself with the FT3, wired over-ears that are an astonishingly good deal, marrying impressive sound performance with a build and finish that screams high-end.

Never doubt that Fiio thinks ahead, either. Over 10 years ago, the company ordered a large amount of an especially good audio cable – it's now been discontinued, but these headphones make (good) use of it. Why Fiio has chosen to make that cable 3m / 10 feet long, though, given that the company’s supply is finite, is more confusing – that's a lot of cable to get tangled. But aside from that, and the fact that you'll need a worthwhile (read: reasonably expensive)digital audio playeror DAC/headphone amp to hear them at their best, the FT3 soundstage is big and generous, with the spaces on it given just as much prominence and emphasis as the occurrences – and the silences are black and, well, silent.

The tonal balance from the top of the frequency range to the bottom is convincing, too, and even though the Fiio headphones push the midrange forward just a touch, they still sound natural and believable.

Read our full Fiio FT3 review

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The best wired earbuds for small ears

The Westone Mach 70 are a demure travel-friendly option that come with an excellent hard travel case plus carabiner and a plethora of comply memory foam tips, but they'll fit happily into a pocket for easy travel. The earpieces are light and small, and the ear hooks in the cable sit beautifully, even around smaller ears.

Yes, they're pricey and yes, they probably don't scream "money" on the outside, but once you get them playing you'll see where your money's gone.

Westone Laboratories Inc. was founded in 1959, in Colorado, USA. If you're yet to become acquainted, allow us: the audio specialist’s earpieces are used predominantly for hearing healthcare but also (and this is the part that's great for us) the professional musician and audiophile market.

We've been using the Westone Mach 70 for a while, and are just putting the finishing touches to our full star-rated review – but until then, know that this co-flagship set of IEMs, which come with the flagship Linum Estron ULTRABaX quad-twisted cable from Denmark, is well worth a spot on this –and your – list.

Our full Westone Mach 70 review is coming soon

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The best high-end wired earbuds for design lovers

If you want IEMs that feel as if the audio has escaped beyond its beautiful enclosures and wrapped itself around your head, down into your shoulders and even under each ear,these gifted in-ears should be on your wish list.

With Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon (yes, it's a bit of a mouthful) the Portland Oregon audio specialist continues to challenge notions on what is good, bad, revealing, neutral or otherwise in IEMs.

These are some of thebest earbudswe've tested in terms of breadth and texture through the lowers mids. Just as we fell in love withCampfire Audio's jewel-like Trifectafor similar money, there's something very distinctive and unique about Campfire Audio's talent in shaping sound.

For Solaris Stellar Horizon (an update on the discontinued 2020 Solaris – and not to be confused withearbuds), Campfire Audio has slimmed down the driver housings, which makes for a better secure and comfortable fit, although the nozzle, or neck,of the buds may be a little long for anyone not used to such designs.

You're going to want to challenge these in-ears with aQobuztrial and some certified hi-res playlists, to hear the extra ounce of detail, texture and panache the Solaris Stellar Horizon can reach for and serve up to your ears on a gold-on-black platter – and just look at them. We wish more buds were as bold as this.

It's not perfect though. The low end comes in with admirable timing and stays so, but it lacks a modicum of menace and clout in the mix. Higher up, there's a very fleeting, marginal harshness through the treble in some recordings. Perhaps you'll like that though. Perhaps you'll adore it, and we won't be mad at you.

Read our full Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon review

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The best cheap earbuds

Since 2005, SoundMagic has garnered a reputation for offering high quality headphones without the extortionate price, with its flagship E series headphones that rival big brands in terms of audio quality and cost.

And despite their 2018 launch date, SoundMagic's lovely little wired in-ears still stand up as the best entry-level option today. Overall, the E11Cs are a brilliant budget buy; we really liked the design, which looks elegant while also feeling comfortable when listening to music for long periods of time, the passive noise isolation is strong too.

They are by no means earphones for audiophiles mind – the separation between the different frequencies just isn’t quite good enough for that – but for the casual listener, the E11Cs will perform just fine, with oodles of sonic power and fun behind them for around £50 / $50 / AU$90.

Read our full SoundMagic E11C review

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The best closed back headphones

Focal Stellia's luxurious looks are matched by the classy build quality – the headband and cups are full-grain leather (note to vegans, it's real) and the cups have memory foam cushions that are designed to mold to shape of your ears.

This is a set of cans made to be looked at, but despite their size we found them to be extremely comfortable even while listening for long periods of time.In fact, every aspect of Focal's build here just screams opulence, right down to the leather-effect box they come in. Inside, you’ll find a sturdy woven carrying case that could easily pass as a designer handbag, as well as a leather-style wallet containing user manuals. It’s this attention to detail that makes the $3,000 price tag almost feel justified… almost.

And the Focal Stellia sound absolutely fantastic. Their wide-open soundstage and detailed, accurate sound treatment means they make any genre of music come alive and open out before your very ears. Listen to songs you think you know like the back of your hand and the Stellia's surgical separation means you'll likely hear details you’ve never noticed before. The impressive thing is how close it comes to feeling as natural as open-backed headphones, but with the sound isolation of closed-back. But that's what you're paying for.

Those who like to keep things minimal when it comes to portable headgear probably won’t like the showy, opulent design of the Focal Stellia (and they can feel a little chunky on the commute),but if luxury is your thing, the aesthetic might appeal –and the sound definitely will.

Read our full Focal Stellia review

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How to choose the best wired headphones for you

How we test the best wired headphones

Just like our readers, our writers' and editors' ear shapes, ages, hearing profiles, musical tastes and listening priorities all differ hugely, which is why we "second-listen" extensively among the team and we do not cut corners in any part of our reviewing process.

As always when testing wired earbuds or headphones, a thorough 48-hour run-in period is crucial to allow components to bed in and for those drivers get used to the quick business of moving air.

Review samples are tested against the class leaders at the level (and by level, we do mean similar price points), over a period of weeks, not days. We listen to various playlists (spanning everything from acid jazz to thrash metal) on the best music streaming sites but we also have a healthy collection of hi-res files to load onto some of the best hi-res audio players – and a collection of the best portable DACs and amps for harder-to-drive cans, too.

And having been at this game for more years than we'd care to admit, we know what's good and durable from a design perspective – and we know what isn't. We know when cables will be noisy; we know when a headband clicks; we know when the treble rolls off and we know when the bass is overcooked.

The latest update to this best wired headphones guide

30 June 2023
The guide launches! The products have been chosen by our team based on our recent reviews and testing of the headphones here.