Things got a little tangled. Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
Buying headphones is hard. But buying headphones for someone else is guaranteed to hurt your head more than eight hours of listening to the Vengaboys at high volume.
Thats because the qualities you seek in a pair of headphones can be just as varied as the music a person likes its all based on personal taste in audio, fit, and style. And amid all the jargon and buzzwords, theres also plenty of opportunity to be fooled by marketing smoke and mirrors. How do you know that the earbuds dangling from that cord can really deliver the sound promised?
Thats exactly why weve put together a list of the most impressive and relatively affordable headphones for every person in your life. To find the best, I acquired 15 sub-$100 headphones that have received consistently positive reviews from buyers and other publications. After that, I ran each pair through a series of benchmark tests for frequency, range, and bass. I also used each pair to listen to a variety of musical genres and artists, from Beyoncé to Bright Eyes.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Yahoo Techs First Annual Cheap Headphone Superlatives.
The Stocking Stuffer Thats Least Likely to Make You Go Broke: $13 Panasonic ERGOFIT Stereo Headphones
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
Lets assume that the person youre buying for is the forgetful type: Shes always losing her earbuds at the gym or breaking them in the mishmash of her giant purse. In other words, she probably cant be trusted with something super-nice. But that doesnt mean she doesnt deserve to own a pair that are both comfortable and even-toned.
Shed do well with Panasonics ERGOFIT earbuds. Theyre a reasonably priced step up from whatever ill-fitting pair came with her phone. The actual earbud fits snugly. Ive sat through entire workdays with these on without my ears getting sore.
Sound-wise, ERGOFIT is incredibly solid. Whether I was listening to rock, acoustic guitar, hip-hop, or EDM, the headphones always delivered a crisp and even sound, not at all skewed to enhance the bass any more than to capture the high frequencies of a power ballad. Though not incredibly powerful, they transitioned smoothy from genre to genre, which is no small feat, considering how cheap they are.
The only downside? These puppies dont come with a microphone, meaning that they cant also function as a headset for answering phone calls on the go. For just a few dollars more, however, you can upgrade to a one-button remote and mic thats compatible with iOS and Android. Worth it, in my humble opinion.
Best Headwear for the Nonconformist Millennial: $70 AIAIAI Tracks Headphone
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
That special #teen in your life wants to be different from you boring sheeple, OK? And that means none of those lame puffy headphones Dad wears to listen to The Eagles. AIAIAIs Tracks are a unique take on the over-ear headphone. Their arch is made of a light aluminum that you attach to a pair of small, circular headphones. The headphones are attached to that headband via interchangeable clips (youre given three different colors with your headset to mix and match). Using these clips, you can move the headphones up and down to find the best fit on your ears. These are, no coincidence, one of the most comfortable pairs I tried, after the Grados.
As for staying connected to her precious phone, your teen will be happy to discover that the Tracks inline microphone allows her to answer calls straight from the headset. She can also use the three buttons on the back of the mic to increase or decrease the volume of a song. It also comes with a pause button, but it seems to work only on iTunes. (If youre looking to save some cash, theres a $60 version of these that forgoes the mic and control buttons altogether.)
As for the quality of all those Taylor Swift songs your aforementioned teen will inevitably blast at high volume? Totally inoffensive. Tracks tend to do better with deep bass and high notes, but get muddy around the midrange. Meaning that theyre great for pop or hip-hop, but maybe not so much for guitar-heavy rock. And for the record, these are legions above the Urbanears Plattan ADV, a similarly trendy-looking pair whose sound is muffled.
It should be noted that, because of their design, these headphones arent very good at canceling out noise, and may be somewhat disruptive when played at high volume in a quiet car full of people. And we all know teens love to do that.
Most Likely to Stay in a Fitness Junkies Ears: $99 Bose SoundTrue In-Ear Headphones
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
Theres no motivation killer worse than a headphone that spends your whole two-hour run wiggling away from your ear. Ditto when it comes to weak, echoey sound. Why muster the strength to go on if your earbuds cant even bother to reproduce the bass in your favorite Aviici track? This is why the enthusiastic runner/rower/dancer/prancer in your family deserves a solid pair of earbuds that will both stay put and remain true to your workout playlist.
Im partial to Boses SoundTrue earbuds. Theyre equipped with curved, sweat-resistant rubber wings that attach to the head of each bud and fit nicely into the upper cuff of your ear. That rubber protection also extends to your inner canal, where its angled to create a slight tension and stay put. I wore these during numerous workouts and a three-hour flight, and each time I forgot they were even there. I liked this design much better than the similarly wingtipped $60 Audio-Technica ATH CKX7iS Sonic Fuels, which ultimately felt uncomfortably bulky.
The SoundTrue buds also passed my giant-purse test. Most usually large rubber covers fall off the tops of my earbuds when theyre subjected to the wrath of my bag, but these didnt budge, despite four frantic passes through airport security.
My only complaint about their design, however, is that the divider of the headphone wire isnt adjustable. As a result, they tend to float just below your chin. I suppose its intended to limit wires from flapping everywhere, but I found the look to be a little gaudy.
Also, SoundTrues rubber covers do little to cancel surrounding noise. This was pretty annoying when I used these in an office environment but somewhat helpful while I was running in the streets and needed to pay attention to traffic. I typically listen to bass-heavy beats when I work out, which suited this headset quite well. When it comes to higher frequencies, however, the sound is a little limited.
My personal preference is to avoid interruptions when I exercise. But if you think that special athlete in your life would benefit from an Android- or iOS-compatible mic, you can splurge with the $130 version of this pair.
Best Chance at Earning Tepid Approval from an Audiophile: $99 Grado SR80
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
Lets face it, any music snob in your life will find something imperfect about the gear you buy him. At the very least, you can charm him with this headsets origin story. These headphones come from Grado Labs, a Brooklyn family business started in 1953 by Joseph Grado. To this day, theyre handmade by the company at that very same location, which is now run by his son and grandson. In other words, they value craft, just like the connoisseur youre shopping for. (And, just in case youre wondering, quite a few hip people have fawned over Grados indie operation in the past).
Grado Labs old-school tradition shows in the SR80s design. The medium-sized headphones are well padded and very comfortable. And their sound is bright, detailed, and relatively even, much more so than any of the other over-the-ear headphones I tried.
Their grated-back design, however makes them incredibly noisy. Even on half volume, my poor deskmate was able to hear the Whitney Houston power ballad Id chosen to listen to as an introductory test track. And when I turned the volume all the way up, you could hear the song several rows down the hallway. Yes, it sounded great to me, but my officemates did not appreciate the disturbance. These are not meant to be used in public places like at work or on your morning commute. (Especially considering how thick their cords are.) Rather, they are a very preciously crafted gadget that should be used in the privacy of your home or, if you want to take advantage of their interchangeable large plug the studio.
Best Option for People Who Are All About That Bass: $99 urBeats
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
As many people have acknowledged in the past, Beats headphones have a long history of making the bass of a track so deep that it tends to outshine midrange and high notes. This can be distracting to some, but for any hip-hop fanatic who spends day after day weaving through the subways and streets of a loud, oppressive city, theyre a great way to block the noise out. Especially because they dont buzz or distort when you push them to high volume. But, of course, this particular type of audio calibration can be distracting when listening to, say, Joni Mitchell, who never really cared to showcase her sick beats.
Despite their particular specialty for blocking out the bustle of a city, the urBeats dont really seem to be very well designed for navigating a morning commute. Theyre not angled to fit in the canal of your ear; in fact, the tip of the earbud is relatively generic. At least the urBeats offer a tiered bud cover, a durable metal casing, and a special flat cord thats harder to tangle. When testing these out, I found myself constantly readjusting them on my subway ride and in front of my laptop. They werent even worth taking to the gym.
But despite all those faults, they could very well make someone on your list very happy. Especially if he worships the pop stars and basketball players who are photographed wearing them.
The Most Impressive Gift for a Total Stranger: $80 Hifiman RE400i
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
Finally we come upon the person who is, admittedly, the most difficult to check off the list: a stranger youre attempting to charm. Whoever that is your boss, a well-connected acquaintance, or your new father-in-law the gift requires three assets: good sound quality, exceptional style, and the appearance of being expensive.
The Hifiman RE400i fit all of these qualifications. This pairs understated design curved machined-aluminum earpieces is extremely versatile, as each bud is small and light enough to be lodged deep and snug into the average ear canal. (If you find them too small, like my male deskmate did, youre offered three different-sized tips to play with.) The fact that these dont have a logo stamped onto each earbud immediately elevates their style in the same way minimal branding does for Apples products. Their iOS-compatible inline microphone and control buttons are sleek and click nicely.
Its easy to see why the manufacturer of these earbuds is well received among audiophiles. For their $80 price, the RE400is deliver an exceptionally measured and neutral sound, with just the slightest amplification of bass. Theyve got a nice midrange, great for guitar and brass-heavy songs. Their deep fit in your ear also provides a good amount of isolation.
Runners-up:
A little cheaper: The $50 Me-Electronics M-Duo Dual Driver
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech
Though not the prettiest of the bunch, these earbuds have a wonderfully clear, albeit bass-heavy, sound thats great for pop music and vocals-focused music. A wonderful value, considering the $50 price tag.
A little pricier: The $99 V-Moda Remix Remote
Photo by Darren Weaver/Yahoo Tech.
These have a pretty great range for all genres, durable metal casing, and a two-year warranty. But their bulky design is somewhat uncomfortable in the ear.
And that, my friends, concludes this seasons headphone superlatives roundup. I hope you liked the sound of it.
Follow Alyssa Bereznak on Twitter or email her here.
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