Skip to main content
To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories.
- Podcasts
- Video
- Newsletters
- Magazine
- Events
- WIRED Insider
- WIRED Consulting
- Jobs
- Coupons
Simon Lucas
Gear
If sound quality is the most important factor in your next pair of headphones, here are 16 options that offer extraordinary value for your money.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Why Wired Headphones?
Read more
Our Favorite Wired In-Ears
Sennheiser IE200
Read moreFor the Clumsy and Careless
Final E500
Read moreLong, Long Listens
Shure Aonic 3
Read more4
/
18
“I’ve got no strings to hold me down, to make me fret or make me frown …” You’d think, wouldn’t you, that if it was good enough for Pinocchio then it should be good enough for the rest of us? And it’s true, there’s a lot to be said for basic convenience (in general) and losing the strings (in particular). If you're using wireless earbuds when you're out and about, or wire-free headphones for focused listening at home, the flexibility of movement and lack of trip-or-twang hazards makes plenty of sense.
Wireless headphones, though, come with a few key compromises: a range in which they can operate, the risk of interference from external factors, and potential downscaling of hi-res files. So if you're interested in sound quality, then good, old-fashioned wired headphones begin to look very appealing. We’ve selected 16 pairs of corded headphones that back us up—a mixture of in-ear and on-ear, and ranging from very to not even remotely affordable. Because let’s face it: The sound is the most important thing, right?
Check out WIRED’s other audio guides, including our Best Noise Canceling Headphones, Best Wireless Headphones, Best Cheap Headphones, Best Earbuds, and Best Phones With a Headphone Jack.
Updated November 2023: We've added the FiiO FT3 and Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowSee AlsoWired vs Wireless Earbud: Which is Better? - Earbuds GuyHow to Wear Wired EarbudsThe Best Wired Earbuds for Budget-Friendly SoundBest wired headphones 2024: every model tested by our expert reviewersJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Most Popular
Gear
The Best Record-Breaking Timepieces From the World's Biggest Watch ShowJeremy White
Gear
The Humane Ai Pin Is a Clunky, Limited Vision of the FutureJulian Chokkattu
Gear
Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline SuppliesMedea Giordano
Gear
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)Brenda Stolyar
Simon Lucas is a technology journalist and consultant. Before embracing the carefree life of a freelancer, he was editor of What Hi-Fi? He's also written for titles such as GQ, Metro, The Guardian, and Stuff, among many others.
Contributor
TopicsShoppingbuying guidesHeadphonesaudio