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What’s your favourite set of headphones? Post in the comments below.
Thanks! fixed now 
for flat pack headphones?
A clear dominance by one brand in the recommended list.
Some pretty high prices for way less than inspiring performance in some products. Buying the brand/logo is obviously at work in some cases without thought to what they work like.
Even though they don’t fall under this test I recently tried out a pair of Sennheiser Game4me Zero gaming headphones . Unbelievable audio performance and the boom microphone fitted was superb . Just wish they were a bit cheaper .
In my younger days my ability to differentiate absolutely brilliant from just awesome sound reproduction was in top form. As a senior I have to take someone else’s word and with typical high frequency loss as we age it can be very easy to over-buy to have absolutely brilliant or totally awesome sound kit when all we can hear could be equally satisfied by one that is quite ordinary. Sad but true.
Summary: don’t buy without a personal ‘A-B’ listening test of your own source material, and don’t discount any product unless it is a financial limitation, personal comfort or aesthetic reason. Why pay $500 when all you can hear and its quality of reproduction is provided in a $150 product?
Laughing @PhilT; because I know exactly how you feel. Having worked in outrageously loud environments when younger, now my ears only require comfortable headphones, not necessarily high quality ones.
FWIW I use Q Pad Hyper X Head Phones . They are 32 ohm impedance which means for gaming they need a Head phone amp which my computer has . Usually gaming head phones have a much lower impedance to bring out the bass end of the spectrum that the younger generation seems to like . They come with a clip on boom mic of reasonable audio quality .
I have had them for 7 years and the build quality has stood the test of time . I play keyboard and use them for that as well . , keeps the neighbours onside 
I purchased a new guitar recently and am awaiting its arrival . Looking around for a good acoustic guitar amp to match .I will be using the Q Pads with the amp for looping and testing samples . Neighbours again .
Will use the Q Pads when I mix tracks between the instruments .
I paid $89.00 for the Q Pads and they can still be had at that price . Really comfortable for long gaming sessions and mixing music . Helping a friend in the States who is a Cinematographer with a sound track at the moment for a movie short so I’m glad I’ve got headphones that are so comfortable to wear .
As we age our hearing deteriorates to a degree but also will compensate for the aging process loss . Paul McGowan from PS Audio, manufacturer of high end audio gear , has a daily YouTube download . I wish I could find the link . He is in his early sixties and explains how he hears more mid -range detail in music now than when he was younger . Worth finding and watching . He makes a lot of sense .
I will always put comfort first if the sound is reasonably close in the head phones . Naturally price is always a consideration . From my own listening experience honestly some of the offerings out there aren’t worth half of their retail price . As they say " A fool and his money …".
I am the same as @PhilT in relation to getting older.
When I was younger, a high end over the ear headphone was the preferred listening option as the give better frequency response and depth of sound than the small over the ear or in the ear headphones. They also reduce extraneous noise (such as someone mowing the lawn nearby), doesn’t cause irritaion of others (such as a mother yelling ‘turn it down’ when using speakers) and somewhat making the listening experience sometimes better.
Saying that, over time I use headphones less and less…maybe with children one needs to hear that extraneuous noise the children are creating. While I still prefer over the ear headphones to other types, I possibly only wear then 1-2 times a year. They are mainly worn to prevent nuisance to others rather than for enjoyment, such as having a rest and listening to music next to my other half.
Also differentiation between high end and cheaper ones is more difficult…possibly due to age and also the spread of sound quality is possibly less than in the past.
7 years/$89 
Sounds like a winner to me.
Has anyone tried a pair of Australian designed Nuraphones? Gimmick or do they really function as the marketing hype (and countless Youtube video reviews) suggests??
Maybe Choice/@DenisGallagher can add them (if the budget for the test can be extended) to the headphone and earphone review since the recent review didn’t include them. It would be good to see how an emerging Australian business compares to the ‘imports’.
Their website indicates that they may be worthy of a test to see if there is actually ‘proof in the pudding’.
I like my Sennheiser HD280’s. So do my kids - music, gaming, whatever - big, closed back, corded, German. Won’t be replacing them with anything else …
In other news, Metallica are touring later this year 
I am hearing impaired and have been using Sennheiser Wireless Headphones to watch TV for about 20 years. I usually brought the new models as they came out but found the earlier models had the better sound and controls. Consequently, I have brought several second hand units on eBay and have been very pleased with them. I would recommend this to hearing impaired members.
They were good value when released Brendan . They have expanded their range of headphones now . To replace mine with a similar model would be in the $159 - $189 bracket .
If you’re considering a new set of in-ear headphones, we think these ones are best avoided:
