Earbuds are great for something you can fit in your pocket, and over-ear headphones are great for high-fidelity and pure quality when listening at home. What if, however, you want to get a great listening experience while on the road? That’s where on-ear headphones come in.
There are quite a few on-ear headphones to choose from, and they’re not all very good. We have enough information and experience to provide you these reasonable choices, putting them in “What are they best at” order/categories. If you are searching for a new pair of headphones, then this article will be of great use for you and will help you with the hard choice you’re facing.
The best headphones in terms of looks
Every single pair of Master & Dynamic headphones they’ve come out with so far has been an excellent option for potential buyers. The Master & Dynamic MW50 headphones are no exception to that rule — and in fact, it’s probably one of Master & Dynamic’s best offerings since they started it all.
These headphones are designed to perfection. They boast a nice, solid build, beautiful premium materials like the lambskin leather on the ear pads, and a very stylish overall look.Of course, that’s not to say these are for those that only car about design. The MW50s are also extremely comfortable, and they sound great too. They offer a generally accurate sound profile with a few small tweaks made to offer a more consumer-friendly experience. That’s not a bad thing — the end result is an excellent sounding pair of headphones that should make anyone looking for a great sound happy.
The best “worth-the-price” on-ear headphones
If you’re looking for a decent pair of on-ear headphones that don’t break the bank, thankfully there are still a few options. Top of that list? The JBL E45BT.These $100 headphones are available in a range of different colors, including black, blue, red, green, and white. We’re reviewing the green pair, which have a very “fun” look to them — though if you’re looking for something a little more sleek and stylish the black pair look to offer that too.
When it comes to the high-end, the sound is quite good. There’s a good amount of higher frequencies to help things like cymbals sound nice and crisp, though perhaps some of the higher high frequencies could be boosted just a touch.The mid-range is very well-tuned. The low-mids add plenty of warmth to the music while not getting too muddy, while the higher-mids are strong enough to add a good amount of presence to the vocals, guitars, synths, and some drums.The battery life of these headphones is pretty good. While you would expect most over-ear headphones to extend well into the 20-hour region, on-ear headphones you get a little less — simply because there’s less room for batteries. These last 16 hours, which is pretty good for this form-factor.
The most comfortable, everyday pair
I mostly listen to music on my phone, but at home, I tend to listen to music on my computer. There’s always a wired pair connected to my laptop, but sometimes it’s inconvenient to take off my Bluetooth headphones and put them on, only to take them off again after a song or two.
Bluetooth headphones typically have a problem connecting to multiple audio sources simultaneously, but Plantronics’ 500 don’t. This pair connects to your computer and phone and lets you seamlessly switch between the two. It’s a trick Apple’s Airpods can perform (on Apple hardware only), but you will be surprised to find this in a pair of headphones at this price point.This convenience is why they’re on this list, but they’re also a good pair of headphones in their own right. They sound excellent for a pair that costs under $100, and they have excellent battery life. The materials aren’t as nice as what you’d find on a higher-end pair, but if you can extend your budget a little bit and like on-ear headphones they’re a great choice.
Best ones under $300
The Beats Studio headphones are great, but they’re not cheap. I don’t want to sound as if you can get highrest-end headphones for under $100, but for under $300 you can still get something pretty decent. Like, for example, the Beyerdynamic T51i headphones.
The company has a history of building excellent headphones, and the T51i’s are no different. The headphones are very ordinary in terms of their design, but they’re pretty comfortable. The best thing about them, however, has to be how great they sound. The high-end and mid-range sounds great — but the real advantage to these is the beautifully sculpted and super deep bass provided, which offers a nice kick to the bass drum, and nice, smooth bass tone, perfect for Hip-Hop/R&B music lovers.
