AKG K812 Yes, there are spec wars in the high-end headphone realm too. In particular, manufacturers like to tout driver size. Unlike needlessly inflated megapixel counts though, the size of a donut-shaped driver--usually measured diagonally--often makes a huge difference in overall quality (there's a reason all of the headphones in this gallery are comically large). AKG's new(ish) flagship, the K812, comes with some seriously big ones (53mms). That size helps bring both clarity and mind-blowing headroom to your music. Throw in the brand's iconic double-arched headband, a suspended leather headpad, memory foam earcups, and a special cardanic hinge for ultimate comfort and sealing, and you'll be ready for those marathon Dark Side listening sessions. When you do need to take a break, these Austrian-made beauties even ship with an Omega laminated wood stand to display them on.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
GRADO PS1000 Most of us began our journey down the headphone rabbit hole with Grado. The company's SR60i and SR80i headphones are some of the best-sounding sub-$100 open-back models you can buy, and they've introduced many a frugal neophyte to the fineries of audiophilia. Stroll to the other end of Tune Town and you'll end up here, at the flagship PS1000. Proudly made in Brooklyn, the $1,700 headphones are the tippy-top of the Grado line, and thus the finest expression of the company's signature airy, roomy sound. The dynamic drivers have pretty low impedance (32 ohms) so you can plug them directly into your phone if you must. Hook them to an amp, however, and they produce a sound so alive, it's like you've resurrected Eric Dolphy for a desk-side rendering of 'God Bless the Child.' Using an amp is probably best anyway. They are big and heavy - beneath the cast alloy shells are earcups made of solid wood - and not at all portable.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
HIFIMAN HE-6 Like many of the other headphones in this gallery, the esteemed HE-6s use planar magnetic driver that are supremely thirsty. Don't expect to drive them with your iPod. In fact, to really take advantage of these $1,299 cans, you'll need an amp that can deliver some serious power--something like the Schiit Lyr or Hifiman's own EF-6. Once appropriately paired, however, you'll be rewarded with an sense of immediacy and that few other headphones can match. Queue up Pitamaha: Music from Bali, Dave Baker's first field recording of world music, and prepare to have your mind blown.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
AKG K812 Yes, there are spec wars in the high-end headphone realm too. In particular, manufacturers like to tout driver size. Unlike needlessly inflated megapixel counts though, the size of a donut-shaped driver--usually measured diagonally--often makes a huge difference in overall quality (there's a reason all of the headphones in this gallery are comically large). AKG's new(ish) flagship, the K812, comes with some seriously big ones (53mms). That size helps bring both clarity and mind-blowing headroom to your music. Throw in the brand's iconic double-arched headband, a suspended leather headpad, memory foam earcups, and a special cardanic hinge for ultimate comfort and sealing, and you'll be ready for those marathon Dark Side listening sessions. When you do need to take a break, these Austrian-made beauties even ship with an Omega laminated wood stand to display them on.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
GRADO PS1000 Most of us began our journey down the headphone rabbit hole with Grado. The company's SR60i and SR80i headphones are some of the best-sounding sub-$100 open-back models you can buy, and they've introduced many a frugal neophyte to the fineries of audiophilia. Stroll to the other end of Tune Town and you'll end up here, at the flagship PS1000. Proudly made in Brooklyn, the $1,700 headphones are the tippy-top of the Grado line, and thus the finest expression of the company's signature airy, roomy sound. The dynamic drivers have pretty low impedance (32 ohms) so you can plug them directly into your phone if you must. Hook them to an amp, however, and they produce a sound so alive, it's like you've resurrected Eric Dolphy for a desk-side rendering of 'God Bless the Child.' Using an amp is probably best anyway. They are big and heavy - beneath the cast alloy shells are earcups made of solid wood - and not at all portable.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
HIFIMAN HE-6 Like many of the other headphones in this gallery, the esteemed HE-6s use planar magnetic driver that are supremely thirsty. Don't expect to drive them with your iPod. In fact, to really take advantage of these $1,299 cans, you'll need an amp that can deliver some serious power--something like the Schiit Lyr or Hifiman's own EF-6. Once appropriately paired, however, you'll be rewarded with an sense of immediacy and that few other headphones can match. Queue up Pitamaha: Music from Bali, Dave Baker's first field recording of world music, and prepare to have your mind blown.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
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