There’s no denying
it; wireless headphones are all the rage these days. Whether it is premium over-ears or budget buds, cable-free devices seem to be all but ubiquitous. And with good reason. Apart from the convenience of not having to worry about a cable, wearers can enjoy good-quality sound along with a raft of other treats such as noise cancelling and lengthy battery life.
But that is not the whole story. Buck for buck, you will almost always enjoy better sound quality from a pair of wired headphones than from the wireless variety. In some cases you will even need to pay twice as much for your cable-free cans to get sonic equivalence. In a world where perceived convenience often holds sway over outright quality, that fact often gets overlooked; but for those of us who care about music as food for the soul rather than just a pleasant distraction, it is of critical importance.
Then there’s the advantage that wired headphones have over their wireless cousins when it comes to using domestic hi-fi kit. Not many home systems have a Bluetooth output, so in that scenario wireless headphones are largely redundant.
True, many smartphones lack the 3.5mm output needed for listening to wired headphones on the go, but adding a compact, affordable DAC such as the Audioquest DragonFly not only solves that problem, it also boosts sound quality still further.
So, to bring them out of the shadows, here’s our round-up of quality affordable wired headphones, ranging from AKG’s remarkable K92 to the excellent Meze Audi 99 Classics. Our advice? Follow these leads.
AKG K92
AKG strikes gold with these great value headphones
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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YG Acoustics Carmel 3
On paper, the Carmel 3 from Colorado-based speaker specialist YG Acoustics has a credibility problem. They cost a huge amount of money but are small, rather plain-looking two-way floorstanders.
SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V
SME launched the Model 20 turntable back in 1992. The partnering tonearm on our review sample, the now legendary Series V, dates back even further to 1986.
TOP FIVE LAUNCHES
Five products to look out for this month
Real slim shady...
FOR Slim profile, superb dispersion, soundstage AGAINST Can get a little expensive
THE BIG PICTURE
This projector-based home cinema set-up aims to please
MOVIES ON THE MOVE
Great pictures and quality sound-wherever you are
DREAM CINEMA
An incredible high-end home cinema experience, at a price
GAMING GEM
Serious gamers will be well served by this serious rig
CINEMATIC STUNNER
A truly immersive system for both gaming and movie nights
SOUNDBAR SUPERSTAR
The benefits of a surround set-up, without the fuss