Audiophile headphones are designed from the ground up for greater detail and resolution, allowing you to hear the song as the artist intended.
If you want to hear your favorite songs better than ever before, these are the best audiophile headphones you can buy under $1,000.
Best Audiophile Headphones Under $1000
1. AEON 2 Closed-Back Headphones
The AEON 2 closed-back headphones from Dan Clark Audio combine all the elements of a truly great audiophile headphone: great sound, design, form factor, and exceptional comfort.
Portability is important for any high-end headphones, and the AEON 2 delivers on its promise to be a portable option for listeners.
Its compact design makes it perfect for travel, and it folds up nicely, especially when it comes with the included hard case.
The AEON 2 delivers a neutral, warm sound. You get a present midrange, comfortable highs, and a solid, powerful, and punchy low end.
Experience your favorite vocalists singing right in front of you in an intimate, up-close-and-personal soundstage.
It can handle a wide range of genres, from the energy of rock and alternative to the smoothness of jazz and classical.
Our Silver Dragon headphone cable is a great match for warm-toned headphones like the AEON 2 Closed, as it pulls out the hidden mids and highs while adding some top-end resolution.
Dan Clark’s AEON 2 Noire Closed-Back headphones are very similar to the AEON 2 Closed, but feature a sleek black finish with a slightly different tuning.
The AEON 2 Noire delivers a richer low end, airier mids, and a more vibrant top end than the AEON 2 Closed.
You still get the same great form factor, portability, and comfort. If you’re drawn to genres like pop, R&B, and electronica and like a more energetic and slightly deeper sound, this is a great choice.
If you want a little more detail and resolution, we recommend pairing it with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable.
2. Sennheiser HD 650
With its continued popularity and current price of $649.95, the Sennheiser HD 650 is still our top pick for the best headphones under $1000.
Released in 2003, these open-back headphones have stood the test of time, delivering reference-quality sound that appeals to both audiophiles and casual listeners.
The design of the HD 650 focuses on comfort and durability, with generous padding around the earcups and headband, and a build that has been optimized over the years.
Weighing in at 260 grams, they are light enough for long listening sessions without discomfort.
The lack of a storage case and folding hinge emphasizes that they are intended for use in a home or studio environment.
One of the main appeals of the HD 650 is its sound quality. Tuned by Axel Grell, these headphones are praised for their universally accepted sound that many consider a benchmark.
Equipped with 42mm transducers with 38mm diaphragms, they deliver clarity and detail across a wide range of genres.
The frequency response is well in line with the typical studio target response curve, but there is a gentle roll-off in the low frequencies below 100Hz and a slight undershoot in the high frequencies around 10kHz.
This slight sub-bass roll-off may be the only noticeable drawback for most users. Connection is simple, with a 3m cable terminating in a standard 1/4-inch TRS plug and an adapter for a 3.5mm jack included.
The sensitivity of the HD 650 means that a dedicated amplifier is not required, but this is something to consider depending on your source device.
In terms of the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS), the HD 650 scores highly for tonality, accurately reproducing the frequency spectrum and timing information.
However, it scores low for immersion, indicating that it is less adept at defining virtual sound sources in space.
Still, the sound quality, comfortable design, and user-replaceable cables make it a worthwhile investment, especially considering the industry’s changing pricing trends.
3. Dali-IO 8
Dali has mastered the art of turning your home into a high-end audiophile space. Now, they’re perfecting the technology to make that space accessible on the go with a pair of headphones.
The latest model to get a lot of attention is the Dali IO-8, the successor to the top-of-the-line IO-12.
I was lucky enough to test them out myself and see how the sound quality translates from speakers to cans. At $900, the Dali IO-8 is a high-end model that will grab a lot of attention in the Bluetooth world.
At $900, the Dali-IO 8 is definitely something you’ll want to consider before you buy. If you like noise-cancelling and driving low-end, these headphones could be worth the investment.
They’re stylish and comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
These headphones make it easy to block out the noise on your morning commute or lock in while working in the office, and they offer over 30 hours of high-quality sound.
To find out if they’re right for you, I recommend listening to them in person and testing them out with your favorite tracks.
4. Audeze LCD-2 Open Headphones
The Audeze LCD-2 open-back headphones are the original and groundbreaking product that brought Audeze to the world of audiophile and review magazines alike.
Beautifully handcrafted, the LCD-2 delivers audiophile-grade, low-distortion sound that beautifully captures the power and nuance of your favorite music.
The Audeze LCD-2 transducer is the most generous in the LCD collection, with a proprietary magnetic structure that provides perfectly even flux distribution across the diaphragm.
The LCD-2’s full sonic potential is revealed when driven by an external headphone amplifier or integrated amplifier.
Impedance is 70 ohms. Every component in the LCD-2 has been meticulously designed with one goal in mind: to reproduce sound as the artist intended.
We recommend pairing your Audeze LCD-2 open-back headphones with the Silver Dragon Premium Cable for Audeze Headphones.
The Silver Dragon greatly improves instrument separation and detail. The top-end sizzle adds clarity. It’s a perfect match for the warm, bass-heavy LCD-2 and LCD-3.
5. RS1x Headphones
The Grado RS1X is a sweet-looking trio of woods. It combines maple, hemp, and cocobolo in a stunning earcup design, and together with the RS2X from the Reference Series, it provides a wonderfully warm tone to your music.
The RS1X uses the new X Series drivers, which are larger 50mm drivers specifically tuned for the triple-wood RS1X.
It’s particularly suitable for many genres, such as rock and folk, but the tone is also great for heavier music, such as metal and grunge.
The wood adds good body to the midrange, making guitars sound thick and rich.
As with other revisions to the X Series, a more robust cable and headband padding have been added, and these changes alone will significantly improve the comfort of these great-sounding headphones.
Overall, the RS1X is the top of Grado’s Reference Series lineup. And yes, it sounds just as good as it looks.
6. Meze Audio ALBA Dynamic Driver IEM
Alba, Meze Audio’s latest IEM, is perfect for everyday listening in any scenario. Alba vividly highlights every aspect of your favorite songs with its neutral and warm sound signature.
Alba is built with everyday listening in mind, with an ergonomic shape that sits comfortably on your ears, providing exceptional comfort and excellent noise isolation.
The Alba, a single dynamic driver IEM, is easy to use and can be powered by your smartphone using a 3.5mm USB-C adapter cable.
This specially designed adapter provides a built-in DAC/amp combo to ensure an immersive listening experience.
The adapter also has an LED indicator that lights up when properly connected.
Designed for those who dance to their own beats, the curious, and the free-spirited, the Alba IEM is a completely accessible and qualitative introduction to the world of high-end audio enjoyment.
7. Sennheiser IE600 earphones
The Sennheiser IE 600 is a great choice for audiophiles who want a small size and a natural and detailed sounding IEM.
The IE 600 is not as neutral or detailed as the flagship IE 900, but it is quite good in both aspects.
As you would expect from an IEM, the sound is relatively intimate, but the IE 600 still does a pretty good job of keeping the imaging and various instruments and vocals in place.
While they are suitable for a variety of music styles, the IE 600 is particularly well suited to anything that requires a natural yet expressive presentation, such as vocals, acoustic music, folk, blues, and Americana.
I enjoyed them with strings, and especially with vocals.
While some people prefer a bigger, wider sound for genres like classical or jazz, the IE 600 is more than up to the task of making music sound fantastic with a more intimate presentation.
Conclusion
For under $1,000, you can find audiophile headphones that deliver the best sound quality and beat most popular consumer brands, and there are a variety of options to suit a variety of listeners and preferences.
From amazing value to portability and sound-isolating headphones, there’s a headphone for every price range. We’ve got you covered.
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