It’s not easy creating the perfect
headphones. Music is so subjective that one human’s perfect pitch is a little
in bass for another, and too bright-sounding for pedant number three. The PFE
012s do about as good a job of satisfying disparate taste as any in-ears we’ve
tried. Building on the success of the pricier 111s, they dig up bags of detail,
deliver sweet vocals and a palpable soundstage, and up the bass to party-worthy
levels. They’re also barely – there light weight and subtly attractive. They
could easily sell for twice the price.
Killer
feature
Their tiny 14g heft makes the 012s great
foe exercise
Our
Ratings: 5/5 stars
Fantastic sound, noise blocking and comfort
at an excellent price. The perfect PMP upgrade
Bowers & Wilkins P3 $276.5 5/5 stars
Superb sound and a very solid and achingly
stylish design make these the best portable on-ears around. The fact that two
cables come in the box – one with a mic and remote for iPhones and one without
– only sweetens the already candy floss-like deal
Son XBA-4iP $447.5 5/5 stars
These chunky in-ears have four drivers
pumping exceptionally, detailed sound into each of your gloriously spoilt
lugholes, but despite the fairly hefty design they’re surprisingly comfortable,
too. They were $650.9 at launch, so $447.5 is a great deal
Sennheiser MM 450-X $423 5/5 stars
With hi-fi quality aptX Bluetooth,
noise-cancelling, great sound and a mic for use with smartphone, the awesomely
portable MM 450-X cans might be the only pair of headphones you ever need. Now
we’re just hoping the next iPhone has apt X built in
SoundMagic E10 $56.9 5/5 stars
I hese brilliant earbuds pack an awesome
punch, excellent balance from treble to bass and loads of detail. A stylish and
durable metal casing also makes them feel much more expensive than they
actually are. A new E10 version adds a mic and $24.5 to the price
Klipsch Image X10i $252 5/5 stars
A perennial favorite at Stuff Towers, these
tiny, mic-toning buds sound superb and are more comfortable than they look.
They launched at $374, so are something of a bargain, although the Lou
Signature Editions will still set you back about $325.5
Bose Quiet Comfort 15 $431 5/5 stars
Bose’s latest long-haul headphones are its
finest yet. Wearing a pair is as comfortable as binding pillows to your head
with silken thread, and both sound and noise cancelling are superb. The price
has trickled up a bit over the last month, but they’re still worth it.
Sennheiser IE 80 $358 5/5 stars
Although $358 might sound like a lot of
money for a pair of in-ears, there’s no denying the build or sound quality of
these top-notch Sennheisers. They’re both punchy and clear, but leave the bass
adjuster at the lowest level for the most balanced delivery
Grado iGrado $73 5/5 stars
The iGrado have been around a while but now
they’re back with a new driver, making them better than ever. Detail, punch and
superb tonal balance are the selling points, but they’re open-backed, so
commuters beware – you’ll be leaking sound all over the bus
Sennheiser CX $81.5 5/5 stars
Light, sweat-resistant and with a clever
‘EarFin’ to keep them in place, the CX 680i in-ears are the perfect partner for
sporty music lovers. They sound impressive, too, and have an in-line mic. Try
the PMX 680is ($73) if you’d prefer a neckband design
Instant expert
Tom
Parsons is deaf to criticism
I once mused to nobody in particular that
if they Sennheiser PXC 310 BT headphones had a mic for taking calls, they could
well be the only cans I’d ever need. Well, my wish has finally come true with
the launch of the Sennheiser MM 450-X ($488). Like the previous model, this is
a light, foldable pair of Bluetooth cans with the hi-fi-standard aptX codec,
noise-cancelling tech and controls built into the right-hand earcup, but
they’ve also got a microphone, making them as good for phone use as for normal
listening. Partner them with an aptX-enable phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S
III or HTC One X and they sound even better. If they didn’t need the occasional
recharge, I’d never take them off.
“Partner these Bluetooth cans with an aptX
phone like the S III”
What to look for
1.
Anti-noise
Headphones dampen background kerfuffle in
two ways: noise cancelling and sound isolating. The former uses powered
electronics to monitor the outside world and generate a neutralizing sound
wave. It’s normally integrated into comfy over-ear cans, great for long-haul
travel. The latter creates a physical barrier, often in the form of tiny but
invasive ‘in-ear monitors’ (IEMs), jammed into your lugs
2.
Open day?
Open-backed cans let noise in (and out).
The plus side is that they’re less claustrophobic and have a pleasing, airy
sound
3.
Drivers/ armatures
These create the music. Most headphones
have one per ear, but IEMs have up to four. The main benefit of extra drivers
is usually increased frequency response
4.
At the gym
Avoid in-line volume controls if you’re
working out, as they bounce around. Look for lightweight, water-resistant
designs.
