Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2: A lot of us liked Shure’s original Aonic 50 headphones, but they had pretty mediocre noise cancellation. Well, the Gen 2 versions fix that problem — the noise cancellation is much improved — and Shure has more than doubled the battery life to about 45 hours (they now have a quick-charging feature) and also shrunk the headphones’ carrying case slightly, though it’s still not quite as compact. Those upgrades make the Aonic 50 Gen 2 a top-notch noise-cancelling headphone. While the Aonic 50 Gen 2s are fairly hefty at 12.5 ounces, they’re solidly built and comfortable, with nicely padded earcups. They deliver excellent sound quality, with very good clarity and well-defined bass. Shure calls them “studio headphones,” so the sound profile is fairly neutral, but you can add more bass in the EQ settings in the companion Shure app for iOS and Android (turning on the Spatializer setting in the app expands the soundstage a bit, but it doesn’t make a huge difference).
The Beoplay HX from Bang & Olufsen: Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay HX headphones are the successor to the company’s H9 series of headphones (the X is the Roman numeral for 10) and, like those earlier H9 models, the HX headphones have a suggested retail price of $599 (some colors are marked down on Amazon). That price makes them a direct competitor to Apple’s AirPods Max, which are heavier at 385 grams versus the HX’s 285 grams. I’m not sure whether the HX headphones are more comfortable than the AirPods Max, but I found the two models to be fairly equal in comfort over extended listening sessions, and these have the usual swanky B&O lambskin memory foam ear cushions. Their sound holds its own against the AirPods Max — it’s well-balanced overall, with deep, well-defined bass, natural-sounding mids (where vocals live), and inviting detail in the highs.
V-Moda M-200: V-Moda’s M-200 is one of the few wired headphones on this list. Released in late 2019, these over-ear headphones deliver a clear, detailed sound and have excellent bass response, while the soft earcups make them comfortable to wear. Featuring 50mm drivers with neodymium magnets, CCAW voice coils, and fine-tuning by Roland Engineers — yes, V-Moda is now owned by Roland — the M-200 is Hi-Res Audio certified by the Japan Audio Society. Other V-Moda headphones tend to push the bass a bit, but this set has the more neutral profile you’d expect from studio monitor headphones. They come with two cords, one of which has a built-in microphone for taking calls. It would be nice if V-Moda offered Lightning or USB-C cables for phones without a headphone jack. Note that V-Moda released the M-200 ANC ($350), a wireless version of these headphones with active noise cancellation. They also sound great, but their noise cancellation, call quality, and overall feature set don’t match the AirPods Max.
Mark Levinson No. 5909: These are the first headphones from premium audio brand Mark Levinson, and yes, they are expensive at $999. But they are also really good. They have a sturdy design without feeling heavy on your head (read: they’re substantial but not too heavy), and they’re comfortable to wear for long periods of time, thanks to their nicely padded and replaceable leather-wrapped earcups and headband. Read our Mark Levinson No. 5909 hands-on.
OneOdio A10: The OneOdio A10s deliver more than you’d expect for their relatively modest price. They’re better built than you’d think for around $90, and are quite comfortable to wear. They have a dual-hinged design and feel sturdy, weighing in at 395 grams. They sound surprisingly decent and have fairly good noise cancellation with a transparency mode (which does have a slightly audible hiss). The headphones also have very good battery life. Sure, they’re not as comfortable as the likes of Bose and Sony (they do feel a bit heavy), and their sound lacks that extra bit of clarity, bass definition, and depth that more premium headphones tend to deliver. But they exceeded my expectations and come with a decent carrying case, even if the OneOdio logo on it is a bit garish.
Technology EAH-A800: There’s a bit of an old-school vibe to the Technics EAH-A800 — and that’s not just the Technics brand, which Panasonic has revived in recent years. The design is a bit of a throwback, but these headphones are comfortable and can be folded or flat. They have a big, energetic sound with punchy bass and good detail, though they do take a day or two to break in.
