Wired Headphones Still Win at Audio Quality. Here Are 6 of the Best Pairs

By Brandt Ranj

Brandt Ranj

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Table of Contents

Choosing to wear headphones instead of earbuds means you’ve made the conscious choice to sacrifice portability for audio quality, but you can take that commitment to sound quality a step further by picking up a pair of the best wired headphones.

Being tethered to your audio source is obviously less convenient and can cause snags, but it’s still the most reliable way to get high-quality audio from the source to your ears. It’s also much more affordable, and, as of late, the cool way to get your music. There’s an entire Instagram account called Wireditgirls that showcases celebs who’re rocking wired headphones, and Addison Rae made corded cans one of the centerpieces of her music video for last year’s single Headphones On.

At a Glance: The Best Wired Headphones

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Audeze LCD-X

JBL Tune 520C

Sennheiser HD 400U

Audio Technica ATH-M50X

Shure SRH440A

There are plenty of little reasons to choose wired headphones over a wireless pair: You never have to worry about charging them, you can listen to high-resolution audio without compression, and the components won’t degrade as quickly, which means you can use them for longer than most wireless cans. You also won’t have to deal with wired headphones cutting out if there’s a lot of wireless interference in densely populated areas.

Another reason why musicians, producers, DJs, and other audio professionals use wired headphones is the lack of latency, or lag. There’s a (typically) imperceptible amount of lag between when you hit play on your audio source and the music actually hitting your headphones. If you’re cutting a track, that little bit of lag may throw off a part of your song, making it sound wonky during production. Similarly, active noise cancellation — a common feature of wireless headphones — can change their sound profile. You don’t have to make music to reap all the benefits of using wired headphones, but we do especially recommend keeping a pair of them around if you do.

What to Consider When Buying Wired Headphones

Headphone style: Headphones come in two styles: on-ear and over-ear. On-ear headphones are lighter and smaller, but don’t cover your entire ear like over-ear headphones do, which allows outside noises to leak in a little more. Over-ear headphones are bigger and heavier, but generally sound better overall, and create the best listening environment. Both styles of headphones have large drivers (the part of headphones and speakers that create audio), so they’ll sound better than earbuds.

Open vs. Closed: Wired headphones can also be separated into open- and closed-back styles. Open-back headphones allow audio to freely leak in and out of them, but generally sound a little more like listening to music through speakers. They’re not great for use in public spaces, and give up some bass, but some users find that open-back headphones sound more “natural.” Most headphones have a closed back, which isolates you from the world and doesn’t let sound leak out as much. However, sound will hit the back of your headphones and reverberate, which can reduce the quality compared to open-back headphones. Most headphones have a closed back, so you won’t notice any difference unless you conduct an A/B test with the same music to find the style of headphone that suits you best.

Connector type: I tested headphones that terminate in a USB-C jack, which allows you to plug them directly into a smartphone or tablet without an adapter, and models that terminate in a 3.5mm audio jack, which you can still find on some computers and CD players. Some models with a 3.5mm audio connector also come with an adapter that allows you to connect them to a headphone amp, stereo receiver, audio interface, or other more specialized audio equipment. You can still connect that style of headphone to your portable device, but you’ll need to pick up a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.

Active noise cancellation: One of the biggest technical features you give up when choosing wired headphones is active noise cancellation. You’ll still get passive noise cancellation (the result of your headphones’ padding providing insulation), but the difference between that and ANC is stark. It makes wired headphones less appealing for traveling or commuting on public transportation. Many noise-canceling headphones allow you to use them as a wired pair via either USB-C or through a 3.5mm audio jack built into the cans, but many times you’ll still need to turn them on to unlock that feature, which will drain their battery.

Detachable cables: Some wired headphones’ cables are soldered directly to them, while others allow you to swap out the cord. The benefit of using headphones with a detachable cable is that you can easily and inexpensively replace that component if it frays over time, which can extend their life. The downside is that the cable can pop out at both ends, or the port can degrade from exposure to the outside world.

Replaceable earpads: Another design feature of certain wired headphones is replaceable earpads. Sweat and movement will eventually cause the earpads of almost every pair of headphones to flake and fray, though that can take several years of daily use. Some models allow you to swap out earpads, so you can extend their life. Be sure to search the exact model of headphone you’re using, plus the word earpads, when looking for a replacement.