The Best Wired Headphones for 2024 (2024)

At a time when most people use music streaming services and primarily rely on Bluetooth, it might seem like wired headphones are a relic of the past. But if you’re reading this, it’s because you know, deep in your heart, that a quality wired signal is still superior to just about any streaming signal. You might need an adapter to use wired headphones with your mobile device these days, but the better sound quality is worth the fairly inexpensive accessory for many.

Here, we take a look at both headphones (on-ear and over-ear) and earphones (in-ears) that still use cables. Yes, there are even better models available than the ones we list here, but we’re cutting it off at around $1,000 to keep things reasonable. If you're really looking to go all out, head over to our stories on the best headphones for audiophiles and studio musicians. Whichever route you go, know that many of the best models tend to favor accuracy over booming bass and heavily sculpted highs.

Note too that an increasing number of wireless headphones (and especially noise-cancelling models) can work passively via an aux cable. To keep the focus here purely on wired headphones, however, we’re excluding those products. That gives us plenty of space to talk about cabled headphones and earphones that simply output audio and, for the most part, don't do anything else.

With all that in mind, here's what to look for when you shop for wired headphones.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

Buying Guide: The Best Wired Headphones for 2024

Do Headphone Drivers Matter?

Between headphones and earphones, there's a range of driver styles. In headphones, the most common option is the dynamic driver—headphones typically only employ a single full-range driver in each earcup’s enclosure.

In recent years, audiophiles have gotten excited about planar magnetic drivers, which use a magnetic field to vibrate a large (compared with a dynamic driver) flat surface area. Planar magnetic drivers are typically sought after for their ability to deliver high levels of detail throughout the frequency range with very little distortion and highly accurate bass response. Like the even less common (and far more expensive) electrostatic drivers, the enclosures for these headphones are often large and not ideal for wearing out of the house. Many earphones that employ planar magnetic drivers look rather bulky and odd as well.

We are also now starting to see microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tech in consumer products. These silicon-based, solid-state drivers can produce faster transients and are more precise than alternatives. Moreover, manufacturers can ensure a more consistent driver-to-driver build, since they don’t rely on multiple moving parts.

Dynamic drivers or balanced armature are most common in earphones. Balanced armature drivers are notable for how tiny and lightweight they can be; these qualities allow manufacturers to include multiple balanced armature drivers in a single earpiece that covers different frequency ranges. Like two-way or three-way stereo speaker setups, this tends to lead to a more accurate sound signature, but it all depends on the driver tuning.

None of the above-mentioned options are necessarily better than the others, but they do affect the sound signature.

Earphones vs. Earbuds

Let's keep this short: There are no earbuds on this list. That's because no earbuds seal off the ear canal. Any in-ear models that rest outside of the ear canal create a host of sonic problems—ear-to-ear imaging suffers, as does the bass response.

In-ear models that seal off the ear canal (otherwise known as earphones) ensure proper left/right channel balance and can reproduce bass more effectively. People might use these terms interchangeably, and that’s fine, but for the sake of this story, the distinction is important.

Over-Ear vs. On-Ear Headphones

There are two basic builds for headphones. Circumaural designs fit wholly over and around the ear, encircling it with earpads that typically create a soft seal against the skin and scalp. Supra-aural models rest on the ear but don’t create a seal around it. These models are often called, respectively, over-ear and on-ear headphones—and frankly, both of those terms are much easier to remember for most people.

Audiophile-level headphones are more often than not over-ear; a seal around the ear leads to a more immersive experience, after all. But that doesn’t mean you can't find top-notch on-ear models. It might ultimately depend on your preference and use case: If you need headphones for recording or overdubbing in a studio, for example, over-ear headphones are often the way to go because they are less likely to leak audio.

Open vs. Closed Headphones

Not all over-ear headphones prevent audio from leaking, however. In fact, some purposefully push audio out—these are referred to as open, or open-back, designs. Why would you want headphones that purposefully leak audio? Because the open-back design, which allows you to hear your surroundings a bit, often provides a magical spatial feel by allowing more airflow around the drivers.

Closed headphones can also deliver magic, however, and are more appropriate for studio, office, and public settings, as they tend to leak far less audio.

What Does Sound Signature Mean?

Our goal is to highlight those options that we think sound best, so our choices don't include super-bass-boosted options, simply because they don't provide an accurate audio experience. Finding mega-bass headphones isn't hard, however—if anything, it’s been the trend for years now, and finding accurate pairs is the problem.

In our reviews, you might often see the terms “flat response” or “flat sound signature.” This might sound like a negative thing, but a flat sound signature merely means that it’s an accurate—or close to accurate—sound that doesn’t boost and sculpt the frequency range too much.

That said, all sound signatures have some boosting and sculpting—if they didn’t, everything would sound the same. In recent years, many accuracy-focused headphones and earphones have added in some bass depth because speakers and subwoofers have become more capable of reproducing deep bass rumble, and once that’s possible, artists and producers want to include deeper bass in their mixes. Thus, it’s not audiophile sacrilege to include some serious bass in a sound signature. As long as the bass is clean and accurate, it helps to replicate the deep lows that many modern mixes (and films) include.

What to Look for in a Headphone Cable

One nice feature to keep your eye out for is a removable cable. It’s far easier and more affordable to replace a cable than an entire pair of headphones and cables are usually the culprit when things go awry.

If you need to use your headphones or earphones to take calls, pay attention to whether the cable has an inline mic and remote control. Plenty of the audiophile or studio models skip remotes and mics, though some products include two cables, one with and one without. Most wired headphones also ship with a quarter-inch headphone jack adapter for stereo and pro audio gear. This is rarely the case with earphones, but nearly all 3.5mm earphones work with a quarter-inch adapter.

How Much Should You Spend on Wired Headphones?

As we mentioned earlier, we've capped choices here at around $1,000. Why? There are simply too many quality options out there below that price. Many we highlight are also available for less than their original retail price, but that's rarely a reflection of audio quality. Wired headphones aren't like cell phones. There’s not necessarily a new, better model every year. Some of these models have been on the market for years and have only had minor updates. When you get something right the first time, there’s no need to change it.

Remember, wired headphones require a little more maintenance than wireless models. Once you find the perfect pair, read up on our easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and the many ways you're using your headphones wrong.