There are thousands upon thousands of headphone models available right now. Fortunately for you, we've made it our mission to test as many of them as possible. Whether it's big, high-impedance over-ear monsters or portable, Bluetooth-enabled in-ears, we've got you covered. By the time you're done, there's nothing you won't know about your favorite pair.

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Headphones

Best Gaming Headsets

Best Gaming Headsets of 2021

If you thought looks were everything, you must have heard it wrong. Until you’ve experienced a great gaming headset, you won’t understand the ceiling for immersive gameplay, and there's no turning back once you've found the one.

Headphones How-To

4 Ways To Improve Your Headphone Sound

4 Tricks To Improve Your Headphone Sound

At The Master Switch, we spend an awful lot of time thinking about audio. More importantly, we spend an awful lot of time thinking about how to improve it. Everything we do is geared towards creating bigger, better sound.
How To Tube Roll

How To Tube Roll

There are three types of audiophiles: those that find tube amplifiers to be the bee’s knees; those that swear only solid-state amps can produce true-to-life audio; and those that haven’t tried tube amps and are simply missing out.

Over-Ear Headphone Reviews

Review: 1More Triple Driver Over-Ear Headphones

Review: 1More Triple Driver Over-Ears

With very few flaws, and an almost endless number of positives, the TDOEs are among the best headphones you can buy for this price. If you're looking for something a little different, look no further.
AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium

Review: AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium

There were plenty of manufacturers ready to capitalise on the new Lightning standard, and Audeze, predictably, were one of them. The EL-8 Titanium is their attempt to create a pair of planar magnetic cans that can operate off an iPhone 7.
AUDEZE LCD2C Review

AUDEZE LCD-2 Classic Headphone Review

If you’re an audio company, thinking of sending us (or anybody else) product for review, here’s a super handy pro tip for how to catch our attention, and make whatever you’re sending stand out from the massive pile of gadgets we have...
AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon

Review: AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon

It’s always a bit of a gamble, calling something cool. Cool is such an ephemeral term. After all, Limp Bizkit were once cool. So were Capri pants, ironic T-shirts, Blackberries. The Audioquest NightHawk Carbons are cool, and always will be.
Review: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home

Review: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home

With headphones, it’s not just about the sound quality. There is so much more that makes a good pair, and it starts the moment you open the box. To be truly excellent, a pair of headphones has to impress from the very start.
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless

Review: Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless

The wireless headphones market is getting pretty crowded these days. Ever since Apple dropped the stink bomb about removing the headphone jack from the new iPhone models, manufacturers have been falling over themselves to issue Bluetooth headsets.
Review: Focal Clear Headphones

Focal Clear Review

To more established headphone companies like Sennheiser and AUDEZE, it must have felt like getting hit with a freight train. When French speaker manufacturer Focal made the decision to push deep into the market, few would have predicted their success.
Review: Focal Listen Wireless

Review: Focal Listen Wireless

The French company Focal are primarily known as speaker makers – but at the moment, they are enormously keen to get the word out about their headphones. Their Listen Wireless is an interesting attempt to hit the budget wireless market...
Review: Focal Utopia

Review: Focal Utopia

The Focal Utopia are the best headphones on the planet. That’s not hyperbole. It’s not shilling. It’s just the truth. Of all the hundreds of headphone models available today, these are the best. End of discussion.
Review: Fostex TH610

Review: Fostex TH610

If you love headphones like we do, one of the most annoying things is trying to convince others that they can be objects of beauty. Where we see smooth curves, perfect headband design, and clever use of materials, others only see bulky plastic...
Review: Grado SR325e

Review: Grado SR325e

Grado's SR325e headphones might not be the newest model, but the company recently shared a little bit of their cachet with us at The Master Switch, and since these headphones are still very much available, we decided we’d give them a full review.
HiFiMan Edition S

Review: HiFiMan Edition S

The HiFiMan Edition S. You might call them Schrodinger’s Headphones: they’re both closed and open back until you decide which one you want. They are also, just in case you were wondering, bloody brilliant.
MEZE 99 Classics

MEZE 99 Classics Headphone Review

Exquisite. That’s the word that came to mind when we first pulled the Romanian-made MEZE 99 Classics out of their carrier case. It’s not a reaction that most audio equipment inspires, and definitely not a reaction inspired by most headphones.
Review: MEZE 99 Neo

Review: MEZE 99 Neo

How do you top a classic? Because that’s what the original MEZE 99 Classics are – both in name, and in experience, a genuinely brilliant pair of headphones that we previously awarded Editor’s Choice. If you’re Antonio Meze, you don’t
Review: Master & Dynamic MH40

Review: Master & Dynamic MH40

New York’s Master & Dynamic remain one of the most underrated headphone companies around. They produce some absolutely phenomenal gear – such as the wireless MW50s – and it all started with the MH40s.
Review: Modular Mod-1 Wireless

Review: Modular Mod-1 Wireless

If you’ve never heard the name Modular, or Mod-1, we aren’t surprised. Until recently, we hadn’t either. But Modular has released a pair of wireless headphones that might just dethrone the uber-popular Beats by Dre Solo3 Wireless.
Review: Monoprice Monolith M1060

Review: Monoprice Monolith M1060

How would you like to read a review of the most hyped headphones on the planet? That’s no exaggeration. In the past year, no other pair of headphones has caused as much intrigue...
Review: Nuraphone

Review: Nuraphone

Despite what headphone makers would have you believe, major leaps forward have been few and far between. We’re talking tweaks, new materials, advanced tuning. Actual innovations don’t come along all that often. Until Nuraphone.
OPPO PM-2

Review: OPPO PM-2

It’s not often that a company known for making Blu-ray players creates waves in the audio world. And it’s a little sad that no matter how big OPPO gets, they will always inevitably be introduced with those words.
Parrot Zik 3 Wireless

Review: Parrot Zik 3 Wireless

Never before has one pair of cans offered so much. It’s as if the designers of Parrot’s new Zik 3 headphones decided to see just how many things they could pack into its slender frame.
Review: Phiaton BT 460

Review: Phiaton BT 460

When you test as much all your equipment as we do, it’s actually quite amazing how impatient you can get. Time and again, we find ourselves getting frustrated...
Review: PSB M4U 8 Wireless Headphones

Review: PSB M4U 8 Wireless

PSB Speakers is a household name. The head honcho, Paul Barton, really wanted to recreate the same PSB sound that we all know and love, and put that tech into something a little more portable.
Sennheiser HD630VB

Review: Sennheiser HD630VB

Whether you’re just getting into the world of audiophile headphones, or you’re an established geek looking for something new, you need to hear these.
Sennheiser HD1 Wireless

Review: Sennheiser HD1 Wireless

Some things in this world just work. Bacon sandwiches. Very cold beer. Dre and Pac on California Love. The relationship between Supergirl and The Flash. And the Sennheiser HD1s.
Sennheiser PXC 550

Review: Sennheiser PXC 550

The Sennheiser PXC 550s are simultaneously one of the most convenient, enjoyable pairs of headphones we’ve ever used, and also the most infuriating.
Sol Republic Master Tracks

Review: Sol Republic Master Tracks

Most headphone companies probably wouldn’t dare attempt what Sol Republic does with their Master Tracks. Put a pair of Sony headphones out the box, and all you have to do is plug them in and put them on. Not these.
Review: V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless

Review: V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless

You’re not going to believe us when we tell you this, but you can get everything you need to know about V-MODA by taking one look at their warranty program. See, they don’t call it a warranty. They call it the Immortal Life Guarantee.

On-Ear Headphone Reviews

Review: Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless Headphones

Review: Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless

Beyerdynamic make some of the best headphones on the planet. They’ve been doing it for quite a long time, so they know a thing or two about sound. But they have surprisingly few Bluetooth models...
Master & Dynamic MW50

Review: Master & Dynamic MW50

The world of on-ear Bluetooth headphones isn’t exactly known being a luxury market. One manufacturer looking to buck that particular trend is New York's Master & Dynamic.
Review: Puro Sound Labs BT5200

Review: Puro Sound Labs BT5200

One of the things that we, and just about everybody who loves music, are not very good at is looking after our hearing. When there are so many fantastic headphones and speakers to listen to, who cares about resting your ears?
Thinksound On2

Review: Thinksound On2

Very few audio designers are as accomplished as Aaron Fournier. After stints at Tivoli Audio and V-Moda, the Boston-based engineer started his own company, Thinksound, with the goal of making environmentally-friendly headphones that sounded fantastic.

In-Ear Headphone Reviews

Audiofly AF1120

Review: Audiofly AF1120

If it weren’t for the fact that the Audiofly AF1120 in-ear monitors are in the conversation for the best we’ve ever listened to, we would have chucked it in long ago. Because there are so. Many. Tangles.
Review: Brainwavz B200

Review: Brainwavz B200

Meet Brainwavz: a company with a slightly strange name, based out of Vancouver, Canada, who make some fun stuff. Most of it is of the portable audio variety, and their B200s are a good example.
Review: Brainwavz B400

Review: Brainwavz B400

Every so often, companies will send us multiple bits of gear to review. We love this – it plays merry hell with our review schedule, but it gives us a chance to compare and contrast, and really get an insight into their strengths and weaknesses...
Review: Focal Spark

Review: Focal Spark

Earbuds and in-ear monitors can be a really weird market. Its devotees are legion, and they’re often prepared to give these often very affordable and seemingly inconsequential devices a huge amount of love and attention and analysis.
Review: Focal Spark Wireless

Review: Focal Spark Wireless

Last year, we reviewed the Focal Spark, an excellent pair of buds that retail for a little under $70. When they were shipped to us, they also included the wireless version, unsurprisingly called the Focal Spark Wireless.
Jaybird Freedom Wireless

Review: Jaybird Freedom Wireless

Although they can initially be bewildering, they’re a real gem, and it’s clear that Jaybird put a lot of thought into the way they work. 
MEE audio Pinnacle P1

Review: MEE audio Pinnacle P1

Reviewing the MEE audio Pinnacle P1 earbuds is quite a challenge. They are both an almost reference-grade high-end set of monitors...
MEZE 11 Neo

Review: MEZE 11 Neo

We make no bones about being huge fans of MEZE Headphones here at The Master Switch. Why wouldn’t we be? The Romanian company blew our minds with the gorgeous 99 Classics over-ear model, which is probably our favorite pair of this year.
Review: Optoma NuForce BE2

Review: Optoma NuForce BE2

We were curious to try out Optoma NuForce's Be2 earbuds - while the company may be boring, in terms of corporate identity, their equipment has impressed us before.
Optoma Nuforce BE Sport3

Review: Optoma Nuforce BE Sport3

We’ll admit: it was a little bit surprising when we got a pair of sports earbuds from Optoma. It may have even been a bit of a “Wait, what?” moment. Optoma? The really good but slightly square company who make projectors, DACs, professional-grade...
Review: Periodic Audio Titanium

Review: Periodic Audio Titanium

We weren’t too familiar with Periodic Audio before. Yes, we know, perhaps we should be, but there are a lot of audio companies out there and we aren’t omniscient. We should have been paying closer attention...
RHA T20i

Review: RHA T20i

Through its precision engineering and already acclaimed audio performance, RHA - a Glasgow-based company specialising in in-ear tech - has already managed to attract plenty of attention...
Rock Jaw Alfa Genus V2

Review: Rock Jaw Alfa Genus V2

Rock Jaw Audio is an independent headphone manufacturer that was founded in June 2012 from a humble bedroom in leafy Leicestershire, England. Focusing exclusively on the earbud headphone market...

Wireless Headphone Reviews

Review: Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless Headphones

Review: Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless

Beyerdynamic make some of the best headphones on the planet. They’ve been doing it for quite a long time, so they know a thing or two about sound. But they have surprisingly few Bluetooth models...
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless

Review: Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless

The wireless headphones market is getting pretty crowded these days. Ever since Apple dropped the stink bomb about removing the headphone jack from the new iPhone models, manufacturers have been falling over themselves to issue Bluetooth headsets.
Review: Focal Listen Wireless

Review: Focal Listen Wireless

The French company Focal are primarily known as speaker makers – but at the moment, they are enormously keen to get the word out about their headphones. Their Listen Wireless is an interesting attempt to hit the budget wireless market...
Review: Focal Spark Wireless

Review: Focal Spark Wireless

Last year, we reviewed the Focal Spark, an excellent pair of buds that retail for a little under $70. When they were shipped to us, they also included the wireless version, unsurprisingly called the Focal Spark Wireless.
Jaybird Freedom Wireless

Review: Jaybird Freedom Wireless

Although they can initially be bewildering, they’re a real gem, and it’s clear that Jaybird put a lot of thought into the way they work. 
Review: Modular Mod-1 Wireless

Review: Modular Mod-1 Wireless

If you’ve never heard the name Modular, or Mod-1, we aren’t surprised. Until recently, we hadn’t either. But Modular has released a pair of wireless headphones that might just dethrone the uber-popular Beats by Dre Solo3 Wireless.
Review: Nuraphone

Review: Nuraphone

Despite what headphone makers would have you believe, major leaps forward have been few and far between. We’re talking tweaks, new materials, advanced tuning. Actual innovations don’t come along all that often. Until Nuraphone.
Parrot Zik 3 Wireless

Review: Parrot Zik 3 Wireless

Never before has one pair of cans offered so much. It’s as if the designers of Parrot’s new Zik 3 headphones decided to see just how many things they could pack into its slender frame.
Review: Phiaton BT 460

Review: Phiaton BT 460

When you test as much all your equipment as we do, it’s actually quite amazing how impatient you can get. Time and again, we find ourselves getting frustrated...
Review: PSB M4U 8 Wireless Headphones

Review: PSB M4U 8 Wireless

PSB Speakers is a household name. The head honcho, Paul Barton, really wanted to recreate the same PSB sound that we all know and love, and put that tech into something a little more portable.
Review: Puro Sound Labs BT5200

Review: Puro Sound Labs BT5200

One of the things that we, and just about everybody who loves music, are not very good at is looking after our hearing. When there are so many fantastic headphones and speakers to listen to, who cares about resting your ears?
Sennheiser HD1 Wireless

Review: Sennheiser HD1 Wireless

Some things in this world just work. Bacon sandwiches. Very cold beer. Dre and Pac on California Love. The relationship between Supergirl and The Flash. And the Sennheiser HD1s.
Sennheiser PXC 550

Review: Sennheiser PXC 550

The Sennheiser PXC 550s are simultaneously one of the most convenient, enjoyable pairs of headphones we’ve ever used, and also the most infuriating.
Review: V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless

Review: V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless

You’re not going to believe us when we tell you this, but you can get everything you need to know about V-MODA by taking one look at their warranty program. See, they don’t call it a warranty. They call it the Immortal Life Guarantee.