What to Look for in an Audiophile Grade Headphone

If you're the sort of person who can hear the difference between FLAC and a 320kbps MP3, welcome, you’re among friends. Whether you’re deep into your headphone journey or just dipping your toes into the high fidelity pool, finding the perfect audiophile grade headphones is a rite of passage.

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But what exactly makes a pair of headphones “audiophile grade”? Is it all about price tags and exotic materials? Or is there more to the story? This guide breaks it down for you, no nonsense, just pure, technically chill audiophile geekery.

1. Driver Types: Know What Powers Your Sound

The driver is the beating heart of your headphones, the tiny speaker that creates the sound. In audiophile gear, the driver type can have a massive impact on sonic characteristics. Here's a quick rundown:

Dynamic Drivers

The most common, but not necessarily “basic.” They use a voice coil and diaphragm driven by magnets. When well engineered (think Sennheiser HD 600 or Focal Clear), they deliver rich bass and natural mids.

Planar Magnetic Drivers

Larger, thinner diaphragms suspended in a magnetic field. These deliver astonishing detail and control across frequencies, low distortion, and fast transients. Look at Audeze or HIFIMAN models if you want to experience that planar magic.

Electrostatic Drivers

The holy grail for many audiophiles. These use electrically charged diaphragms for near zero distortion and unmatched detail retrieval. They require specialised amps (energizers), and are pricey think STAX.

Balanced Armature

More common in IEMs (in ear monitors). They excel at specific frequency reproduction and are often used in multi driver setups. Great for detail, but can feel sterile without proper tuning.

Geek Tip: Driver type alone doesn’t determine quality. It’s the implementation, housing, tuning, crossover (in multi driver setups) that separates the good from the great.

2. Open Back vs Closed Back: Choose Your Listening Space

Open Back Headphones

These let air and sound escape, creating a wide, airy soundstage. Perfect for home listening. You’ll hear more natural reverb and spatial cues, ideal for orchestral music, jazz, and acoustic genres.

Pros:

• Natural soundstage

• Less pressure on ears

• Often more accurate

Cons:

• Zero isolation

• Sound leakage (everyone in the room hears your tunes)

Best For: Dedicated listening sessions in quiet environments.

Closed Back Headphones

Designed to contain sound, these provide isolation from external noise, great for studio monitoring, travel, or when your partner doesn’t want to hear your prog rock marathon.

Pros:

• Better noise isolation

• More bass punch

• No sound bleed

Cons:

• Tighter soundstage

• Can feel “boxed in” if poorly tuned

Best For: On the go listening or noisy home setups.

Geek Tip: Many serious collectors have both types for different use cases. You're not a hoarder, you're an enthusiast.

3. Impedance & Sensitivity: Matching Headphones with Amps

Don’t overlook the electrical side of headphones. Impedance and sensitivity affect how your headphones interact with your source gear, phone, DAC, amp, etc.

Impedance (measured in ohms)

High impedance headphones (e.g. 300Ω) need more voltage and benefit from dedicated amplifiers. Lower impedance models (e.g. 32Ω) can be driven by laptops or phones but may lack headroom or dynamics.

Sensitivity (dB/mW)

Indicates how loud the headphones will be with a given input. Low sensitivity + high impedance = amp required.

Best Practice: Pair high impedance cans like the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro or Sennheiser HD800S with a proper amp. Running them off your smartphone? That’s like putting a race car on a go kart track.

Geek Tip: A great DAC/amp setup unlocks potential in ways that specs on a box can’t describe.

4. Frequency Response & Tuning: The Sonic Fingerprint

Sure, specs like "20Hz to 20kHz" look good on paper, but what really matters is how the headphone is tuned.

Neutral / Reference Tuning

Flat response, ideal for studio use. Every instrument and vocal is rendered without colour. Think Etymotic ER4XR, Sennheiser HD600.

V Shaped Tuning

Emphasised bass and treble, recessed mids. Fun for casual listening and electronic music. Think FiiO FT5 or some Grado models.

Warm / Lush Tuning

Rolled off treble, boosted mids or low end. Easy on the ears, excellent for long sessions. Great for vinyl lovers.

Bright Tuning

Crisp highs, lots of detail. Can be fatiguing if overdone. Good for classical or vocal led music.

Geek Tip: Look at frequency response graphs, but trust your ears. Try before you buy, or check reviews with proper measurements (shoutout to Crinacle and RTINGS).

5. Comfort & Build Quality: Listen All Day, Not Just 20 Minutes

Audiophile grade means long sessions. Uncomfortable headphones, no matter how great they sound, will end up in the drawer.

Key Comfort Factors:

• Headband Padding: Avoid hotspots.

• Clamp Force: Secure, but not skull crushing.

• Weight: Planar models can be heavy, balance matters.

• Ear Pad Material: Velour is breathable, leather isolates better, hybrids are best of both.

Build Quality Must Haves:

• Metal frame or high grade plastics

• Replaceable pads and cables

• Good yoke articulation for different head shapes

• Warranty / serviceability a big plus in premium models

Geek Tip: Try them on if you can. A headphone stand isn’t enough, your ears will tell you what works.

6. Cables, Connectors & Balanced Output: More Than Just Accessories

Don’t underestimate cable quality, especially at this level.

Detachable Cables

A must. You’ll want to replace or upgrade without binning the whole unit.

Balanced vs Unbalanced

Balanced outputs (like 4.4mm or XLR) offer better channel separation and less noise, especially with powerful amps.

Geek Tip: Cable upgrades won’t transform bad tuning, but they can help reduce noise, add flexibility, and prolong life. Bonus points for custom braided cables.

7. Wired vs Wireless: The Audiophile Dilemma

Let’s be honest: wireless tech is improving, but for pure, uncompromised audio? Wired still reigns.

Wireless Cans (e.g. Sony WH 1000XM5, Focal Bathys)

Convenient, great for commutes or work. Some support high res codecs like LDAC or aptX HD, but compression still exists.

Wired Cans

No latency, no compression, pure signal path. The preferred choice for purists and those with high end sources.

Geek Tip: If convenience is key, go hybrid. Use wireless for casual and wired for critical sessions.

8. Price vs Performance: Where to Start?

Audiophile grade doesn’t always mean shelling out thousands. Some mid tier headphones punch well above their weight.

Entry Level Legends (£100 to £300):

• Sennheiser HD560S

• HIFIMAN HE400se

• Audio Technica ATH R70x

Mid Range Sweet Spot (£300 to £800):

• Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro

• Audeze LCD 2 Classic

• Focal Elegia

Endgame Territory (£800+):

• Sennheiser HD800S

• Focal Utopia

• Audeze LCD 5

• STAX SR L700 (with energiser)

Geek Tip: Spend smart. A great DAC/amp combo and a £400 headphone often outperform a £1,000 pair plugged into a phone.

Final Thoughts: The Sound That Speaks to You

In the end, “audiophile grade” is as much about emotion as it is about engineering. It’s about how the music makes you feel, the goosebumps when the strings swell, the crisp snare crack that feels like it’s right in the room with you.

So trust your ears. Read the specs, understand the tech, but don’t forget to listen. That’s what being an audiophile is all about.

—Dave Hall, Audio & Sound Technology | The Tech Advisor