Here's the best headphones of 2017: which headphones should you buy?

Best headphones: which set should you buy?

Headphones are in an interesting place right now. Whereas previously most people stuck with the standard earbuds that came with their phone or MP3 player, nowadays more people than ever are upgrading to a pair of more premium cans.

There are some excellent reasons for doing so, a good pair of headphones can completely transform your music listening experience.

The right headphones will make your music sound detailed and lively, and can even make you feel as though you're right there in the room with them, rather than just hearing them through two speakers that you're wearing on your head.

But what's almost as important is finding a pair of headphones that matches the way you like to listen to music, whether it's throwing them into a gym bag for a quick run, or settling back in a comfortable armchair in your own home.

So where should you start when you're looking to find your ideal pair? We think you should focus on two things, your budget, and the form factor of headphones that you require.

When it comes to budget, if you're not careful you can end up spending hundreds, if not thousands, on a pair of headphones. But don't fret, if you've run out of kidneys to sell you can rest assured that it's perfectly possible to find a great sounding pair of headphones at a very reasonable price.

The second decision you'll have to make is around form-factor. You want a pair of headphones that are going to provide the right mix of portability and sound quality, and in order to do that you're going to need to decide between in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones.

While it's perfectly possible to get a great sounding pair of more portable headphones, in our experience a comparatively priced pair of bulkier cans will offer a better sound overall.

We've organised our guide to the best headphones available today into sections based on form-factor and price. We've picked our favourite pair of headphones in each form factor, and then we've selected an additional budget option for the price-savvy consumers.

Don't forget we've also got our form-factor specific guides to the best in-ear headphones , the best on-ear headphones and the best over-ear headphones in addition to our guides to the best noise-cancelling headphones and the best wireless headphones if you can't find what you're looking for on this list.

We've prepared a short video guide below to help you make the choice, and when you're done watching that you can dive into our full guide to the best headphones available. 

In-ear headphones

This type of headphone, more commonly referred to as an earbud or earphone, is usually the cheapest and easiest way to pump audio into your ears. If you've purchased an MP3 player, or more recently, a smartphone, it's likely that a set was included with the purchase.

Earphones rest in or just outside the ear canal, creating a tight seal to keep air out and sound in. Compared to other types of headphones, these are the most discreet ones you'll find. Their small form-factor also makes them the king/queen of portability and the prime choice for athletes.

You're not likely to find strong performers at the low-end of the price spectrum. Their sound delivery is generally muddled, lacking bass and overcompensating for that with harsh mids and highs. That said, it won't cost you much money at all to find a value-packed option complete with inline controls and a microphone.

On-ear headphones

While similar to over-ear headphones in appearance, they fit to your head a little differently. Instead of enveloping your ears with a soft cushion, on-ear headphones create a light, breathable seal around your ear. Thus, the noise isolation is much less effective than in-ear or over-ear options. This might be a dealbreaker for some, but there are big benefits to consider here.

On-ear headphones are usually more portable than their over-ear brethren, and as such they appeal to travellers and the fitness crowd. Taking a walk or a jog around town is also safer, as you can hear traffic go by and be aware of potential hazards.

Over-ear headphones

This ear-muff style of headphone generally provides greater richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and sounds much easier. Additionally, over-ear, or circum-aural headphones, go around the ear and offer a generous amount of padding.

The price range for a set of on-ear headphones begins around $100 and from there, the sky's the limit. For example, the Oppo PM-1 , while excellent, are priced exorbitantly at $1,099. It's definitely not necessary to spend that much. That said, you tend to get what you pay for.

If your headphone budget is in the $2-300, you'll start getting into options that have excellent build quality, premium materials and amazing sound and features like ANC (active noise cancellation.)

Wireless headphones

This style of headphone doesn't limit you to a specific form factor like the others. In fact, you can find in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphone styles sans wire.

Opting to go wireless will cost you a premium of anywhere between $50-100 over the price of wired cans. Going futuristic isn't cheap. One important thing to consider is that your music player must support the Bluetooth wireless protocol, as it's required to use this type of headphone.

Speaking of Bluetooth, it has become exponentially more reliable over time, but it's always susceptible to disturbances in the force. In short, any little thing, from the understandable (conflicting Wi-Fi signals, microwaves, cordless telephones), to the absurd (sticking a hand in the space between the device and the headphones) can sometimes interrupt a wireless listening experience.

Noise-cancelling headphones

This category, like wireless headphones, isn't limited to a form factor. You can find this clever mix of technologies integrated into the ear pieces of in-ear and over-ear headphones alike.

Many companies falsely claim to offer true noise cancellation with just the padding included around the ear cups. Don't believe it. This is PNC (passive noise cancellation), and it doesn't amount to much. You can even replicate this effect by cupping your hands around your ears, so why shell out the big bucks for it?

On the other hand, ANC (active noise cancellation) is the real deal. This technique employs a set of external microphones, which detect the decibel level outside. Once it has an idea of the incoming noise level, the headphone speakers inside transmit a noise generated to dampen the racket. The end result is an effect that hushes the outside noise, allowing you to focus.

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