Best Headphones Under $500

Audiophile headphones under $500 split two ways: open-back models, where the sound is not sealed in, and wireless headphones and earbuds for listening away from the system. The open-back side here is Grado. The SR60, SR80, and SR325 share Grado's 44mm X2 driver, with the SR325 moving to a machined aluminum housing. The Signature S150 introduces the 44mm S driver with a paper-composite diaphragm, and the Hemp pairs hempwood with maple. The wireless side is Cambridge Audio: the Melomania P100 SE runs up to 100 hours with noise cancelling off, and the M100 and A100 earbuds use Class A/B amplification with aptX Lossless. For more, see all our headphones and headphone amplifiers.