Awesome Headphones

Best known for their over-the-ear cans, Grado’s GR8 is their first foray into the in-ear headphone market; each features a balance moving armature driver and is made in Japan.

Designed for travelers, Sennheiser’s MM 400/450 bluetooth headphones feature noise cancellation tech, fold flat, include an airline adapter and can even receive phone calls.

Sennheiser’s HD 4×8 headphones are a triple threat; the entry-level HD 428 uses neodymium, while the HD 448 tops out with gold plated plugs and a 16-24,000 Hz frequency response.

The successor to the QC2, Bose’s QuietComfort 15 headphone uses new mics and materials to both actively and passively cancel noise; the QC15 launches 8/20.

Plantronic’s Discovery 975 bluetooth headphones are style oriented, with chrome and pleather alongside dual mics, one-touch controls and a case that also doubles as a charger.

As slick as the A40 Audio System is, we’ve been hesitating until now: the Cardboard Tube Samurai Edition sports Penny Arcade tags and spearheads Astro Gaming’s Artist Series.

As if from a 1980s vision of the future, WeSC’s Pick Up headphones have a plastic and metal that’s at once forward looking and retro; they sport 30 mm drivers with 120 dB sensitivity.

iLuv’s iA15 adapter lets iPhone and iPod owners use their own headphones; it’s an in-line remote with built-in mic, VoiceOver support for shuffle and Voice Control for iPhone 3GS.

Klipsch throws its hat into the i-Ring with its S4i in-ear headphones, which include a mic and remote; like Apple’s own earphones, it’ll be compatible with the iPhone 3GS and Shuffle.

Shure makes their first foray into over-the-ear headphones with the SRH line; it’s a triplet of circumaural earpieces and ranges from the budget SRH240 to the pro-grade SRH840.

Created for gamers, Razer’s Moray+ in-ear headphones pack an omnidirectional mic; they also includes adapters for the PSP/DS/DSi, thick no-tangle cables and swappable ear-buds.

Surprisingly tame in design for Alienware, the TactX Headset is a pair no-nonsense gaming cans with closed ear cups, retractable mic, and 3 ft cord with generous 7 ft extension.

While its “second to none” claim is a bit much, Nokia’s BH-905 headphones are worth a gander with 10 mics that use Wolfson noise cancellation tech, Bluetooth and call/music controls.

Best known for their uber-expensive cans, Ultrasone goes down-market with these Zino semi-closed headphones; it sports 40mm gold-plated drivers, a chrome trim and a folding design.

Only audiophiles need apply for HiFiMAN’s HM-801; it’s a souped-up MP3 player with a modular amp bay and a Burr-Brown DAC, good for driving gobs of power to your headphones.

Targeted towards DJs, Eskuch√©’s 33 1/3 headphones are vintage-style cans with metallic finishes; spec-wise, you’ll get 40mm drivers and two swappable cords (one with a mic).

For those who demand pure sound, Denon’s AH-NC600 earbuds not only reduce ambient noise by 99% but feature a Radial Cascade Damper; it cuts out the noise from touched cables.

Iriver’s LZR Racer Aquabeat is an MP3 player that is designed for underwater use; it’s good at up to 3 meters and features 2GB of storage with up to eight hours of continuous playback.

From cans to blocks: WeSC’s ALP Horn headphones feature funky square earcups; they also sport a convenient dual headband system, with a flexible inner band that fits your head.

Klipsch isn’t known for kow-towing to the budget crowd, but their new in-ear S2 and S4 earphones do exactly that: less complex moving coil drivers and a larger enclosure keep costs down.

Get a unique pair of Beats by Dre cans courtesy ColorWare; 11 areas and 35 colors are available to customize, as well as your choice of brand new headphones or your own used pair.

Marginally cheaper than the Edition 9s, Ultrasone’s Edition 8 is still a premium headphone, with Ethiopian sheepskin ear cups, Ruthenium plating and MU-metal shielding.

Short for “Extra Bass”, Sony’s XB Series headphones pound out ultra-low bass beats; chose between three closed-ear models (XB700, 500, 300) and two in-ear versions (XB20EX, 40EX).