The best and most stylish headphones
Words: Charlie Gardiner-Hill
Peace and quiet is hard to come by these days and, in place of the real thing, many of us choose to plug in and zone out on our commute, our plane journeys and while we sit at our desk, by donning a pair of headphones. In-ear headphones might be a necessary running accessory or good for making calls on the move, but for audio quality and on-head style, over-ear headphones are the only sensible option.
Here are 5 sets that you should invest in if you fancy some time to yourself.
Bose Quiet Comfort 25
The baseline: Industry leading noise-cancelling, low profile and comfortable around-ear fit.
Stand-out features: Built-in microphone and remote to control your calls and music.
Style points: Subtle simplicity
£269.95 from Bose
Phillips M1BT
The baseline: Renowned for minutely detailed sound, easy-to-use controls and memory foam cushions.
Stand-out features: Acoustic closed-back architecture specially designed to eliminate any unnecessary sound leakage, preserve sound details and allow for excellent bass extension.
Style points: Clean lines and an inoffensive black, but quite bulky.
£237.99 from Phillips
Bowers and Wilkins P3
The baseline: Bowers and Wilkins pride themselves on creating depth and detail in sound without big, bulky accessories.
Stand-out features: Incredibly light and low profile, can also be easily folded to fit into slim spaces.
Style points: An industrial and clean design in 4 bold colours (red, blue, white and black) that allow each set to be somewhat personalised.
Available in 4 colours at £169.99 from Bowers and Wilkins
B&O Play H6
The baseline: Adjustable to your head, the cable can be plugged into either ear and outrageous midrange sound performance with balanced treble and bass.
Stand-out features: 3 year warranty.
Style points: The stitching, premium leather and high build quality is what sets these headphones apart from the rest. Stylish to the point of stupidity. Even available in metallic special editions.
£329 from B&OPlay
Grado RS1e
The baseline: A very smooth and detailed sound dynamic, with a restrained bass that doesn’t overpower the sound.
Stand-out features: Its looks. (see below)
Style points: Retro styling featuring real aged mahogany and luxurious leather. For the gentleman with a sense of heritage.
£699.95 from Grado
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