Best Headphones Under $1000 in 2024

How to Choose the Best Headphones Under $1000

Sound Quality

If you are in the market for new noise cancelling cans, especially around this higher-end price range, the best sound quality is most likely your most important concern. Premium headphones come with a high price, but also offer extremely high levels of quality for overall great sound, balance, and more.

Audio quality and range of frequency can span from 5 Hz to 120 kHz depending on the designated use of the headphones. Studio headphones or those made for professional sound mixers and samplers will have a much wider frequency span and overall audio quality guarantee. This is because these headphones are often used together with a variety of media mixing and audio balancing equipment that can hear those unique highs and lows your ears may not be able to.

While the highest priced headphones may not always have the most detailed sound quality, it’s almost guaranteed that the best headphones under $1000 will have a audio quality that is miles above their much cheaper entry-level comparisons. Before making your purchase, always consider the audio quality guarantee, the frequency span, and your needs in a headphone.

Comfort Level

For long term wearing, comfort is very important. If you spend a lot of time in the studio or stage, or are a streamer or other content creator, you may find yourself wearing your headphones for several hours on a daily basis. For headphones with a low level of comfort, this can be extremely painful for your ears and scalp.

Over time, pressure can build up on your head from wearing the headphones. If they are heavier headphones, the pain can start on the scalp where the headband is. If they are tight on your head, your ears will start to fatigue and become painful in the cartilage.

Comfort levels can be defined by how much and what type of padding is used, as well as the covering on that padding. Foam padding is the default, though it could be a variety of densities, memory foam, or even gel foam. Coverings can be anything from vinyl which can get hot, to leather, and even microfiber or velour.

For IEMs or earbuds, comfort will depend on the type of tips and how the earbud is placed on your ears. Silicone earbud tips are usually more comfortable than foam, but foam can offer better sound isolation. Hook style IEMs are similar to glasses and won’t put pressure on your inner ear, so they can be much more comfortable over several hours of continuous use.

Design Quality

Every manufacturer will have their own little flair when it comes to design. Some might use a specific accent aesthetic while others will focus on a certain shape of the ear covers or headband. The design quality when it comes to the exterior will not have any effect on the audio quality, but can alter the comfort levels as well as the weight of the headphones.

Many of the most common design elements you will notice are in the ear covers since these are normally the most noticeable area of the headset. Ear coverings can be large, bold, and bulky, or thin and sleek depending on the manufacturer’s vision. If they have various models in the same line, the chances are good they will all share the same general look and aesthetic so you can easily notice them from a distance.

Smaller accents can include chrome or aluminum strips adding a flash of reflective color, RGB lighting, or stylized logos. Ear coverings themselves can be round, oval, or squared as well. Retro style headsets will normally be large and bulky with round ear covers to make a very visible statement to anyone in the area.

Connection Options

The most common connection option you can find for larger over-ear headphones is a 3.5 mm or 6.3 mm headphone jack. These jacks are the original connection type and are perfectly suited for a wide range of modern devices including stereo systems, record players, DJ stages, PCs, and more.

Additionally, you can find a range of different adapters for each of those standard headphone jack types. The 3.5 mm jacks can be adapted for 6.3 mm or USB, while the 6.3 mm headphone jack can be downsized to 3.5 mm or USB for better connectivity to a wide range of common devices.

For IEMs and earbuds, connections are usually 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth wireless. Either option offers a great versatility for listening, and as with the normal headphones, the 3.5 mm headphone jack for an IEM can be adapted to fit other connection sockets. Bluetooth wireless connections are usually Bluetooth 5.0 but 7.0 and 4.0 are also common.

Extra Features

Depending on the brand, headphones can have a wide range of extra features, or may have just a few. These extra features can alter the overall quality of sound and comfort, or can just be for aesthetics. Some of the common aesthetic choices are interchangeable ear cups to make them a different color, or decorative accents that can be placed onto the headband.

For extra features that actually change the already great sound quality, there can be different levels of sound isolation and noise cancellation. For example, some headphones have different versions of the same model. Version 1 might be the base model with no bells and whistles, while V2 and V3 could have extra features such as high quality noise cancellation, dynamic sound isolation, and more. It’s the same headphone as the base, but has the extra features you can purchase if they meet your needs.

Extra features can also include things like different ear tips for IEMs and earbuds, or different pads for your ear cups on over-ear headphones. Some headphone brands will have fabric and leather ear cup covering options which not only change the style and look of the headset, but the general comfort as well. Additionally, some thicker pads or leather covers can help isolate sound better within the headphone increasing the balance of tones you hear.

Battery Life

Since most studio quality headphones are corded, there is very little need to worry about battery lifespan. Any power needs you have will be supplied through the cable by the device you are connected to.

For in-ear monitors or earbuds, Bluetooth wireless connections are common. In this case, battery life will be a very important consideration. Some earbuds, IEMs, and wireless headphones may have a range of extra features which draw heavily from the battery life, so they may only last 8-10 hours on a single charge.

Other headsets and IEMs may have less draining features and could have a battery life of 24 hours or longer. Some of the best battery lifespans can range up to 50 hours of continuous high volume use. These same batteries can be fully charged within 5 hours as well, while others may need to be recharged overnight or at different intervals throughout the day.

Price Range

If you are looking for the best of the best, premium prices may not be of much concern to you. Premium headphones can be extremely expensive, with some being in the investment-range category as far as price. Prices from $800 to $1200 are not uncommon for extremely well-made, highly praised professional studio headphones. If the price is too much for you, we also reviewed headphones under $600 here.

However, high price does not always mean high quality and this is very important to remember. Some of the more modest priced headphones can offer an outstanding sound quality which are more than enough for casual listeners and even fine for serious audiophiles. Some of the price may increase due to the brand name or celebrity status of the headphones or earbuds.

If you are looking for a headset in a more modest price range, try to avoid the headphones that have celebrity endorsement. While they may be good headphones or earbuds, you will be paying for the celebrity’s name more than the quality of the drivers or construction. Instead, consider going with lesser known brand names or purchase from a company that has been in the industry for many years without the fly-by-night hype.

Frequently Asked Questions

How important is frequency range?

The term “frequency range” is a way to refer to the audio range that headphones can reproduce. In general, most average hearing levels can hear tones as low as 15 Hz, and as high as 20 kHz. But many headphones can go as low as 5 Hz or as high as 120 kHz. If the human ear cannot hear these frequencies, you may wonder why headphones can reach them.

The larger the range, the better the sound can be reproduced in samples, mixes, and renditions. This is especially important for DJs, studio professionals, audio mastering professionals, and some audiophiles. While you might not hear the tones directly with your own ear, you will feel a change in the sound pressure which can increase the value of the overall sound quality.

Headphones with larger frequency ranges are better for studio professionals to use, while headphones with smaller frequency ranges that are more in line with normal human hearing can be better for casual listening, movie-watching, or gaming. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy headphones with a larger frequency even if you only plan on casual listening. You may still get a perception of the vast audio spectrum even if you can’t hear it directly.

How do I choose a good headset for my needs?

The first and most obvious step would be to thoroughly consider your needs. Are you just a casual listener, or will you be adding extra tasks such as occasional audio sampling or mixing? Are you a serious audiophile or a professional DJ that needs the best of the best when it comes to sound quality and frequency ranges?

Determining your exact needs can help you pinpoint the best headphones under $1000 that will meet or exceed your expectations. For professional DJs, the sound pressure level may be important – while this can be of no concern for casual listeners. Sound pressure levels are great for monitoring low volume audio with closed-back headphones, but can also be vital when pushing audio through a loudspeaker.

Casual listeners can get away with much more modest settings and won’t need audiophile headphones. You will do fine with either open back or closed back headphones, but might have a personal preference to one or the other. You probably won’t need high levels of sound isolation and noise cancelling technology unless you are commonly listening to your music in loud environments. And the frequency ranges can be much smaller while still providing an outstanding audio experience.

Are open-back or closed-back headphones better?

The answer to this question will depend on your needs since each style of headphone can offer stronger or weaker benefits depending on how they are used. For example, if you spend a lot of time commuting on a bus or traveling by plane, compared to sitting in a quiet room listening to smooth jazz, your needs for back style will differ. The best headphones for one user may not meet the needs of another.

Closed back headphones are normally much better for cancelling out background sound. They are also decent at isolating sound directly around your ear so you can hear and feel every change in vibration. Closed back headphones are also preferred if you listen to a lot of music that is heavy in bass tones as the enclosed headphone and ear cup can help vibrate this deep tone much better.

Open back headphones can be lighter and more comfortable, which makes them great for long hours of wear. However, they can leak ambient noise from the room around you which is not good if you are in a noisy environment. Your music can also leak out so others sitting near you may hear it as well. The bass response is still there, but won’t be as deep and immersive as the great sound you could get from closed headphones.