Headphones

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Written by: Geoffrey Morrison

Created: 15 September 2025

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You’ve got to give FiiO credit—the FT1 headphones look high end. With their wood earcups, soft leathery earpads, and brushed metal frame, they look like they could cost several hundred dollars. To be honest, they look better than some actually expensive headphones I’ve reviewed. Impressively, they aren’t. Expensive that is. Prices vary, but the FT1s were selling for around US$165, CA$229, £139, and €169 in early September. Given how great they look, that’s impressively inexpensive. I bought the FT1s, since FiiO is one of the only audio companies that has never returned any of the emails I’ve sent over the last decade. Was it something I said? Probably.

Read more: FiiO FT1 Headphones

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Written by: AJ Wykes

Created: 01 September 2025

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I’m generally skeptical of headphones with four-figure price tags. Meze Audio’s open-back Poet headphones cost US$2000, CA$2799, £1899, or €2000, but it’s a well-established fact that sound quality does not correlate with price. And no matter how fancy the appearance of a pair of headphones, you can’t actually see them in use, unless you plan to listen in front of a mirror! But then again, you don’t get to appreciate the exterior styling of a sports car while you’re driving it, either.

Read more: Meze Audio Poet Headphones

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Written by: Geoffrey Morrison

Created: 15 August 2025

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Bowers & Wilkins headphones are, for the most part, a niche within a niche, leaning toward the “premium” end of the mainstream market. The Px7 S3 headphones (US$449, CA$599, £399, €429), for instance, cost a bit more than similar options from Bose and Sony. Within that first niche of price, they’re unquestionably for the basshead niche.

Read more: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Headphones

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Written by: Geoffrey Morrison

Created: 15 July 2025

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With everything getting more expensive and no reprieve in sight, I enjoy checking out headphones that offer a bit of luxe for not a lot of bucks (or quality for not a lot of quid, depending on your longitude). The JLab Epic Lux Lab Editions fill that bill, with features of higher-end headphones, including noise canceling, wireless charging, Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC support, and wired playback, but cost a bit less than the heavy hitters in the category (US$199.99, CA$299.99, £199, €240, as of late June 2025). Inside are 32mm drivers, outside are touch controls, and they even come with a stylish carrying case.

Read more: JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition Bluetooth Headphones

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Written by: AJ Wykes

Created: 01 July 2025

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Last year, the acclaimed French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal released two passive, wired headphone models, both of which take aesthetic cues and utilize the drivers from the popular Bathys wireless headphones with ANC. I reviewed the open-back Hadenys headphones on Solo in April, and was impressed. This month, I’m offering my thoughts on that model’s closed-back sibling, the Azurys (US$599, CA$699, £499, €549).

Read more: Focal Azurys Headphones