The Best Audiophile Headphones Under $1000
The Best Audiophile Headphones for High-Quality Sound
Here at Moon Audio, we carry an array of audiophile headphones from many well-respected HiFi brands in the industry. We've gone through our collection and curated a list of the best audiophile headphones under $1000. We know that everyone hears differently and depending on your budget, style of listening, the music you like to listen to, and more, there's probably a headphone in here that just might be your perfect fit.
These audiophile headphones are neither entry-level nor the most expensive, but all are phenomenal and any one of them could easily be your next end-game headphone. Many of the headphones on this list are packed with features and deliver an impressive quality of sound for the price point.
Best Audiophile Headphones Under $1000
Grado RS2x Headphones
Now we’re heading into the Reference Series, which introduces some really nice wooden cups to the Grado design. The RS2x housing’s sleeve and ring are made from maple, while the core is made from hemp. The wood adds some nice tonal characteristics to the sound as well, providing more warmth than Grado’s plastic or metal offerings. As you can probably guess, the X in the name means that Grado is using their 4th generation drivers, with a more powerful magnetic circuit, reconfigured diaphragm, and more. The 44mm drivers sound great and the fact that they’re still handmade in their factory in Brooklyn after almost 30 years says a lot about the company. New cables and headbands revamp the headphones for the newer X generation, and they work great for genres like rock, folk, alternative, and metal. The wooden cups are a nice upgrade from the Prestige series, and if you’re a fan of great build, great comfort, and great sound, then at $550, the Grado RS2X should be on your list.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: No option for Grado headphones
HiFiMan Ananda Headphones
The Ananda’s are some of our favorite headphones from Hifiman. They have everything you want in a mid-tiered audiophile can: great fit, great styling, great comfort, and of course, great sound. The ear cups are large, with an asymmetrical shape - giving the user maximum comfort with a no-pressure fit and enough room and airiness for the music to sound incredibly expansive and dynamic. The low end is weighty, but not bloated - it’s not going to be for bass heads, but there’s enough accuracy and presence for most people I would say. Mids and highs are detailed and smooth - it’s a really pleasant listening experience overall and combined with the comfort level of the headphones they’re easily one of my favorites for longer listening sessions. The Ananda is relatively easy to drive, but of course, with all larger planar magnetic headphones, we recommend throwing as much power at them as possible for the best sound quality. They’re great for classical, jazz, folk, Americana, and classic rock. We also like pairing them with our Silver Dragon headphone cable for added clarity and detail. The Ananda’s are HiFiMan’s best mid-tiered headphones in our book.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval
Focal Bathys Headphones
The new Bathys headphone from Focal is their first high-end noise-canceling headphone. It’s a familiar enough design if you’re a fan of the Focal aesthetic, which I think most people are. They look sharp. Like other headphones on our list, Focal sticks with their tried and true styling and comfort. I mean, if it ain’t, broke, right? It’s a superb-sounding headphone, and with the option to go wired or wireless, it makes for an incredibly versatile set of cans. What makes the Bathys stand out however is the USB-DAC mode which can offer up to 24-bit, 192 resolution thanks to the integrated DAC and amplifier. It's also the sound quality that sets it apart. Great soundstage for a closed-back headphone, the bass response is tight and thumpy, and the mids and highs are clear and detailed. It’s gonna sound good with just about everything out there, but rock, classic rock, and folk were standouts. We like pairing the Bathys with our Black Dragon portable headphone cable for some added warmth and definition. It's a great Focal audiophile sound, just in a portable and wireless package with noise canceling. I mean, what's not to love? At $799, you get a headphone that sounds great with every genre out there, and tons of features like ANC and app integration, it’s hard to go wrong with the Focal Bathys.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Bronze Dragon Portable Headphone Cable will add musicality with a bit of warmth to the Bathys.
Grado RS1x Headphones
At $750 the Grado RS1X is a trifecta of sweet looking woods. They combine Maple, Hemp, and Cocobolo into an amazing-looking ear cup, and along with the RS2X of the Reference Series, provide some nice warm tones for your music too. The RS1X uses the newer X series driver, which is a larger 50mm driver that’s tuned specifically for the tri-wood RS1X. It’s great for a lot of genres, specifically rock and folk, and the tone is even good for heavier music like metal and grunge. The wood adds a nice body to the mids that help guitars sound chunky and rich. Like the rest of the X series revamps, you’ll get some new sturdier cables and headband padding, and those changes alone go a long way to enhancing the comfort of a great-sounding headphone. We’ll have more Grado’s coming up, but the RS1X is the top of the Reference Series line by Grado. And yes, it sounds just as good as it looks.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: No option for Grado headphones
Meze Audio 109 Pro Headphones
Everything Meze Audio does, is….Ameze. They just don’t manufacture a bad headphone, and the 109 pro is not just their answer to an open-back version of the 99 Classic. It’s quite a bit more than the 99’s, at $799, and the sound quality is just as improved. I described it in my review of the headphones like getting the top-end clarity of the Elite matched with the warmer overall tone of the Empyrean. Great for rock, blues, jazz and alternative in particular. It’s an impressive quality even at this price range, and Meze always crafts its headphones with some of the best stylings on the market. There’s a lot to be said about the design too, which I’m also a huge fan of. It’s classy looking and exudes quality all around. The design itself is similar enough to the 99 Classics, with the double headband frame, the headband adjustment mechanism, and the wooden earcups. The grill on the side however is stunning and gives you a great look at the beauty of the headphone inside and out. I’m glad they mimicked the 99’s in this regard, because the comfort on them was primo, as is the case with the 109 Pro too. The 109 Pros are by far one of our favorite headphones in this category for their excellent looks and sound. And sometimes that’s all you need.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Audeze LCD-GX Headphones
Okay, so you want some of the best gaming headphones on the planet? Let me introduce the LCD-GX by Audeze. But you’re like, wait, these just look like regular Audeze open-back headphones… You’re right in a sense, and that’s part of what makes them so good, is that yes, you could use these just like any great headphone for music listening. However, Audeze includes a cable with a microphone that terminates at the end of the headphone connection, allowing you to use a cable with a mic or one without. At $899, the LCD-GX sound great for gaming in general, and when it comes to genres they certainly shine with classical, jazz, alternative, and rock. The open-back design will also provide a great soundstage and airiness to your music and gaming audio alike. Even though the LCD-GX are incredibly efficient drivers, being able to plug directly into the controller or phone, we recommend pairing them with a headphone amplifier, since the planar magnetic drivers will perform much better the more power you throw at them. We also recommend pairing them with the Silver Dragon headphone cable for added clarity. The Audeze LCD-GX is one of the most premium headset options to upgrade your gaming experience when it comes to sound and fidelity, and they work for listening to music just as well.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed Portable Headphones
The AEON 2 closed-back headphones from Dan Clark Audio equals great sound, plus great design and form factor, plus excellent comfort. The AEON 2 make some substantial improvements over the first generation AEON by updating the drivers - flipping them 180 degrees to remove the magnets and flow structures from getting in the way of the ears, removing gaps in the construction, using higher precision-machined flow structures, and improving the dampening which results in better resolution and frequency response. All these updates made an already superb-sounding headphone even better, which is why the AEON 2 is so popular, in both the open and closed-back versions. The closed-back version is going to sound great with energetic genres like rock, blues, and alternative. Pairing the AEON 2 with the Silver Dragon headphone cable will also result in improved clarity and detail. The other nice thing about the AEON 2 is the engineering that went into making an incredibly comfortable folding design without making any sacrifices to said comfort or sound quality. It folds into a nice compact design that’s perfect for travel, especially with the included hard case. At $899, the AEON 2 closed-back is a solid pick at this price range and is one of our favorite audiophile-grade quality headphones for travel.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire Closed Headphones
In the same vein, at $899, the Noire version of the AEON 2 looks exactly the same, other than it being a metallic black. That being said, it certainly doesn’t sound the same, as the Noire in the name is meant to imply that it’s warmer. And that’s certainly the case. The Noire has richer bass and low-end and top-end energy. The mids are airier, and it’s a nice tonal difference from the original AEON 2. Fans of EDM, rap, R&B, synthwave, and metal will appreciate the warmer and more music nature of the headphone and combined with the Silver Dragon headphone cable, the AEON Noire is a formidable headphone. It maintains the same foldable design as the other AEON 2 headphones and is a great option for those wanting a different sound than the original AEON 2.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Open Portable Headphones
To finish out our AEON 2 collection is the open-back version. Also at $899, the open-back version has all the same updates as the closed-back, improved sound quality, foldable design, etc. Like the closed version, they lean on the warm side of neutral, but the biggest difference is that the soundstage is enhanced, really giving the music space for the performance. I think it’s a big difference from the closed-back version - they both sound awesome, but the open-backs are just more expressive. Of course, a lot of it comes down to the ergonomic scenario - where are you gonna be listening to music, to determine if you want the open-back or closed-back. You really can’t go wrong with either, it’s more so just personal preference. They’re gonna sound great with rock and metal in particular. Silver Dragons are always a good match for the AEON 2 headphones. Open or closed back - it’s up to you. But the AEON 2 headphones from Dan Clark are next level.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Audeze LCD-2 Open Headphones
Alright, bass heads. The LCD-2 from Audeze is gonna pique your interest here. At $995, Audeze has made a headphone that is absolutely perfect for genres like Blues, Folk, and Country. The LCD-2s are made of hand-selected Caribbean rosewood, and the overall design is typical of what you would find on other LCD headphones from Audeze. They’re on the larger side, but comfortable enough for long listening sessions. The sound signature is on the warmer side, with a smooth top end and a lot of low frequencies shining through. We definitely pair it with our Silver Dragon headphone cable to bring out some more clarity and detail overall, tightening the low end, and providing a cleaner sound. EDM, rap, and R&B lovers rejoice. The LCD-2s will certainly benefit from added power from a headphone amplifier as well. If you like a warmer sound signature and the LCD sound from Audeze, then the LCD-2 is for you.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Denon AH-D7200 Headphones
The AH-D7200 is Denon’s mid-tiered reference headphone. We like the classic-yet-touch of modern aesthetic with the black leather headband, the brushed silver, and the gorgeous walnut ear cups. Denon uses a 50mm freeEdge driver diaphragm in their AH series, made from a nano-fiber material. Little distortion, and accurate frequency response, resulting in a great neutral, reference sound. They’re incredibly comfortable, with plush cushioning on the ears and head, and there’s something about closed-back wooden ear cups that really appeal to me when it comes to sound. The dynamic driver closed up retains a lot of that energy in the music, without letting it escape like in open backs, and the cups are domed as such that it gives the music just enough room to sound a bit bigger, giving instrumentation a touch more space for the performance and improving imaging over other closed-back dynamic headphones. The wood is expressive, and I really enjoy that. It’s great for just about every genre, especially classical, jazz, and most rock. We like to pair it with our Silver Dragon headphone cables as well for added clarity. The Denon AH-D7200 is one of our top reference-sounding headphones in this category, so if accuracy, neutrality, and genre versatility are your thing, then the 7200s might be for you.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnets Headphones
The Arya Stealth Magnets is the update to the original Arya - not stealth magnets. See the difference? Stealth Magnets. Like many of our updated headphones or 2nd generation iterations, the stealth magnets provide a different flavor for the sonic pallet, if you will. The stealth magnet technology essentially allows waves to pass through the magnets without generating interference. Sonics are detailed and transparent, and dynamics are absolutely stunning. You can read more about the technology on our site, but know that Hifiman’s tech is the real deal when it comes to premium sound quality. The new version is a little more analytical than the original, which was warm-leaning. You’ll find the Arya stealth magnets great for genres like blues, folk, rock, and metal. We like to pair the Arya with our silver dragon headphone cable too for added clarity and details. The Arya Stealth Magnets is a big improvement over the original, so if you like the HifiMan sound, it’s hard to get any better in this price range.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: The Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will add top-end sizzle while enhancing detail retrieval.
Dragon Cables
Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon cables are handcrafted to the highest standards made to order according to your specific needs.
Why Dragon Cables?
At Moon Audio, we create a custom cable for you using the highest quality UP-OCC silver or copper conductors that can be manufactured. UP-OCC metals are void of impurities and are optimized for signal transfer and sound quality. We have one of the largest collections of audio and headphone connection options available online and we create limitless audio cable options depending on your specific gear and needs. Dragon Premium Cables feature the same quality construction as standard cables, but with upgraded solder and premium Furutech connectors.
Silver Dragon Sound Signature: The Silver Dragon is the original cable. Silver strands clarify instrument separation, increase the soundstage, and find previously lost high and mid-frequency sounds. Transients appear more cohesive and the bass is tighter for a more controlled sound. The detail and clarity of the Silver Dragon make it a perfect match for classical music and other genres with many nuanced instruments.
Black Dragon Sound Signature: The Black Dragon is warm and smooth with a musical presentation. Copper strands enhance the body, shape, and immediacy of the music. The detail and expansiveness of the Black Dragon make it a flexible fit where a broad range of musical genres are played. It can also improve bass frequencies on bass-light headphones. The smooth, musical quality makes it a perfect fit for headphones that tend to sound a bit edgy or bright. Despite its warmth, the Black Dragon does not have a laid-back, lush sound. It is much closer to neutral, making it a very natural-sounding cable.
How to Pick the Perfect Headphone for You
What are the best headphones? The answer may surprise you that there is no universal consensus on the "best headphone" in the world. There is, however, the best headphone for YOU.
When the options are endless finding the best headphones can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Do you want a wireless headphone? What about a closed or open-back headphone? Luckily, there are some steps you can take to narrow down your search and find that perfect pair of audiophile headphones.
Step One: What type of music do you like to listen to? This is the first question Drew Baird, P.E., Owner and Founder of Moon Audio likes to ask our customers on the phone. The genres you listen to go a long way in helping us figure out what products (headphones, amps, DACs, etc.) will sound good to you. Your music says a lot about you, and some headphones sound better with certain genres than others.
Step Two: Do you like to get lost in your music or listen for every detail? If you like to get lost in the music, we call this the "Warm and Musical" listener. If you like to pick up on every single detail in a song, we call this the "Analytical" listener. Every headphone has a sound signature and pairs well with specific genres of music based on how they sound. A warmer headphone might bring out more emotion and intimacy in a jazz performance, or the feeling of a rumble on an intense EDM track. Analytical headphones are great for classical if you like listening for individual instruments in a large ensemble, the details in a live performance like fret buzz on the guitar, or nuances in a singer's voice.
Step Three: What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend on a pair of headphones? Everyone has to start somewhere, and a reminder to those just starting out on their audiophile journey: You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get great sound.
The bottom line is that everyone hears differently, so there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the best audiophile headphones out there. The better question to be asked is "what is the best headphone for you?" Hopefully these steps and headphones guide can help you figure out the answer to that question. Happy headphone hunting!
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