We welcome Apple's purchase of Beats and agree with the Blacked Eyed Peas and Beats co-founder Will.i.am's belief that such a purchase is “good for the culture” (Fortune 5.29.14) and we can't wait to hear the Apple influence on such an iconic brand.

Audiophiles have been mixed on Beats headphones. Even mainstream publications such as Time rated beats low. In their article, 18 Headphones Brands Ranked,Beats came in next to last at #17.With apologies to celebrities, NBA players, and extreme sports athletes around the globe, our analysis was not kind to Beats by Dre or Skullcandy.

Yes, each brand has a handful of decent products (ex: Beats Solo HDs, Skullcandy Navigators), but the average, mid-range product from either company likely isn't worth your money.We do sell and believe in several of the headphone brands at the top of Time's list including: Grado, SennheiserShure.

Time actually left out some of our favorite headphone brands too such as:Audeze,Fostex, HiFiMan, and Mr Speakers.

Hack Your Beats Headphones

We are hacking Beats Pro headphones for customers to help their music sound better. Drew added Blue Dragons to a customer's pair of Beats Solo headphones and we hear improvements in clarity, the size of the soundstage and how immediate and intimate the music should feel.

Hack Your Headphones is a coalition started by Moon Audio to help headphones sound better. We receive many questions about hacking Beats headphones too. Good news – we can hack Beats Headphones (in most cases).

Already own a pair of Beats Headphones?Ship your carefully packed and insured cans to:

Hack My Beats Headphones, c/o Moon Audio 140 Iowa Lane #204, Cary, NC 27511

Include your email, telephone and examples of music you love. We will acknowledge receipt and provide a "hack" recommendation estimate for your approval.

We don't want you to be without music for long, so no more than a week after you approve our estimate your cans will be headed back with our Dragons attached.

Don't forget the burn in. Best sound happens after 40 = 60 hours of "burn-in".

Headphones like Beats:

We agree with Time. If you are buying headphones today and you want the best sound, the Grado, Sennheiser, Shure and/or V-Moda are a few that we also recommend. These headphones range in price from $295.00 up to $499.95 so you might even be able to save a little money on your purchase.

We also haveover ear, on ear and in earheadphone alternatives to Beats headphones.

Grado SR325e Headphones

Grado is known for creating headphones that offer warm harmonic colors, rich full bodied vocals, excellent dynamics, and ultra-smooth top end.

We love matching the Grado SR-325e with genres that tend to have a heavier bass like Rock and Hip-hop.

Pair the SR-325ewith theBlack Dragon for that extra enhanced bottom end.

Gradoheadphones must be hardwired for upgrade cable. If you have SR-325e headphonesyou want upgraded with a Dragon headphone cableContact Us.

Sennheiser HD-650 Headphones

The Sennheiser HD-650 is a great headphone for reference grade listening at an affordable price. This the ultimate in open-aired and dynamic design for budding audiophiles.

The Sennheiser HD-650 is great headphone for those who have a wide range of music preferences.

We would match the HD-650 with theSilver Dragonfor those who prefer Rock/Blues, Jazz & Classical because it will provide extra detail and clarity with a wider soundstange.

Or, choose theBlue Dragonfor a more natural upgrade that will target a wider range of musical preferences.

Shure SRH1540 Headphones

These closed back headphones are very comfortable and provide great sound isolation. The soundstage is large with extended highs yet warm, pumping bass.

We love these headphones for Rock, Pop, Electronica, and other similar genres.

Pairing it with theBlack Dragonis the best way to make these headphones shine. The bass will pump through your veins while you listen to your favorite track.

V-Moda Crossfade M-100

Want headphones specifically designed by DJ's? M-100headphones are the way to go.

These portable headphones are compatible with all modern mobile and audio devices.

The M-100 is a great pick for genres like EDM but can be suited for many other genres as well.

We like to pair the M-100 with the Blue Dragon for a neutral upgrade that will broaden the soundstage while keeping the similar dynamics to the headphones.

Or, pair the M-100 with the Silver Dragon to add a more clarity and detail to your headphones.

M-100 headphones must be hardwired for upgrade cable. If you want your M-100s upgraded with a Dragon headphone cable, Contact Us.