Typically, after I attend elite, high-end audio-slash-hi-fi exhibits, I discover my thoughts wandering to the dwellings I might have owned – , if I’d ever actually made it. The loft house in Manhattan with a superb vinyl storage system; the little place no one is aware of about up within the hills in Asturias, Northern Spain; the cottage in Cornwall the place I’d maintain my surf board. I discover myself mentally kitting out all of those imaginary properties with wonderful tower audio system, mono-block valve amps and alien-like turntables. After which I sigh an enormous world-weary sigh. As a result of look, it’s by no means going to occur, is it?
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However I really feel otherwise on the Paris Audio Present. Right here, for the primary time at such an occasion, I understand I don’t want these items. And it’s not as a result of these enormous towers, huge chunks of VU-meter and tube-toting metallic energy and otherworldly spherical audio system aren’t right here to covet – au contraire. No, it’s as a result of I keep in mind that I used to reside right here in Porte Maillot, not 20 steps from the Palais des Congres the place the Paris Audio Present is held, and that I as soon as danced in a world-famous Parisian cabaret (which I’m not allowed to call because of lifelong contractual obligation – however please know that I used to be a soloist, dearest reader).
Why am I telling you all of this? As a result of not two days after receiving my first paycheck on that gig, one of many nails on the wall of my tiny seventh-floor house on Rue de Dardanelles grew to become house to the costliest set of headphones I might afford – which is an enormous factor, as a result of mentioned house was far too small for a wardrobe, so somebody had resorted to hammering 5 massive nails into the far wall, on which to hold garments. And but, when taking the Metro the subsequent day with my cans over my ears, I felt that I had made it.
Chances are you’ll like
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Whereas stalking by the halls of the Paris Audio Present on October 25, I gesture to an enormous set of electrostatic audio system and quip to one of many attendees: “No apartment in Paris is big enough for these things surely?” He laughs: “Mine certainly isn’t.” D’accord, monsieur, d’accord. However even in my tiny place in Porte Maillot, I managed to discover a devoted place for a set of headphones that made me really feel like a queen.
So let’s take a look at 4 pairs of fantastic new headphones that will’ve absolutely made my checklist, if 2011 have been truly 2025. I received to listen to all of them on the present, and whereas no entry on this missive must be thought of a assessment (I had solely round 10 minutes with every), I’m ready to pin my colours to the mast and supply some preliminary ideas. What can I say? Paris makes me like this – it makes me really feel younger.
And imagine me after I let you know that bounding round a brand new metropolis carrying a few of the greatest over-ear headphones you possibly can afford? That’ll make you are feeling such as you made it.
1. Yamaha YH-C3000
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The closed-back YH-C3000 have been introduced in September alongside an open-back counterpart (scroll down should you clocked them in the principle picture of this piece and solely need these, good friend) and the drivers listed below are triple-layer diaphragms fabricated from Zylon, in any other case often called the identical materials that Yamaha makes use of in its flagship speaker drivers.
Stated drive models are ventilated on the again and embody a patented Y-shaped bolstered mesh damper. The housings are produced from a beech wooden just like that utilized in Yamaha’s grand pianos – mine are a deep and scrumptious brown. Being each light-weight and inflexible, beech supposedly ends in a extra pure, exact sound.
What to anticipate: silent extension mechanism, consolation and a transparent, exact pay attention by the higher mids and trebles. I discovered them able to revealing further texture by the intakes of breath in Jean le Loup’s full-bodied Je Joue de la Guitare (an honest Flac file streamed on Qobuz, however direct from a Galaxy Tab A7 Lite with no additional amplification). Is it approaching an open-back headphone expertise in a closed-back design? I’d want much more time, however the expansive presentation and layered supply isn’t too far off – and even at $1,699 (about £1,256 / AU$2,574 earlier than taxes) they really feel price it after they’re sitting on my head. Should you take nothing else away from this missive, I’d such as you to attempt these headphones. Please.
2. Meze Audio 99 Classics (2nd Era)
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Romanian high-end audio model Meze Audio is celebrating 10 years of its most iconic creation, the 99 Classics, with a renewed second-generation mannequin (sensibly referred to as the 99 Basic 2nd Era) which solely launched on October 29. However right here I’m, making an attempt them out alongside their older brother.
Chances are you’ll like
First launched in 2015, the 99 Classics grew to become one thing of an trade favourite owing to their heat, expressive sound at not an excessive amount of cash. And for Meze, 10 years requires “10 meaningful refinements” to supply a brand new set that retains the signature walnut wooden aesthetic whereas introducing what Meze Audio calls a “balanced, more neutral tuning”, improved acoustic engineering, a USB-C DAC/amp and absolutely recyclable packaging. Not too shabby for $349 / £349 / €349 (or round AU$715), eh?
What to anticipate: bigger, cosier ear cups and greater, 7mm-diameter enter sockets. The unvarnished high quality of the wooden is extraordinarily tactile and the solid zinc {hardware} with deep gold accents plus vegan leather-based makes for a construct that feels dearer than it’s. The brand new ear pad system (with six-point clip-in for consistency and simple alternative) can also be a pleasant contact. Sonically, the place the first-generation pair featured a V-shaped sound signature (the place trebles and decrease frequencies are barely augmented for enjoyable and emotion) this new set is all about neutrality, expanse and faithfulness to unique recordings. Now, what you want is what you want – and V-shaped sonic recipes have confirmed highly regarded to the human ear – however as soon as the sound signature is being toyed with barely, you might really feel as should you’d like to listen to it unaltered. And these headphones emphatically do this.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000
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We lined the launch of those enormous headphones from the Japanese cartridge, headphone and turntable specialist simply three days in the past – they’re that new – so if you need a extra thorough appraisal of their innards, we’ve received that. However for now, know that they’re the corporate’s most high-end open-backs ever, with newly developed HXDT 58mm drivers (sure, 58mm), a honeycomb aluminum and magnesium alloy building and – I’ll simply blurt it out – a $3,499 (about £2,600 / AU$5,400) price ticket.
Considerably upsettingly, I didn’t get an honest image of my (comparatively small) head carrying these massive headphones, and as you possibly can in all probability think about the ATH-ADX7000 have been fairly the belle of the ball on the Paris Audio Present, so my time with them was slightly restricted. So, please settle for this image of my colleague Kob, as an thought of how formidable and, dangle all of it, spectacular they give the impression of being when worn.
What to anticipate: fortunately, I received to take heed to the set wired as much as Darkish Aspect of the Moon on vinyl (all the time good to take heed to albums and love, when gleaning the preliminary sound of a set of cans) and was practically dropped at tears by Time – and never simply because it was one among my mother’s favorites. The chimes, tick-tocks and bells have been crystal clear like sonic articles to be pulled down from a shelf; the electrical bass was even inkier and extra foreboding than I keep in mind as percussive notes emerged from the abyss with further influence and aggression. It’s verging on heat (and never simply due to the vinyl) however for element, the sound these cans are able to is extremely addictive…
Yamaha YH-4000
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At $2,499 (about £1,849 / AU$3,785), the very new YH-4000 are successfully a extra reasonably priced model of the unimaginable (and extremely costly) YH-5000SE headphones which Yamaha launched again in 2022 with an eye-popping $5,700 / £4,799 / AU$7,499 asking value. So, sure, they’re a half-price various that also features a stunning quantity of very related flagship acoustic structure from Yamaha.
The open-back YH-4000 headphones sport the most recent model of the corporate’s “orthodynamic” drivers and in case you haven’t but been launched, enable me: these are the planar magnetic drivers that Yamaha has been refining ever since first launching them within the Seventies. This time round, the sound-absorbing materials of the YH-5000SE has been eliminated and the brand new headphones have been fine-tuned to what Yamaha calls a “a uniquely responsive, natural and precise sound.”
What to anticipate: an upfront, revealing and oh-so-forthright pay attention. The hanging aesthetic of those headphones appears virtually like an excessive closeup of the top of a flying insect and when worn, their lightness and coolness even when engulfing my ears means I might put on them for hours on finish. I additionally didn’t discover as a lot sound leakage as you get from some open-back designs. What did I hear? The hovering keys, triangle and three-dimensional cymbals in Eddy Mitchell’s Couleur Menthe a L’Eau and a vocal supply that revels in relaying Mitchell’s voice, celebrating each further inflection and barely sombre lyric at this, his derniere seance.
The perfect earbuds for all budgets
Our prime picks, based mostly on real-world testing and comparisons
