Top 5 Best Audiophile Headphones of 2025
Immerse yourself in your games with the best audiophile headphones for gaming.
For immersive gaming, the top gaming audiophile headphones are fantastic. Using expensive headphones for gaming may seem excessive, but it may really improve your experience. Simply said, they can improve the sound quality of your games far more than a cheap headset ever could.
The Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro are currently the best gaming audiophile headphones, in our expert opinion. These audio engineering wonders provide just amazing comfort and sound quality, rock-solid construction, and an unbeatable name. The Drop + Epos 38 PC38X, on the other hand, are a reasonably priced pair of headphones with excellent sound quality and an intuitive microphone if you’re searching for the best low-cost audiophile headphones.
When you start chasing an uncatchable sound, it’s easy to tumble down the audiophile rabbit hole, but is complete audio immersion truly worth a price? No. To help you decide which headset will best meet your audiophilic demands, we have tested and ranked the headsets below while keeping price in mind.
Table of Contents
BEST AUDIOPHILIC
1. Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
BEST BUDGET
2. Drop + Epos PC38X
BEST MID-RANGE
3. Sennheiser HD 650
BEST WIRELESS
4. Audeze Maxwell
BEST STUDIO HEADPHONES
5. Audio Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
1. Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
The greatest gaming headphones we’ve tried so far are the Beyerdynamic MMX 330. Excellent for gaming as well as audio mixing and mastering. Let’s start with the comfort and build quality before moving on to the sound.
When compared to almost anything else you could wear on your head, the large padding are incredibly comfortable—forget leather. The enormous velour cushions totally enclose the ears, and they are far more accommodating than most if you wear spectacles.
And it’s not just the pads. Comfort and sound isolation are perfectly balanced thanks to the excellent seal that keeps the entire device glued to your head and the spring steel headband’s good memory foam coating. Though it is sufficiently muffled to allow you to blend into your soundtrack without interruptions, you may still hear the outside world. It’s important to note that the clamping force is somewhat powerful at first but becomes more comfortable and worn-in after a few days of use.
Compared to a regular closed-back headset, this one has an open back, which typically results in a vaguer but maybe more accurate sound. In addition to being incredibly accurate, the MMX 330 Pro has powerful bass that, in contrast, makes other, bloated, gamer-focused headsets sound awful. In addition to being incredibly accurate, the flat response has a surgical level of low-end precision that lets you hear every layer in a mix while still getting a big kick.
But ambience isn’t everything. The MMX 330 Pro isn’t just what I recommend for immersion; if you enjoy competitive shooters, you’ll want something that shows you footsteps around corners, how far away your opponents are, and the kind of crazy bullet-dodging action that not only draws you into the game but also helps you get better at it.
Although we haven’t had a chance to test them out, it’s also important to note that this pair of cans is available in a closed-back version if you don’t want sound to leak.
Given all of the aforementioned features, it should go without saying that the MMX 330 Pro will assist you in producing the best accurate audio for your audience if you are involved in video creation. These are obvious as many of us are now experimenting with creation in some way, whether it be YouTube, podcasting, or streaming.
The bottom line? We don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you’re willing to pay the admission cost (and if it’s a little too high, we have a terrific budget option) and can live with the fact that it’s not wireless.
2. Drop + Epos PC38X
It’s up to you whether or not you think these are audiophile headphones. Since audiophile status is primarily reserved for the high-end, it is true that the term “cheap audiophile headphones” is oxymoronic. However, I am convinced that the greatest low-cost audiophile headphones for gaming are the Drop + Epos (previously Sennheiser’s gaming division) PC38X headphones, which give excellent audio quality at the lower end of the price spectrum.
In terms of raw audio quality, the PC38X is among the greatest gaming headphones I’ve ever used. They have an open-back sound that is both broad and sharp right from the start. This pair will sound great in any genre, but the Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X is undoubtedly superior—albeit at a far higher price.
The typical Sennheiser-defined high-end is still present, but it doesn’t overpower the powerful mids, thumping bass, and distinct frequency response. The bass response also packs a surprising amount of punch. The lowest sub-bass is truly audible here, which is astonishing for any set of cans.
But it’s not just about the music. In terms of gaming audio, the PC38X excels thanks to its expansive and evocative sound, which makes Elden Ring’s eerie background music sound amazing while also displaying the same level of skill when blasting out tunes in Forza Horizon 5. Another highlight was Hunt Showdown, which brought the set’s accurate imagery to the fore. Because these headphones are primarily used for gaming, they have the advantage of having a high-quality, integrated microphone.
Many Sennheiser gaming/epos headsets today share the same microphone and boom arm design, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The flip-to-mute feature is effective at keeping the microphone out of the way for everyday use while still enabling a comfortable speaking distance from your mouth. Additionally, it can be slightly bent, which facilitates precise placement.
It’s a fantastic microphone as well, having a good bass response and general clarity that should help you be heard over background noise. However, it must be acknowledged that it is somewhat prone to plosives, or “puh” sounds, which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel like an afterthought and is a decent unit altogether.
My budget-friendly pick is the PC38X if you’re primarily searching for high-quality sound but can’t afford the price tag of the majority of the audiophile headphones in this roundup.
3. Sennheiser HD 650
Sennheiser has established a strong reputation in the audio equipment industry. Sennheiser HD 650 headphones are the main foundation of that. We recommend these high-quality headphones as the best mid-range audiophile headphones for gaming because of their beautiful open sound and extremely detailed drivers, which set the standard for high-end home audio.
At home, Jacob makes use of these precise audiophile headphones. He has been gushing about them because they are his pride and joy. However, they are excellent value for the money. As the tried-and-true audiophile choice, he ultimately chose the HD 650.
One of the best examples of the so-called “Sennheiser sound” is the HD 650. This indicates that it performs exceptionally well at the top end and has exceptional clarity and definition across the whole frequency range. It’s up to you whether or not the flatter sound works, however I’ve noticed that it has a lighter bass response than most gaming headsets and planar magnetics.
However, you could argue that the reason for the lower bass is that these headphones aren’t attempting to enhance your audio; rather, they’re just providing a close-up to the actual digital sound. Because of this, we believe that this is an excellent headset for pursuing flawless audio that is played across a large soundstage. It is therefore a given for all auditory experiences, including gaming and music listening. It works well for almost everything for us.
Our less expensive options, the Drop + Sennheiser PC38X or the heavy yet distinct low-end of the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro, would be more suitable for those of you seeking a punchy bass.
These aren’t cheap either, but if you’re worried about the cost, the Sennheiser HD 650 are excellently made, and if you’re looking for a somewhat less expensive pair, the second-hand market is a terrific place to look. Since you can purchase a new pair for less money elsewhere, we wouldn’t spend the $400 full price posted on the Sennheiser Hearing website today. However, unless you’re extremely fortunate, don’t expect to find these headphones marked down significantly.
Noteworthy is the fact that in 2022, Sennheiser sold their line of audiophile headphones to Sonova, a manufacturer of hearing aids. The way things are operated hasn’t changed much since the acquisition, and the headphones that are sold under the Sennheiser brand are still the same. In the backdrop, there has been a corporate transition.
4. Audeze Maxwell
The Audeze Maxwells are the greatest wireless headphones for audiophiles, despite the fact that these headphones aren’t meant to be wireless. Thanks to a pair of incredibly beautiful 90 mm planar magnetic drivers, they are absurdly excellent.
If you’re not familiar, these use a pair of magnets on either side of a flat, rather than cone-shaped, diaphragm, which is different from the typical dynamic driver design seen in most headphones.
In summary, the level of clarity and punch these cans can provide is very astounding because this technique of sound reproduction is considerably more expansive and more natural to your ears.
The immersive nature of your favorite game worlds is delivered better than ever thanks to those fancy drivers and that super-wide soundstage, which goes beyond the way they wrap themselves around your music and deliver it in a wider and more detailed way than you’ve probably ever heard before. This makes them an excellent way to immerse yourself in the experience.
All of this is provided via closed-back earcups, which further enhance the immersion of the experience by providing great passive sound isolation (although lacking active noise-canceling like the excellent Nuraphone). You shouldn’t have any trouble hearing your games or music in a busy background setting because they are all-encompassing in a really pleasant way.
Eighty hours of battery life. The detachable microphone that comes with it? Clear, distinct, and thoughtfully designed (if you don’t want the capsule to be in your face while you’re gaming, there’s also a set of beamforming microphones).
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Although their weight contributes to the overall quality, wearing them for extended periods of time can be a little taxing. The bundled software could definitely need more adjustable settings and is clumsy and fussy.
Beyond that, however, the Maxwells are among the best wireless headphones available, and considering their retail price of nearly $300/AU$549, you could almost say that they are a decent investment considering the quality of sound they produce.
5. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
You can’t go wrong with a good pair of Audio-Technica headphones if you’re searching for studio headphones. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is the best option if you want your headphones to also function as a gaming headset. The greatest gaming studio headphones are unquestionably these.
For good reason, the ATH-M50x, the headphones’ predecessor, is well known for producing studio-caliber sound. The ATH-M50x is designed to capture sounds in as many frequency ranges as possible, which is exactly what studio headphones are meant to achieve. The 45 mm drivers in the closed-back headphones produce clear sound at frequencies between 15 and 28 kHz. That is, it is sufficiently crisp for any music producer to enjoy for mixing and mastering purposes.
The design and microphone (the former lacks one) are the primary differences between the ATH-M50x and ATH-M50xSTS, which are essentially the identical headphones in terms of sound quality. Additionally, PC gamers are probably going to enjoy those major modifications.
Although the ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is a true audiophile pair of headphones, you could spend a lot more money on high-end professional studio headphones. The drivers aren’t the best studio ones, to be sure. You wouldn’t get something that can be used as a gaming headset, though, if you did that.
You see, what sets these headphones out from the nearly similar ATH-M50x is that they also include a gaming microphone, and a beautiful one at that. It’s not your typical gaming microphone; it’s a full-fledged cardioid microphone, similar to those that decorate the tabletops of many podcasters, influencers, singers, and other musicians (albeit in a larger mic configuration).
Are gaming and audiophile headphones compatible?
Selecting a pair of headphones that are made to provide flawless auditory clarity and clear, accurate audio will result in an amazing gaming experience if you want the greatest sound possible. If you add an open-back pair design, you’ll hear the most accurate representation of the gameworld you’ve selected.
The drawback is that audiophile headphones are pricey and only work well with high-quality sound hardware in your computer—yes, soundcards are still in use, people. There is no passive noise cancellation and a significant amount of sound leakage due to the open operating philosophy.
Additionally, most audiophile headphones lack a microphone, but since there are so many excellent low-cost gaming microphones available, that is not a problem.
Are headphones with an open back suitable for gaming?
The most realistic soundscape for your games will come from an open-back headphone design, which is particularly immersive in huge, open-world games. Because the sound waves don’t just bounce around your lugholes, it’s also less taxing on the ears during extended gaming sessions.
However, closed-back headphones are useful for isolating noise and for gaming in a space where the sounds coming from your cans could disturb other people. However, because it interacts with the ear cups, the closed design may have an impact on the sound itself.