With so many headphones on the market, finding the right pair can be a tedious experience. After all, just because one pair is made by a popular brand or costs several hundred dollars doesn’t mean it’s the best — or even good.
Luckily, Yahoo Finance has you covered, whether you’re shopping for the audiophile in your life, the ultimate road warrior, or that special someone seeking a solid pair of headphones to jam to.
Here are five of the best headphones and earbuds for 2016.
Bose QuietComfort 35
Travelers who are constantly on the road swear by Bose — and for good reason. The 52-year-old audio company, headquartered in Framingham, Mass., has noise cancellation down to a tee. Bose’s latest pair, the superb QuietComfort 35, is available in silver and black for $349. Bluetooth connectivity lets you lose the cord, listen to music and make calls for up to 20 hours before having to recharge. Even better: Just because the battery dies doesn’t mean the music has to. Plug in the audio cord that comes with the QuietComfort 35 to keep the good times rolling.
PowerBeats 3
Beats by Dre has come a long way since its early days, from an overpriced street fashion accessory with cranium-thumping bass to a line of portable audio products with sound that (almost) matches their good looks. The PowerBeats 3, which comes in five colors for $199, represents that evolution in many ways. The sound isn’t as detailed as some of the other headphones and earbuds on this list, but it’s more than good enough for everyday use — especially given they’re lightweight, sweat-resistant and cordless, with up to 12 hours of battery life.
HiFiMan RE-400
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to drop $150 for a solid pair of earbuds. Tianjin, China-based company HiFiMan skipped the frills and focused instead on the basics to create the $79 RE-400. This excellent pair of aluminum earbuds pumps out sound often found in competitors priced twice as much. Listeners who want a pair that turns heads should look elsewhere. But for those who prioritize value and substance over style, the RE-400 warrants serious consideration.
Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2
If over-the-ear headphones aren’t your thing, check out the $149 C5 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins. Few earbuds can create the kind of expansive sound offered by larger headphones, but with the C5 S2, the 50-year-old British audio maker has designed something of an exception to that rule. The earbuds’ eye-catching design, which pairs tungsten metal with dark aluminum, houses a “micro-porous” filter that adds huge depth and range to music.
Beyerdynamic T51i
Hi-fi enthusiasts seeking a no-compromise listening experience should seriously consider the T 51 i for $299 from German manufacturer Beyerdynamic, which makes some of the best audio equipment in the business. Whether you’re streaming the latest Bruno Mars single or reveling in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, every musical genre hums, glistens and pounds when heard through the T 51 i. Casual listeners may argue Beyerdynamic’s headphones lack Beats’ bass, but audiophiles will simply tell you: This was how music was meant to be heard.
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JP Mangalindan is a senior correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
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