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Over-Ear Headphones: The Best New Pairs For 2014
The latest headphones on the market from the big and bespoke players
By Johnny Davis
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
You don't have to be Dr Dre to notice that the headphone market has exploded. In line with other big tech launches – new TVs, new cameras, new iPhones, apparently – this September most of the big headphone makers have also got new products in the shops. Some are updates of classics, some are completely new launches. These are the half-dozen we reckon are the best of the bunch.
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1. Aedle Legacy
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
Aedle is a French company whose VK-1 (‘valkyrie’) headphones have wowed hi-fi fans thanks to their striking looks and high-performance sound.
Available in Carbon and Classic styles, in 2011 a Legacy set was produced as a limited edition for the Salone del Mobile, the swanky Milan design festival.
Now they’ve become a permanent addition to the family. With a Titanium diaphragm, hand-sewn lambskin leather cushions and a solid one-piece of aluminium construction, is it time to indulge your inner minimalist?
Bose's QuietComfort 15s always pitch up near the top of the Best Headphones charts, despite being released as long ago as 2011. Now the company have issued a timely upgrade. The QC 25s feature a new design, new electronics and greatly improved noise-cancelling - a function that was already impressive on the QC 15s. For anyone who travels regularly – planes, trains, probably not automobiles – they’re little short of life-changing.
The debut set of headphones from a company best known for producing microphones. They have a built-in headphone amp, which makes for noticably more responsive sound and also saves on the battery life of your device. They're comfy with it - like strapping a pair of child's pillows onto your head. Automatic power-off is another plus.
Okay, so these are really clever. Wireless and noise cancelling with a microphone included is something of a first. There’s up to 24 hour continuous streaming, a range of 100 meters and they pause playback when you remove them – no need to fiddle for the pause button. There’s also an OpenMic feature that lets you hear your surroundings at the tap of a button. Unlike other noise-cancellers, they'll continue to function as regular headphones even when the power has drained.
An upgrade on the already popular (and very good) P5s, this ‘Series 2’ adds new drive units designed to work like hi-fi speaker, giving more precise sound that’s been fine-tuned by the same engineers who make B&W’s poshest speakers. The build remains the same, with the luxurious leather ear pads, which are also detachable and replacable in case of wear and tear – a good thought.
Panasonic has gone big on comfort with their new HD10s, with a horizontal slider that allows you to adjust the headband without changing position of the ‘ergonomic 3D earpads’, as opposed to 2D ones, presumably. There’s impressively rich bass thanks to 50mm HD driver units. For the price they're a solid, well-performing set of cans.