Always in style: TOP 5 on-ear headphones with premium design

Fashion brand B&W continues to delight with exclusive models, improving them from year to year. In P3 Series 2 open on-ear headphones, compared to the previous model B&W P3 the ear pads have been changed from fabric to leather, which makes the whole design look "mature" and more solid.

The rest of the design parameters and design remained unchanged. Long-adjustable elastomer headband on aluminium skids, foldable compact bowls, light weight of only 130 g create excellent ergonomics. The foam ear cups are attached to two magnets, they are easy to remove, clean, and replace the cable that runs inside each earcup and is inserted into the 2.5 mm jack.

The headphones are equipped with a semi-oval case, which is convenient to carry in a bag or backpack, as well as two cables: with and without a remote control. The first is suitable for managing Apple devices. You can rewind tracks, answer calls, pause, steer the volume. The wires are dense, pleasant to the touch and do not tangle.

There are no complaints about the sound. It is tight, legible when listening to music of any style: from hip-hop to jazz, which is however low frequencies may seem not deep enough, and high ones are slightly crumpled at high volume levels. But it is worth considering that the design of the headphones is open, and passive noise cancellation is rather mediocre, which is why you should not expect great depth and transparency from the sound stage. Those who put forward higher requirements for sound can consider a model with a class higher than B&W P5 Series 2 , but correspondingly more expensive.

As for the P3 Series 2, we recommend them to all the stylists who, first of all, like beautiful, comfortable and well-made headphones, and only then the way they sound.

Stylish boutique Master&Dynamic MH40 headphones are simply made for lovers of retro design. They look just fantastic, however, and cost accordingly — 400 USD.

The combination of leather and metal turned out to be quite elegant, and 6 colours, including 3 black, two blue and one white, allow you to choose the combination you like best. There is also a 7th version, completely retro-retro, in brown with metal bowls and rims. Looks incredibly stylish.

The design of the cups is closed, the memory foam ear cups, covered with sheepskin, completely wrap around the ears, which contributes to good passive sound isolation. They are held on magnets, so they can be easily removed and changed if necessary.

The complete cable in a fabric winding comes in two versions : with and without a remote control. It is removable, plugs into any of the bowls, and the operation of the headphone jacks, both for input and output, allows you to connect second headphones to them. The one with the remote control is compatible with Apple devices and is shorter, 1.25 m. A regular audio cable is two metres long.

To say that the headphones sit on the head comfortably for everyone would be reckless. Need to try. But they weigh a lot, 360 g, so if you shake your head hard, they can fly off.

Since the design is non-foldable, the kit comes with a rather voluminous soft cotton case and a small round case for cables, which can be hidden in a special pocket of the case.

I was pleased with the presence of the Mute button, which turns off and on the sound. It is very convenient when you need to listen to some information without removing the headphones.

As for the sound, 45mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets are responsible for it and do it at a high level. The scene is very detailed, bright, especially for fans of electronic music. The MH40 brings many of your favorite songs to life in a whole new way. All the same, the "top" of the model affects everything.

The manufacturer also took care of those who like to record podcasts and just talk on the phone with perfect audibility. Optionally, you can purchase and install a branded microphone MM800 on the cable.

As a result, the Master&Dynamic MH40 can be considered a very attractive externally branded model of headphones with good sound. But not without flaws.

Full-size headphones from the Swedish brand were created for the owners of "apple" devices and audiophiles. BeoPlay H6 is a stylish model that is noticeable from afar.

Anodized aluminium combined with lambskin offers as many as 7 colours for every taste. Headphones look very impressive, expensive, at the same time, they sit comfortably and securely on the head and do not tyre due to the low weight of 230 g. The ear pads tightly wrap around the ears and provide high-quality passive sound insulation.

You can connect the bundled cable with a remote control to control Apple devices to any of the bowls, as well as connect another headphone to the headphones. This is very convenient when watching movies together, for example.

The bowls rotate, but do not fold, the design is comfortable to wear around the neck, but in the bag you need more space. After listening, the headphones can be hidden in a convenient soft bag-case that comes with the kit. It won't protect against impacts, but it does protect against dust and scratches. However, for this level of the model, it was possible to take care of a more solid case.

When you listen to BeoPlay H6, you understand the value of great sound. The stage is crystal clear, everything is sorted out to the smallest detail, the bass is enveloping, too soft for hard rock styles, but just right for blues, jazz and instrumental. The highs are not pulled up, the middle does not stick out. In general, the sound is very balanced and worked out at all frequencies, but much, of course, will depend on the signal source and the quality of the soundtrack. The 30 ohm impedance allows the headphones to open up not only on Apple devices or smartphones, but also on Hi-Fi players.

Bang&Olufsen BeoPlay H6 are premium wired headphones with a catchy, solid design and excellent sound, at a price to match. For true connoisseurs of branded items.

The model is a hybrid version of the famous V-MODA Crossfade M-100 and in 2016 got into the TOP of the best wireless headphones according to user reviews.

The V-MODA Crossfade line features a futuristic hexagonal bowl design. Interchangeable metal covers on the outside are available in different colours and with 3D prints, which allows you to customize the headphones. The hard case looks no less futuristic and is somewhat reminiscent of a device from the Predator's arsenal from the film of the same name.

Soft leather ear cushions provide a snug and comfortable fit, and the wide headband is adjustable and extends almost the entire width without any problems, but the design itself does not rotate or fold. It is not a problem to wear it in a case, it is designed in a special way, but wearing the model around the neck will not be very convenient.

Since the headphones are hybrid, they come with a detachable audio cable, as well as a 3-button control for wireless connection. Bluetooth pairing works quite stably, and the sound quality "over the air" is almost as good as wired, especially when played on Apple devices, thanks to the support of their proprietary AAC codec.

The headphones work from the built-in battery without recharging up to 12 hours and this is, in general, a good result for a full-size model, which has 50 mm neodymium drivers with a sensitivity of 107 dB.

The sound of Crossfade Wireless is not only loud, but also rich in all frequencies claimed in the range of 5 – 30,000 Hz. The stage is bright, juicy, the bass is accentuated, not washed out, the highs are not cut off, and the middle allows you to fully enjoy the vocals, solo instruments and ensemble.

For their money (350 – 400 USD), in terms of sound quality, portability and ergonomics, V-MODA Crossfade Wireless is doing a good half of competitors from brands such as AKG or Sony. But lovers of the classics are unlikely to fit, due to too non-standard design.

Conservative, but impeccable, which is why the ageless Momentum Wireless headphones from the eminent German brand Sennheiser are perhaps the very example of wireless sound quality that every self-respecting audiophile tries to have at his disposal.

A sturdy leather-wrapped steel headband and soft leather foldable ear cushions create near-perfect ergonomics and good passive noise cancellation. And this is in addition to the fact that the headphones also have a NoiseGard active noise reduction system.

The model assumes operation both from Bluetooth 4.0 and from an audio cable. For instant pairing over a short distance, there is an NFC chip.

Battery life of work "over the air" reaches 22 hours, and this is one of the best results in the niche of similar products. Momentum Wireless will not leave you without music, because even when they sit down, you can listen to them from the audio cable, however, without the included noise reduction.

True audiophiles will say that wireless sound is always inferior to wired sound, and they will be partly right, but not in the case of Momentum Wireless. Support for the aptX codec and large-diaphragm drivers make the sound of the headphones full-bodied — clear, detailed and saturated with powerful low frequencies. And VoiceMax microphone technology guarantees clear voice transmission during telephone conversations.

The model comes with a stylish zippered frame case, charging and audio cables, and an aviation adapter for charging on the plane.

Given that all the pleasure will cost a little more than 400 USD, Sennheiser Momentum Wireless can rightfully be attributed to the flagships of not only wireless audiophile headphones, but also models with a stylish recognizable design that has long become one of Momentum's calling cards.