When it comes to choosing the right set of headphones, specs and marketing claims only go so far
What really matters is headphones sound in the room—or in this case, on the ears of our two blind-testers, Radi and Marissa.
In this round of Engineering the Sound, we lined up a mix of studio staples, audiophile favourites, and industry newcomers to see which ones truly deliver.
The lineup includes some heavy hitters: Audio-Technica’s ATH-R50x and ATH-R70xa, Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 Pro X Anniversary Edition, and Yamaha’s HPH-MT8, all of which have earned their stripes in pro audio circles.
Sony throws in the MDR-M1 and MDR-MV1, while HIFIMAN enters the race with its Sundara series—both open and closed-back models—offering a taste of planar magnetic design.
There’s a strong showing from the isolation-focused Direct Sound DS74 and DS73, as well as high-end entries like Audeze’s LCD-X, Dan Clark Audio’s Noire X, and Bowers & Wilkins’ Px8.
Rounding things out, Beyerdynamic’s DT 1990 Pro MkII and Neumann’s NDH 30 bring in some serious high-fidelity muscle.
No branding, no preconceived notions—just a raw listening test to see which cans stand out in a mix.
The results? Well, you’ll have to watch the video to hear what Radi and Marissa had to say.
Head here for more.
