Kyle's Top 10 Headphones as of Jan 2026

Hey, this is Kyle, Senior Writer at Den-Fi. As someone that has been in this hobby since 2005, I've been meaning to create a full centralized list of everything I've been able to own or use. I started a list about a decade ago with short impressions, but I've since lost track of it. Now, with the help of Listener, I've finally been able to create a list for myself. This list was not made purely on vibes. This list is based on hands-on experience with four different factors: Bass, Mids, Treble, and "X-Factor." I treat "X-Factor" as a catch-all for coherency, self-professed "specialness," and everything else not necessarily contained within the former three. In other words, only one factor is vibes. My list slowly ballooned to over 500 headphones, which is a bit much to parse for an article in such short notice. But to celebrate the end of the year, and to celebrate being able to have a definitive ranking of my own opinions, here are my top 10 headphones:

1. Audio Technica ATH-W2022

This headphone is the epitome of the idea that following a target graph line is not the only way to make something sound spectacular. The ATH-W2022 is one of the most colored headphones I've heard, but manages to do so in a way that augments every single song. Its greatest flaw is that they only made 200, and they are impossible to find for sale. And even when one goes on sale, they cost as much as a used Honda Civic. If Audio Technica releases the ATH-W2022 in a less limited scale, I can only imagine they would sell every single unit.

2. Audio Technica ATH-ADX7000

I've written quite a bit about the ATH-ADX7000 this year, and nothing has changed. This headphone rocks. My only notes are that I wish I knew about the effect of clamp that Listener wrote about. With my large head, the ADX7000 clamp seemed to minimize treble spikes, but with more normal sized heads, the treble may be sharper. Additionally, I did mostly use the ADX7000 with "juiced" sources rather than sources most people would use, which may or may not affect the quality of the bass.

3. Audeze LCD-4

The LCD-4 is, as far as I can tell, the best headphone Audeze has made. I do have a couple of blind spots within Audeze's lineup, like the original LCD-1 and some of the magnesium framed LCDs (e.g. LCD-24 and LCD-MX). While the LCD-4 is fairly colored, the LCD-5's approach to "neutrality" actually sounds even weirder to me. The LCD-4 is one of my favorite headphones I've owned, and the only reason I no longer have it is because after getting my pair's drivers and pads replaced, it sounded significantly worse. I'd still like to have an LCD-4 again one day, but it would have to be one I hear myself due to the large variability in sound.

4. ZMF Caldera

I reviewed the ZMF Caldera a few years ago and it continues to be one of my most used headphones. It manages to do the stereotypical "planar magnetic sound" in a much more relaxing way than the Hifiman and Audeze house sound. There is very little music that I don't find myself enjoying with the Caldera.

Fifth place is shared between three very different headphones.

5. PhilPhone Wireless

The PhilPhone Wireless is a special wireless version of the PhilPhone Open that uses a different frame. This frame uses different pads that seem to be a little less bright and have a little more bass control. It rocks. I've been going off the idea that it's the best wireless headphone I've heard, but, apparently, it's one of the best headphone I've heard period. It's a celebration of the W-shaped sound and one of the most engaging headphones available, treble tolerance notwithstanding.

5. Sony MDR-CD1700 (Bass Heavy)

It turns out I have a few unconventional picks in my top 10, and the MDR-CD1700 is one of them. I actually hesitate to put the CD1700 on this list because I want to buy a couple of backups, but I'm not going to be full of myself and think I'll actually affect the market much, hopefully. The standout feature of the CD1700 is its midrange, which is almost in the same league as the Sennheiser HD580. For a closed headphone, it has pretty sad bass. The pads are velour and don't really seal, and they are a few decades old, so many examples will probably have flattened pads. On my head, the CD1700 actually surpasses the HD580 because the treble is less uneven and grainy.

5. Modhouse Tungsten V2 (Double Sided Magnets)

I've been lucky enough to use the Tungsten V2 next to a V1 and I'm a big fan. It seems to build on the V1's strengths by making it easier to drive and making the transition between midrange and treble a bit smoother, leading to a more coherent sound. For those looking for a leaner planar magnetic headphone like the Hifiman Susvara, the Tungsten V2 actually ticks more "realism" boxes for me with its more controlled treble and less lean midrange.

8. Stax SR-Lambda Normal Bias

I've been singing the praises of the Stax SR-Lambda Normal Bias for a decade, and it remains my favorite Stax headphone. It's a smoother tone than the rest of the Stax headphones, with a fantastic midrange and, for an electrostatic headphone, fairly solid bass. Its greatest flaw is that it is a normal bias headphone, which means it will only work with older 230V Stax amplifiers and the occasional multi-voltage supported amps like the iFi iCan Phantom. On the positive side, they tend to go for under $300 on the secondary market with an SRD-6 energizer (separate speaker amplifier still required), so for the price of a typical modern midrange headphone, the SR-Lambda Normal Bias is also attainable.

9. Sennheiser HD580 Precision

The most surprising thing about the HD580 being on this list is how low it is, but the numbers speak for themselves. The HD580 has the highest midrange score of any headphone on my list (alongside the HD650 and Sony MDR-R10) but its middling bass and not-so-good treble bring it down significantly. Most music sounds good with the HD580, and the HD580 is the headphone I always gravitate to for vocal-focused music, but I do have to come to terms with the fact that the gritty treble does get grating.

10. Stax SR-4070

The SR-4070 is probably the weirdest headphone on this list. It is one of two closed headphones Stax has made, and the only closed electrostatic headphone. The other closed headphone Stax released was the SR-50 electret. The SR-4070 has the flattest measuring midrange of the Stax lineup, which means that it can sound fairly upper midrange/low treble forward. I really like it despite sounding the slightest bit compressed. The only reason I don't own one myself is that because of their rarity (Stax originally made the SR-4070 for broadcast studios exclusively), the SR-4070's value went from ~$1300 when I was a broke student, to over $3000 now that I'm a working adult.

Ratings

For those interested in the numerical ratings I gave this list, here is a screenshot of my top 10:

The remaining 500-ish headphones and a lot more content will come in 2026. Thank you for reading and we at Den-Fi wish you all a very happy new year!