As a classical headphone, nothing in this price range comes close. For other types of music, you will still find yourself hard pressed to better the AD700s. Bass-heads need not apply

If you have the money to spend and audio quality is important to you, The Quiet Comfort 2 are the best noise cancelling headphones we have seen and are well worth their price tag.

The Aurvana X-Fi is not inexpensive. But the nearest competitor, Bose's QuietComfort 2, costs just as much and offers half the features. Which would you rather have – headphones that merely block noise, or headphones that block noise and improve your music? The choice is obvious.

On par or better than the top of the line Sennheisers, but at a lower price, the BeyerDynamic DT880s are one of the best amplified headphones you can buy, short of spending $1000 or more.

These headphones are fantastic for listening to high-quality audio. They're balanced, even, and reproduce all frequencies admirably. Their only stumbling point is that they're too good at exposing the inadequacies of compressed MP3s and poor recordings.

AKG's K701 headphones are some of the best on the market. They aren't as bass-heavy as some of their competition but the low-range notes are still impressive and when combined with the detailed mid-range and sweet highs, you get a fantastic, smooth audio experience.

The Sony DMRXD400 are a high quality set of HiFi headphones within a reasonable price range which will satisfy most audio needs.

One of the best value for money pairs of headphones around. With a sub $200 street price in many places, these are definitely worth looking out for if you are looking for something in the mid range.

If you’re looking for an incredible unamplified headphone and are willing to spend a little the A900 is the perfect choice.

In the $150 range, and particularly for listening to rock (but all genres sound great) the MS1s are hard to beat.

Offering a solid alternative to the Audio Technica A900s, the HD595s present a warm, slightly dark sound that will please many listeners.

The QuietComfort 3 headphones offer exceptional noise cancelling, and while they may not provide the best sound quality on the market, they are extremely appealing for frequent travelers.