Six headphone brands you’ve never heard of and their best headsets
Headphones are an important accessory for any music lover as they can listen to it, wherever they go. When people want to buy a new headphone, one of the first things they look at is the brand. Popular companies such as Sony, Sennheiser and Zebronics are the preferred choice because their brands are well-known, and many people associate brand with quality.
While these brands have created the best headsets, it does not mean that every headphone they release would be excellent. Hence, it is important for users to consider the not-so-popular brands too before making a purchasing decision because many of these less popular companies have created top class headphones that any user would love. For these reasons, it is important to look beyond the brand.
Some of the less-popular brands, but they have the best headsets that will make listening to music an absolute pleasure:
1. Monoprice
One of the relatively unknown brands in the world of headphones is Monoprice. This company was founded in 2002 by Sean Hong and Jong Lee. It began when Sean began to sell HDMI cables from his apartment home on eBay. Soon, his product became a success because it was extremely affordable with no compromise on quality. There was no looking back after that, and today, the company sells products worth more than $120 million every year. Its range of products are ultra affordable because it sources raw materials from Asia and sells it directly to customers through online channels. This company has no physical store and relies entirely on the Internet to sell its products.
Monoprice 108323 Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over The Ear
One such product that it sells is 108323 Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over The Ear Pro Headphone. This product is priced at under $22, and it is one of the best quality full-size over the ear headphones that one can buy for this low value. The design is stylish and is surprisingly more rugged than many other expensive headphones in the market today. Its ear cups also swivel upside down, which means the padded cushions fit almost any person. The head band can be adjusted to have a good fit, and in fact, its fit is more comfortable than most other best headsets today. Furthermore, the over the ear cups keep external noise away even while traveling on public transport.
The original package comes with two cables, a thin one that is 50 inches long and a thicker one that is about 11.5 inches long. Both these cables end in 3.5 mm plugs, and there is also a 3.5 to 6.3 adapter plug that can be used to plug into a stereo system.
These headphones sound great too, especially on the bass and midrange notes. The transition between bass, treble and midrange is smooth, making it the best choice for those are into sound production. It has a little laid-back tone that could cause vocals to lag behind than it should, but they sound good for guitar and other string instruments.
Overall, the Monoprice 108323 Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over The Earr Pro Headphone is a must-try product for any music lover who does not want to spend hundreds of dollars for a top quality headphone.
2. JLAB
JLAB is another relatively obscure audio company that has produced a good number of products. This company was founded in 2005, and is headquartered in Oceanside, California. JLAB entered the audio world with a bang in 2006 with the launch of its B-Flex laptop speaker. This product got rave attention in the media, and was touted as one of the best in terms of sound quality. Since then, JLAB as its audio expertise to other areas such as Bluetooth speakers and the best headsets. Seven years later, this company was bought by Dallas-based by Apollo Brands, a consumer brands company.
Omni Premium Folding Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear Headphone
Another product that is well-known in the industry today is Omni By JLab Premium Folding Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear Headphone with Mic & Carrying Case.
These headphones are steeped in style and performance, and also have bluetooth functionality – all for only $100. Its remote is a little different as it comes in a circular shape that users can use to take calls, move tracks forward or backward and to turn up or tone down the volume. It even gives a vocal cue when the best headsets are turned on every time.
The left headphone comes with a provision for inserting cable while the right one has a USB charger. There is also a small button that comes with a switch that users have to turn on when they go wireless.
With this option, users have the flexibility to switch between wired and wireless functionality. The ear cups are also well-padded or a comfortable fit, but there is no active noise cancellation mechanism.
The performance is good too, with all the notes sounding clear. There is a good amount of depth in the bass while the high, low and midrange notes are well-balanced. The transition between the different notes is also smooth and comes with high levels of clarity. Overall, these headphones are a great steal for $100.
3. Koss
Koss has been in the audio business for a few decades now. The company was founded by John Koss in 1953 as a television rental company, and soon made its foray into making headphones. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this company continues to be family-owned with the immediate relatives of the founder holding around 75 percent. This company is particularly known for its titanium diaphragm drivers that provide high quality sound to its users. Its flagship product that brought much success to the company is PortaPro Headphones.
Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
The Koss PortaPro headphone model can take users back in time with its retro design. In fact, the first thing that is noticeable about these headphones is their 1980s design. These headphones sport this retro design because they were in fact first released in 1984, and they are so popular that Koss decided to leave it unchanged even after two decades.
The Koss Porta Pro headphone comes with two ear cups that are connected by a thin frame to the head band. These frames come with convenient sliders that make it easy for users to tighten and loosen their fit when needed. Along with these adjustments, there are also three mechanical adjustments that help to adjust the tension of earphones for a better fit. This design feels very comfortable and lightweight when worn, and this is probably why Koss has not changed anything about it. Another advantage with these headphones is that they fold down nicely and fit well inside any pouch or headphone case.
The only major downside in terms of design is that there is no lock on the headband, so the sliders tend to get caught in the hair. This problem persists even when the headphones are worn around one’s neck, as it tightens and almost strangulates users.
Along with their design, the sound quality of Koss Porta Pro headphones are also classy and top class. While reviewing these headphones or even buying them, it is important for users to understand that these headphones came at a time when sound technology was not this developed. In fact, these headphones do not keep surrounding noise out because sound-isolating technology was not available in 1984. Despite this drawback, all genres of music sound good on these best headsets.
4. Symphonized
Symphonized is a company that was started by music enthusiasts who wanted to create headphones that they would love to use. To put their ideas into practice, they integrated the best craftsmanship and the latest technology to produce clear and warm sounds every time. The uniqueness of all symphonized headphones is that it uses real natural wood to capture all the notes. As a result, acoustics is top class in all its products.
Symphonized Wraith Premium Genuine Wood Headphones
The biggest highlight of these headphones is its material. Made of natural wood, these headphones are tuned to create rich sounds, irrespective of the instrument that is being played. Its dynamic sound creates deep bass effects, thereby making it a good choice for bass lovers.
It even comes with a powerful sound that resonates well with the rest of the notes without sounding jazzy or overpowering. Due to the use of natural wood, all tones are crystal clear and have a nice clarity around it.
It works well with most home devices such as iPods, iPads, iPhones, home audio system, MP3 players and just about any other sound device.
Its design is unique too, again because of the use of wood. The ear cups are triangular shaped, with the outer side made of wood. The ear cushions are comfortable as the padding is of soft material. The head band is made of wood too, though it comes with a matt finish. It is stylish and is firm on the head.
In short, Symphonized Wraith Premium Genuine Wood Headphones are definitely worth a buy!
5. Sades
Sades was founded in 2002, and is located in the Chinese city of ShenZhen. The idea behind starting this company was to give great quality headphones at a price that is affordable to everyone. The company decided to enter a niche area of the best headsets, which is the gaming headphones. To cater to the needs of users in this segment, it infused top digital technology with innovation and created its flagship product that is reviewed below.
Sades Stereo 7.1 Surround Pro USB Gaming Headset with Mic Headband Headphone
Sades is one of the few headphones available today that are appropriate for gaming In fact, the company designed this headphone for gaming enthusiasts to help them enjoy the great audio that comes in the game. This audio is important to ensure that users have a wholesome and fulfilling experience every time they play a game. For this reason, the Sades Stereo 7.1 Surround Pro USB Gaming Headset with Mic Headband Headphone is a big hit among gamers worldwide.
These headphones look hip and cool with a white base and a blue piping that runs all from the ear cups all the way through the headband.
The outer side of the ear cups are silver in color that makes it look chic. The headset even lights up when connected to the computer giving a chic look to these headphones. The ear padding is comfortable and does not cause any pain even when worn for many hours at a stretch.
These headphones come with its own sound card and sound drivers to give a powerful 7.1 surround sound through the headphones. Such an effect allows users to hear the action that is happening on all sides of the game. The sound is deep and powerful, and captures every detail. In short, these headphones are a must-buy for gamers.
6. EarPollution
iFrogz EarPollution is a Utah-based company that was founded in 2006. It was originally started to create accessories for Apple-based products, and later it entered into the headphones market too. It was acquired by Zagg in 2011.
EarPollution ThrowBax Headphones - Metallic Blue
One of the salient features of EarPollution ThrowBax headphones is its bass, that tends to be deep, rich and intense. In fact, this bass is combined with other notes in a song to give a smooth and wonderful listening experience to users.
The design of these best headsets tend to be fairly straightforward with circular ear cups and a metal head band that comes with adjustable options.
It is painted in metallic colours to give a nice look and feel to it. One downside is that the metal headband tends to hurt the scalp after sometime.
As for the performance, it is bang on. The noise isolation is good and the volume is fantastic. The bass and treble are its high points, though other notes also sound good on it. Another unique aspect is that the cord comes out of only form the left ear cup, which means, the chances for tangling is less. Moreover, users have to worry only about one cord instead of two, which can come as a relief. Overall, a good buy.
