The sky's the limit, and we can see from the ground. That is the only phrase that can be used to describe the Wired Headphones category. In today’s time, there are plenty of products that grace this category. We have everything from entry-level studio monitors that can be purchased for a few thousand rupees to luxury offerings that can cost over ₹ 5,00,000. The difference in audio quality that comes in as you climb through the price tags is insane. There is a point of diminishing returns. However, there are so many different niches to cover here that finding that becomes a task. Studio monitors have a flat sound signature, without any colours in the sound, meaning that you get very plain audio coming from the headphones. These headphones are known to be some of the most expensive ones available. However, if you spend some more money and move into the luxury audio segment, the tables turn. You get a very finely tuned audio where you have just the right amount of the bass, mids, and highs mixed together to form this beautiful drink that you don’t want ever to finish. So much so that reportedly, some people start crying when they listen to luxury audio products for the first time. The differentiation is hard to do. However, we went the extra mile to test a variety of headphones to decide which one would win Digit Zero1 Award 2022 for being the best-performing product of all. And, which one is the value for money king and would be crowned the winner of Digit Best Buy Award 2022.
With a price of ₹2,75,000, the Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT immediately caught the attention of the folks at the Digit Test Centre as soon as it showed up. And, when we hooked it up to the audio interface and started playing some high-quality FLAC files, they did not fail to impress us. The headphones had a balanced sound signature with the right mix of all the frequencies thrown in. You can imagine how good a headphone would be if it needs special equipment to work. Despite them being a pair of closed-back headphones, the sound stage was very impressive to say the least. You do lose out on a bit of the clamping pressure. However, you will not be going out on the tracks for a run with these on, so that is never an issue. Rather, it adds to the whole listening experience. The bass was punchy yet subtle, and the mids and the highs were registering their presence with authority. Every instrument in the tracks that we played, across the board, had all the instruments clearly heard and represented as they would have been envisioned by the artist. There were literally no features for us to test, so most of our time spent with this and the other headphones that had come to the Digit Test Centre was spent listening to our set list of tracks.
The Neumann NDH30 fought well to plant themselves at the runner-up spot in our Zero1 Awards. While the Audio-Technica headphones are meant primarily for listening to music in the best way possible, the Neumann NDH30 is a pair of headphones that is used to master those songs in studios. They stood to the standards we had set for the headphones and gave us a sound that is perfect for being used in studios to master and monitor tracks. The bass was deep and bouncy. The mids and highs were perfectly balanced; however, due to the lack of colouration in the audio, they might sound a bit harsh in daily use. The Neumann NDH 30 mean serious business, and for ₹52,900, we expected nothing less from this reputed company. The sound profile is neutral with almost no colouration whatsoever, which is what you’d want from a professional reference-level pair of headphones. Everything fell flat on the sound curve. For anyone looking to buy headphones for day-to-day use might find these underwhelming because their sound is so colourless and bland. However, for professionals like studio managers and sound engineers, these headphones make perfect sense, even at the price of ₹52,900. Their open-back design allows them to have a wide soundstage which adds to the listening experience.
The Sennheiser HD 400 PRO in our testing turned out to be the best pair of headphones that you can get your hands on if you are looking to get the most out of the money that you spend. Their sound signature is not as flat as the Neumann NDH 30, but it comes pretty close. It is flat enough for most professional audio mastering and monitoring work. As for the design, these headphones have an open-back design that helps in widening the soundstage. These headphones are very lightweight and sport a great set of cushions on each ear cup and the headband, ensuring excellent comfort levels during prolonged listening sessions. Out of the box, these headphones come with two sets of cables, one coiled (3m, with 3.5mm jack) and one straight (1.8m, with 3.5mm jack). Additionally, you are provided with a 3.5 mm jack plug to 6.3 mm adapter that will ensure that you are able to connect to a variety of devices.
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