Top 5 Wired Headphones Still Worth Untangling

No batteries, no pairing, no firmware updates. These cables are worth the occasional knot.

1. 1

   MDR-7506 — Sony

   Studios have used them since the early '90s, and they still make cheap earbuds sound like a polite suggestion.

2. 2

   Porta Pro — Koss

   They look like a 1984 jogging accessory and sound far better than a pair this cheap has any right to.

3. 3

   HD 600 — Sennheiser

   The open-back reference pair audiophiles keep coming back to after chasing every shiny upgrade.

4. 4

   ATH-M50x — Audio-Technica

   Punchy, sturdy and foldable, they're the default answer when a friend asks what to buy and means it.

5. 5

   Chu II — Moondrop

   Proof that a pair of IEMs for around twenty bucks can embarrass earbuds costing ten times as much.