Headphones make a great Christmas gift.
For music lovers, they are a no-brainer. Few stereo systems or wireless speakers can match the immersive music listening experience offered by the best headphones. Even for casual listeners, a good set of cans make for a much more enjoyable commute or plane ride by blocking out background noise.
The best thing to happen to headphones in recent years is the growing popularity of Bluetooth. Wireless headphones eliminate the frustration of cord tangles, and even if Apple Inc. (AAPL) abandons the standard headphone jack with the iPhone 7, with wireless headphones it makes no difference.
Like portable speaker systems, there are thousands of headphone options ranging from $10 to thousands of dollars, so choosing a set as a gift can be confusing.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of five of the best headphones for gifting.
The 5 Best Headphones to Buy: Sennheiser Momentum 2.0
Sennheiser is known for making some of the best — and most expensive — headphones in the world.
Fortunately, you don’t have to drop $55k on a pair of Orpheus headphones to enjoy the Sennheiser quality.
Sennheiser’s Momentum 2.0 is a followup to its previous bestseller headphones. While they aren’t wireless, the $349.95 Momentum 2.0’s make up for it in looks and sound quality.
Construction is high-quality leather and stainless steel, while neodymium transducers deliver audiophile-pleasing 16Hz-22KHz frequency response at less than 0.5% total harmonic distortion.
The 5 Best Headphones to Buy: Puro BT5200 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
An unfortunate side effect of frequent headphone use can be hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to high-volume sound.
If you’re concerned about this issue, an excellent option to consider is the Puro BT5200 wireless headphones from Puro Sound Labs.
Sound quality on these headphones is excellent — balanced and powered by 40mm custom dynamic drivers that deliver a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz at less than 1% total harmonic distortion.
They also look good and fit comfortably, thanks to aluminum and supple leather construction, and the battery is rated for an exceptional 24 hours of playback.
But what makes the Puro headphones stand out is a microprocessor that measures sound levels in decibels, then lights an LED that indicates how long it’s safe to listen to music — when the LED is green, you’re good to go for eight hours, yellow means limit listening to two hours per day, while red should be stopped or limited to just 15 minutes.
The Puro BT5200s are also a relative bargain at $129.99, a deal made even better by a $99.99 holiday promotion.
The 5 Best Headphones to Buy: House of Marley Liberate XLBT Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones
An excellent set of headphones that tends to fly under the mainstream radar is the House of Marley Liberate XLBT Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones.
As you might expect from something bearing the Marley name, the Liberate XLBTs deliver plenty of bass. 50mm dynamic moving coil drivers definitely help there.
But, the Marley “Signature Sound” isn’t just heavy on the low end, there’s plenty of energy across the range, balanced with an overall warmth and a comfortable fit that makes them perfect for rocking out for long sessions.
The Liberate $179.99 XLBTs will also appeal to individualists and environmentalists. Their unique look includes the use of leather, aluminum, FSC-certified wood, and fabric made of recycled plastic, hemp and organic cotton.
The 5 Best Headphones to Buy: Bose QuietComfort 25
Remember that commuting scenario? That person needs Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones.
When it comes to active noise cancellation — blocking out traffic noise, conversations, and other travel distractions — these are the best headphones for the job.
The Bose QuietComfort 25s are also built to be comfortable, with softly padded over-ear cups that rotate for a perfect fit. There’s a cable (a AAA battery provides the noise cancellation), but it’s one ear only and replaceable, so accidentally yanking it out isn’t a big concern.
As a Bose product, you can count on decent sound, even though it may be a little heavy on the bass.
Do you have to buy for a music-loving, frequent-travelling football fan? For an extra $100 over the usual $299.95 price, you can order Bose QuietComfort 25s that are customized with NFL-themed colors.
The 5 Best Headphones to Buy: Beats Solo 2 Wireless
Audiophiles will tell you that Apple’s Beats headphones don’t live up to their popularity (or their price tag).
It’s true, you can buy headphones with much higher audio quality than Beats for a lot less, but the fact remains: they’re in high demand, especially with image-conscious (and bass-loving) teenagers.
Sometimes, you have to just grimace and give them what they want. If there’s a teen in your home, there’s a good chance their wish list includes a pair of Beats Solo2 Wireless.
They’re far from acoustic perfection, but kids tend to prefer thumping bass and these will deliver. There is also a wide range of trendy colors to choose from, including the full selection that matches Apple’s iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad lines. And, of course, the all-important Beats logo is prominently emblazoned on each ear cup.
At $329.95 these Beats aren’t cheap, but Apple has been offering a $60 iTunes gift card during the holidays, which helps a bit.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
