Sennheiser HD 600

The HD 600 is the open-back pair that mixing engineers and music fans have trusted for decades. Its dynamic drivers sit in acoustically open ear cups, so the sound feels wide and natural rather than trapped inside your head, and Sennheiser lists a 12 Hz to 40.5 kHz frequency response.

The cable is 3 m long with a 3.5 mm plug and a 6.3 mm adapter in the box, and it detaches if it ever wears out. At 300 ohms the HD 600 wants more power than a laptop jack gives: plan for a headphone amp or an audio interface. Open backs also leak sound both ways, so it suits a quiet room, not an open office.