The best on-ear headphones you can buy

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The Insider Pick:

• On-ear headphones give you great sound in a portable package that's comfortable to wear. Master & Dynamic's MW50 are the best on-ear headphones we've tested yet. They're an investment, but you'll appreciate these headphones more each day, as you rediscover favorite songs and fully appreciate new ones. 

On-ear headphones sit between earbuds and over-ear options because they provide the best attributes of both. On-ear headphones are still small enough to quickly stash in a bag, but they're big enough to sound better than earbuds — thanks, physics.

As their name suggests, on-ear headphones have ear pads that sit on top of your ear, instead of ear cups that surround them. Some people find that makes on-ear headphones more comfortable, and it definitely makes them a little easier to take off.

Some of the picks in this guide have already made their way into other guides, which we'll link to, but on-ear headphones cover a very wide range of prices and styles, so we've done our best to come up with picks that fully represent the spectrum. That includes wired and wireless options depending on your preference — although we think Bluetooth headphones are generally pretty great these days.

While our top pick is really aimed at enthusiasts, Koss' Porta Pro headphones are a great budget option, Plantronics' Backbeats 500 are incredibly convenient, Bowers & Wilkins' P5 headphones are beautiful, and Grado's SR80 headphones are a little different than what you're used to.  

The best on-ear headphones overall

Amazon

Why you'll love them: If you appreciate excellent audio production and aren't concerned with budgets, you'll be happy with Master & Dynamic's MW50 headphones.

The best Bluetooth headphones need to sound great, feel nice, and look good — especially since they'll command a high price. Thankfully, Master & Dynamic delivered with the MW50. From the first time you put them on, you'll appreciate their feel and things will only improve when you actually start listening to music. 

Because music has to get compressed when sent wirelessly from your phone to your Bluetooth headphones, you end up losing the little details that make songs special. No Bluetooth headphones (at least not right now) will give you every nuance you'll hear with a high-end pair of wired ones, but the MW50's performance is excellent.

I was able to pick up on sonic subtleties that would get lost or sound muddy on lesser pairs, and that was true regardless of what I was listening to. Music encoded at a lower bit rate would sound worse, but that was more a matter of the MW50's exposing flaws in the files rather than making them sound that way. 

The only major downside to these headphones is their high price, but that's to be expected from hardware this good. As with any luxury good, you're getting what you pay for, and in the case of the MW50 headphones, it's quite a lot.

Pros: Excellent sound reproduction, nice feel, great design

Cons: Very costly

Buy the Master & Dynamic MW50 on Amazon for $449

Note, these headphones were featured in our Best Bluetooth Headphones guide, and our analysis has been reproduced here. 

The best on-ear headphones for budget hunters

Amazon

Why you'll love them: If you're looking for good on-ear headphones with an excellent reputation and a budget price, it'd be hard to find a better choice than Koss' Porta Pros. 

Koss' Porta Pro is the only pair of headphones on this list that I have absolutely no experience with, but it's on here for a reason. Koss has sold these headphones for 33 years, and just updated them five years ago to include play, pause, and skip track buttons — that type of longevity in the tech world is unheard of. 

While these headphones have a look that hasn't aged particularly well, its simplicity may appeal to some. The Ports Pros' sound is well-liked by reviewers and is considered pretty balanced overall. Koss highlights the bass response of these headphones specifically, so if you're into pop or hip-hop, you're in for a bigger treat. 

Another thing that sets the Porta Pros apart is the lifetime warranty that comes with it. If your headphones break under normal use, you'll get a new pair. I've heard stories of people taking advantage of this years after their initial purchase, so if you're satisfied with these headphones you may never have to worry about buying a new pair.

Pros: Good audio quality, a lifetime warranty

Cons: Kind of dated look

Buy the Koss Porta Pro On Ear Headphones on Amazon for $41.96

The best on-ear headphones for convenience

Amazon

Why you'll love them: If you're constantly switching between listening to music on multiple devices, Plantronics' 500 headphones make it easy. 

I primarily listen to music on my phone, but at work, I sometimes listen to music on my computer. There's always a wired pair connected to my work laptop, but sometimes it's inconvenient to take off my Bluetooth headphones and put them on, only to take them off again after a song or two. 

Bluetooth headphones typically have a problem connecting to multiple audio sources simultaneously, but Plantronics' 500 don't. This pair connects to my computer and phone and lets me seamlessly switch between the two. It's a trick Apple's Airpods can perform (on Apple hardware only), but I was surprised to find it in a pair of headphones at this price point.

This convenience is why they're on this list, but they're also a good pair of headphones in their own right. They sound excellent for a pair that costs under $100, and they have excellent battery life. The materials aren't as nice as what you'd find on a higher-end pair, but if you can extend your budget a little bit and like on-ear headphones they're a great choice.

Pros: Great sound for the price, the ability to switch between devices seamlessly

Cons: Not quite as nice as a pair of high-end headphones

Buy the Plantronics 500 on Amazon for $79.99

Note, these headphones were featured in our Best Bluetooth Headphones guide, and our analysis has been reproduced here. 

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