4 Bluetooth Headphones Audiophiles Steer Clear Of

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There are plenty of more affordable headphones on the market that sound great. Most people would be just fine with a decent pair of headphones that don't cost an arm and a leg. But if you are serious about your music and the life of an audiophile, there are a number of fairly expensive headphones that don't quite live up to their price.

If you are looking for something with seriously good sound, you might think paying more means getting a better quality sound. That isn't always the case, and many expensive headphones from well-known brands might not live up to the standards of a true audiophile. We've ranked 11 major audiophile headphones in the past, and none of those brands made this list. But a number of major brands are included, many of which might surprise you. 

We've researched a number of heavily marketed and well-known headphones from huge brands released in the last couple of years. Many of these are quite popular with consumers online and sell incredibly well to the casual user. But if you're serious about getting the best sound, the following popular headphones are ones that audiophiles should avoid.

The Beats Solo 4 headphones look great with a stylish design, but a few quirks make them a poor choice for audiophiles. These aren't actually over-ear headphones; rather, they're on-ear headphones. That's not a bad thing, as many consumers prefer this, but this design can lead to comfort issues if you plan to wear them for long periods of time. The cups can press in against your ears instead of dissipating the pressure on your head, making for an uncomfortable listening experience.

This might be forgiven if the audio quality was superb, but unfortunately the Beats Solo 4 fall flat in the opinion of many reviewers. Testing showed the headphones pushed the highs, while holding back on the mids and bass. This gave the Beats Solo 4 headphones an overall tinnier sound when compared to other headphones in the same class and price range. While you can find the Beats Solo 4 headphones on sale quite often, the retail price of $200 makes them a poor choice if you are looking for a well-balanced audio profile and more than just a pair of headphones for the gym.

Skullcandy has been around for a long time. The brand makes many great headphones that skew towards younger demographics and those who love a bass-heavy sound profile. There's nothing wrong with this, especially if you like listening to rap and hip-hop music. But there comes a point when too much bass hampers the music-listening experience.

The Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones do essentially what it says on the tin. They crush your skull because of how intense the bass can be set via the bass slider. It can get so bass-heavy that it can easily ruin the audio listening experience, and perhaps even your ears by accident. The bass is so powerful that some noted that while there is no noise canceling, the extreme bass is enough to cancel out all sound in general.

Even if you like a lot of bass in your audio listening experience, the risk of hearing damage from all the pounding even when listening to music with minimal bass is just too much for many. These certainly aren't great headphones for the audiophile out there, but they are fun headphones for those looking for a gimmick.

Dyson is known for creating incredibly stylish products that are on the expensive side. From vacuums to hairdryers, Dyson is an upscale brand that has also turned its attention to the audio space with the Dyson OnTrac Headphones. These chunky headphones are sure to turn heads with their design, one that allows for a lot of customization with replaceable ear cups and outer caps.

But, the Dyson OnTrac headphones come with a disappointing app, a lack of EQ customization options, and fall short in the sound department. For $500, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are competing with the top-tier in the headphone space, such as the Apple AirPods Max. So it's a shame that, in terms of sound quality, they come up short in just about every category.

It seems like these headphones are a style-first sort of product, the internals and sound being secondary to the experience. If you are more about style, these might work for you if you want some looks on the train. But if you are looking for great-sounding headphones, you can do much better for far less. Stick to your Dyson vacuum and leave these headphones on the store shelf.

You're probably aware of the Raycon brand if you've spent any time watching YouTube videos over the last several years. This headphone brand has sponsored many large YouTube channels, promoting their headphones to massive viewer bases. While this flood of paid promotion helped to establish the company and make it successful, the headphones leave a lot to be desired.

A lot of reviewers who covered the Raycon's The Everyday Wireless Over Ear Headphones say that they feel pretty cheap and don't stay on well. Many noted that they are simply generic headphones that do nothing special in terms of audio, even featuring pretty weak bass. This is surprising considering that the Raycon brand was created by Ray J, a popular R&B singer from the early 2000s.

The Raycon The Everyday Wireless Over Ear Headphones aren't bad for the casual user, but they are considered pretty generic and lifeless by audiophiles. Many also note that they suffer from durability, connectivity issues, and overall tuning problems. This is all made worse when you can find far better sounding headphones for a far more reasonable price.

When selecting the headphones for this feature, we looked towards expert audiophile opinions as well as what consumers were saying about each model online. We looked to users on various Reddit threads giving their personal experience with the headphones they purchased and letting others know which brands to avoid and specific models to skip. On top of that, we relied on audio experts who provided non-sponsored reviews, as well as videos from users who purchased the above listed headphones and detailed their experience with them.