Even as wireless headphones and wireless earbuds carve out an increasingly chunky share of the market, the standard of wired models on offer continues to impress. There are even rumblings that many younger users are turning their backs on Bluetooth models, favouring the old-school charms, superior sound and environmental credentials of the traditional wired style.
Whatever the case, our Awards section for wired headphones hasn't seen a huge amount of change this year, and while that might sound like a category gone stagnant, it simply testifies to how exceptional these multiple winners are when it comes to delivering the best performance at their respective price points. Returning to grab more silverware are the wonderful Austrian Audio Hi-X15 budget over-ears, the high-value Røde NTH-100, the open-backed Grado SR325x, the ultra-affordable SoundMagic E11C earbuds and the premium Shure Aonic 3 in-ear monitors.
The What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 wired headphones winners
What we have here is a collection of wired headphones all returning for another round of well-earned glory. The Røde NTH-100 are still the relative newbies in the paddock, arriving in late 2022 and showing that you can squeeze a breathtaking amount of performance from an affordable model. Some very competent competitors tried to take their crown this year, but it is the incredible versatility of the Rødes that has earned them a repeat accolade. Revealing without being analytical, exciting without being overbearing, and spacious without sounding pulled apart, they were an absolute dream at their launch price of £149 / $149 / AU$249, and are today better value than ever now that they have dropped in price significantly in the interim.
If you're keen on over-ears but want to go a little cheaper, the talented and immensely likeable Austrian Audio Hi-X15 stand alone. Not only do they sound fantastic and boast a handsome, user-friendly design, but you could also manage to snaffle a pair for around £90 / $90 if you play your cards right.
For users who want to go higher up the price scale and crave open-backed (i.e. leaky) excellence for home listening, the Grado SR325x are still our best pick as the best wired headphones over £200 — detailed, dynamic and supremely entertaining. Can anyone come along and topple the mighty Grados? At this rate, it's starting to feel like an insurmountable task.
What about in-ear greatness? For budget hunters who still seek sonic thrills, the SoundMagic E11C return to take the cake once again. They're not glamorous to look at or to use, and while some ignorant members of the public might view you with contempt as they sport their latest AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, you'll be smug and secure knowing that you're enjoying sparkling, deeply detailed sound for under £50 / $50 / AU$100. The E11C have, in one form or another, been our go-to Award-winners since 2018, so they must be doing something very, very right.
If you're willing to spend a bit more on wired in-ears, the Shure Aonic 3 remain our pick of those that just crosses the three-figure mark, a position they've also held for roughly five years. The Aonic 3 produce the best in-ear sound you can get for their money, blending superb dynamics and musicality with a detailed, balanced presentation that just does everything so professionally. Very tough to beat, these Shures.
This hasn't been a year for the newcomers, then. The wired headphones category feels like the men's tennis landscape in the 2010s, whereby established veterans – greats of the game, even – were making it hard for eager but naive newbies to break through and pick up a few Grand Slams of their own. We're keen to see a headphones equivalent of a Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner emerge to challenge for the top, but they need to be at their very best because, as the likes of Novak, Nadal and Federer have shown, the kings won't simply hand over their crown if they're still operating at the top of their game.
For now, the guard remains unchanged.
MORE:
Which pair will win our coveted Product of the Year Award? All will be revealed at the What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony in November
Discover every What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner right here
See our complete list of the best wired headphones
