Listen Up

Value Electronics and Dealercope last week impaneled an expert group of professional audio engineers, headphone and tech reviewers, and audio experts to gauge the latest and greatest high-fidelity technology at the first annual Headphone Shootout® Evaluation event at The Company Building in New York City. The panel of judges featuring Michael De Nigris, Carlo LoRaso, Gavin Johnson, Ian White, and MC Brian Stout analyzed the sound quality, noise canceling control, comfort level, and sound features, to review the gear.

One highlight of the day involved a group discussion on the state of play in the headphone market: Who are the emerging customers in the market, how user behavior has changed as a result of the pandemic, and what trends are on the horizon for the next few years.

Make sure to watch the panel below.

The Contenders

$149 – $249
In-Ear Headphones: 

  • Focal Sphear $249 
  • Sennheiser IE 200 $149 
  • Technics EAH-AZ60 $199 

$279 – $299
In
-Ear Headphones:

  • Bose QuietComfort II $299
  • Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 $299 
  • Sony WF-1000XM4 $279

$349 – $399
Over-Ear:

• Bose 700 $379
• Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 $399
• Sennheiser Momentum 4 $349
• Sony WH-1000XM5 $399
• Technics EAH-A800 $349

$699 – $799
Over-Ear:

• Bowers & Wilkins Px8 $699
• Denon AH-D5200 $699
• Focal Bathys $799
• Sony MDR-Z7M2 $799

$1,499 – $1,799
Wired Over-Ear:

• Denon AH-D9200 $1,599
• Focal Clear-MG $1,499
• Sennheiser HD 800 S $1,799
• Sony MDR-Z1R $1,799

Congratulations to these winners:

King of Headphones In-Ear
($149 to $199):
Sennheiser IE 200

($279 to $299):
Sony WF-1000XM4

King of Headphones Over-Ear
($349 to $399):
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

($699 to $799):
Focal Bathys

King of Headphones
Wired Over-Ear:
($1,499 to $1,799):
Focal Clear MG

($1,499 to $1,799):
Sony MDR-Z1R

THE HEADPHONE SHOOTOUT IS POWERED BY

The latest state of the art in switching, distribution, and test equipment are being supplied by AVProStore. Technics new SL-G700MK2 Network SACD/CD Player will be a source device. 

About Value Electronics
Value Electronics, founded in 1998, is a custom A/V integrator with a retail showroom in the Village of Scarsdale, NY. Owners Wendy and Robert Zohn created and began sponsoring the TV Shootout evaluation event in 2004.