Gift Guide: 15 Headphones, From Dirt Cheap to Damn Expensive

Despite their slightly odd aesthetics, neckband headphones (call 'em neckbuds) still have their appeal. Phiaton's set puts plane-deafening noise cancellation in your ears, and keeps going even under a river of sweat. They're also the rare wireless earbuds that accept a cable, so your music can keep going even after the battery gives out. Buy for $75.

Your standard set of great-sounding over-the-ear studio monitors costs north of $300. (See: the second half of this guide.) But if you want to get your Skrillex on but don't have the skrilla for Beats, Status Audio's cushy headphones will do the trick just fine. They don't look like much, but nobody's looking anyway. Buy for $79.

These ultra-popular cans are everyone's favorite on-ear headphones. They sound and look better than you'd expect for the price, and the battery lasts at least long enough to get you across the Atlantic. They're great for phone calls, too, and even count as a fashion statement—as long as you get the red ones. Buy for $80.

If you're missing your headphone jack, and aren't ready to live your best dongle life...you don't have that many options. Libratone's Q Adapt are some of the best USB-C earbuds on the market. They'll control your music, cancel ambient noise, and let you access Google Assistant. And they don't need a single dang dongle. Buy for $149.

Jaybird's latest wireless earbuds are about as versatile a pair as you'll find. Enough tips and wings come in the box to fit in almost any head. Since Jaybird packed most of the battery and electronics into the in-line microphone, the buds themselves are light enough to keep in all day. You'll get more bass and volume than you might expect, too. Buy for $150.

For the Apple enthusiast on your list, there's no product more enticing than the AirPods. They pair effortlessly, dangle weightlessly from your ears, and work well for Siri and phone calls in addition to Apple Music. Best of all, you can pair them with an Apple Watch, and leave your phone at home altogether. Perfect for the smartphone (or Watch) addict in everyone's family. Buy for $159.

Now that Beats is part of Apple, the company's tech cred has skyrocketed. The Solo3 use the same wireless chip as the AirPods, ensuring the same easy pairing and strong connection. And the battery lasts for at least 40 hours of music, which is just ridiculous. Buy for $219.

Master & Dynamic is one of those companies that doesn't skimp on anything. Not materials—these over-ear 'phones are made from machined aluminum and genuine leather. Not sound—the MH40s are deep and broad. Not style—they have a retro look that'll take you right back to an old-school studio session. Buy for $399.

Arielle Pardes, one of WIRED's editors, wears a rose gold pair of Crossfades at work every day. She wears them pretty much all day, taking phone calls and bumping "Despacito" for the umpteenth time. She loves them. Audiophile sound and all-day comfort in a decidedly more fashionable package—what's not to love? Buy for $330.

Hate Bose at your own peril: these are the best travel headphones on the planet. Nobody beats the noise cancellation, for one thing. Add in the monstrous battery life, the comfort, the touchable controls, the high-end construction, and you get why they've been the favorites of first-class flyers for years. Buy for $349.

B&W is another of those brands that's always been a little more impressive and a little less convenient. But with the PX, the company's first noise-cancelling headphones, B&W walks that line perfectly. Control the ambiance and EQ with your phone, or just throw on the metal cans and let them pour sound waves into your ears. Buy for $400.

Brand new, and made in Detroit, nobody sells headphones with a story quite like Shinola's. The company has serious audio cred after hiring Audeze founder Alex Rosson, who knows his way around headphone drivers. But make no mistake: this is as much an industrial design story as an audio one. The leather and lambskin feel great, and give the Canfields a premium but natural look all their own. Buy for $595.

If price is no object, size is no problem, and all you want is the absolute best damn headphones you can find, Sennheiser's got you covered. The giant transducers and open earcups make them look like a prop straight out of Star Wars, and that's a good thing. But fair warning: don't even listen to them if you're not ready to drop $1,700 on a pair for yourself. Once you hear it, it's hard to go back. Buy for $1,700.