5 headphones that are more expensive than the AirPods Max

When Apple announced the AirPods Max the tech community went crazy. $549 for a pair of headphones? Outrageous! Well, it’s sort of relative, isn’t it? It depends on so many things - your income, your dedication to the brand, just how important audio is for you, etc. We’re not here to judge the price of the new AirPods Max - or the people who have pre-ordered the headphones, for that matter. Let’s just see how far can an audiophile obsession go and take a look at the most expensive headphones in the world. You would be surprised by those numbers!

Also Read: Best AirPods Max alternatives from Sony, Bose, Master & Dynamic, and more

5. Sennheiser HD800 - $1,499

This Sennheisers classic from 2009 is considered “affordable” in our list, can you believe it? The HD800 model has been one of the go-to choices for audiophiles in the past decade and for a good reason.

$1,500 may sound scary, but the audio performance of these headphones is on par with models that are 10 times more expensive. Sennheiser’s very clever absorber tech works wonders - it basically removes the “masking” effect that low frequencies tend to exert on the human ear at high volume.
In reality, your hard-earned $1,500 will get you a natural, balanced sound with clear highs and powerful lows at the same time. Build quality is excellent, too. The HD800 is a wired model and it costs three times as much as the AirPods Max.

4. Shure KSE1500 - $2,999

Musicians and audio professionals are quite familiar with Shure. The company has been designing and producing microphones for almost a century. Over the past 50 years, the iconic Shure SM58 model has won over some of the world's most legendary performers, including Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, and Run-DMC. But let’s get back to listening, not singing.

The Shure KSE1500 is an interesting animal. This model uses electrostatic technology. Without getting too technical, this design uses a very high-voltage electrostatic charge to drive really tiny diaphragms. The result is allegedly very high-quality sound in a compact package. Although there are many electrostatic overhead models out there too, the KSE1500 model is extra amazing with its in-ear design.
3 grand for in-ear headphones? Nice! Oh, and these earphones need a dedicated amplifier due to the unusual electrical demands of the electrostatic design. You can’t just plug them into your iPad.