You’ve gone to great lengths to set up your home theater system, but you’ve noticed that your content can get loud when being played over speakers.
Whether you want to watch a movie in peace, or you don’t want to disturb those around you, what you need are some good cinema headphones.
In this article, we will be reviewing 5 of the best cinema headphones on the market and telling you why they made it on our list.
Best Cinema Headphones Reviews
Comparison Chart
Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System for TV Listening with Bass Boost and Surround Sound Modes
MEE audio Matrix Cinema Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear High Resolution Stereo Headphones with aptX Low Latency for Improved Lip Sync & CinemaEAR Audio Enhancement for Clearer Sound in Movies and TV Shows
Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System
If you are on the hunt for some truly high-quality cinema headphones that are going to make you feel like you are living inside of the movie you’re watching, the Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System is a great option. They aren’t the cheapest headphones around, but with their relatively high price comes an exceptional level of quality and functionality.
Product Highlights
These headphones from Sennheiser allow for both digital and analog inputs. If you’re more comfortable using a wired connection, you can use the 3.5 mm headphone jack. If you’d rather go the wireless route, the digital wireless connectivity of these headphones is very strong, with a signal range of up to 100 meters or 330 feet.
What is pretty cool about the Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System is that they can switch between a virtual surround sound and a bass boost mode, the first of which is best for watching movies, and the second being best for listening to music.
At 1 kHz, these headphones can reach up to 114 dB, so they do go pretty loud. Moreover, they feature a frequency response of 17 to 22,000 Hz, which means that they excel at reproducing sounds at all frequencies, whether extreme highs, those lows, and everything in between.
They also feature a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.5 percent at 1 kHz; there should be virtually no distortion even when listening at high volumes.
Keep in mind that these are over-the-ear headphones, so they totally cover the ears and help to keep outside noise where it should be. They do a fairly good job at cancelling out outside noise for a better movie watching experience.
What’s to like about the Sennheiser RS 175 RF
The good part about the Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System is that although they are fairly large over-ear headphones, they come with a very lightweight frame and lots of padding. If you are looking for top-notch sound quality these headphones are a prime option to consider.
What’s not to like about the Sennheiser RS 175 RF
Something that isn’t great about these headphones is that even though they are lightweight, they are still quite bulky. Moreover, they will cost you, but then again, you do get what you pay for.
PROS
- Well-padded
- Good at canceling noise
- Can play at high volumes
- Various input modes
- Great wireless range
CONS
- A bit expensive
Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
If you are looking for high-quality headphones to hook up to your home theater systems, ones that are comfortable, have good sound quality, and don’t cost a fortune, these Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones are an option to look into. They still come in at over $100, but they aren’t nearly as expensive as the Sennheiser headphones reviewed above.
Product Highlights
Something that really stands out about these headphones is that they feature a really solid Bluetooth connection. They can easily reach well over 100 feet in range from the source of the audio, which is not too bad considering their moderate price. It is a high-quality Bluetooth connection, so there should be minimal issues in terms of interference.
The Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones do have pretty fantastic battery life. A full charge can last for around 40 hours, which is impressive for headphones such as these. It’s also convenient how these headphones charge really quickly, as just 10 minutes of charging allows for a full 3 hours of listening, which means that a quick charge is enough to watch a whole movie.
On a side note, these headphones come with onboard controls which allow you to control the volume, track, call, and more, plus they even come with a microphone for making calls.
You may also like how these headphones are built with a noise-isolating design, as they are over-ear headphones with ear padding meant to fully surround the ear. The padding is soft enough to provide for a comfortable fit, while also keeping outside noise at bay. They have a very ergonomic design, but do have some weight to them.
What comes in handy for many situations, especially for listening to music, is that the Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones come with adjustable sensory bass. The important part to note is that they come with a ridiculous amount of bass that is going to bring any movie and song to life.
They feature a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which is very good, as this means that they can handle all frequency levels very well, especially bass. In terms of volume, expect them to top out at around 95 dB, and make no mistake about it, because this is quite loud.
What’s to like about the Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
The good part about the Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones is that they are relatively high in sound quality and functionality, yet come at a relatively moderate price. These headphones provide you with a whole lot of value for their cost, and they work well for both music listening and movie watching.
What’s not to like about the Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
What’s not so great about these headphones is that they weigh over 1.5 pounds, so they aren’t exactly lightweight. Moreover, being able to handle an analog input, such as a 3.5 mm jack, would make more useful.
PROS
- Loud volume
- Padded, comfy, and ergonomic fit
- Adjustable sensory bass
- Excellent Bluetooth quality with great range
- Good battery life
CONS
- Quite heavy
Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones
If you are looking for true cinematic quality headphones that are going to make it feel like you are inside of the movie, with surround sound functionality, excellent frequency response, high volume, and more, these Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones should be considered.
Yes, they are the most expensive headphones on the list so far, but if you want the best cinematic experience possible, they are well worth the investment.
Product Highlights
The biggest highlight to mention here is that these headphones feature true 7.1ch digital surround sound complete with 3D sound. This means that there are various speakers present in these headphones which actively mimic surround sound, to really make it feel like you’re inside a movie. With this kind of headphone, you can actually tell which direction a sound is coming from.
It is also worth noting that the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones feature an impedance of 66 ohms, which is quite low, and allows for minimal resistance, thus providing a loud and clear sound without distortion.
On that same note, these headphones feature a frequency response of 12 to 22,000 kHz, which means that whether bass, highs, mid-range tones, treble, and everything in between, everything sounds very clear. While these headphones do excel at the highs and mids, they can also really pump out the bass. The large 40 mm drivers make sure of this.
Be aware that these are strictly digital wireless headphones and they do not allow for an analog connection. However, that said, they have a massive 328 foot range from the connection point, which is about as good as it gets.
In terms of the battery life, expect a full charge to last for about 20 hours, which is fairly impressive for such high-quality headphones, but not nearly as good as the 40 hour battery life of the Skull Candy headphones reviewed above. At least they charge rather quickly.
What also stands out about the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones is that they feature a noise-isolating design, which allows you to listen to music and watch movies without hearing the outside world, as well as without disturbing the outside world due to sound leakage. These headphones feature a lightweight, comfortable, and overall ergonomically friendly design.
What’s to like about the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones
The good part about the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones is, well, virtually everything. These are some of the best cinema-quality surround sound headphones we have ever seen, and this goes for the level of comfort, functionality, volume, and sound quality.
What’s not to like about the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones
One of the only real things we don’t like about these headphones is their price. Yes, the Sony MDR-DS7500 Digital Wireless 3D Surround Headphones are very expensive, and for this price, they could have a better battery life and the option to connect with a simple headphone jack.
PROS
- High volume
- Low distortion with good impedance
- Very comfortable and lightweight design
- Noise isolating
- Surround sound + 3D sound
CONS
- Battery life could be better
MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones
If you are looking for good cinema headphones that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones are a good option. No, they are not the highest quality or the most expensive headphones out there, but considering their fairly low cost, they exceed all expectations; here you get good headphones for a good price.
Product Highlights
The MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones are low latency headphones, which means that they have virtually no delay between what is said on the screen and what you hear. They feature excellent lip-syncing with Bluetooth-compatible devices to allow for a great movie watching experience.
What is also pretty cool about the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones is that they allow you to switch between various listening modes including normal/balanced sound, Dynamic Music Mode, Bass Boost Mode, and two Clear Voice modes.
The dynamic music mode and the bass boost mode are great for listening to music, whereas the clear voice modes help to increase voice volume and clarity so you can always hear all movie dialogue with ease. It is quite surprising that these headphones, which come in at such a low price, allow you to switch between several hearing and sound enhancement modes.
What is also quite impressive for these affordable headphones is that they have a 28-hour battery life on a full charge, which is no small feat, plus they charge quite quickly. Moreover, the Bluetooth 4.2 tech allows for a very clear and reliable connection, although the connection range could be a bit better.
You may also use a standard analog connection to connect to devices which are not Bluetooth supported, but be aware that sound enhancement features do not work when using a wired connection.
Something else you may like is that these headphones feature a very lightweight and compact design, and can even fold flat for easy travel and storage. They also feature great over-ear padding with noise isolation features, which helps improve comfort and your overall listening experience too.
What’s to like about the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones
The good part about the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones is that they come with a decent level of quality for a really great price. While they may not feature real surround sound, they do allow you to watch movies and to listen to music with great clarity. They’re just all-around good headphones that come at a great price.
What’s not to like about the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones
The bad part about the MEE Audio Matrix Cinema Headphones, at least when compared to the other options we have looked at, is that they just can’t get as loud and their frequency response isn’t quite as good; these headphones don’t have the No. 1 sound quality out there.
PROS
- Good value for the money
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Great for travel
- Noise isolation
- Bluetooth and wired
CONS
- Connection range could be better
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones
If excellent sound quality and functionality is what you are looking for, these Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones are another great option. They may be expensive, but you get what you pay for, and here you get a whole lot of quality.
Product Highlights
The best feature of the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones is that they come with massive 1.57-inch drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms; they feature truly out-of-this-world sound quality. They have an excellent frequency response range for lows, mids, and highs, and they are equally as good at pumping out the bass as they are at providing you with clear and easily audible movie dialogue.
Moreover, if you are looking for high-volume headphones with low impedance and nearly no distortion no matter the volume level, these Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones are one of the first options to look into.
Another awesome feature is the noise isolation. You get a noise processing and canceling engine which automatically adjusts the amount of ambient sound based on your environment; these are some of the best available sound-isolating and noise-canceling headphones.
What’s also cool is the quick-communication feature, which allows you to quickly connect to the outside world and pick up phone calls simply by placing your hand over the ear cup. Speaking of the ear cups, they not only isolate noise, but to keep you comfortable as well.
They feature a great ergonomic design with lots of padding. Also remember that they can easily fold down into a compact package and fit into the included carrying case for travel. That said, they weigh nearly 2 pounds, making them by far the heaviest headphones on the list today.
Keep in mind that these are wireless Bluetooth headphones with a very strong connection, a great connection range, and virtually no latency. In the event that you have a device that does not support Bluetooth, these headphones also support a wired connection.
What’s to like about the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones
The good part about the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones is their sound quality. You will be hard pressed to find better sounding headphones than these, and this goes for both music listening and movie watching. They may cost a lot, but they are the definition of high quality.
What’s not to like about the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones
What we don’t like about these headphones is their price; they are just super expensive. Also, although very rarely, it has been noted that there may be some connectivity issues with the Bluetooth from time to time.
PROS
- Low distortion, impedance, and latency
- Great connectivity range
- Can be used with a wired connection
- Comfortable and ergonomic design
- Ideal for travel
CONS
- Quite heavy – almost 2 lbs.
BUYER’S GUIDE
Before you go out and buy just any old headphones for your home cinema setup, let’s take a look at a few important purchasing factors.
Frequency Response
If you want the best possible movie-watching and music-listening experience, you’ll want to go with headphones that have a very wide range of frequency response. The lower the frequencies which the headphones can handle, the better the lows (bass) will sound, and vice versa.
Today we reviewed a few headphones which have a response as good as 12 to 20,000 Hz, which is about as good as it gets. The first number of the two is what you want to look at, and the lower it is, the better.
Ease of Installation
Most headphones should be very easy to connect. Most we looked at today are Bluetooth headphones, which means that the device you are planning to connect them to also needs to be Bluetooth-enabled.
Installing them should be as simple as pairing the Bluetooth signals just like any other Bluetooth device. You may also get wired headphones, which usually do not need to be installed in any way, shape, or form.
Comfort Level
Of course, you want a pair of comfortable headphones. Here, look for good padding on the ears, look for an ergonomic design, and try to go for headphones that are not too heavy, if possible.
Wireless or Wired
The best way to go is with headphones that allow for a wireless Bluetooth connection as well as a wired connection. Wired is always easier to install, but of course there is a wire to deal with. Bluetooth connections are more versatile, but always look for low-latency options that feature little or no sound delay.
Sound Performance
When it comes to overall sound performance, there are a few things to look for. For one, look for low impedance headphones, as this will help improve sound quality and minimize distortion.
The type and size of drivers included is also important; usually the bigger the better the sound quality and volume will be. Looking for volume is important too. For example, the loudest headphones we reviewed today topped out at around 115 decibels.
F.A.Q.
What are Surround Sound Headphones?
Surround sound headphones, instead of just having 1 speaker on each ear, feature multiple speakers to allow for a greater range of sound. In other words, different sounds are played by different speakers, which allows for a surround sound experience. With these, you can tell where sounds are coming from, as well as their relative distance.
What is Better, 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound?
7.1 surround sound uses 8 channels/speakers to produce sound, whereas 5.1 uses 6 channels/speakers, thus allowing for better sound definition and more realistic experience with 7.1. 7.1 is better.
Will Wireless Headphones Work With Your TV?
If your TV allows for Bluetooth connectivity, then yes. If you have a receiver and sound system connected to the TV, this must also be Bluetooth enabled. Either one or the other needs to support wireless connectivity.
FINAL VERDICT
At the end of the day, we would recommend going for headphones that cost a good amount of money. Here, unfortunately, you do get what you pay for, and for the best cinematic experience possible, you really don’t want to go with a cheap pair of headphones.