Product Reviews

If you appreciate high-quality sounds but can't justify spending £100 on headphones, stop reading now. Audio Technica's QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 is the best-sounding set we've heard, and includes active noise cancelling to reduce background noise. The closed-back design forms a seal around the ears to reduce noise still further and is very comfortable, although our ears got a bit hot in warm weather. The battery and electronics are incorporated into the left earphone and the detachable cable is easy to replace.

Compared to Grado Labs' SR60, which cost £72 and won a Best Buy award in our March 2007 Labs test, bass was deeper and more focused, while the two were pretty similar at mid and high frequencies. However, Audio Technica's set match the clarity of open-backed headphones in a closed-backed design and include active noise cancelling, so they're worth every penny.