95: 808 SHOX BT Wireless and Wired On-ear Headphones $50

Much better than their pricetag.

#8 Headphone Amplifier - $35

Who hasn't been on a plane listening to his or her headphones from either an iPod or laptop and been unable to hear properly? It happens to everyone... sometimes even to those who have those fancy noise-canceling headphones. A headphone amplifier is just the trick for that. A CMOY is an amp designed by Chu Moy that has very high sound quality and very low power consumption.

For the money, you can't do better with a headphone amp. Also, if you would like to build your own, visit TangentSoft.

Purchase here: ebay

#3 Grado iGrado Headphones - $49

Admittedly, the iGrados are as ugly as sin, but they sing sweeter than the angels. Based on the critically-acclaimed SR-60 - in fact, they both have the same headphone driver - the iGrado allows even those with modest funds to reach audiophile bliss. They are pictured in black, but are also available in white - a great color to match a person's iPod.

In a world where audiophile headphones can cost over $1000, at $49, the iGrado represents amazing value for such sweet sound.


Splurge: Grado SR-60 - Same headphone driver, but with a better housing and classic industrial design. The Grado SR-60 can for many people be the last set of headphones they ever buy. At $69 retail, the SR-60 may seem a bit out of touch. But please find a store near you that carries them and test them - you will buy them!