Best V Shaped Headphones: V Shape Signature Supremacy!

Gone are the days when people used to loathe the booming bass of the v shaped signature. 

As an audiophile, it seems refreshing that people are leaning towards the v-shaped headphones again. But aren’t there a lot of options in the market?

Yes, there are. And that’s where we come in. 

We had the privilege to check out thirty different headphones and pick the best v shaped headphones in 2022. 

We’ve featured all the specifications and pit them against one another. So you can get a taste of our visual comparative analyses throughout the article. 

Let’s get into it without ado!

What’s the Ideal Sound Signature?

Is v shape the ideal sound signature?

As for me, I’d opt for absolute clarity and detail. Muddy sounds in the highs, mids, and lows and lack of detail turn me off.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same for you. That’s because the sound might not be what you expected it to be. Everyone’s choices are different and some people like to bash v-shaped sounds for no reason.

But that shouldn’t be the case. Here’s a tweet bearing the v-shaped sound signature flag –

Audiophile headphones can be more that frequency neutral. Some roll off heavy an the low frequencies making them very bland. Some are very warm and focused on mids. Some are V shaped and fun with Bass in ample amounts. Get your mind out of the neutral only mindset.

— Tyler Comley (@T_Bonerism) July 23, 2021

What if the Sound Isn’t What You Expected?

Let’s say you got drawn in due to the hype and marketing. Frequency response only gets one little line on the spec sheet. Here’s a meme that relates to the scenario-

Significant differences in how various headphones will replicate the highs, mids, and low the same way. 

Even if you’re using a very good on-paper pair of headphones, the same headphones might not give you the same loudness or frequency.

It might seem like you’re listening through a pretty bad equalizer, even if you’re not using one at all. 

I’m sorry, but the way to distinguish this won’t really work until you’re actually tried them out. But that’s where we come in to help you decide.

Types of V Shaped Headphones 

Here’s the thing, you either put the earbuds into your ears or the ear cups on top of your ears. There’s no “in-between” no matter what you say.

So we’ve decided to categorize them into the two types here too. So let’s see what’s special between the two types.

Why You Should Opt for Over Ear V Shaped Headphones 

These are big and come with comfy ear cups. They’ll stay on your head and in position more often than not.

And you can’t feel the sudden lack of air on your ears with these types of headphones. But they’re big and bulky.

So you might not be able to carry them for a jog. And that’s a bummer.

Why You Should Opt for IEM V Shaped Headphones 

As for IEMs, well, it’s the other way around. These headphones go into the ear cavity and create a seal. So you will notice the lack of air that your ears get. 

But they’re smaller and easier to carry in your pockets. You can also run with them without having people looking at you. Trust me, you’d want to avoid those gazes.

Here’s a summary of the two if you don’t have a lot of time to go through the details. 

	Over Ear Headphones	IEMs
Why You Should Get It	Sits comfortably and provides a better fit. Comes with bigger drivers due to the bigger size.	Compact and more portable. Easier to run with these on.
Our Recommendation	Beyerdynamic DT 770	HiFiHear BLON BL03

Top 5 Best Over Ear V Shaped Headphones

That’s it. Enough with the technicalities. It’s time to head into the reviews. Firstly, we’ll check out the big guns. Here are the top five picks of the over-ear category.

We’ll start with a little comparison first-

That was the short comparison. But we’d like to show you a more visual one. Here it is. 

Beyerdynamic DT 770: More About Product Name

First off, we have the DT 770 from Beyerdynamic. And I think you saw this one coming when you came here for the best v shaped headphones.

This one topped the charts in terms of the over ear models. So let’s find out why.

First up, this has the most options. You can pick from three different impedance levels.

We checked out the 80-ohm version since it was the perfect balance for a v shaped signature.

But if you want more or less impedance, you can opt for the 250 or 32-ohm versions, respectively.

It’s also nice to see that they included color choices for you to choose from. 

The DT 770 Pro is not even close to being a premium offering from Beyerdynamic. It’s one of their budget offerings at best.

But that’s what v shaped signature is all about, though, isn’t it?

However, they do claim this to be a studio class headphone. I’m not too sure about that.

The highs of this one are only slightly better than the DT 990 Pro. We’ll be taking a look at that one next.

But it does fall short when it comes to the lows. Even for a v shaped signature, this isn’t the best in terms of the bass and the mids. 

As for the comfort, the paddings seem okay. It’s not groundbreaking. And you can’t wear these all day. 

If you were glasses like me, you’re going to have a hard time trying to keep these on as they would press against your face slightly. 

Things That Need Improvement

• The fit and finish aren’t the best. If this concerns you, you can opt for the 990 Pro that’s up next. 
• The mids aren’t the best on this pair. If good mids are an absolute necessity, you can opt for the next one on the list. 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO: More About Product Name

We already said that this was a close fight between this one and the 770 we just reviewed.

But the DT 990 Pro from Beyerdynamic just clinched the second spot, in my opinion.

Unlike the first one, you won’t get the lower impedance version on this particular model.

Yes, the 32-ohm version is missing. But if you’re only concerned about the v shaped signature, the 80-ohm version should help you out.

And if that’s not enough impedance for you, you can always opt for the 250-ohm version.

I also forgot to mention that this comes in two different color choices. So take your pick.

Unlike the first one, this has softer paddings on the ear cups. So the overall comfort on the 990 Pro is slightly better than the rest of the over ear headphones.

We tried this with and without glasses on. And these headphones didn’t hurt as much when you’re wearing glasses. 

I wouldn’t say that you can’t even feel your glasses pressing against you. But they’re better in terms of comfort than the previous one.

For the extra money that you spend, you get slightly more elevated bass than the previous one. And the treble was slightly better.

I’d still pick the first one since it costs less, though. 

As for the audio quality, you can clearly distinguish between the highs, lows, and treble. So there’s that.

They aren’t the best headphones out there. But you don’t really have many better options if you’re solely looking for the v shaped signature.  

Things That Need Improvement

• They lack a bit in terms of the high frequencies. If you can’t deal with that, pick the previous one over this one.

Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional: More About Product Name

Up next, we have the ATH-M40x from Audio-Technica. I think you expected this pair to make an appearance on this list. The M50x versions are also here.

But that one finished lower. We’ll get to that one later. 

As for this one, I think it has the budget game secured. I’d say that the biggest bummer about this one is the amount of cost-cutting. 

You have to pay twice the price if you want it to come with a dedicated microphone. 

And if you want a dedicated interface with this, you have to pay some more. But the overall deal might actually seem worth it to you. Enough of that.

Unlike the previous two, you don’t get any impedance options to choose from. So that’s a red flag already.

It’s of fairly low impedance if you compare it to the other two. 35-ohms is barely enough to give you that v shaped sound signature.

It’s not even close to the 80-ohm versions of the DT 770 and the DT 990 Pro that we just checked out.

But I think you won’t get ripped off if you go for these ones. They’re cheap. And they feel cheap too.

Although we didn’t notice anything fuzzy about the ear cups, I’m not sure how long they’ll last. And that’s a problem.

We couldn’t keep them on our ears for over a couple of hours. So you do need to take a little break every once in a while when you’re using these.

Things That Need Improvement

• These aren’t really a pair of super comfortable headphones. If this bothers you, you can opt for either of the two previous options.
• The build quality of this one isn’t particularly good. You can opt for a decently built headphone if this concerns you. 

Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR: More About Product Name

Unlike the rest of the headphones on the list, these have the largest drivers. So it automatically gets more points when it comes to the audio quality.

As for options, you can actually pick the one with a smaller 40mm driver. That certainly performs worse than the one we took a look at.

But if you’re low on budget, you can try that one out too.

This one also has the lowest impedance at 30 ohms. This might actually be a good thing for some of you since you don’t need an amplifier to run it.

When it comes to the build quality, this isn’t much different than the first two. It’s slightly better than the last one we just reviewed.

Since you’re paying a lot more than the M40x Professionals, you deserve the better build.

In terms of sound quality, the bigger driver only goes so far. Things might even sound mediocre at times. So you might not like the overall experience at all.

I’d say this gives a satisfactory experience when you’re on the hunt for the best v shaped sound signatures. The toned-down mids on these headphones are decent.

It’s comparable to most of the other choices. So that’s a good thing.

If you’re not fond of the open-back design, pick either of the Audio-Technica models instead. You won’t want to waste your money now, will you?

Things That Need Improvement

• You don’t get a lot of impedance options to choose from if you go with this one. If this bothers you, go for a headphone that offers options. 
• This isn’t the best-sounding headphone out there. If you want pure sound quality, the previous one would have been a better choice. 

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional: More About Product Name

Finally, we have the ATH-M50x Professional headphones from Audio-Technica in last place. 

You might say that these are old. I totally agree.

But they still punch above their weight when to comes to the v shaped signature. This is not the cheapest on the list. But it’s close.

And if you can somehow manage a new one, you won’t be disappointed with the overall audio experience.

So how good does it sound?

Well, it’s the worst of the lot. And, the only reason to pick this over the others is for the decent highs.

I think the build is comparable to the top picks. But it’s definitely not built better than the DT 990 Pro. Otherwise, the mids are terrible on this one.

If you’re looking for comfort, this one comes in last. And you also don’t get any options to choose from.

But if you still want a decent pair of old headphones that can offer you some good highs, this is a respectable choice.

Things That Need Improvement

• The mids aren’t too good in this one. If you’re concerned about this, pick the second one on the list.
• You don’t get a lot of options to choose from. Pick out a product with multiple impedance options if this bothers you. 

Top 5 Best V Shaped IEM Headphones

Now it’s time for the small fries. But some of them pack a big punch. Let’s check out the comparison first.

This was a short comparison. But if you want something with a bit more visual appeal, check this out-

HiFiHear BLON BL03: More About Product Name

First up, we have the BLON BL03 from HiFiHear. And it’s kind of at the top of the game when it comes to IEMS with v shaped signatures. 

The funny thing about this one is that you can get one without the microphone. And that’ll cost you a bit less.

So if you just want to listen to the v shaped sounds, you can try and save some more money.

But I don’t think that’ll be necessary. The BLON BL03 is one of the cheapest options you’ll come across. In fact, it’s the cheapest among the five that we’ve listed here.

And if you want different colors, well, that can also be done. You get a total of five different color choices.

This is a plus point since only the RevoNext ones at last place offer color options besides the BLON one. 

Now I know you won’t get the big-sized drivers with IEMs. So the deliverable audio quality will take a hit.

But I think you’ll pick an IEM after thinking about all the possibilities.

When it comes to impedance, both this one and the Moondrop Aria are considered low.

However, they have higher impedance than the rest of the three IEM earphones on the list.

Things That Need Improvement

• The build quality isn’t perfect, although it is cheap. If this still bothers you, you can choose the next option that’s well-built.
• The highs might not be to your liking. If you solely want better highs, pick a pair of headphones with better high frequencies. 

Moondrop Aria High Performance: More About Product Name

Up next, we have the Moondrop Aria. They call this high-performance IEMs. But we’ll be the judge of that. 

As we’ve previously discussed, these dynamic driver IEMs have the highest impedance among the five. I mean, they’re tied with the HiFiHear ones, that is.

Let’s start with the build quality. Well, this one edges the BLON BL03 earphones just by a tad bit.

IEMs endure a lot throughout their lifetimes. The amount of times I’ve dropped mine is ridiculous.

But their smaller stature always saves them from getting damaged too much.

Well, we’ve drop-tested the Moondrop Aria, and they survived just fine. You might see a few micro scratches, though.

As for the v shaped sound signature, it had recessed mids. But the mids that we’ve heard from the BLON one was slightly better.

You can compare the bass coming from the two earphones.

They were roughly the same if you ask me in terms of the bass. But the highs on the BLON were better than the highs on the Aria.

As for the fit inside your ear, this might not cater to all ear sizes. But it’s not the worst on the list. We’ve kept that title for the RevoNext buds in last place.

The good thing about this is the detachable wire. This doubles as a wireless set of earbuds. So that should be a win for you.

Things That Need Improvement

• This doesn’t have perfect high frequencies either. So you move on to the next one if you prioritize highs over anything.

FiiO FH7 5-Drive Hybrid in-Ear Earphones: More About Product Name

Coming in at three is the FH&7 from FiiO. And this is going to be tough to review alongside the other four.

Why’s that, you may ask?

Well, this costs almost ten times as much as the one from HiFiHear. And it still didn’t make it to the top spot. 

I can already see you skipping this one after hearing that.

Well, I’m not saying that this is bad. But the fact that it doesn’t do anything special is a problem.

Okay, well, that might have been a bit too harsh. This pair does have the biggest drivers of the five. So you get the bigger 13.6mm drivers with this one. 

Do bigger drivers mean better sound quality? Well, this is the case in some instances. But the price I’d have to pay for this would automatically cut this one off my shortlist.

You do get some nifty accessories with this pair. So when it comes to additional features, this one tops the chart.

But I doubt you’ll be paying that much money for two carrying pouches.

The unique thing about this is the use of interchangeable sound filters.

So you can choose balanced, dynamic bass, or dynamic treble emphases when you’re using them.

Honestly, this seems like a hassle, and the experience is not too different from a software equalizer. No offense to FiiO.

The highs, mids, and bass of the FiiO earbuds are something you’d enjoy. I think it hits the notes perfectly without any funny noises happening in the background. 

But if I compare this to the sound of the HiFiHear BLON BL03, then you might not actually hear the difference.

I mean, you’d have to put the two side by side to see the difference. And that’s not saying much.

Things That Need Improvement

• It’s way too expensive if you ask me. Any of the other four will be a good alternative if you want a cheaper one. 
• Not the best mids or bass. Pick out a headphone with better mids and lows if this concerns you. 

iBasso IT01: More About Product Name

In fourth place, it’s the IT01 from iBasso. And this is another wireless option you get to choose from. 

They allow you to choose from two different colorways. But the black ones suited me better.

In case you’re curious, the other colorway includes one red and one blue earbud. That’s, um, interesting. 

Well, this is another one of those cheaper options when it comes to v shaped signatures.

If you’re an actual audiophile, you might see the flaws easily. But I think you’d still think that this is decent.

And that’s what I thought when I tested this one out. It was satisfactory, to say the least.

In terms of build quality, this would come in third. I’d rate it the same as the first one on the list since that one isn’t built too well either.

But that’s probably the only similarity this has with the first one.

Look, I’m not saying this is the worst on the list. But it’s clearly the second worst. 

But I’d still say that the earbuds fit inside your ears decently. I took them out for a jog, and they stayed on, surprisingly. 

Things That Need Improvement

• Poor overall audio quality. You might not appreciate the distortions you’ll face sometimes. Check out a distortion-free IEM instead if this seems concerning. 

If you’re a Jabra headset user, you might be familiar with issues with the Jabra headset answer button. You can fix the issues from our recommended article.

RevoNext QT2S Earbuds Wired: More About Product Name

Finally, we have this IEM from RevoNext. We’ve already bashed this one a lot throughout the other reviews.

But this time, we’ll be talking good about this one and then bash it again.

Well, these are affordable. And that’s where all the good parts about this end.

Oh yes, this offers you three different color options too. That’s a good thing. But that’s about it.

Although they sound satisfactorily decent, they’re no way near great.

You might observe a night and day difference if you pit this one against the first one on the list.

Well, all I can say is that it did enough to make it to the top five. So the rest were worse overall.

I’d say that the highs, lows, and treble are balanced. You might notice some noise in the background sometimes.

So do keep that in mind while making your purchase decision. 

As for the build quality, I’d say it’s the worst of the lot. We dropped our pair from shoulder height, and it already had a dent on it.

I wonder how that happened.

Even the fitting isn’t perfect in this case. for me, the earbuds kept falling out of my ears. Although this might differ based on ear sizes, it sure is a negative aspect of this one. 

Things That Need Improvement

• The build quality is close to being dreadful. You can opt for any of the top choices if this concerns you.
• Doesn’t fit the ears well. Check out an IEM with a better fit if this concerns you. 

FAQs

Should I choose IEMs or over-ear headphones?

At this point, this solely depends on your preferences. Both types have different quirks and features. For me, I can spend hours using an IEM, but the over-ear ones will start to hurt. So it depends.

Is bass on V Shaped headphones good?

Bass or the low frequencies on v shaped signature is booming. A lot of you might like this. Picking up the low frequencies is something the v shaped signature does best. So if you like bass, go for it. 

Are V shaped headphones good for gaming?

Since the low frequencies pop on v shaped headphones, you can use these to game properly. Hearing footsteps or the sound of grenades falling will sound clearer due to the v shaped signature. 

Which brand is better for v shaped headphones?

It doesn’t matter. Buy something that you think sounds good, just don’t let yourself be swayed too much by celebrity endorsements or your buddy who uses their headphones as a fashion statement. 

Should I focus too much on the specifications?

Specifications matter only to a certain extent. A big part of being an audiophile is the presence. It’s not always about the technicalities. I mean, they do matter. But only a little. The sounds being produced are only a part of it. The enjoyment is the bigger part.

Conclusion

We rounded up all the best V Shaped headphones here for your convenience. If you’re still confused, look through the comparative analyses again. 

We’ve given you several bases to compare all ten of the different headphones here. The v shaped sound signature is something we live for.

Whether you choose to go for the bigger over-ear or IEM earphones, I think you’ll find the top picks here.

So pick any one of them. Good luck!