Teufel AC 9050 PH

While there’s a big difference between a sub-£20 pair of headphones and a pair that cost £50, there’s less difference between a pair that cost £50 and a pair that cost £200.

Luckily, although they look like a much more expensive pair, the Teufel AC 9050 PH actually only cost around £50. The closed-cap design covers the wearer’s ears fully, which leads to an excellent listening environment, although it can get a bit sweaty after a while on hot days.

The headphones come with two cables, both of which attach to the socket on one of the cans – one cable has a 3.5mm plug for most audio devices and the other has a 6.3mm plug for use in studios or if your amplifier has that connection.

Unlike the USB headphones we commonly review, this Teufel device will require a soundcard if connected to a PC, but used in conjunction with a PC, an amplifier and portable players the results were hugely impressive.

At all levels, sound quality was excellent, with loud bass and no dropping off at higher frequencies. It was less impressive for films, with the booming sound a bit of a distraction, but overall we were impressed.