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Return of the king: The best headphones got better

Chris Thomas
Reviewed.com
You can add a nice bit of customization with the added faceplates.

In this day and age, why settle for something you don't want? That's premium headphone brand Beyerdynamic's strategy with the Custom One Pro Plus, and it's been a winning formula for a few years now.

Coming on the tails of the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro — which we named the best headphones of 2014 — it seems like nobody wanted to mess with a good thing. In fact, by Beyerdynamic's own admission, the hardware is identical—but now the headphones offer a new cable, and a bunch of Pog-like faceplates to add a splash of personalization to your cans.

If there's one thing these are designed to do, it's meeting your needs—whatever they might be. Don't like how they look? Change 'em. Don't like how they sound? Flip through the four different sound settings with the sliders on the back of each ear cup. Everything about these headphones, outside of the new cable and faceplates, is virtually identical to the Custom One Pros. After all, why fix what ain't broke?

For over-ears, these are very comfortable closed-back cans. They feature a thick headband, removable leather earpads, and a relatively unassuming detachable cable hung from the left ear cup. The padded band and huge ear cups do a great job of allowing you to listen for long periods of time without discomfort. And for users with glasses, Beyerdynamic's velour ear pads will make listening with specs far more comfortable.

If you're worried about plunking down $200+ on a set of headphones, don't be: these are some of the most durable cans out there. Having removable cables adds an extra dose of survivability, because that's usually the first thing to wear out over time.

To change the faceplates, all you have to do is unscrew the guard ring with the included hex key, and go from there. You might find yourself picking a set of plates and sticking to it, but keep in mind you can always buy new ones. In fact, if you're so inclined, you can even make your own.

These headphones offer a number of customization options.

When it comes to switching up the sound performance, all you have to do is move the sliders on the back of each ear cup to reveal vented ports. The more you reveal, the stronger the bass response will be. For example, if you're listening to a podcast, you'll probably want to drop bass down to its lowest levels, but once you switch to hip hop or metal you can push those lows up 20+dB to get that bass thumping.

There's a setting available for practically everyone, and none of the settings really suffers from issues like high distortion or violent tracking issues. With that said, none of them is perfect either. For most settings, the lows and highs will be overemphasized to match the average person's hearing.

The Custom One Pro Plus' isolation is fantastic for over-ears, owing in part to just how big the ear cups are. Though they don't quite do the best at blocking out bass-heavy sounds, you'll find that they're adequate at the office. If you want even more isolation, you'll need to look at active noise-canceling cans or in-ears.

Given these headphones' versatility, it's tough to recommend another pair to newcomers to premium audio. Not only can they meet users' needs in terms of sound quality, but they also can be tailored to suit your desires on a whim.

$200 isn't cheap, but it's worth shelling out for headphones as good — and durable — as these are. They also punch above their weight class with super-low distortion and solid sound options.

While the minimal updates over last year's model may seem boring, there's something to be said for not messing with success. The Custom One Pros were a fantastic set of headphones, and the Custom One Pro Plus are too.

When it comes to both performance and customizability at a reasonable price, the Custom Pro Pluses are in a class of their own. They aren't necessarily the best pair of headphones for every type of listener, but no matter what your tastes, these could very well be the best pair for your wallet.

To see all headphones ranked and rated, head to Reviewed.com.

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