Once again, it is the end of the year, which means Award Season here at Headfonics, and we start with the annual Bang For Buck Awards for 2025.
These awards officially recognize the portable and desktop audio gear that we believe offers excellent value or performance for its price.
You can check out our previous seven years’ awards here:
- Bang For Buck Awards 2018
- Bang For Buck Awards 2019
- Bang For Buck Awards 2020
- Bang For Buck Awards 2021
- Bang For Buck Awards 2022
- Bang For Buck Awards 2023
- Bang For Buck Awards 2024
‘Bang For Buck’ does not mean the cheapest gear we reviewed at Headfonics in 2025. While price remains a factor, we also consider the wider context: what value you get for that price.
For our 2025 Awards, we look for outstanding value and how well the gear performs relative to its price point, the features it offers, or the level of innovation relative to the competition.
If that sounds slightly subjective, then yes, it is. Our award scores play a role, but they are not the deciding factor. If you prefer pure score picks, we have the Top Gear Awards for 2025 coming out in a few days, which uses a time-honored highest score selection process.
Our awards are divided into two pages: the first focuses on portable audio gear, and the second page is dedicated to desktop components, as well as our Editor’s and Reviewer’s choices for 2025.
As always, we only consider the products that we have completed a full review of during this calendar year.
Bang For Buck Open Headphones 2025
Of all the headphones that HIFIMAN has released recently in 2025, the Edition XV planar driver headphones are the most unique in design style and sonic characteristics.
They will fare well with those who are sensitive to bright-sounding sonic signatures and are looking for something different from the company’s normal house tuning.
The Edition XV is tuned to be the one headphone that offers something sonically different from HIFMAN, and that is its niche.
It also addresses a few of the previous version’s complaints and raises comfort levels, besides including some sonic improvements.
Bang For Buck Closed Headphones 2025
The Meze Audio 99 Classics 2nd Generation has turned out to be one of the most versatile headphones under $500 in 2025. It’s a fun headphone to listen to with a surprisingly large soundstage for a closed-back design.
They cater to musicality rather than sterility and detail retrieval. It’s not a headphone to dissect tracks with, but to enjoy them with, and do so with whatever clean source you have, regardless of how low the output power of the driving device is.
The Meze Audio 99 Classics 2nd Generation is a great headphone to choose from, especially if you need closed-back isolation. There are not many good ones out there. It belongs to a very short list of affordable closed-back headphones in 2025 that I consider a generally fun-to-listen-to daily driver.
Bang For Buck Wireless Headphones 2025
The Kiwi Ears Aventus is a nice surprise. Having the DJ/gaming moniker can denote something is lacking elsewhere, but the Aventus does not.
When not asking too much of a headphone, I can take on its personality with aplomb, doing the work necessary to succeed without too much drama.
And the Aventus largely succeeds when taken in its pigeon-hole niche. For gaming and DJ purposes in 2025, the Aventus works and sounds like it should.
Just for listening purposes, the Aventus also largely succeeds, and can be used across many genres and not just for its intended studio purpose, and without apology.
Bang For Buck Universal IEM 2025
The Noble Audio Knight presents a very competitive sound at this price point. You get a three-driver setup in an ergonomic design that is not only comfortable for long periods but also stylish.
The high performance emanating from within satiates one’s need at an affordable level when all is combined.
For those seeking an affordable IEM in 2025 that offers both an outstanding look and the substance to back it up, the Knight is a great investment.
Noble Audio shows that entry-level does not necessarily mean compromising on sound quality.
Bang For Buck TWS 2025
The MOONDROP Space Travel 2 is another well-rounded, budget-priced product from MOONDROP in 2025.
It strikes a good balance of price, design, and sound that only companies with long experience in crafting high-quality audio products, such as MOONDROP, can achieve successfully.
We especially like the vibe it gives us while using it on outings; it has a youthful vibe with a very optimistic future, thanks to its color and design. We also like the neutral, slightly warm sound, which is pleasing and never fatiguing.
For individuals who prefer a neutral, slightly warm sound, beautiful product design, ease of use, and a companion App, at a budget-conscious price of $29.99, the MOONDROP Space Travel 2 is a good option in 2025.
Bang For Buck DAP 2025
The FiiO M21 follows on the heels of the successful JM21, using many of the same components. But that is pretty much where the similarity ends.
The M21 comes with more power, a desktop mode with “superhigh gain” for those harder-to-drive headphones, and the ability to stream and surf at the same time.
Downloading apps is quick and painless using the Snapdragon SoC, and four Cirrus Logic CS43198 chips help quell any potential hiccups.
Functioning as a pure music player, especially at this mid-fi price in 2025, the M21 offers excellent musical capabilities, no matter what the chosen music.
Bang For Buck Portable DAC/Amp 2025
MUSE HiFi has put a lot of effort into making the M6 Double a truly special, limited edition DAC/Amp for 2025.
We highly appreciate the design and the way they incorporate the IN-17 vintage pixie display tube and the JAN 6418 audio tube to work flawlessly in one chassis.
We find it hard to find faults with the M6 Double. If we had to nitpick, we would wish the power output were higher.
However, as it is, it works and sounds nice, and the power output is fine for most headphones and IEMs.
Considering the price, sound, design, and rarity of the IN-17 display tube, its production is limited to only 1,000 units. We would suggest getting the MUSE HiFi M6 Double while you still can.
Bang For Buck Dongle DAC 2025
The Cayin RU3 not only delivers on its promise of competitive output power from a dongle DAC but also achieves it with clean, high-quality sound.
The Cayin Control app is also very easy to use and with value add features such as a 10-band parametric EQ.
It can effortlessly drive plenty of headphones, including the high-impedance ones, to high volume levels with good sound.
For that, we would confidently recommend the Cayin RU3 as a Bang For Buck dongle DAC in 2025.
Bang For Buck CD Player DAC 2025
We have to tip our caps to FiiO for cramming a ton of useful features and loads of power into an affordable portable CD player.
You have to upgrade to the DISCDREAM 2 Ultra and the Shanling EC Zero T to get anywhere near the options available on the DM13 in 2025.
It is also probably the most portable of all the new CD players out there, both in terms of ESP protection, size, and ease of use. We think that is an important aspect to mention.
Pick the FiiO DM13 if you want a solid mix of portable and home-based CD player capability. It delivers a weighty and powerful warmish tone that is easy on the ear, rips CDs should you need it on the side, and with D.Mode, you can prolong battery life, which is a big bonus.
Bang For Buck Cable 2025
The Effect Audio DIONYSUS is the late-arriving cousin that walks into the Signature Series II family photo and instantly steals the spotlight.
The new DIONYSUS pushes the luxury dial up a couple more clicks and gives extra premium treatment to IEMs. The way it opens up the bass and midrange is something special. It feels confident, refined, and immediately musical.
You get polish without losing energy, and that balance is the real win here. It can be a do-it-all cable for people who want a premium performance without the premium price-tag in 2025.
There is a reason why Effect Audio is calling it a mini flagship of the Signature Series II cables.
Bang For Buck Audio Accessory 2025
The Flare Audio Definition ear inserts do what they claim to do and, in many scenarios, can improve sonic perception.
They improve bad-sounding devices and often pull out soundstage from where there is none.
They’re not the cure for all things since we found some good-sounding headphones to be non-progressive while using the Definition inserts, and they provide little to no benefits.
The Flare Audio Definition inserts could well be an early look into the future, in that with technology, we could improve our hearing with a simple, comfortable, inexpensive insert that you don’t have to be permanently implanted.
This is something we should cheer on and support.
Click on page 2 below for our desktop awards and personal picks from the team.
