This week, I’ve been wading through the endless sea of incredible audio gear at 2026’s High End Vienna, and I’ve seen plenty of sensational-sounding, innovative, and eye-wateringly expensive stuff.
One area I found myself glued to above all, was the World of Headphones hall, which featured some newly-announced sets with truly cutting edge capabilities. For instance, I managed to go hands on with a pair of Wi-Fi headphones, and also tried a unique triple-driver set with ultra-advanced personalized EQ options.
So, I’m here to share the four sets of headphones that impressed me the most at High End Vienna — including some pairs announced at the show, as well as a few 2026 releases that I tried for the very first time.
1. Meze Audio Arta
The Meze Audio Arta open back circumaural headphones are striking in just about every way imaginable. In our news coverage, we likened them to a supercar in the audio realm. They have an attention-grabbing, futuristic aesthetic, seismic sound, and a huge €6,000 (about $7000 / £5,200) price-tag. And while I’m not here to decide whether they’re truly worth such a fee, I’m willing to say that these headphones really wowed me.
It was recommended that I listen to Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and it wasn’t hard to see why — the track really showed these headphones at their best. Leading vocals were exceptionally clear, the tonal accuracy of guitars was top-notch, and subtle clicks and percussion were weighted beautifully. Despite their highly insightful nature, the Arta also have quite an exciting sound signature; bass was very punchy and got my head moving in no time.
The planar magnetic drivers — which Meze says have the “highest-impedance” to date in any set of PM cans — provide almost tangible directionality, and elements like backing vocals were placed with great precision. You’ll need a good quality amp to drive these, of course, though I suspect that will be no issue for anyone spending €6,000 on headphones.
I spoke to Meze’s Acoustic Engineer, Alex Grigoras, about the headphones’ sound, and he highlighted that the Arta are “quite open compared to other products in our lineup,” pointing to their thin and light diaphragm. The aim, he told me, was to build on the legacy of Meze’s Empyrian line and almost capture the feeling of listening to a loudspeaker in a room.
2. Noble Audio FoKus Artemis
One of the most unique pairs of headphones I spotted out in Vienna was the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis, which are priced at $899 / £799. These noise-cancelling headphones use a triple-driver configuration: dynamic, planar magnetic, and balanced armature.
When I spoke to the team, they explained that although dynamic drivers are capable enough when it comes to handling bass and mids, this hybrid approach enables the headphones to offer enhanced highs, better articulation, and plenty of speed. And this was audible when I tried the Artemis for myself.
The FoKus Artemis were unlike anything I’ve heard before, with an incredible spacey, hypnotic sound. With Allie X’s Black Eye, I was impressed by incredibly clear, well separated vocals, precise highs, and impactful low-end sound. Thanks to their open quality, this track’s deep bass was also exceptionally immersive — it was almost as if I could feel it moving inside my head.
Through Noble’s work with Audiodo, the Artemis will also enable users to set a personal sound profile, rather than traditional EQ presets, making these headphones extremely personalizable and adaptable. Interestingly, the Artemis also have an IP rating — something of a rarity for over-ears. Sure, it’s only IP52 — meaning they’re partially dust resistant and protected against vertical drips of water akin to a light-to-middling rain-shower, say — but it’s good to see a manufacturer being more transparent about waterproofing.
3. HiFiMAN HE1000 Wi-Fi
Using the HiFiMAN HE1000 Wi-Fi marked the first time that I’d ever used a pair of Wi-Fi headphones, and I’m really interested to see if some of the major players in the audio space will adopt it. Wi-Fi enables better streaming quality than Bluetooth can, and is the main selling point of HiFiMAN’s $2,699 / £2,609 wireless open back headphones.
While I didn’t have the ideal listening environment for these headphones — I was in the middle of a fairly busy (and noisy) demo space, I was impressed by what these cans had to offer. In Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, I enjoyed the open, precise soundstaging, the tonality of leading trumpet, and the subtlety of finer percussive details. I was listening using the company’s HM2000 tablet, which enables a seamless Wi-Fi connection to the headphones, although the HE1000 can be used without this.
Although the HE1000 are fairly heavy and the earcups are large, I also found these to be surprisingly comfortable in-use, and the overall build quality here is very high to boot. They can only manage 6.5-7.5 hours of playback when Wi-Fi streaming due to the more intensive drain compared to Bluetooth, but I certainly enjoyed my brief time with these cans.
4. Audeze LCD-5s
One major piece of news out of High End Vienna was Audeze’s unveiling of the unveiling of the MM-520 studio headphones. That model packs 90mm drivers, an open back design, and Audeze’s proprietary SLAM technology for optimizing air pressure and refining low-end sounds.
But as cool as this new announcement was, I wanted to highlight another pair of Audeze headphones that were released in 2026, the LCD-5s. These premium open back planar magnetic headphones really wowed me. When tuning into A Tribe Called Quest’s Check the Rhime, I was stunned by the responsiveness in the treble range — percussion was super-snappy, with a rapid decay and high-level precision. Vocals occupied a neat pocket in the mix, and bass was balanced expertly too.
SLAM tech is present here too, as are the 90mm drivers, resulting in spectacular audio quality, regardless of the genre you’re listening to. On another note, I was a big fan of the LCD-5s’s look. The tortoiseshell details and leather headband were real stand-out elements, helping these headphones feel especially luxurious — a good thing, given that they come in at $4,500 / £3,999.
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The best noise cancelling headphones for all budgets
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
