Few headphones perfectly blend design, sound quality, and everyday utility. Sony's headphones sound great, Bose's headphones have great design qualities, and Apple's headphones perform remarkably well with other Apple devices. Conversely, brands like Focal, which offer headphones with exceptional sound quality and minimal digital features, have a $1,200 asking price and weaker noise-canceling capabilities. Still, to many people, the consumer-friendly sound of the most popular headphones isn't good enough -- they want an elevated sound without compromising the most valuable software features.