These headphones look better than Sonos, Bose and more – and they cost less than you'd think

If you're in the market for a pair of decent headphones, chances are you've already got a list of brand names in mind. Classic big players like Sonos, JBL, Sony and Bose are all making excellent options, which should give you great audio quality at affordable prices.

Of course, if you've got mega-bucks to spend, you can go even further. There's a whole industry filled with niche audio brands, making luxurious headphones for true audiophiles with deep pockets.

Now, Romanian brand, Meze Audio, has unveiled its new Strada headphones – and they look set to bridge the gap between these areas of the market. And before we get into any of the specs, let's take a moment to look at these headphones. They're simply stunning, with a subtle green tint to the frame and a beautiful Macassar Ebony finish on the ear cups.

The model makes use of the 50mm driver first introduced on the brand's 109 Pro headphones, but retuned here for the closed-back design. That driver is crafted from carbon fibre-reinforced cellulose, while the surround is made from a semicrystalline polymer coated with beryllium PVD.

If all of that means nothing to you, just know that we're talking about cutting-edge materials here. They're also lightweight – just 330g overall – which should help to improve the overall experience when spending hours listening to audio.

Priced at £/€/US$799 (no pricing available for Australia at launch) the Meze Audio Strada looks set to offer a really compelling package. It's much less costly than you'd expect given the premium design, and should help those who are toying with the idea of stepping up to a more premium pair to make the jump.

If nothing else, I don't think there's a better looking pair of headphones out there – these win my vote on vanity alone!