06 Dec The 5 best studio headphones for producing music (2022)

Studio headphones are an essential tool in the world of music production. Choosing between the best headphones (or headphones) to record, monitor, and even mix music in a portable studio, in a home studio, or in a professional recording studio, is one of the most important decisions and one that will have the most impact on the final sound of our productions.

In the following article, from GuitarRec online recording studio. We want to advise you on 5 of the best studio headphones based on our experience. And the opinion of some of our collaborating sound engineers. You’ll also be able to read about the pros and cons of each type of headphone (closed, semi-open, open) along with some tips and plugins to help you counteract their weaknesses.

5 best studio headphones

Below we leave you our list of the best studio headphones, their characteristics, and our opinion of them. We include links to buy them on amazon since they have an excellent return policy and good prices. Besides, if you buy them through our links, you help us continue growing and creating content without increasing the final purchase price.

The order in which we expose the recommended headphones is not preferred and each headset has use and qualities that we expose in the description. Choose the one that best suits your needs, and thinks that it is an investment for the future and that you will not fail with any of them.

Audio-Technica M50x (closed studio headphones)

One of the favorite and most viewed headphones lately in studios around the world. Although their strong point is not the level of isolation (even though they are classified as closed headphones) their sound is very natural and precise. They are comfortable and because they have low impedance (38 Ohms) they will sound powerful enough in systems without a professional headphone amplifier or the one included in external sound cards.

It includes two detachable cables, without a doubt a plus point since we will avoid having to repair it by disassembling the headset in the event of a broken cable. One of the most common causes working with helmets in the studio.

Other features of the Audiotechnica M50 are:

• Frequency response: 15 – 28000 Hz
• SPL: 99dB
• 38 Ohm impedance
• Weight (without cable): 241 g
• Includes transport bag

Audio-Technica ATH-M40 X (closed headphones)

As option B, we also leave you the link to its “little brother”, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40 X, with a slightly smaller diaphragm size, shorter cable, and a slightly lower price. It maintains quality and features very similar to the M50X.

These are good professional options to take into account, especially if we do not have the budget to reach other options that you have on the list.

Features of the ATH-M40 X:

• Frequency response: 15 – 24000 Hz
• 35 Ohm impedance
• SPL: 97dB
• 2 detachable cables (spiral and 1.5m smooth)
• Weight (without cable): 241 g

Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro (closed studio headphones)

The 770 Pro from the German manufacturer Beyerdynamic is one of the current standards in recording booths around the world. As it is a closed headphone and with fairly correct isolation, the recording booth (if we have one) is its natural habitat for recording and preventing the clapperboard or reference we hear when recording from slipping into the studio microphone.

The sound of these headphones is not as precise as other more open options, but our opinion is that they are well balanced at the frequency level and allow us to make immediate decisions that we can later rectify using studio monitors or other headphones for mixing processes.

Here are some characteristics of the Beyer DT-770 Pro (32 Ohm) (the model with the lowest impedance):

• Frequency response: 5-35,000 Hz
• Cable length 1.6m (not interchangeable without disassembling)
• Sensitivity 96dB/SPL
• Weight with cable: 317 g
• Includes transport bag

Beyerdynamic DT 880 250 ohms (semi-open headphones)

The DT880 is also from Beyerdynamic and is one of the best headphones we’ve tested for making EQ decisions, monitoring, and mixing. With a fairly flat frequency response and good bass response, they are perfect for working on musical productions of any musical style.

These semi-open headphones maintain a balance between the comfort and sound of open headphones but with less risk of sound leaking through the microphones in the room (even so, they are not highly recommended for recording unless we turn the volume very low). The 880 in its 250ohm version is a very good professional option if we work with a good headphone amplifier (minimum with the one available in any external audio card) or a dedicated monitor or headphone distributor.

More features of the DT880:

• Frequency range: 5 – 35000 Hz
• Weight: 290g
• 3-meter cable (not interchangeable without disassembling)
• SPL: 96dB

Sennheiser HD-25 (closed headphones)

Sennheiser’s iconic HD25 has been one of the most used headphones for years by producers, musicians, and DJs around the world. They are of the closed type although supraaural (they rest on the ear). With a powerful, reliable sound and an impedance of 70 ohms (more than enough for any type of amplifier), they have become one of the favorite headphones for live musicians (very common for drummers and DJs on stage) and for studio recording. professional or home studio.

Although we will not obtain the flattest possible sound for mixing, they do stand out for their lightweight (only 140 grams), resistance, and durability.

More features of the Sennheiser HD25:

• SPL: 120dB
• Frequency response: 16 – 22,000 Hz
• Detachable 1.5m cable
• Weight: 140g

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