Best Studio Headphones for Artists
For Artists
The best studio headphones depend on what you are doing with them. For recording, you need closed-back headphones that isolate sound and prevent bleed into the microphone. For mixing and critical listening, open-back headphones give you a flatter, more accurate frequency response. You do not need to spend over $350 to get headphones that work for professional music production.
Consumer headphones are designed to sound exciting: boosted bass, hyped highs, scooped mids. That is the opposite of what you need in a studio. Studio headphones aim for accuracy. You want to hear what your mix actually sounds like, not a flattering version of it. A mix that sounds good on accurate headphones will translate well to car speakers, earbuds, and phone speakers. A mix that sounds good on consumer headphones often sounds muddy or thin everywhere else.
For where headphones fit in the production signal chain and how to check your mixes across systems, see Music Production Basics.
Closed-Back vs. Open-Back: Different Jobs
This is the most important distinction in studio headphones, and it has nothing to do with brand or price.
Type | Design | Sound | Isolation | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Closed-back | Sealed ear cups | Slightly colored, more bass emphasis | High (minimal sound leaks in or out) | Recording vocals and instruments, tracking in the same room as the mic |
Open-back | Vented ear cups | Wider soundstage, flatter response | Low (sound bleeds out freely) | Mixing, mastering, critical listening, production decisions |
Semi-open | Partially vented | Compromise between the two | Moderate | General studio use if you can only buy one pair |
If you record vocals with open-back headphones, the click track and backing track will bleed into the microphone. That bleed ends up in your vocal recording and cannot be fully removed. Use closed-backs for tracking. Always.
If you mix exclusively on closed-back headphones, your stereo image will be misleading and your bass decisions will be colored by the sealed cup resonance. Open-backs give you a more accurate picture. If you can only own one pair, semi-open is the compromise, but two dedicated pairs (one closed, one open) is the real answer.
Studio Headphones by Budget
Every pair listed below is used in professional studios at some level. Price differences reflect build quality, driver refinement, and comfort during long sessions, not a binary split between amateur and professional.
Under $100
Model | Type | Impedance | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x | Closed | 47 ohm | Flat enough for demos and tracking. Light on bass hype. |
Samson SR850 | Semi-open | 32 ohm | Wide soundstage for the price. Decent mixing reference on a tight budget. |
Sony MDR-7506 | Closed | 63 ohm | Industry standard for broadcast and recording. Slightly bright, but honest. |
At this tier, do not expect perfectly flat response or all-day comfort. These are working tools, not luxury items.
$100 to $250
Model | Type | Impedance | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x | Closed | 38 ohm | The default recommendation for a reason. Accurate, durable, comfortable. |
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80 ohm) | Closed | 80 ohm | Excellent isolation. Slightly boosted low end but very comfortable for long sessions. |
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro | Open | 250 ohm | Wide, detailed soundstage. Needs a headphone amp at 250 ohm. |
AKG K612 Pro | Open | 120 ohm | Flat, neutral response. Good mixing reference at a reasonable price. |
This is the sweet spot for most independent producers. A pair of ATH-M50x for tracking and DT 990 Pro for mixing covers both use cases for under $400 total.
$250 to $500
Model | Type | Impedance | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
Sennheiser HD 600 | Open | 300 ohm | Reference standard for mixing. Neutral, detailed, comfortable for hours. |
Sennheiser HD 650 | Open | 300 ohm | Slightly warmer than HD 600. Preferred by some engineers for vocal-heavy mixes. |
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro | Open | 250 ohm | Detailed with a slight analytical brightness. Good for catching mix problems. |
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x | Open | 470 ohm | Extremely light, flat response. Needs a capable headphone amp. |
At this tier, you are buying headphones that professionals mix and master on. The limiting factor is no longer the headphone. It is the room, the skill, and the source material.
Impedance and Amplification
Impedance (measured in ohms) determines how much power the headphones need to reach proper listening volume. This matters for your setup.
Under 80 ohms: Drives fine from a laptop, phone, or audio interface headphone output. No external amp needed.
80 to 250 ohms: Most audio interfaces can drive these, but a dedicated headphone amp will give you cleaner, louder output with better detail.
Over 250 ohms: Needs a headphone amp or a high-quality audio interface with a strong headphone output. Plugging 600-ohm headphones into a laptop will give you quiet, thin sound.
If your interface is a Focusrite Scarlett, Audient iD, or similar, it will handle headphones up to about 250 ohms without issues. For anything higher, budget $50-$150 for a headphone amp.
Mixing on Headphones: Know the Limitations
Headphones exaggerate stereo width and make bass sound bigger and more defined than it will on speakers. These are not flaws. They are characteristics of having drivers directly against your ears instead of across a room.
To compensate:
Check every mix on at least two other playback systems (earbuds, car, phone speaker).
Use a crossfeed plugin (Goodhertz CanOpener, Waves NX, or similar) to simulate speaker-like stereo imaging in headphones.
Be conservative with stereo width. If it sounds wide on headphones, it is probably already wide enough.
Reference your low-end decisions on a system with real speakers, even if that means borrowing a friend's monitors for an hour.
For a more detailed approach to mix referencing and translation, Working with Mixing Engineers covers what professional mixers do to verify their work.
If you are producing and mixing your own releases, headphones are likely your primary monitoring tool. That is fine. Professionals have mixed hit records on headphones. The key is knowing what your specific pair does to the sound and compensating for it.
What to Buy First
If you have zero studio headphones and a limited budget, here is the decision:
Under $150 to spend: Buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Use them for tracking and mixing. They are not the most accurate mixing headphones, but they are accurate enough to produce solid results while covering both use cases.
$250 to $400 to spend: Buy a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80 ohm) for tracking and Sennheiser HD 600 for mixing. Two pairs, two purposes, professional results from both.
Do not spend more than $500 on headphones before your room, interface, and production skills are at a level where headphone quality is the actual bottleneck. For most producers, it is not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mix on closed-back headphones?
You can, but your stereo image and bass representation will be less accurate than on open-backs. If closed-backs are all you have, check your mixes on multiple playback systems.
Do I need a headphone amp?
Only if your headphones are above 80 ohms and your audio interface cannot drive them to a comfortable volume. Most budget interfaces handle 32-80 ohm headphones without trouble.
How long do studio headphones last?
With care, 5-10 years. Ear pads wear out first and are replaceable on most models for $15-$40. The drivers rarely fail.
Are wireless headphones acceptable for studio use?
No. Bluetooth adds latency and compresses audio. Use wired headphones for any production, mixing, or recording work.
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