Our friends at Sonarworks have put together a very buyer's guide that aims to help users find the best set of headphones for their budget and studio needs. Sonarworks created this guide in response to the countless enquires they receive from their customers regarding what headphones to buy. Sonarworks have chosen the headphones below based on headphone durability and neutral sound characteristics.
Closed Or Open Back Headphones
The first thing you need to find out is whether or not you need isolation. Do you work in a noisy environment? Will sound leakage from your headphones bother people around you? If so – you need closed sealed headphones.
If the room is all yours then go for open or semi open backed headphones. 9 times out of 10 they will sound better than closed back headphones. One exception would be monitoring bass heavy music as sealed cans keep the air from escaping, so more bass is possible.
Horses For Courses
When choosing what to buy you should try to imagine how you plan to use your future headphones. Sound quality is extremely important, however long hours in the studio can be made easier if your headphones are comfortable. If you are working on the road then it maybe best if your headphones fold and have replaceable cables.
Then there’s the topic of drivability. The rule of thumb is that lower impedance headphones are more fit for portable devices and higher impedance drivers will love the voltage your audio interface can supply. Nowadays there aren’t really that many hard-to-drive headphones.
Best* Studio Headphones For The Money
*According to Sonarworks tonality and distortion measurements. For the money the following headphones are the most neutral headphones that are also rugged enough for serious recording studio work. Sonarworks have the following list in info-graphic format that can be found here.
Open Back Headphones
Phillips SHP9500 - $75
Pros:
- Surprisingly neutral
- Ergonomics to die for
Cons
- A bit bass light
Beyerdynamic DT990 - $190
Pros:
- Reasonably Comfy
Cons:
- A bit bright
- Non replaceable cable
Sennheiser HD600/650 - $340/$390
Pros:
- THE headphones to buy
- HD600 has more neutral treble
- HD650 extends lower
Cons:
- A tough choice which to buy
Audeze LCD-2 - $900
Pros:
- Extremely clear bass
- Mids completely neutral
Cons:
- Needs calibrating to bring out highs
- Somewhat heavy
Sennheiser HD800 - $1085
Pros:
- Extreme resolution and imaging not found in other headphones
- Feels like you're wearing nothing
Cons
- Treble peaks keep from achieving absolute greatness
Closed Back Headphones
Audio Technica ATH-M40x - $100
Pros:
- A closed back workhorse for a variety of applications
- Replaceable cable
Cons:
- Far from tonal neutral
Beyerdynamic DT770 - $175
Pros:
- Usable for mixing
- Comfort is good
Cons:
- A brightish sound
- Non replaceable cable
Sennheiser HD25-II - $190
Pros:
- DJs and drummers swear by these
- Seal very well and built like a tank
- Almost all parts are sold separately
Cons:
- Not tonally neutral
Focal Spirit Pro - $350
Pros:
- Very good resolution and extension to extreme frequencies
Cons:
- Ear pads are slightly on the small site so try before you buy
Oppo PM-3 - $400
Pros:
- By far the most neautral sounding open back headphones
- Bob Katz likes them
- Easy to drive
Cons:
- None
Please note that all prices are taken from major distributors in May 2016