This is a guide covering the best headphones for music production.
Are you on a hunt for the best headphones for music production?
Well, you are almost there.
Music production is a serious profession and therefore it requires you to have a professional set of equipment.
Be it headphones, microphones, or laptops, it is very important to have the most advanced gear possible so you can fetch the best possible results.
In a hurry? Here’s the Overview Table:
NEUMANN NDH20 Closed Back Studio Headphone
AKG K702 Headphones
Oneodio A11 Bluetooth Headphones
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
BEYERDYNAMIC DT 990 Pro
Audio Technica ATH-M50X
AKG Pro Audio K240
LYXPRO HAS-10 Closed-Back Headphones
Philips Audio Philips SHP9500
Table of Contents
Best Overall Headphones for Music Production
1. BEYERDYNAMIC DT 770 Pro
Headphones Features:
- Closed over-ear headphones
- Hard-wearing
- Durable
The DT 770 dominates this list and for the right reasons.
The DT 770 has the best sound separation amongst all the headphones on this list.
With these headphones, you will be able to clearly hear every instrument being played in your mix.
These headphones make it easy to find problems in your mix.
The velvety-soft ear pads make these earphones extremely comfortable for long periods of time
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Excellent sound separation
- Ideal for long sessions
- Ideal for recording
- Easy to mix and master
- Very comfortable
- Deep and accurate bass
My Cons With this Headphones:
- High impedance may result in a lower volume
2. NEUMANN NDH20 Closed Back Studio Headphone
Headphones Features:
- Linear sound balance
- High long-term comfort
- 150 Ohm headphone
These are the heaviest headphones on this list at 2 and a half pounds.
These headphones are made of top-grade and premium quality steel and aluminum which gives them a premium feel.
The earpads are very comfortable.
These headphones feature enhanced isolation which supersedes most of the headphones in this list which means the least sound leaked through the sides.
Coming to the sound, these headphones are very flat with great mids and highs.
These surely can be the best headphones for mixing as they feature excellent sound separation.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Premium build quality
- Comfortable ear pads
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Remarkable isolation
- Very flat sound
- Excellent sound separation
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Heavy
- The bass is not as high as you’d expect
3. AKG K702 Headphones
Headphones Features:
- Over-ear design
- Sophisticated open technology
These open-back headphones offer a wide soundstage.
In this aspect, they seem closest to the Beyer dynamics.
These headphones are more subdued in higher frequencies and upgrade over harshly bright-sounding headphones.
These headphones have a classy finish and the ear pads are super comfortable.
The build quality is decent as well.
In addition, these headphones feature a self-adjustment facility which means they adjust according to the size of your head when you put them on.
Such features make these headphones very comfortable to wear for long durations.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Open Back Design
- Balanced highs
- Sleek design
- Comfortable ear pads
- Auto adjustment feature
- Great build quality
- Ideal for long durations
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Not appropriate for studio recording
- Fall short when it comes to bass
4. Status Audio CB-1
Headphones Features:
- 50MM Drivers
- Studio Standard
The CB1s come in a classy box which hints at the excellent built quality.
These headphones sound very close to the SONYs.
They are collapsible in design which means they can be easily folded to achieve portability.
The sound clarity is stunning and the overall audio is well balanced and separated.
In addition, these headphones are more comfortable than most on the list which is an important feature to take into account if you are going to be working for long hours.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Collapsible Design
- Decent build quality
- Excellent portability
- Well balanced audio
- Well separated sound
- Brilliant comfort level
- Decent sound clarity
- Ideal for long sessions
My Cons With this Headphones:
- The noise cancellation is not as effective
- Bass is comparatively less deep
5. Oneodio A11 Bluetooth Headphones
Headphones Features:
- HiFi Audio & Punchy Bass
- Clear Calls & Voice Assistant
- Wireless to Wired… Easily
- Long Battery Life
- Portability
These are Amazon’s recommended studio headphones so they must make it to this guide.
The A11 is one of the most popular DJ Headphones.
These headphones have a great form factor and they are surprisingly comfortable.
They can be folded easily while you are traveling.
These consumer-grade headphones have decent clarity and bass.
These Bluetooth headphones have a range of up to 33ft.
In addition, they feature a voice assistant to help you make calls hands-free.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Popular choice
- Very comfortable
- Excellent portability
- Bluetooth headphones
- Excellent range
- Voice assistant
My Cons With this Headphones:
- The bass and mids are not as great
6. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
Headphones Features:
- High ambient noise attenuation
- Accurate, linear sound reproduction
- Soft Earpads for a comfortable fit
If you are looking for something similar to audio Technica then these headphones are an excellent choice.
Many producers refer to these as industry-standard headphones.
These headphones deliver brilliant bass completed separately from the mids.
These headphones have the best sound isolation amongst all the headphones on this list.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Excellent bass
- Excellent sound separation
- Deep bass
- Centered mids
- Industry standard
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Very tight across the head
- The cable is heavy
7. SONY MDR 7506
Headphones Features:
- Rugged Design
- Folding Construction
- Closed-Ear Design
- 40mm Driver Unit
You have probably seen these headphones in tons of studio pictures and that is because they are used by audio engineers and vocalists around the globe.
Due to their flat sound, these headphones are declared industry standard.
These headphones deliver a very even spread of bass, mids, and highs.
These headphones work the best for monitoring and tracking vocals.
In addition, they are super comfortable with the decent build quality.
These headphones also offer great noise cancellation.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Renowned Seller
- Very flat sound
- Excellent for long listening sessions
- Vocal monitoring
- Even and cohesive sound
- Excellent isolation
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Not great for mixing as they don’t pick out every detail precisely
- Comfort level is not as great
8. BEYERDYNAMIC DT 990 Pro
Headphones Features:
- Open diffuse-field studio headphone
- Extremely lightweight diaphragm
What about open-back headphones?
These 250-ohm headphones leak sound through the sides of the cans but on purpose.
Open back improves the spaciousness of the sound and widens the stereo width.
The comfort level with these headphones is the same as DT 770s.
These headphones are specially made for the purpose of sound mixing as they are not appropriate for recording because of the sound leak.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Open back
- Perfect for mixing
- Highly comfortable
- Ideal for long listening sessions
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Not appropriate for studio recordings
9. Audio Technica ATH-M50X
Headphones Features:
- Critically Acclaimed Sonic Performance
- Exceptional Clarity
- 90 Degree Swiveling Earcups
The M50X headphones are best sellers on Amazon and Sweetwater.
These headphones feature a collapsible design which is highly recommended if you are traveling a lot.
They have a nice leather feel and provide excellent isolation from outside noise.
These multipurpose headphones can be used for casual listening as well.
In addition, these have the loudest bass of all the headphones in this roundup.
There is a good amount of clarity with mids and highs.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Collapsible design
- Highly portable
- Leather pads
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Multipurpose
- Excellent bass
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Not as comfortable
- Not very neutral with bass and mids
10. AKG Pro Audio K240
Headphones Features:
- Professional studio headphones
- Semi-open
- 3 m replaceable cable
These professional studio headphones from AKG are extremely light in weight and feel very comfortable to surround your head with.
These headphones lay great emphasis on the highs with balanced mids and somewhat fading bass.
These headphones deliver flat and even sound that is highly desirable for mixing and mastering.
They feature concise sound separation which highlights every detail in the mix.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Ideal for studio use
- Lightweight
- Excellent highs and mids
- Flat and even sound
- Excellent comfort
- Decent sound separation
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Due to the semi-open design there is sound leakage
- These headphones do not offer much bass
11. LYXPRO HAS-10 Closed-Back Headphones
Headphones Features:
- Pro-Grade Closed Back Over-Ear Headphones
- Telescoping Stainless Steel Arms
- Single-Sided Straight Cable Duct
The Has-10 is an excellent choice for monitoring vocals and mixing music thanks to their closed back.
They come in two variants one of which can be detached from the cable.
The NdFeB magnet technology offers a great response.
Besides these earphones are very comfortable to wear and with 180-degree rotatable ear pads, they can easily be traveled with.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Leather pads
- Extremely comfortable
- Ideal for monitoring
- Cable can be detached
- Portable
- Punchy bass
- Even sound
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Flat sound at highs
- The cord is not very long
- The cord is thinner
12. Philips Audio Philips SHP9500
Headphones Features:
- 50mm Neodymium Drivers
- Comfortable Double Layered Headband Cushion
These high-fidelity stereo headphones come in a stylish black finish.
They feature a broad spectrum of sound with balanced and even sound separation.
The headband is cushioned to make these headphones more comfortable to wear.
These wired headphones give a longer wire to make things easy.
These headphones feature an open-back design meaning the sound leaks through the breathable ear cushions.
Overall, these headphones have great durability and sound.
My Pros With this Headphones:
- Stylish design
- Balanced sound
- Phenomenal comfort
- Longer cord
- Open back
- Durable
My Cons With this Headphones:
- Lack of bass
- Sharp highs
- Soundstage is only average
There are certain specific features that go into account before purchasing headphones.
Everything feels better when you can hear the sound better.
During the editing process, it is important that you catch all the details and absorb their sensitivity and for that purpose well build headphones that will serve you in the best possible manner.
It is completely alright even if you don’t know much about headphones because we have you covered with this carefully catered list of headphones for music production.
There is surely a right pick for you out of these 12.
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Nate’s first ever major EDM event was Hard Summer in 2016. After hearing Porter Robinson close out the festival, he’s been attending live shows on a consistent basis. His favorite EDM genres are currently trance, drum and bass, and house.