Studio headphones

Studio headphones for music production

Some people consider buying a good pair of headphones. Sound engineers and studio owners need them for their session musicians during studio recordings. Home-studio producers want them as an aid for producing and mixing their songs. Among the different headphone types, the label "Studio" suggests the right qualification. To avoid making the wrong decisions before buying — and to be able to order online with confidence — we deal with the key questions.

What should you look for when buying studio headphones?

At the very top of the list is sound quality. Depending on taste and personal sonic preferences, you can already narrow down your choices here. Anyone who spends many hours in the studio will appreciate comfortable wearing. That immediately raises the question of an open or closed design. High impedance provides ample volume reserves. High impedances often mean you'll need to invest in an additional amplifier. That brings us to the price factor. Many brands now offer suitable solutions for every budget. So you don't have to invest huge sums and can get started quickly.

What makes a good studio headphone?

A good studio headphone fulfils its purpose. It starts with the appropriate design. For recording vocals, closed headphones are the right choice. They do a great job of isolating unwanted external sound sources. Open designs let in ambient noise but sound pleasantly airy and transparent. When mixing, individual instruments can be better located and corrected if necessary.

Good headphones for mixing have as neutral a frequency response as possible. They neither emphasise bass, midrange nor treble. Minor resonances can be corrected with control-room equalisers. Good headphones have a good transient response and, for example, do not keep ringing after a recorded kick drum. That is important for using transient designers such as limiters and compressors.

What studio headphones can't do

Studio headphones are specifically designed for mixing and mastering. However, they cannot replace a proper mix or master through nearfield or midfield monitor speakers. Reliable headphones are an indispensable aid when checking and referencing completed mixes. You get an additional sonic perspective. Depth staging and the stereo panorama are presented from a different viewpoint. That can lead to a better mix!

Amplifiers and useful accessories

Most headphones of this type can be connected directly to an audio interface. Amplifiers become useful when additional functions, such as crossfeed — i.e. simulating speaker sound — are required. Or if the impedance (600 ohms) is very high or several headphones need to be connected at the same time.
When choosing an amplifier you should pay attention to the amp's own sound character. A neutral-sounding headphone can remain neutral through a preamp, sound analytically dry, have an American character or lean more towards hi-fi. Interchangeable cables and ear pads made from different materials significantly increase lifespan. Stands ensure correct storage and reduce wear.

How much does a studio headphone cost?

Budget models are available in specialist shops from €30. The price mid-range is €200 to €300. The top-of-the-line league plays at over €1,000.

Entry-level models are often advertised with a covered frequency range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz. Humans can perceive exactly this range. Studio headphones should definitely be able to reproduce this spectrum. More important than the frequency range is as neutral a reproduction of the individual frequency bands as possible. This requires technical effort and has its price. The most expensive models not only feel extremely high-quality, their sound is much more balanced compared to the cheaper representatives.

Which brands make studio headphones?

Customers can choose and buy their desired product from a wide range of manufacturers in our shop. Well-known names here are AKG, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, Shure and Sennheiser.