Setting up a home studio to foster creativity during this “stay-at-home” period requires a quality pair of studio headphones. Unlike consumer-grade headphones such as Beats Solos, which prioritize enhanced bass and treble for enjoyable listening, reference headphones are essential for accurately adjusting your production to match reference monitors’ “average” or “flat” frequency responses.
“Balanced” studio headphones are designed with a flat frequency response to reproduce recorded sounds, whether high or low, accurately. With numerous options available, selecting the right studio headphones can be challenging. TechEngage has curated a list of Amazon’s top headphones for home studio use for 2024 to aid in your decision-making process.
Top Headphones for Home Studio
1. Superlux HD 681 Semi-Open Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $39.95 |
| Discount | – 20% |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Superlux Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great, flat sound response
- Open-backed, great sound imaging
- Affordable
Cons:
- Open-back, so not suitable for mic booths
- Stock earpads are uncomfortable
First up is a fantastic value offering from Superlux. Rocking in at $35, don’t let its modest price tag fool you; these headphones knock a serious punch. From OEM Superlux, the HD 681 is billed at the budget studio headphones to beat headphones up to 5 or 6 times its price.
These headphones feature two 50mm neodymium drivers that provide a robust sound. The open-back design enhances the soundstage, offering precise sound imaging at an affordable price. It enables you to accurately pinpoint instruments in a mix, making it perfect for music enthusiasts. Moreover, it helps replicate stereo imaging details in your tracks.
Open-back headphones have a downside: sound leakage. With holes in the housing, the semi-open drivers allow sound to leak out. If you are listening in a room with others, they can hear exactly what you are listening to. This becomes particularly problematic in a mic-booth, as anything your talent is monitoring in their ears will be recorded and disrupt a “clean take.” These headphones are suitable for mixing alone but not for recording, as the microphone will capture the sound.
Compared to more expensive headphones like the Sennheiser HD58x, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, and Phillips SHP9500, these headphones have an incredible bass response. They are bright at the high end, so it may be uncomfortable if you’re sensitive to treble. The earcups are terrible faux leather and should be replaced with super comfortable velour/velvet earpads, which can be found for the AKG K240. Once you change the pads, these headphones are amazingly comfortable.
Priced at $39.95, these headphones are insanely affordable, and with that ringing, some amazing performance. If you’re in the market for a real quality pair of budget studio headphones, the Superlux is amazing.
2. AKG Pro Audio K240 Studio Over-Ear Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $62.91 |
| Discount | – 61% |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | AKG Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great, balanced sound signature
- Open-back, great sound imaging
Cons:
- Open back, so sound leaks
- Average build quality
The AKG K240 is essentially what the Superluxes are a no-brand clone of. So, what do you get if you go for the original article? These are the direct descendants of the original AKG K240, debuted back in the 1970s and still hold the same iconic design whilst updating the sound quality to match the 2020s.
One of the biggest strengths of the K240s is its fantastic neutral vocal response, a feature that is essential for vocal mixing. When mastering a podcast, the last thing you want are headphones that don’t accurately monitor your voice recordings, as you may over or under equalize your recordings, ruining your mix.
The bass response on these headphones is less pronounced and accentuated. If you’re coming from headphones like Raycons or Beats, you might think it’s non-existent. The Superluxes have punchier bass if you want good listening headphones as well as studio cans, but in the mixing booth, these overall flatter headphones may be more useful to you.
Priced at $62.91, these headphones are still surprisingly affordable for a known-brand pair of iconic studio headphones. If you don’t have a lot to spend but need something a little more well-built than the Superlux, the AKG K240 is a great way to go.
3. Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Philips Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great sound quality
- Stellar soundstage
- Comfortable
- Affordable-ish
Cons:
- Less pronounced bass for listeners
- Less detail than more expensive cans
The Philips SHP9500s are more of a listeners’ pair of headphones than a through-and-through studio pair, but these do provide one of the best open-back soundstage experiences under $200.
Powered by two big and bright 50mm neodymium drivers, these headphones deliver a full spectrum of sound. The sound profile is still balanced enough for use in the studio; although bass can be, someone leans for anyone looking for an extra punch.
The musical presentation is completely transparent, and they reveal everything as it was intended to sound. They do not fool you into coloring the music. The sound of these headphones is focused well on the mids, and the vocal performance in these cans is truly phenomenal. When mixing your track or mastering a recording, these are great for accurately reproducing your music, giving the confidence to critically tweak your tracks.
The Philips SHP9500 has a low impedance of 32 ohms. We’re not in a territory where we need external amps or DACs, and these will sound great, plugged directly into your computer without any problem. These are still open-back, so they are a no-go in a recording booth.
For $79.99, these headphones try to trade blows with the infinitely more expensive Sennheiser HD600, and for the price, these do through some serious punches to ol’ mate Senny.
4. Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $99.00 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Audio-Technica Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Flat sound signature
- Closed-back, good for recording booth
Cons:
- High clamping force
Next up on our list today are finally some closed-back headphones, this time from Audio-Technica. As the younger brother to the consumer “mid-fi” darling, the ATH-M50X, the M40Xs are much more geared towards studio work and reference headphones. They benefit from an overall flatter sound signature, perfect for studio use.
Driven by two big 40mm rare-earth drivers, circumaural design earcups contours around the ears for excellent sound isolation in loud environments. Tuned flat for incredibly accurate sound monitoring across the entire frequency range, these are great for critical listening.
With an impendence of 35ohms, these headphones are incredibly easy to drive. As we creep further up the price ladder, we’ll start to see headphones that are significantly more difficult to run. The higher the ohms, the harder it’ll be to run, and you’ll start to need external headphones, amps, or DACs. The ATH-40X’s, however, will easily sound great plugged into your motherboard or straight into your laptop’s weak DAC.
These are closed-back, so you’ll have a significantly smaller sound leakage problem. You can use these comfortably in a microphone booth, or perhaps you want to use these in a radio studio or a live streaming setup. You’ll be good to go with these cans.
Priced at $99.00, these are creeping up to the expensive side, and I’ll tell you what, they used to be cheaper. But, if you can grab these on a sale, they’re still great value. If you’re looking for a pair of closed-back headphones that still have a decent soundstage, you’ll be well impressed by the ATH M40X.
5. Sony MDR7506 Professional Studio Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $98.00 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Sony Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great, accurate sound
- Iconic design
Cons:
- On-ear, not over-ear, can get uncomfortable after long sessions
- Cable is non-removable.
These Sony studio cans are an absolute classic in the studio world. First released in the grand old year of 1991, the 2020 version of these industry-standard headphones are virtually identical to the headphones Sony rocked on the scene at the start of the 90s.
Powered by Sony’s expertly tuned 40mm drivers, these are king when it comes to a flat sound signature, allowing it to accurately reproduce the frequencies you need for critical audio work.
For bass heads, these headphones are not. Whilst most of these headphones should be shunned by anyone who loves thumping bass (personally not my style), these especially lack the low-end punch of “high end” consumer listening headphones. The sound signature of the Sony’s is bright and trebly.
The mostly plastic build is not going to wow anyone with a hard-on for build quality, but these look the real deal and feel so at home in any studio. They’re fairly small, especially compared to all the over-ear headphones on this list so far, so perfect for small heads. These headphones are on-ear, so whilst this does wonders for portability, after long mixing sessions, you’re going to feel those pads pressing on your ears.
Priced at $98.00, these are fairly affordable studio headphones absolutely adored by the professionals. If you’re in the market for some compact and great-sounding reference studio headphones, the Sony MDR7506 is a good, retro way to go.
6. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $169.99 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Beyerdynamic Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Comfortable velour earpads
- Stellar, accurate sound
- Great soundstage for closed-back
Cons:
- Really pricey in the US.
Another absolute icon in the studio headphones world is the absolutely stellar Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. These pair of closed-back headphones are lauded as one of the most “open-sounding” and detailed closed cans in the land. Blessed with an enormous soundstage thanks to its recessed earcups adding distance between its 50mm drivers and your ears, you get all the benefits of an open-backed studio pair of headphones without the pesky sound leakage and the super-sharp treble open-backs are notorious for.
The DT 770 PRO headphones remain the top choice for music producers, sound technicians, and broadcast users and are a firmly established piece of equipment in studios worldwide. The flat sound profile is great for sound critical work, but the punchy and directed bass response makes these headphones great for hi-fi listening and everyday use. They don’t “color” the sound, whereas a lot of consumer headphones allow the bass to muddy the mids and highs.
These headphones are gloriously comfortable, with these lovely velour earpads making it a dream to keep these cans strapped to your head for hours on end. The clamping force isn’t too high, so these rest on your ears whilst also isolating noise quite well.
There are few versions of these headphones corresponding to how difficult each of them is to drive. The two most popular variants are the 80-ohm model and the 250-ohm model. As the rule states, the higher the impendence, the more powerful the amp you’ll need to run it. The differences between the 80 ohm and the 250-ohm variants in sound quality are minute, and you’re better off benefiting from the added convenience of the 80s. Even at 80 ohms, though, the get the most out of these headphones; you’ll need an external amp. A good interface or mixer like the Focusrite Scarlett will do, but if you want to use this with your phone, explore whether you can get a Fiio headphone amp.
Beyerdynamic is a German company, and so for Europeans, these headphones are far easier to get your hands on. At $169.99, these headphones are on the expensive side thanks to low supply, but if you can get it on a good deal, the DT 770s are as legendary as they’re made out to be.
7. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Open-back Studio Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $178.90 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Beyerdynamic Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great soundstage
- Punchy, accentuated bass and detailed high ends
- Accurate flat response
Cons:
- Really difficult to find in the US
The open-backed cousin to the previous entry on this list needs no introduction. For years, Beyerdynamic has been the darling of the hi-fi audiophile world for one reason, and one reason only: the DT 990s kick absolute ass.
For reference and studio work, the stereo imaging on these is fantastic, allowing you to accurately mix and pan the elements on your track with pin-point precision. Although punchy enough to give a decent sub-bass experience, if you’re looking for headphones to shatter your eyelids listening to a sub drop or constant drill, these headphones are not for you (neither are any on this list, but hey, it’s still important to point out. Go buy Beats you bass heads).
If you’re listening for personal enjoyment, these headphones really clean up with a little EQ. Boosting bass and highs creating that coveted “V” shape, these headphones come alive for personal enjoyment. Audiophiles have tweaked these cans to death, and a quick Google search will find you some decent EQ presets. Although, fiddle around with the settings yourself, and you’ll find what you like.
Comfort is virtually identical to the DT 770s, with the same great velour pads. You’ve got the same impendence variations, although the 80 ohms being the most popular makes them very difficult to find in the US.
Priced at $178.90 for the 250-ohm variant, these settle in a good balance of price to performance. At prices higher than these, you do hit a point of diminishing returns, and whilst headphones do get better than these, you are paying more for every incremental improvement.
8. Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $342.27 |
| Discount | – 24% |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Iconic design
- Great build quality
- Reference, accurate and rich sound
Cons:
- Uh, expensive, dude.
Some call these headphones a work of art. Some laud them as the father to their children, and I’m sure there are HD 600 cults out there. DankPods on YouTube calls these the Hur-Dur-Six-Hundos from Ol’ Mate Senny (if you Google it, these will come up, trust me). An icon in the audiophile and professional audio community, and for a good reason, if you want the best top-of-the-line open-back reference headphones, the Sennheiser HD 600 is a legendary choice.
These headphones are engineered for the true audiophile. Thanks to an open circumaural design, computer-optimized magnets, and aluminum voice coils, you won’t find cleaner, crisper stereo sound anywhere. The open mesh in that classic Sennheiser oval delivers the rich and wide soundstage that open-backs are loved for.
The HD 600 is the benchmark reference headphone for evaluating, mixes, masters, and even other audio components. Many reviewers use these as the benchmark to test all other headphones. Leveraging Sennheiser’s progressive production techniques and computer-based transducer optimization, it perfectly fuses the art of sound with the science of it.
These are also incredibly good-looking. The standard HD 600 looks great, but with the marble finish, these look even better. Despite being built almost entirely out of plastic, the HD 600-series’ design is one of the most reliable and durable out there.
With a nominal impendence of 300 ohms, these headphones are a really expensive paperweight without the right headphone amp. Getting an amp like a Fiio or using a good mixer or audio interface allows you to get the most of these amazing headphones.
Priced at $342.27, the HD 600s are not by any means cheap. These are for the people who want the most premium and expensive audiophile in the last. If you have the money to spare, get the HD 600 and send me a postcard explaining how much you love it. They’re that good, and you won’t be able to resist.
9. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro Open Studio Headphones
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Price | $449.99 |
| Discount | – |
| Rating on Amazon | out of 5 stars – Out of reviews. |
| Brand | Beyerdynamic Store |
| Buy Now | Buy on Amazon |
Pros:
- Great premium metal build
- Semi-open, great soundstage
- Infectiously premium
Cons:
- Really, really, really expensive
- Probably not worth it
If you have basically unlimited money, for example, if you’re the son or daughter of an oil tycoon (or if you’re an oil tycoon yourself, I’m not judging. If you are, invest in solar and wind power, my guy), then you’re going to want the most expensive headphones you can get, right?
These are not status symbols. Nobody outside the audiophile realm is familiar with Beyerdynamics. However, you’ll recognize them and understand why your headphones sound divine, as if crafted by Zeus.
Bass? Punchy, direct, and accentuated. Mids? Detailed with great instrument separation. Highs? Sparkling and bright. These headphones sound absolutely fantastic no matter what music you listen to.
These headphones are built like an absolute tank with the metal enclosure feeling great in hand. The plush leather headband sits comfortably on your head. The earpads are memory foam and wrapped in a grey velour that makes them super comfortable for long periods of use.
The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro feature a single mini-XLR connection on the left earcup. Beyerdynamic ships the DT 1990 Pro with two cables: one 3-meter straight cable and one 5-meter coiled cable.
The DT 1990s are an exceptional pair of professional cans that any child of an oil tycoon will enjoy. In the studio, they’re not the most flat, neutral sounding and suffer from slightly recessed mids, so keep that in mind if you’re doing supercritical audio work.
Priced at $449.99, these are expensive, like really expensive. Are these $250-300 better than the HD 600s? No, not by a long shot. These are not for value; these are for the sheer fun of them. If you’ve got money that needs to go… for legitimate tax reasons… these are the expenses you need to make. Get a DT 1990, and with the link below, please.
Conclusion
At this point in the list, I would round up all of my picks and give you truly which headphones are better than all the rest. But, in this case, they’re all great choices.
The Superlux headphones offer excellent value and sound quality if you’re on a budget. For a slightly higher price, the Philips SHP9500 is a brilliant option with a remarkable soundstage. If you require closed-back headphones but desire the outstanding stereo imaging of open-backed ones, the DT 770 is an excellent choice. And if you can afford the HD 600s, go ahead and purchase them – you won’t regret it.
If you’re going to buy DT 1990 Pro, hello, Michael Bloomberg. Please use the affiliate link. Thanks.
But, as I said, if you need a pair of studio headphones, all of the picks have great neutral sound signatures, and you’ll be impressed by all of them.
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