You’ve spent time and money putting your home-recording rig together, so don’t skimp on the critical component for listening.
It’s not just about avoiding angering your neighbors (or significant other) with late-night tracking, mastering, or mixing. Quality headphones for your studio efforts are a must-have. Here are 10 solid options between $100 and $300.
ATH-M50x
These headphones have contoured earcups for superior sound isolation and minimal bleed, and feature durable yet comfortable materials for long sessions in the studio.
HD 300 PROtect
Featuring highly sensitive transducers and precision diaphragms, these headphones also offer Active Gard technology to protect hearing from sound pressure levels above 110 dB.
DT 770 Pro
Intended for critical sound monitoring, these headphones were designed to provide a neutral listening environment with excellent isolation and impulse response.
SRH1440
Designed for mastering and critical listening, these professional open-back headphones are reported to provide full-range audio with detailed highs and rich bass.
K702
These reference studio headphones boast accurate response and spaciousness, which is achieved through their flat-wire voice coils and a patented Varimotion two-layer diaphragm.
MDR-7510
Offering high power handling capability, neodymium magnets, and oxygen-free-copper voice coils, these headphones utilize polyethylene terephthalate diaphragms for their 50 mm drivers.
Listen Professional
The design goal of these music-production headphones is to keep all the dynamics from an original track, while accurately reproducing every detail on the entire audio spectrum.
MPH-4
These monitoring headphones provide an over-ear, noise-isolating design, and feature 50 mm drivers with extended frequency response as well as plush ear cushions for extended comfort.
T60RP
Featuring Fostex’s proprietary Regular Phase technology diaphragms for high accuracy in monitoring, these headphones also offer mahogany housings and low-repulsion ear pads.