Headphones, especially studio headphones, are quite necessary for good production of music. These bring more accuracy and add quality to your music. If you have been looking for good studio headphones, here are 5 of the best headphones for music production that can make your tunes more accurate and accentuate the frequencies of your music.
When quality music production and studio use are concerned, a pair of headphones with a few extra features and refinements is needed. Although you will certainly require studio monitoring speakers, you will also want to consider fetching one of the best headphones for music production in 2021 for yourself.
Buyer’s Guide
For music production, mixing, recording, and mastering, studio headphones are a must-have monitoring tool. There is, however, a significant distinction between regular and studio headphones. Studio headphones are made to be precise, accurate, comfortable, and long-lasting. Consumer headphones, on the other hand, emphasize frequencies including bass and treble. They do not have a proper representation of the audio signal.
There are a range of headphones in the market that claim to be suitable for studio use. There are some brands that provide impressive audio for an average aspiring music producer, but for those in the know, they are not necessarily correct with inputs, and therefore make editing difficult. For you to find the best headphones for music production, hence, we have prepared a buyer’s guide.
Regular Headphones vs. Headphones for Music Production
Headphones used for music production are much different than the regular ones. Headphones for music production would have a linear or uniform frequency response with much greater accuracy and balance. A studio headphone would generally have much more detailed frequency response monitoring and the ability to operate at a higher resolution for improved fidelity and compatibility with DAW resolutions. While checking its frequencies, consider the accuracy, durability and comfort while purchasing headphones for producing music.
Closed Backed or Opened?
This is perhaps among the most contentious issues in the industry of headphones for music production. While you can still mix with speakers for a greater representation, headphones are a valuable production tool. Closed-back designs have more isolation, so they are the best way to go if you want a set which a singer or musician can wear and live track as they record.
If you are going to record a vocal track, you wouldn't want echoes from the playback captured in the background. So to have a barrier between the outside world and the ears and have less sound leakage closed-back headphones are the ones you are looking for.
However, you will need an open-backed package if you are going to edit or listen in a better analytical way. It is because open-backed headphones can add some extra parameters to what you are listening to, producing a sound-image if you will, called spatial sound. That is important for tweaking and critiquing your music after it has been recorded.
Chords
In most cases, a single-sided entry cord is preferable to Y-leads, which may be less prone to tangling. However, the entry points get doubled and so do the weak points, which increase the risk of injuries.
On the other hand, a detachable plug-in and pull out system will completely remove the weak spot, offering a stronger connection point. But yet it will be affected by tangling when handled incorrectly.
Now that you are aware of the things you should look into while purchasing a headphone for music production, let’s dive into the best options you have in 2021.
Header | Product | Features | Price | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50x | 90 degrees rotational ear cups 45mm drivers Oversized copper-clad voice coils Well-balanced Comfortable | $100-$200 | |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro Open Studio Headphones | 250 ohms impedance High-flux neodymium drivers Open-backed | $500-$700 | |
| Sony MDR7506 Professional | Neodymium magnets 40 millimeter drivers 10 Hertz-20 kilohertz frequency response Close-backed design High-definition | $80-$180 | |
| Sennheiser HD 599 Open Back Headphone | Open backed design E.A.R structure 3 meter detachable cable Low distortion Aluminum voice coils transducers Wired Battery run | $150-$250 | |
| Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z Art Monitor | 11.5 ohms impedance 3D wing support Closed back set OFC bobbin wound voice coils Lightweight aluminum housings | $200-$250 |
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - Best Headphones for Music Production
The M50x is the penultimate item in the outstanding M series of Audio-Technica professionals. These are a highly regarded, completely immersive, closed-back pair of noise - cancelling headphones designed to deliver a comprehensive listening experience. They feature excellently designed 45mm drivers along with over-sized copper-clad voice coil to improve and optimize performance.
Along with large frequency response, these
headphones provide well-balanced sound. These have a greater surface
area than the average, allowing them to effectively deal with bass frequencies.
On top of that, these headphones have a strong transient response and are
great for in-ear monitoring in the studio.
PROS
CONS
2. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro Open Studio Headphones - Best Headphones for Music Production
For the second item in this list, we'll take a look at an open-backed option, which will offer you a more accurate representation of your final audio composition. Beyerdynamics' DT 1990 Pro package boasts excellent and high-flux neodymium drivers that provide pristine, correct signal audio quality suitable for studio use. They're well-made, and they're designed with cutting-edge materials.
They have a genuine broad-range frequency response that responds quickly. The cutting-edge Tesla drivers perform exceptionally well at high performance, resulting in high-resolution, high-fidelity audio.
Their open-back noise - cancelling structure reduces fatigue while also adding depth to sound production. Their headband is sturdy, paired with cups that come with a variety of pads, each offering a unique experience but all well-cushioned.
PROS
CONS
3. Sony MDR7506 Professional - Best Headphones for Music Production
This collection from Sony, which although is a little less expensive than most of the other premium sets in today's round-up, is yet another impressive reference set to consider.
These headphones have hybrid drivers with wide 40mm PET diaphragms as well as neodymium coils that work hard. They replicate audio with razor-sharp definition, making it suitable for detecting finer details.
PROS
CONS
4. Sennheiser HD 599 Open Back Headphone - Best Headphones for Music Production
The HD599 is a reissued open-back design model that includes uncovered dynamic drivers from Sennheiser's 500 series, and it really is a fantastic package. With the company's patented high-performance transducers, it delivers some of the finest audio in the class.
They are 38 millimeters in width, which is slightly smaller than others. However, since these are oval, the headphones have the same amount of surface area as a circular package with a larger diameter.
PROS
CONS
5. Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z Art Monitor - Best Headphones for Music Production
Now let's take a look at another Audio-Technica product that is truly outstanding. The ATH-A990Z model from the brand is a closed-back monitoring set that is great for troubleshooting and analyzing small information in your records.
Its enormous diaphragms provide audio of higher resolution, along with OFC bobbin wound voice coils and lightweight aluminum housings to ensure pristine music production. These headphones have a better transient response and can reproduce a broader spectrum range.
PROS
CONS
Final Words
These are some of the best headphones for music production. If you want to produce good quality, noise free records, getting good studio headphones is always the best option. In case you were looking for one, we hope that our article could help you make the best purchase.
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