Wow these sounds so close to my speakers! I've got nine headphones for your music
studio here today. I've got the industry standards, top sellers, budget
picks, and I've even got some high-end headphones. I've tested these with audio
interfaces, laptops, and a headphone amp . And I used them to track vocals, and mix, I've
even got a pair of headphones here for just $33! So why did I include them/. Let's
find out!
Recommending a pair of headphones is not as easy as just saying, "Buy this one. It's
the best." because it depends on its application. are you mixing? using these
while you're tracking or recording vocals? and what about casual listening?
will you enjoy listening to music with them? so watch until the end because each
of these headphones has its own benefits and drawbacks. and if you're just looking
for the most neutral and flat headphones, I'll cover that too. this is not a
sponsored video, but if you use any of the links in the description to buy one
of these headphones, it helps out my channel. thank you! if you're new around
here, I'm Sanjay C! I have tons of videos about music
production gear and tutorials on my channel. consider subscribing if you
haven't already. I do my research, provide tips, and give you honest advice about
the latest gear. before we begin let me cover a couple technical terms that I'll
use in this video. I'll give you the technical details, but ultimately it's
about how well you reach your goals with these. do you like mixing, tracking and
listening with these headphones? and are you happy with the results? that's what
matters. I'm going to display the frequency response for each of these
headphones as I go through them. a wider frequency response range means you
should hear lower lows and higher highs. Next, two headphones in this roundup - the
Beyerdynamics - have very high "impedance." let's talk about impedance and why I
chose the 250 ohm versions. low impedance headphones require less power to achieve
high volume levels. higher impedance headphones require more power. but they
provide better clarity in mids and highs. it may not be a huge difference to some
listeners but the Beyerdynamic 250 ohm headphones are widely regarded as their
best. so I chose them for this comparison. if you're wondering if your audio
interface will provide adequate power to high impedance headphones like these,
check my video on budget audio interfaces. I tested those interfaces
with 250 ohm headphones. Focusrite and Universal Audio interfaces powered them
just fine. alright let's get started! first up, let's talk about the Beyerdynamic
DT 770 pro 250 ohm headphones. I've used these for a long time and have
recommended them to you multiple times. but let's get into the details. these
headphones originally retailed for $280 but now you can find them for
around $160, which i think is an excellent value for what you're getting. the DT
770's have the best sound separation among the headphones in this list. that
means you'll be able to clearly hear every instrument in your mix. and their
position in the mix. it's much easier to find problems in your mix with these
headphones. but other headphones may help you balance your mix better. the bass is
definitely not as pronounced as others in this roundup and you may find the
highs a little too sharp for your taste. how about comfort? these are extremely
comfortable for long periods of time. they've got these velvety soft ear pads
which feel great for long sessions. they're great to use while recording
with a microphone like when you put down your vocal track. and I also enjoy casual
listening with these. but if you plan to use them with your mobile phone or
laptop, consider getting a headphone amp. because of the high impedance, the volume
may be too low for you. in fact, the headphone amp made these really shine.
many reviewers on Sweetwater say that these are the best headphones they've ever
owned! even compared to the Audio Technica which we'll look at next, the
Audio Technica ATH M50x headphones are best sellers on Sweetwater and Amazon.
over 11,000 ratings on Amazon! more than any other headphone in this roundup.
here's a fun fact. Finneas, Billy Eilish's brother, uses
these and loves them. but remember, gear doesn't win Grammys. these are just tools.
so why are they so popular? well, it's actually a little hard to tell. the
collapsible design is nice if you're going to be traveling with these. the Beyerdynamics
don't fold up like this. and you can twist one side to listen with one
ear. these headphones are not as comfortable as a Beyerdynamics. they
actually feel a little tight on my head. but I've got a big
head so it may be okay for you. but other owners also complain of the discomfort
of having these on for a long time. the ear pads have a nice leather feel and
provide excellent isolation from outside noise. but my ears felt a little warm
after using these for a while. so let's talk about the sound/ what are they good
for? casual listening? definitely! mixing? decent. these have the loudest bass of
all the headphones in this roundup. so you have to watch out for that while
mixing. clarity is good with mids and highs, but I found that the bass just
took over at times, overshadowing the mids. they're not as neutral as the Sony
and Neumann headphones in this roundup. but that actually makes for a pleasant
listening experience. the soundstage is not as good as the Beyerdynamics but
still better than the others in this list. I would recommend these for a
producer or musician who needs good quality headphones that are very
portable. these are easy to carry around or throw in a backpack. so what about
open-back headphones? let's take a look at the Beyerdynamic DT 990 250 ohm
headphones. these and the AKG headphones in this roundup are both open back. that
means sound leaks through the sides of the cans, intentionally. this is supposed
to improve the spaciousness of the sound - the stereo width - making them sound
closer to a set of speakers. so do they? well, yes. i compared the open back to the
closed back 770s and found a difference. a small difference, but it was
there. if you've got discerning ears you will hear the difference. otherwise,
sonically, these are pretty much the same as the DT 770 closed-back versions. the
comfort is the same as well. these are great for long sessions. so if you're
mixing with these you're gonna love them. now because of the open back design,
they're not meant for use while recording with a microphone because of
the noise leak. also, you probably won't use these for commuting or in public
places. everyone's going to hear what you're doing. and you can hear a lot of
noise coming in as well. so best to be mixing in a quiet place. still, I love the
sound just as much as the 770's. when I started listening to my mixes through
the 990s I just wanted to keep listening... and listening... it was hard to switch to
another pair of headphones that says something! so far I've covered some
reasonably priced headphones. what do you get when you spend $500 or
more? I'll let you know a little later in the video. alright if you're looking for
something more affordable, let's take a look at the Sony MDR 7506. you've
probably seen these headphones in tons of studio pictures. It's used by audio
engineers, vocalist, everyone. many reviewers call these industry standard
because of their flat sound. when I tried them, I heard a very even spread of
bass, mids, and highs. it was a very cohesive mix. but if you're trying to
carefully listen to every nuance of each sound, these may not be right for you. the
hi hats in my beats just didn't come through as they did with the Beyerdynamics
and Audio Technica headphones. but these are among the flattest
headphones I listened to. if you're looking for an enjoyable listening session, these
aren't the best either. the mids were just too pronounced for casual listening.
but wait! that's not necessarily a bad thing. this may be the mix you really
need to hear. people seem to love these for monitoring for tracking vocals too.
they're reasonably comfortable but the build quality is not as good as more
expensive headphones in this list. the ear padding is low quality and I'm not
sure how long it will last. but they still provide better isolation
than cheaper headphones in this list. and they are quite comfortable for my big
head. these are not luxury headphones but they will get the job done in your
studio. alright, if you want something similar to the Audio Technicas, at a
lower price, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones are an excellent choice. and
many call these an industry standard. they're just $10 more than the Sony's
and they sound excellent. the bass is good, but not as powerful as the Audio
Technica's. still, I found it good enough. it didn't conflict with the mids as much.
but the highs are much more subdued with the mids taking center stage. The 280s
have the best isolation of all the headphones in this round up and let in
almost no noise. but that may be partly due to the fact that they fit a little
tight. they're comfortable, but may need to be broken into feel better. and my
ears got real warm quickly. the cable is very heavy and tight. I thought it was
just me, but others complained about this too. these are an excellent pick for
tracking, but not my favorite for mixing. the clarity and separation just wasn't
as good as others in this list. Alright, let's take a look at the budget
headphones next. by the way if you're looking for a budget audio interface for
your studio, I've rounded up the top seven in a video here. and if you need a
mini keyboard controller, you'll find a comparison of the top ones available on
my channel as well. Alright, these are the cheapest headphones by far at $33!
they're the OneOdio headphones. never heard of them before! so why did I
include them in this list? well, they were Amazon's "Recommended" studio headphones.
and these are the most popular DJ headphones on their site. so if you're
shopping on Amazon, these are going to be in your face! they have tons of reviews and
people who say they're quite happy with them. they have a nice form factor and
are pretty comfortable - actually surprised me in the comfort area. they
fold up real nice so great for portability. but what about the sound?
they are definitely not on par with the others in this list. they're missing a
lot of clarity in mids and highs and the bass muddies up the mids. these are not
bad headphones, just not up to the caliber of the rest. but hey, there's so
much cheaper! to me they sounded closer to consumer grade headphones. Are they
a good choice for mixing and tracking? Well, I would have to say, "no." I would
recommend that you save up a little money and go with the Sony's in this
list or even the Status CB-1 which we'll look at next. The Status CB-1s
are another very affordable set of headphones at $80. they came in a classy
box that gave me high hopes on build quality, but when I took them out they
felt and looked a little cheap. when I put them, on isolation from outside noise
wasn't that good. but they sound almost identical to the Sony's. and some
reviewers say they're close to the Audio Technica's from this list. I didn't think
so. the Audio Technica's had much more bass
and better clarity in the highs. but the sound of the CB-1 is very nice for
the price. I'd say it's a more comfortable version of the Sony's. if $80
is your price point, I would recommend these. alright, so what do you get when
you spend a few more hundred dollars on studio headphones? well I've got two
headphones here that retail for a lot more than the others. but wait!
one of them has dropped in price to less than $200!
let's check them out next. these are the AKG K702. they retail for $439
but guess what? you can now find them for $169
I have the AKG 275, which are $100 headphones and
I wasn't really impressed by them. these are different! the soundstage is wide, due
to the open back design. in this aspect it seems similar to the Beyerdynamics in
this list. that's the closest comparison. however, where the Beyerdynamics are
sometimes harshly bright, these are more subdued in the high frequencies. this
made the AKG is more pleasant to listen to with certain mixes. but they do lack
in bass and when comparing them to the Beyerdynamics, the bass gets lost a little.
I love the design of these. they look really cool and high-quality in my
opinion. but when you actually tap on the materials, they sound like cheap plastic.
the ear pads are super comfortable. these are self adjusting, so they automatically
extend to fit your head when you put them on. and they feel light and really
fit well around my ears. I would say, if you want the wide sound of open-back
headphones, these are an excellent choice. but you'll save some cash going with the
Beyerdynamic 990s instead. alright last I've got the Neumann
NDH20s. these are the heaviest headphones in this round up at 2.5 lbs.
and the most expensive. but they feel super premium. you've got steel and
aluminum here. top grade stuff! and the ear pads feel so comfortable. These truly
rival the Beyerdynamics in comfort. the Neumann provides better isolation than
most of the headphones in this list, which means the least sound leaked
through the sides. the sound is also really flat. mids are great and highs are
not as in-your-face as the Beyerdynamics the bass is subdued but these
sound great for mixing. I felt the sound separation is better on
the Beyerdynamics but this is still really nice - probably more realistic -
resulting in better mixes. in fact, these headphones sounded closer to my studio
monitor mix than any other headphone here .when I put these on I thought, "Wow!
These sounds so close to my speakers!" this is how I intended my mix to sound. I
think this is a great choice for audio engineers, mixers, especially for long
mixing sessions. but the price is gonna get you. and I think, if you're just
starting out with music production, these may be overkill for you. here are some
final thoughts on my top recommendations for you. the Audio Technica ATH- M50x
headphones sound great for casual listening, especially if you like your
bass. the clarity and mids is almost on par with the Beyerdynamics. but the
comfort for long sessions worries me and other reviewers as well. and the
soundstage can't compare to the Beyerdynamics or the AKG.s still, at $150
I think they're a really good overall value if you prefer
more bass. the Sony's are also a great value at $90. And if you're going to be
tracking or mixing, these are an excellent budget pick. not as pleasant to
listen to casually, but a great workhorse for your music production needs. after
the Beyerdynamics, I'd want a pair of these in my studio. both the Beyerdynamics
are true winners for me. the stereo width, the soundstage, and just using them to
pick out the problems in your mix. top-notch! I mean, you can place your
sound more accurately with these. remember to get the closed back version -
the 770s - if you plan to use them for monitoring while recording with a
microphone. and you may need a headphone amp depending on your audio interface, or
if you plan to use these with a laptop or a mobile device. but I suggest
testing them with your gear first to make sure you really need one. when
it comes to soundstage, the open-back 990s have a little advantage over the
closed back DT 770's. and are better than the open back AKGs,
in my opinion. but if you have to choose one, I'd go for the DT 770's
because they are more versatile. finally, the Neumanns are a high quality, superior
sounding set of headphones. excellent for mixing! excellent comfort! you get what
you pay for. if your budget allows it, I would highly recommend these. you'll find
the latest prices for all these headphones by using the links in the
description. if you liked this video, hit the like button and don't forget to
subscribe. make the music YOU love. see you guys later.