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.
