Best Studio Headphones For Mixing – Mixing Needs

Back in the day when top brands like Bose dominated the studio headphone industry finding a good pair of studio headphones was easy. Today, the studio headphone market is flooded with headphone brands claiming to have the best studio headphones for mixing. This has made finding a good pair of headphones more difficult than in the past. However, it is still possible to find a good pair of headphones that meets your mixing needs. If you are in search of the best studio headphones to aid in your mixing, below is a list of seven studio headphones that you cannot go wrong with.

AKG K 701 Headphones

Pro: Great neutral sound
Con: Clamping force can be intolerable

Designed in Austria and made in China, the AKG K 701 offers the kind of comfort and sound quality you would expect from a top brand like AKG. The 3D form soft ear pads cover your ears perfectly while the adjustable leather headband adjusts to the size of your head for a perfect fit. As for the sound quality, the AKG K 701 has a neutral sound meaning that the midrange and bass are balanced, while the treble is not so dominant.

The Sennheiser HD 650

Pro: Superb, clear sound quality
Con: Surrounding sounds tend to seep in

An authentic audiophile headphone, the Sennheiser HD 650 is equipped with an extremely lightweight aluminum voice coil to offer you an exquisite transient response. The voice coil is backed up by a high-quality Neodymium Ferrous Magnet system that guarantees sensitivity and excellent response. The acoustic silk specifically designed for the HD 650 helps minimize total harmonic distortion to an impressive 0.5%. As if that is not enough to get most studio mixers excited, the headphone delivers a rich sound thanks to its improved frequency of between 10 and 39,500 HZ.

Shure SRH1840

Pro: Durable, great sound quality, ergonomic design
Con: Are only ideal for listening to classical rock, do not work well with metal or hip hop

Shure’s flagship studio headphones are giving other studio headphone brands a run for their money. The headphones are made from the same aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of aircrafts. Thus, you can expect improved durability with this pair of professional headphones. Moreover, the headphones come with a storage case, replacement velour earpads and an extra cable. The dual frame design of the headphones combined with the adjustable headband guarantee hours of listening comfort. In regards to sound quality, the Shure SRH1840 professional headphones are fitted with 40 mm Neodymium drivers for exceptional acoustic performance while the open back design ensures excellent natural sound.

The Beyerdynamic T5p Tesla Headphones

Pro: Great ambience sound attenuation
Con: May require an amplifier for maximum efficiency

The Beyerdynamic T5p Tesla is the first headphone specifically designed for mobile devices. Engineered in Germany, the T5p’s ear cups have a closed design that protects your listening from ambient noise. The ear cups and headband are both padded for comfort. The circumaural design of the ear cups also reduces ambient noise and improves comfort. Inside the headphones is a three layer compound coil, which when combined with the strong magnetic field of the headphones delivers transparent sound void of distortions.

The HIFIMAN HE560

Pro: Deep textured bass, affordable
Con: Sound quality can be better

The new HIFIMAN HE560 marks a significant improvement to the HE500 headphone. At the center of the new headphone is the planar magnetic headphone technology that has earned HIFIMAN a good reputation among music lovers globally. Unlike other headphones, the HE560 uses single ended drivers that are responsible for the realistic soundstage and spatial imaging that the HIFIMAN brand has become synonymous with. The ebony ear cups give the HE560 a luxurious texture and look. Compared to other headphones, this headphone from HIFIMAN is 30% lighter.

The Sennheiser HD 800

Pro: Produces rich natural sound
Con: Quite pricey compared to other headphones on the list

It is claimed that no other headphone in the market today matches the Sennheiser HD 800’s natural sound quality. The high-quality sound of the HD 800 is attributed to the 56-millimetre ring transducer, 40-millimetre aluminium coil and 42-millimetre magnetic system. A headphone’s sound quality depends largely on the size of the transducer, the larger the surface of the transducer the purer the sound. Thus, since the HD 800 has the largest ring transducer, it is not difficult to see why its natural sound quality is unrivalled. The handcrafted ear pads are made from a high-quality microfiber fabric that is exceedingly comfortable.

The HIFIMAN HE1000

Pro: Ergonomic and adjustable headband
Con: Very expensive

At $ 2,999 the HIFIMAN HE100 is the priciest headphone on the list. But with its many awesome features and luxurious design, the HE100 is totally worth the cost. For starters, the HE100 is the first headphone whose diaphragm’s thickness is measured in nanometer. What this means is that you get a diaphragm that has a low mass and has faster responses and minimal distortions. To achieve the best sound quality, imaginable HIFIMAN equipped the HE100 with the patented window shadow system that is designed to create an open back design to minimize interferences from sound waves and thus reduces distortions and unwanted reflections.