I Tested The 10 Best Headphones ($50 to $150)
I Tested The 10 Best Headphones ($50 to $150)
0:00 – Intro
0:35 – The 10 Headphones
0:55 – How I tested them
1:55 – My favourite ($150 Budget)
3:25 – My Favourite ($50~$80 Budget)
4:10 – AKG 240MKII Review
5:08 – Sony MDR 7506 Review
6:05 – Sennheiser HD280 Pro MK2 Review
6:57 – Audio Technica M20x Review
7:30 – Audio Technica M30x Review
7:55 – Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro Review
8:20 – AKG K702 Review
9:30 – Final Summary
What are the best headphones for music production and mixing?
It’s a good question! Today I hope to help answer it. Please ask me anything about any of the headphones in the comments of this video and I will reply with detailed notes and feedback 🙂
Good headphones should:
1) Provide an accurate, spacious sound stage to aid in mixing and mastering music.
2) Reveal low, mid and high frequencies without distortion so you can make quick production decisions.
3) Faithfully reproduce the dynamics and transient response of the material.
4) Reveal the depth of audio material.
5) Feel comfortable on your head for many hours and be strong enough to withstand daily ues.
These headphones I tested and the price at the time of video publishing ($USD / £GBP)
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro $143 = £108
Audio Technica M50x $143 = £108
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro $82 = £63
Audio Technica M40x $102 = £78
Audio Technica M30x $68 = £53
Audio Technica M20x $44 = £34
AKG K 702 $154 = £119
AKG K 240 MII $70 = £54
Sennheiser HD280 MK2 $143 = £110
Sony MDR 7506 $115 = £89
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Notes:
– It appears that the AKG K702 is now produced in China (it used to be made in Europe and cost much more). This likely explains why my experience doesn’t match what others have said in previous years.
– The DT 770 pro really is a step above the rest here and if you can afford it, I think it offers the best price to performance out of these 10.
– There were many other headphones which didn’t even make it to this top 10 due to:
Lack of customer support/brand new company with no track record
Terrible first impression etc
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I am also a big fan of Beyerdynamic, I LOVE my DT880s pro. I’ve made full productions from scratch to mastering only using this. Great guide, cheers!
I think this list should have included a pair of Grados, the sr60x has some awesome highs and mids but they do lack a little in bass
cheers dude!
I have been using my 80Ohm Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO for just 5 years and they are fantastic. I am definitely a big fan of Beyerdynamic, since I got used to its sound I don’t change it for any other brand
"Bass" on DT770 Pro’s???? haha you must be trolling ha 😆
Thanks so much for this video! Just got a pair ATH-M40x today and am loving them!
I have the Beyerdynamic DT700 ProX (80 Ohm), which are absoulutely beautiful headphones, well made, good looking, sound awesome. They do have a little bit of a high frequency boost, but I’m aware of this and mix a little dull as a result.
I check my mix on Yamaha HS5 studio monitors. These pair well with the Beyerdynamics, as the headphones produce low subbass (they start around 5hz).
Sennheiser HD600….
thanks!
The Audio Technica M30x seem to have changed in terms of build quality. I got a pair a few years ago (2018) and because of the weak point on the cable connecting the right headphone to the cable i replaced them (extended warranty). One thing i didn’t like on the old ones was the pads which were really stiff. On the new ones, they are a lot better but there is a catch, the cable is really thin! They seem to have made it thicker, but that’s just the rubber part. The copper is really thin. I much prefer the cable of the old ones. I guess it is a tradeoff for more comfortable ear pads. I don’t know if the pair i received is more recent or not, but buyer’s beware.
Amazing video very useful information! I have 1 question to ask you if you don’t mind as i just bought the DT770 pro 80 ohms along with the behringer HA400 as a headphone amp. I have noticed the bass becomes cranky and clicky when i raise the volume and the overall performance is not very well in the "bass department" especially although i am using the apolo twin an interface. Do you think the issue is from the mic amp? Would really appreciate the help
If you need really flat ones then I would recommend hd280 pro, mdr7506 and dt770 pro rest have an extra and boosted frequency response…
Closed and low impedance like the legend since 90’s Sony mdr 7506 with flat eq make the best recording studio headphone on the market for this price , the same for the AKG 240 but not for recording as the headphones are semiopen, a legend since 70’s , the Stones , Queen , and many others used them on studio for editing and mixing mainly , very confortable and for the price (60 euros) are the best headphones you can find on a pro studio..
Another thing is to look at them as audiophile , the work is diferent and the results as well , not the same to use it for fun or on a studio recording for work , for edition , mixing , critical analysis or for recording , not the same if the headphones are open ,semiopen or closed, the impedance are important too , if you’re gonna used them for your home (iPad or mobile phone, pc ..) you need low impedance 32 Ohm , 50 Ohm ..
The title of this really should be changed to "Tested the best BUDGET headphones". If $150 is your max budget, don’t expect much. And, the M50x’s are 170 now even.
Can I mix whit the DT 770 PRO 80 ohms?
Sony MDR-7506 = US$115 ??? 😱
I have purchased that "legendary can" for 80 bucks, and it does not include shipping and handling!
Does the tariffs in the US still in effect?
Hey! What are your thoughts on AKG K361 headphones? People say they perform very good for the price and i think they are so underrated.
the mdr7506 are the best kid, the rest are for disco ducks
Mate can you please try soundcore life Q10
How do you guys wash the pads on DT 770 Pro?
I plugged my earbuds into a guitar cab emulator that is supposed to sound like my amp going through a real cab. I heard demos of this that confirms good sound. It sounded pretty bad through my earbuds. Do you think that could be attributed to the fact that they’re earbuds?
I am planning on a decent pair of headphones. I just haven’t ordered them yet because I can’t decide on what pair.
Bt 990 vs hd 599 se
Thank you for the video. Was helpful. I understand that headphones are very important for good sound, but to me also very important , that if you want to enjoy the sound better, make sure that your ears are free of wax, and equalizer. on your player is in the right sound
This was a superb review
What do you think about Behringer HPX2000?
Dt770 pro fot mixing? No bro
Have you tried Presonus hd7/hd9?
Hey since you dont like the hd280 what do you think about hd300 pro i have heard that they are awesome
Burn-in is a myth. It’s just placebo
Hi Michael, I bought today an Audio Technica M50x headphone and right after opening it from the package, I played some songs for like 5/10 minutes from Spotify at Max full volume using it through a Focuriste sound card which was also at Max volume. Later I found out on the internet that playing music at Max volume can damage the headphone speakers. Is my headphone damaged? I am really worried.
This is so helpful Michael. Awesome hairdo as always.
sooo you dont like open back right?
I don’t understand.. on one hand you say open back is best for mixing then you recommend a close back? Why not dt 990 or 880?
check out the Superlux HD681! I’ve had a lot of headphones from cheap to expensive, but these ones are absolutely brilliant for monitoring and mastering.
What microphonr do you use?
Im looking for wired
headphones for my niece who love games and also use it online studies and her mother for works too with best noise cancelling and micro
Thank you, I SO Needed this! I’m moving away from reference monitors and need a decent pair of headsets for mixing and mastering, but I didn’t have the patience to find a good one myself and other headset video reviews are for gamers. Thanks for saving me a lot of time and trouble.
My favorite are akg 361
I had senhisser hd206. Didn’t like them. Now I looking for new headphones for practicing my piano.
Please suggest 🙏
i trust your judgment the most out of any music channel on here lol. i was planning on getting the Audio Technica M20x but after watching this im definitely gonna get the M30x instead. this video was so helpful! i really appreciate these gear review videos because trying to find good (and affordable) gear is just so overwhelming as a beginner
Just seeing the video now. I don’t know if someone already asked the question but give the presonus HD7 and HD9 a try and see how they sound to you. And get back to me.
I use akg 240’s, you are right about them….but you really need to bed them in, after a few hours of use they start to sound a lot better, they do say this in the blurb..
How much better would the DT 770 Pro do compared to the Pioneer SE-A1000? They have done quite a good job in the last 10 years but unfortunately they’re badly worn out now and I have to buy new headphones.
Good detailed review! I’ve been using the AT M50x for the last decade. I broke one pair but the pair i use today for recording/mixing/producing have lasted about 7 years and still going strong.
AKG K 702 are opened…meaning that bass is not building up in a cup.
Anyway, worth adding is that knowing our equipment and the process of making music are more important then its price tag. 😉
I have genelec 8030Cs … I’m looking for headphones for mixing and mastering purposes and I have no budget issues. What would you pick?
burning in doesn’t do anything Rtings has plenty of test and studies showing that there’s no difference, there is no evidence to support the claim that it makes a difference other than "I noticed a difference, you’re wrong"
Can any tell me how any any of these compare with sonys mdr v700 please I’m trying to find a replacement 😩
A super MAJOR factor for everyone here to take is, acclimatisation! Just because you spent so much on headphones and get them and they sound bad, does NOT mean they’re bad. It’s your ears simply not used to the environment. Give it time for your brain to figure everything out. This is a really missed out factor in the community. Mixing with headphones is considered for amateurs, but I promise you, I’ve worked with producers who’ve worked with artists who sold millions of records and I’ve constantly seen them alternate between monitors and headphones. I’ve even seen Timbaland use Audio Technica closed backs. So go figure.
I came here after the home studio video and hearing that I don’t really need to invest in monitors, but good headphones
Are the first ones from this video the ones he recommends for accurate sound, like what you would need monitors for?
Or is just the ones he would recommend from what the community sent him
Budget headphones that accomplish that purpose would be awesome to know