Countless times have our clients asked us what headphones to buy, therefore we’ve compiled an infograph for your convenience. The headphones you’ll see there have been chosen mostly for their neutral sound. We also made sure to actually try them out to see if they make sense ergonomically and won’t fall apart right before a critical session.

Closed or not?

Much ink has been spilled regarding the best in studio headphones, however there’s hardly something like the best cans for everything. First thing you need to find out is whether you need isolation. Do you work in a noisy environment? Will sound leakage from your cans bother the folks around you? If so – you need sealed headphones.

If the room is all yours, then generally it’s a no brainer to go for open or semi open backed headphones. 9 times out of 10 they will sound better than closed back headphones. One exception would be monitoring bass heavy music – sealed cans keep the air from escaping, so more bass is possible.

Horses for courses

When choosing what to buy, try to imagine how you plan to use your future headphones. Sound quality is extremely important, but long hours in studio can be made easier if your headgear is comfy. Expect to be on the road much? It’s best if your cans can fold and have multiple cables.

Then there’s the topic of drivability. The rule of thumb is that lower impedance headphones are more fit for portable devices and higher impedance drivers will love the voltage your audio interface can supply. Nowadays there aren’t really that many hard-to-drive headphones.