Trusted and reliable monitoring is an essential part of music production at every step of the process. To this end, most will opt for headphones, speakers, or a combination of the two. Sometimes it’s actually essential to work on headphones, like when travelling or working at night. And since so many people consume music on headphones, it’s vital to mix to account for them as well.
A promising set of cans will set you back far less than studio monitors of the same quality, so they’re one of the best investments you can make at the start of your music production journey. Typically, you won’t need any extra hardware to connect your headphones to your setup either.
Make no mistake, monitor speakers are a valuable tool in a music producer’s arsenal. However, headphones offer greater flexibility and portability, and a cheaper barrier to entry – not to mention you won’t upset your neighbours when you’re tweaking mixes at 3 am.
There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to headphones, from simpler entry-level models to sophisticated audiophile headsets capable of reproducing microscopic detail and even cans designed for working with spatial and surround mixes.. Check out our round-up below for our choice of the best headphones across a range of budgets and applications.
Best headphones at a glance:
- Our pick: Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
- Best budget headphones: RØDE NTH-50
- Best DJ headphones: Korg NC-Q1
- Best closed-back monitoring: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro X
- Best open-back monitoring: HEDDphone Two
- Best wireless studio headphones: AIAIAI TMA-2
- Best audiophile headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000
- Best headphones for mixing: Steven Slate VSX Immersion One
- Best everyday headphones: Sony WH-1000XM6
- Best wireless earbuds: Denon PerL Pro
Best overall pick: Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Image: Sennheiser.HD 490 Pro: £349
Plus version: £419
Coming in as our top overall pick is Sennheiser’s flagship HD 490 Pro headphones. Marking the upper end of the HD range the manufacturer is so well known for, the 490 Pros tick all the boxes.
Their open-backed design and frequency response from 5 Hz to 36.1 kHz means you’re getting an accurate reproduction of your mix at all times, without the hyped low or high frequencies found in some headphones. The Plus model also comes with a licence for the dearVR Mix SE plugin, which virtualises different listening environments so you can see how things might translate to another space.
The HD 490 Pros don’t just sound stellar – they feel great too. They weigh just 260 grams without the cable, and come with interchangeable ear pads in velvet and fabric, so you’ll remain comfortable during longer sessions.
Read our full Sennheiser HD 490 Pro review.
Best budget headphones: RØDE NTH-50
RØDE NTH-50. Image: PressWe loved RØDE’s NTH-100 over-ear headphones, but the company’s follow-up was even more affordable and still sounds fantastic. The NTH-50s are on-ears, so a slightly different approach, but they cost just £99. In our review, we noted that their low impedance helps even lower-powered gear drive them properly, and that their frequency response is 5Hz – 32kHz, wider than that of headphones costing much more.
Designed for DJs, sound engineers and content creators, we also felt they are suitable for all-around production use including rough mixes, and at the price point, they also double up very well for personal listening — though there’s no wireless here, of course. Best of all, the components are largely replaceable and RØDE offers a lifetime guarantee – what’s not to like?
Read our full review of the RØDE NTH-50 headphones.
Best DJ headphones: Korg NC-Q1
Korg NC-Q1Korg NC-Q1: £279
Although Korg isn’t a name typically associated with audio monitoring, the manufacturer set a new standard in the realm of DJ headphones with its NC-Q1 model.
Tailored for high-noise environments, the NC-Q1’s construction naturally reduces outside noise, while the advanced Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology is capable of handling sound levels over 120 dB, ensuring you’re getting clear monitoring even in the loudest clubs.
On the ergonomic side, the NC-Q1s boast swivelling headphone cups, allowing for one-ear monitoring with ease. There’s deep and punchy bass response here too, so you can be certain the low end isn’t clashing when you’re mixing tracks.
Read our full Korg NC-Q1 review.
Best closed-back monitoring: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X Limited EditionDT 770 Pro: £119
DT 770 Pro X: £179
Enter any professional studio in the world and there’s a strong chance you’ll see a pair of Beyerdynamic’s iconic DT 770 Pro headphones. What made them so popular? The perfect balance of comfort, build quality, and sound – all at an affordable price significantly lower than many other pro-grade cans.
Designed for studio use, the DT 770 Pros feature a frequency response of 5 Hz to 40 kHz. As the headphones are closed-back, they’re excellent at blocking external sounds, with 16 dB of ambient noise isolation. This reduced sound leakage makes them perfect for recording with microphones in a studio environment.
The Pro X Limited Edition model, released to celebrate Beyerdynamic’s 100th birthday, offers a few refinements on the well-worn classic, including a detachable three-metre cable and sleek, all-black design.
Read our full Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X review.
Best open-back monitoring: HEDDphone Two
HEDDphone TWOHEDDphone Two: £1,749
Open-back versus closed-back is always something to consider when choosing a pair of headphones, with the former typically offering a more natural and spacious soundstage at the cost of less impactful bass and increased leakage.
Berlin-based company HEDD aims to deliver all the benefits of an open-back design with HEDDphone Two, the sequel to its highly lauded original. Smaller and lighter in design, the Twos offer a sophisticated adjustable strap that ensures they’re comfortable for prolonged use.
Of course, there’s a pretty significant price tag to these headphones, but given how they sound, we reckon it’s justified. Powered by HEDD’s handmade Air Motion Transformers, these cans deliver an accurate but pleasing sound signature, with exceptional clarity, detailed transients, and even response across the entire spectrum.
Read our full HEDDphone Two review.
Best wireless studio headphones: AIAIAI TMA-2
AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+AIAIAI TMA-2: £300
Wireless monitoring has long remained out of the conversation when it comes to producing music, namely due to the latency and compression inherent to Bluetooth. However, AIAIAI is looking to rewrite the script with its TMA-2 headphones, letting producers unplug without the usual drop in audio quality.
These cans are paired with a W+ Link transmitter capable of transmitting 16-bit, 44.1 kHz audio over a dedicated radio frequency band with a latency of just 16ms. Ample battery power and a comfortable design keeps the TMA-2s in action for longer sessions, while the Bluetooth mode can be used for everyday listening for up to 80 hours.
Designed in collaboration with Richie Hawtin, the TMA-2s and AIAIAI’s other headphones are really quite unique, owing to their modular nature. You can upgrade or replace specific components of your headphones – the headband, speaker units, or earpads for example – and even mix and match parts to create your own configurations.
Read our full AIAIAI TMA-2 review.
Best headphones for mixing: Steven Slate VSX Immersion One
Image: PressWe are starting to see more hardware modelling headphone systems come onto the market, products that use software to replicate real gear and environments to let you mix more accurately and flexibly on headphones. Steven Slate’s VSX Immersion One system now comes with updated headphones, open-back planar magnetic models with an impressive build quality.
In our review, we noted that the VSX software “can be loaded as a plugin in your DAW, or as a system-wide app. The Immersion Ones come with the full Platinum version of the software, which includes seven virtual headphones, 11 studio and listening rooms, two clubs, four cars, plus a boombox and cellphone. Many of these environments come with more than one setting, with most rooms featuring options for near, mid and far field monitors”.
Furthermore, we found that “there are times when the headphones melt away, and it really feels like you’re sitting in front of speakers… listen through a range of material and get totally lost in the detail. I can hear the tiniest of high-end transients.” We also note that these are incredibly open headphones, with close-to-zero noise cancellation so maybe not useful for tracking. Nonetheless, we found this system to offer the most accurate room emulation we’ve ever experienced.
Read our full review of the Steven Slate VXS Immersion One.
Best audiophile headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000. Image: PressIn audiophile headphone world it’s not uncommon to pay £3000 or more for a pair of cans, and that’s where Audio-Technica’s superb open-backs live. In fact that’s a little less than some competing models. Models such as these aren’t really studio workhorses, they’re for listening to the finished product. In our review we noted the AT’s are “better used for leisure listening rather than intense studio use, but could be useful for checking final masters or mixes.” There are also technical factors that may determine where you use them – this model has an incredibly high impedance of 490 Ohms, meaning it prefers to be connected to an amplified source for best performance and highest gain.
That aside, we were blown away by their performance, noting “the claim of neutrality is well-deserved, with the headphones revealing the many different treatments, levels and mastering processes used on different tracks”. And “the balance of frequencies and soundstage are exemplary, despite the open-backed design, low end is particularly well-defined.” Not everyone will be able to stretch to the price but those that do will be hugely impressed by these high-end headphones.
Read our full review of the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000.
Best everyday headphones: Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony WH-1000XM6 in Platinum Silver. Image: PressSony’s WH-1000XM series headphones consistently top polls of noise-cancelling wireless over-ear headphones, and for good reason. Now in its sixth generation the model goes from strength to strength, with the Sony WH-1000XM6 boasting the fastest ever processor in the lineup and a very impressive battery life of 30 hours with ANC on and 40 hours with it switched off. Foldable for easy transport, they’re packed with tech including a gyroscope and also twelve microphones that power the highly effective noise cancelling.
In our review we loved their “incredibly detailed and powerful soundstage”, noting that “tonally exceptionally well balanced, the M6 picks out instruments with expert skill, making mixes feel totally alive, sparkling and rich.” As well as hi-res Bluetooth codecs they also have wired analogue listening though bafflingly no USB-C digital audio which we were a little disappointed by. That aside, these are very comfortable, great-sounding headphones for everyday use.
Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM6.
Best wireless earbuds: Denon PerL Pro
Denon PerL ProDenon PerL Pro: £300
Rising from the ashes of the NuraTrue Pro wireless earphones after Denon acquired Nura in 2023, the PerL Pros are identical in all but name.
While the price may seem a little steep, what you’re getting with these earbuds is a truly personalised audio experience. Using something called Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology – the original tech that put Nura on the map – the PerL Pros can be accurately calibrated to your own ears.
Like most competitor buds, the PerL Pros also benefit from ANC, spatial audio, and up to 24 hours of battery with the case. But it’s the acoustic personalisation that’s the showstopper here, and it’s certainly worth hearing for yourself if you’re in the market for a new set of earphones.
Read our full Denon PerL Pro review.
Playing in bands in the 90s led Hollin into the world of production, joining MusicTech on issue 2 in 2003. With several internationally published books on composition and software he is an expert in Apple and consumer tech, having written for most leading Mac publications for many years. He is also a commercial photographer with work appearing in the national press.