Looking for some new cans for your studio?
Want the absolute best in quality without spending a fortune for the privilege?
Take a look below at our pick for the best five studio headphones of 2017, all available at Inta Audio for less than £150!
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro – Black Limited Edition
250 ohm – £109.99 – Exclusively at Inta-Audio
The DT990s are one of our top sellers, and for good reason.
The open-backed design and low-weight diaphragms are perfect for studio mixing, giving a consistently more accurate representation of your mix and a superior sound-stage than that offered by closed-back headphones. If your mix isn’t quite right, you’ll know – and ultimately, that’s what you want your studio headphones to do above all else!
Some studio headphones are so heavily focused on mixing that they just don’t sound that great for general listening. The DT990s are not one of those – they offer a superb, rounded listening experience with excellent lows, mids and highs. Just don’t expect a face-punching bass, as that isn’t what open-backed studio headphones are designed to offer!
The DT990s feature some of the best build quality and design on the market. Extremely comfortable soft velour pads prevent ear fatigue after long mixing sessions and a secure, adjustable head-band allows them to stay firmly in position without applying unwanted pressure on the head or the headphones. They feature a 3m (9.8ft) non-detachable straight cable.
Best For: Great all-rounders. Perfect for long mixing sessions, where comfort, low fatigue and accuracy are vital. Superb overall sound quality.
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro – Black Limited Edition
80 ohm – £114.95 – Exclusively at Inta-Audio
If the DT990s sound appealing to you, but you’re put off by the open-backed design, then the DT770s are the perfect choice.
A lot of what has been said above about the DT990s is equally true here – the DT770s also feature superb sound quality, backed by an exceptional build quality. The biggest differences come from the closed-back design – which is better suited for studio recording and general listening than the open-backed DT990s – and the lower impedance, which allows the DT770s to be used with a wider range of consumer devices, such as smartphones, iPads and Hi-Fi equipment without the need of specialist hardware like headphone amplifiers.
Utilising the same velour pads as the DT990, comfort during long sessions is again a key strength, while the same head-band design allows for firm and consistent positioning without unwanted pressure. The closed-back design helps to reduce signal bleed to nearby microphones, allowing far cleaner tracking when recording. “Bass Reflex” technology offers an improved bass response, eliminating some of the ‘bass build up’ effect that is common and detrimental to most closed-back headphones. Like their open-backed brothers, the DT770s feature a 3m (9.8ft) non-detachable straight cable.
Best For: Great all-rounders. Perfect for long mixing and listening sessions, where comfort, low fatigue and accuracy are vital. Superb overall sound quality.
Audio Technica ATH-M50xMG – Limited Edition Matte Grey
80 ohm – £125.00 – Exclusively at Inta-Audio
The ATH series have long been considered titans in the world of studio headphones, and the ATH-M50x certainly continues that tradition. Coveted by top audio engineers and professional audio reviewers year after year, the M50x is a headphone with an enviable number of awards and recognition under its belt.
The stylish Matte Grey variant of this extremely popular model is exclusively available at Inta Audio.
Proprietary 45mm large-aperture drivers and sound-isolating earcups provide an incredible level of audio quality that is hard to rival, especially at this price point. An extended frequency range offers exceptional clarity, with a particularly deep and accurate bass response providing a satisfying listening experience, whatever you play through it. 90-degree swivelling ear cups allow for easy, one-ear monitoring.
Top build quality has always been a renowned strength of the ATH series. Supremely comfortable ear cups and a padded, reinforced head-band offer excellent comfort without sacrificing on sturdiness. The body of the headphones can also be collapsed for easy storage and portability. The closed-back design helps to reduce signal bleed to nearby microphones, allowing far cleaner tracking when recording.
The ATH-M50x has a detachable cable, which means that it is easily replaceable in the event of any issues – a definite boon of these particular headphones. And as if this wasn’t convenient enough, there are three different cables included in the box – a 1.2-3m coiled cable, 1.2m straight and 3m straight cable.
Best For: Renowned sound quality and construction; highly comfortable and stylish design; interchangeable and replaceable cables are a key bonus.
M-Audio HDH50 – High Definition Headphones
16 ohm – £119.00
M-Audio’s name is synonymous with high-quality yet affordable studio gear, and this is a description that fits the HDH50 perfectly. Incorporating premium components into a strong and sturdy design, the HDH50 is perfectly suited to both studio recording and monitoring, offering excellent sound reproduction and audio isolation.
Soft, plush-padded ear-cups and a padded head-band make the HDH50s extremely comfortable and non-fatiguing to use, even during extended studio sessions. The closed-back design helps to reduce signal bleed to nearby microphones, allowing far cleaner tracking when recording.
With an expansive frequency range of 12Hz – 24kHz, the HDH50 is capable of producing the entire human frequency range, which results in reliable and accurate sound reproduction. It also boasts an accurate stage-wide stereo image for a precise mixing sound-stage.
At only 16 ohms impedance, the HDH50 can be used with practically any set-up without requiring a headphone amplifier. It comes with two detachable cables, one of which is a communication cable with built-in microphone.
Best For: Wide frequency range and accurate sound-stage; low impedance for maximum flexibility; comfortable and sturdy; interchangeable and replaceable cables are a key bonus.
AKG K702 – Open Backed Studio Reference Headphones
62 ohm – £149.00
AKG offer a range of headphones to suit all budgets and requirements, but our favourites at the sub-£150 mark has to be the K702. Offering reference-class precision for mixing and monitoring with a stylish and comfortable over-ear design, these headphones are open-backed which means a consistently more accurate representation of your mix and a superior sound-stage than that offered by closed-back headphones, at the cost of noise isolation.
Combining an extremely accurate response with agility and spaciousness, the K702 use revolutionary flat-wire voice coils and a patented Varimotion two-layer diaphragm for total clarity, an improved high-frequency range and better performance at lower frequencies too.
Specially shaped 3D-foam ear pads and a padded genuine-leather headband not only ensure a perfect fit, but a highly comfortable one as well, especially during long studio sessions.
The 62 ohm impedance allows the K702 to be highly compatible with the majority of consumer – as well as studio – equipment. The 3m straight cable is detachable and connects via a proprietary mini-XLR connector.
Best For: Reference-class precision with the accurate sound-stage inherent in open-back headphones; lower impedance for maximum flexibility; comfortable and sturdy whilst remaining a stylish design.