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.

Naturally, certain production tasks specifically call for headphones – audio playback while recording a vocal track, for example. They’re often a sensible choice if you’re dealing with noise constraints in a shared apartment, or your music-making space is lacking acoustic treatment.

• READ MORE: Best speakers to buy in 2024: 12 best small studio monitors

What’s more, a good 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 hold a valuable position 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 3am.

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. Check out our round-up below for ten 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-100
• 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: Meze Audio Elite
• Best spatial audio/surround headphones: OLLO Audio S5X
• Best everyday headphones: Focal Bathys
• Best wireless earbuds: Denon PerL Pro

Best overall pick: Sennheiser HD 490 Pro

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.

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Read our full Sennheiser HD 490 Pro review.

Best budget headphones: RØDE NTH-100

NTH-100: £119

Offering pro-level audio at a fraction of the price, RØDE’s NTH-100 headphones fit the bill – whether you’re looking for your first set of studio cans or just a cheaper headset without sacrificing on quality.

Due to the smaller transducers in headphones, it’s often tricky to accurately reproduce bass frequencies, and many budget models compensate with an overhyped low end. That’s not the case with the NTH-100s, which also perform well in the mids and highs.

And despite the lower price tag, RØDE has imbued these headphones with a premium feel thanks to an attractive contoured design, CoolTech gel to stop your ears overheating, and soft Alcantara for the pads – a suede-like material often used in luxury cars.

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Read our full RØDE NTH-100 review.

Best DJ headphones: Korg NC-Q1

Korg 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

DT 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 <NOTE HEAR ABOUT LESS SOUND LEAKAGE IN STUDIOS FOR RECORDINg>.

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.

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Read our full Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X review.

Best open-back monitoring: HEDDphone Two

HEDDphone 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: £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.

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Read our full AIAIAI TMA-2 review.

Best spatial audio/surround headphones: OLLO Audio S5X

OLLO Audio S5X: £379

Mixing surround on headphones is always going to present challenges – that’s simply down to physical constraints. OLLO Audio aims to deliver a proper portrayal of surround sound in binaural form with its S5X cans.

The S5Xs aren’t truly surround sound. Instead, they’re designed to downmix to stereo in the most accurate way possible. Part of this is the calibration process using OLLO’s plugin. By providing your serial number, the plugin accounts for the unique characteristics of your specific set of headphones, ensuring what the manufacturer describes as ‘accurate object positioning in virtualised 3D audio’ through subtle processing on the master channel.

What’s more, the S5X headphones are beautifully designed with robust metal components and sleek wood accentuations.

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Read our full OLLO Audio S5X review.

Best audiophile headphones: Meze Audio Elite

Meze Audio Elite: £3,749

If money’s no object, you might want to consider a pair of audiophile headphones like the Meze Audio Elite for your home listening. Undoubtedly, the price tag is significant – but five minutes with these headphones and that initial sticker shock will begin to fade into the background, replaced with an exquisite auditory experience that lets you discover new layers of nuance and detail in your favourite recordings.

Plenty of science has gone into the engineering of the Elites, with each diaphragm driven by a hybrid array of neodymium magnets that provides better frequency targeting within different parts of the ear, and an incredible frequency response of 3 Hz to 112 kHz. Thanks to materials like tungsten and Alcantara, these headphones boast a premium build quality worthy of their eye-watering cost.

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Read our full Meze Audio Elite review.

Best everyday headphones: Focal Bathys

Focal Bathys: £699

Looking for a high-quality daily driver that can do a bit of everything? Focal has created an excellent all-rounder with Bathys, a pair of headphones supporting wired analogue connection, Bluetooth wireless, and onboard USB-C DAC that touts 24-bit, 192 kHz resolution.

While the 15 Hz to 22 kHz frequency response may not be quite as wide as some other headphones on our list, it’s still more than enough for most applications, offering accurate and neutral sound reproduction.

Alongside, Bathys offers three levels of ANC, eight built-in microphones for making calls, a transparency mode, and six-band EQ which can be adjusted via an app. Really, the only reason we’d think twice about the Focal Bathys is its appearance, with a somewhat Y2K-looking design that’s sure to trigger those with trypophobia.

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Read our full Focal Bathys review.

Best wireless earbuds: Denon PerL Pro

Denon 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.

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Read our full Denon PerL Pro review.

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