Any person who is serious about audio, be it a music producer, sound engineer, podcast producer, or content creator, will definitely require a pair of quality studio headphones. The market in India offers numerous brands and sometimes it gets overwhelming to choose the right pair of professional studio headphones best for you.
This is our guide to listing out some of the best options, considering the clarity, comfort, and durability features, which are essential for pro-studio production.
When searching among the best headphones to record or mix in the studio, the words wired, wireless, and even Bluetooth headphones appear. Although wireless headphones are convenient, wired headphones tend to be used in serious studio applications because they provide uncompressed audio signals and have no latency. But you can get some freedom of motion with a few Bluetooth headphones with microphone variants that can be good at monitoring, though typically dedicated studio headphones are more appropriate when pure audio fidelity is required.
We shall now break down our list of the 10 best professional headphones in India:
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
These award-winning studio monitor headphones are highly regarded by many studio professionals as the gold standard. Audio-Technica studio headphones are notable for their high sound isolation, balanced sound and soft fit. Their build-quality is highly premium, making ATH-M50x an excellent all-rounder for tracking, mixing, mastering in the studio as well as daily listening.
2. Audio-Technica ATH-R70x Headphones
The ATH-R70x suits those who want pure, open-back listening. They are reference-level headphones, with critical listening capabilities and an immensely spacious and natural sound representation. The headphone come in an open-back design to provide a natural and airy sound powered by 45 mm drivers. Additionally, they offer a sturdy build with a 3D wing support system to fit comfortably.
Why are the ATH-R70x headphones so good in mixing and mastering?
The open-back headphone design has a limited accumulation of pressure and gives a more realistic stereo imaging. They are very flat, which is why open back headphones are best suited to detailed mixing and mastering choices, enabling you to hear all the elements in their place.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
The ATH-M40x is one of the best, entry-level professional monitor headphones. Listen to your sounds, as is! It is designed to offer a flat frequency response which is important when it comes to proper monitoring.
4. Audio-Technica ATH-M70x
An icon from the M-series, the ATH-M70x is intended to be used in the best studio headphone across the globe. It has a broad frequency response, and is made with high quality parts to ensure enhanced sonic accuracy. It is highly recommended headphone for monitoring and mastering mix during production work
5. Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
For the beginners in the world of audio exploration, the ATH-M20x is a great entry-level headphone opening the portal to the award-winning M-series audio. It is great for daily listening as well as in home studios, offering clear, accurate sonic reproduction, a big upgrade compared to consumer-grade headphones.
6. Audio-Technica ATH-M60x
ATH-M60x is also a good choice when a smaller design is preferred and its used in the field recordings and for location monitoring. It uses the same proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers as the ATH-M50x, and provides outstanding clarity over a wide frequency range of 15 to 28,000 Hz. These headphones have a low impedance of 38 ohms with a maximum input power of 1,600 mW making them optimized to generate a high level of output on any headphone jack.
7. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2
The wireless over ear headphone is an upgrade to the legendary sound of the ATH-M50x with the convenience of wireless connectivity through Bluetooth. It is an excellent option among those in the studio and requires a high degree of flexibility with the capability to listen and monitor simultaneously without compromising the highly rated sound quality that the M-series are known to offer.
8. Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa
The ATH-R70xa is an improvement of the ATH-R70x; the ATH-R70xa is a high-end professional open-back headphone that is recommended to the most critical engineers. It is more accurate and detailed with a clear open-back design to produce an exceptionally natural and spacious soundstage to mix and master.
9. Audio-Technica ATH-M30x
The ATH-M30x is comfortable in between the M20x and M40x and that makes this a great performer in terms of tracking, mixing and field recording. It is of high quality construction and high-level engineering to refine detail and mid-range clarity to provide a good alternative in multi-purpose monitoring.
10. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSetTM
The ATH-M50xSTSTM, is a first of its kind, streaming headphone with mic.
It comprises a high quality condenser microphone of the 20 Series and the legendary M series sound with a state of the art build-quality.
Even though the ATH-M50xSTS StreamSetTM is mostly used in streaming and content creation, its professional aspects make it one of the best tools in monitoring and communications in a studio environment.
In Conclusion…
It is a matter of personal choice when it comes to choosing the correct headphones, however a good place to start is to consider what some of the top headphones used by studio professionals are.
Having said that, do consider your, the kind of audio work you need to carry out, and your own comfort preferences to select the best studio headphones for your production needs.
FAQs
What’s the difference between consumer headphones and professional studio headphones?
Consumer headphones are intended to be worn in general listening and professional studio headphones are intended to be worn in critical audio work where good and neutral sound reproduction is required.
Which is better for studio use: wired headphones or wireless headphones?
Typically, wired headphones can be used in the studio because the audio signals are not compressed and there is no latency.
Can Bluetooth headphones with a microphone be used for studio recording?
Some Bluetooth headphones have microphones and can be used to do monitoring, although specialized studio headphones will normally be more suitable when pure audio fidelity is required in recordings in the studio.
What features make an Audio-Technica headphone truly “professional” for studio work?
Audio-Technica professional studio headphones are characterized by sound isolation, balanced sound, soft fit, and high quality of construction.
Which Audio-Technica headphones are recommended for studio professionals?
ATH-M50x and ATH-R70x are recommended to the studio professionals.