Best Studio Headphones Under 50 Dollars

In the last article, I went over the essential recording studio accessories, and I mentioned that headphones are one of the most important accessories for recording. In this article, I’m going to briefly explain the differences between studio headphones and regular headphones, and then I’ll give my personal recommendation on what I believe are the best studio headphones under 50 dollars.

Studio Headphones vs. Regular Headphones

The main difference between studio headphones and regular headphones is the way they sound.

Studio headphones are made for recording and working with music, so they need to produce sound as accurately as possible, in order for you to hear all the detail. Therefore, studio headphones tend to sound a lot more balanced in terms of bass, mids, and high frequencies, which results in you being able to hear your voice or instrument more clearly.

Regular headphones, on the other hand, are strictly made for just listening to music, so they tend to sound a lot more “hyped” with regard to frequencies. Usually, in regular headphones, the bass and high frequencies are exaggerated, while the mids are scooped out, in order to make the music sound more powerful. The problem with regular headphones is that the vocals can be overpowered by the bass, resulting in music sounding “muddy”.

The other difference between studio headphones and regular headphones is that studio headphones usually come with a 1/4 inch adapter that lets you plug in your headphones directly into your audio interface, so you can monitor your voice. Also, the cable on studio headphones tends to be much longer, usually around 10 feet or so, for moving around the studio easily.

With all of that said, however, I DON'T believe you should invest a ton of money into studio headphones (considering all the other equipment you have to buy), since you can get a great pair for less than $50.

Which brings me to my recommendation…

The Best Studio Headphones Under $50: Sennheiser HD201

Sennheiser HD201: The Best Studio Headphones Under 50 Dollars (Source: scmsinc.com)

+ Currently priced at less than $40, the Sennheiser HD201’s are a no-brainer.

+ Don’t let the price fool you, these headphones sound a lot more expensive than they cost, and even compete with other headphones costing twice as much or more.

+ They have a nice, balanced sound that is perfect for recording purposes.

+ Also, these come with a 1/4 inch adapter so you can choose to plug them directly into your audio interface, or straight into your computer through the regular headphone jack.

+ Plus, these come with a 2-year warranty, which is pretty solid for a $30 pair of headphones.

The Sennheiser HD201 comes with a 1/4 inch adapter and 10 foot cable. (Source: gearpop.com)

On top of all that, Sennheiser is a great company that makes some really high-quality audio equipment. I’ve owned the higher-end Sennheiser HD280’s myself and the sound quality is so crystal clear, it’s almost scary. I’ll have a review on those and other studio headphones in the $100 range in the future.

Order your Sennheiser HD201's HERE for the cheapest price available:

Sennheiser HD201: http://amzn.to/1BdbUGF