What Are Studio Headphones? 3 Reasons You Probably Shouldn’t Buy Them
You’ve probably heard the term “studio headphones” thrown around in online forums, YouTube comments, and Google searches. Apparently, they sound way better than your AirPods, but a quick look at their prices leaves you wondering if they’re actually worth it.
Well, it’s complicated. In this guide, we’ll help you understand what exactly studio headphones are, how they’re different from regular headphones, and why you probably shouldn’t buy them. We’ll also explain why reviewers keep recommending them anyway.
What Are Studio Headphones? Who Uses Them?
Unlike regular consumer-grade headphones and earbuds made for the masses, studio headphones are made for artists and audio engineers for mixing and mastering tracks. As a result, they function as work equipment more than they serve as a tool for recreational listening.
Music production can’t (or rather, shouldn’t) happen using regular headphones because they don’t reproduce audio accurately. And this is a problem for artists and composers because they need their headphones to sound as accurate (or “flat”) as possible.
The flatter the frequency response, the easier it’ll be to catch and correct errors such as unwanted white noise or buzz. This helps artists produce music as intended, so fans can better immerse themselves without any static disturbances that ruin the listening experience.
3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy Studio Headphones
There are three main reasons why you shouldn’t buy studio headphones. Let’s consider them and understand how they affect your listening experience.
1. Studio Headphones Don’t Sound as Fun
Although studio headphones sound the most accurate, they’re not ideal for most people because they can sound dull compared to regular headphones. Why? Because the latter has elevated lows (bass) and highs (treble), which makes them sound more fun and pleasing, and results in what’s officially called a V-shaped sound signature.
Different sound signaturessuit different purposes, and the V-shaped signature is best for casual listening and is the most common one in the industry. On the other hand, the flat or balanced signature on studio headphones means that all frequencies are set at roughly the same value, making them sound less enjoyable to untrained ears.
For instance, if you love loud and thumpy bass, you might call studio headphones boring or underwhelming. Also, if your favorite song wasn’t produced properly, studio headphones will reveal all its imperfections, making you like that song less.
2. Open-Back Studio Headphones Are Less Private
It’s not just the sound quality you have to worry about but also the design of the headphones. See, most headphones come with a closed-back design that stops ambient noise intruding and your music from leaking out the headphone body.
As a result, you get a more private listening experience, which most people prefer. On top of this, many wireless headphones today offer Active Noise Cancellation, which takes this a step further to simulate a fully isolated environment.
On the other hand, studio headphones sometimes have an open-back design that lets ambient noise in and your music leak out. This means a person sitting next to you will be able to hear what song you’re playing, which you might not be comfortable with.
Artists use open-back headphones because they sound more natural and have a wider soundstage, but most people avoid them because they result in a less private listening experience. Also, given their design, open-back headphones can’t have ANC.
3. Studio Headphones Often Require Additional Equipment
Some studio headphones require additional equipment such as anexternal DAC and ampto be able to work properly. They won’t work to their optimum level via your phone or laptop. Why? Because of impedance. Simply put, an impedance rating tells you how much power a headphone requires to produce enough sound.
A high impedance rating can be the reasonwhy your headphones sound so quiet. For reference, most headphones and earbuds have an impedance of about 32 Ohms which can easily be run via your phone. But it’s common to see high-end studio headphones reach a rating of 250, 300, or even 600 Ohms.
At this point, you’re definitely going to need an external amplifier to be able to run the headphone drivers. Otherwise, they’ll sound very quiet, even at full volume.
To summarize, you’re not only spending loads of money on your studio headphones but will also have to spend even more to use them properly. And that requires handling quite some hassle—something casual listeners simply don’t want to bother with.
So Why Do Reviewers Recommend Studio Headphones?
If you search “best headphones” on YouTube, a reviewer will likely recommend a studio headphone at some point in the video along with other regular ones. Why is that? Didn’t we just see why they’re not right for most people?
Well, yes, but you have to remember that high-fidelity listening is a hobby just like gaming or calligraphy, and in every hobby, some people happily spend thousands of dollars to get the best experience possible.
Simply put, reviewers recommend studio headphones because they want to introduce you to the world of high-fidelity listening (which we second), but it’s completely up to you to decide whether you want to develop this hobby or are attracted to it.
To be clear, we’re not saying studio headphones aren’t worth it; they make sense for audiophiles who can appreciate flat and authentic sounds over fun and colored sounds. Also, studio headphones have prominentsoundstage and audio imaging, which your average $25–$50 headphones don’t offer.
Don’t Buy Studio Headphones Unless You’re Ready
Studio headphones are very expensive, sometimes costing thousands of dollars. That’s fine for people who work with audio for a living since it counts as a work investment, but for most people, spending that much money on headphones requires some serious consideration. You shouldn’t buy studio headphones in the blind hope that they’ll sound dramatically better to your ears.
That said, if you’re interested in exploring hi-fi listening, start slow and learn about various audio terminologies such as impedance, sensitivity, bitrates, frequency response, and more. Only then, you’ll understand why studio headphones are so expensive but are worth it to some people.
Looking to upgrade your headphones? Expensive headphones can make your music sound incredible, but there are a few considerations to make first.
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