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Studio Headphones - Made for Professionals
There are two main reasons for using studio headphones: Monitoring and mixing.
Whether you want to mix analog or digital audio sources, work in a professional or project studio, or mix live: In any case, you need a tool that ensures accurate reproduction of bass, mids, and highs, free from any coloration and distortion.
Professional studio monitoring headphones have been precisely designed and constructed for this type of audio applications.
What makes good Studio Headphones?
First and foremost, headphones in the studio realm should reproduce all frequencies extremely linearly and accurately, without distorting the sound or intervening in the sonic image via EQ and compression. In various studio headphone tests, you often see diagrams representing the measured frequency response. From there, you can see if and where the device exhibits sonic deviations.
It is observable, however, that measurements in reality sometimes deviate from the subjectivity of each individual in practice. One might prefer their mix to be bass-heavy and may therefore listen well with headphones that overly emphasize the bass range, while another may have different preferences. The genre also plays a significant role in choosing the right tool for the job.
Movie soundtracks focus more on dynamics, while electronic music optimizes mainly for the bass and midrange. When in doubt, the only help is to try and listen to several copies and then decide according to one's own taste.
Although in the past headphones for mixing and mastering were considered unsuitable, technology has made significant strides in recent years. However, one should always listen to their mix on good studio monitors, because even the best headphone models can never replace monitors due to their construction.
A Matter of Comfort
The wearing comfort should also not be overlooked. During longer mixing and mastering sessions, the headphones often remain on the head for some time and should therefore be comfortable to wear for extended periods.
On one hand, care should be taken to ensure that the ear pads fit comfortably and do not become warm or cause sweating even after some time. Fabric and velour pads are generally superior to PU ones, as they can also absorb some sweat.
Furthermore, the headband should be adjustable so that it can be tailored specifically to one's head size. It must have a good fit and should neither wobble nor press.
Durability
Another criterion that studio headphones must meet is the ability to withstand various different stresses over several years. Therefore, when purchasing, attention should be paid to good build quality. Likewise, a spiral cable should be included, as this type of cable is less sensitive to stresses and stretches.
Construction Types
Here again, the desired purposes differ. Studio headphones are not uncommonly "abused" for recording and should therefore be closed, so that external noises do not disturb the recording. If primarily listened to live, semi-open headphones can also be very useful.