Monitor headphones: what they are and the Best Studio Models

How to choose monitor headphones and the best studio models

Talking about monitor headphones once again gives us an opportunity to look into a world of reasoned, attentive and personal listening.

As seen in the case of closed headphones, listening through these devices transforms the sound experience, making it exciting and full of meanings that change from person to person.

With monitor headphones, one enters a further dimension, made up of sound of sublime quality and without compromise. Let's find out, then, how to choose the right studio headphones for your needs, considering value for money but not only.

Monitor headphones: what are they?

Asking what are monitor headphones can lead to very complex or very simplistic answers.

Trying to make a summary, monitor headphones play a similar role to typical studio monitors. That is: to provide the cleanest possible quality sound that succeeds in perceiving all the differences between instruments and vocals.

Thus, devices born for production and mixing, which must meet stringent requirements in terms of comfort, functionality, design and, of course, sound parameters.

A studio headphone is thus born to offer the ideal response, possibly flat and capable of making all the differences between audio tracks audible. Relying on low-quality equipment, in this case, could invalidate the entire recording, with easily predictable (negative) results.

What features should the best headphones have for producing music?

There are many parameters to consider when looking to purchase a pair of headphones for use in the studio.

Generally speaking, the best headphones are those that sound best for one's needs. Audio quality is definitely the parameter to consider most carefully, but you have to be more specific than that. In the end, it can be traced back to two factors:

• Structural configuration
• Frequency response

Let's start with the first element, structure. Open, semi-open, closed headphones. Headphones on the market have numerous types of structures. All of them have merits and demerits, but in the case of monitors, preference should go toward closed circumaural models.

These headphones completely surround the earcup, thus also ensuring excellent noise isolation.

We then come to frequency response. Among the many technical data to consider, this seems to be the most important one. In practical terms, it is the ability of the headphone to handle frequencies according to the input signal.

Different headphones on the market have different frequency response. In the case of studio headphones, generally the value to look for is in a range between 20 Hz and 20000 Hz, which corresponds to the range perceptible to the human ear.

Why is the structure of studio monitor headphones important?

We have said that generally circumaural headphones are usually preferred when seeking the best listening to the sound of vocals and musical instruments.

However, it is necessary to elaborate again, because in fact the issue is not so simple.

Closed headphones go completely around the ear, defects isolating the listener. Open headphones, on the other hand, have vents that limit the isolation. What seems like a flaw, however, can become a virtue, since the lack of isolation leads to a less muffled, and therefore more natural, sound.

How then can one decide? One must consider the space within which the headphones will be used. In summary:

• Live recordings or noisy environment: closed headphones
• Studio recordings or quiet environment: open headphones

Are there any inexpensive studio headphones?

As with any other audio equipment, there are inexpensive alternatives available in the case of studio headphones.

Of course, going down with the price you will not be able to expect headphones that return an accurate and always adequate sound output.

With an inexpensive studio headphone, in any case, it is already possible to start a somewhat serious production discourse, which can then always be deepened with the purchase of higher quality equipment.

Generally speaking, the cheapest studio alternatives start at € 100, while the top-of-the-range ones are around € 400.

An example of a studio model: the Ultrasone Signature Studio

After much talk about features and theoretical references, here then is an example from our catalog: the Ultrasone Signature Studio, among the best headphones around for professional use.

These are - as the name suggests - headphones for studio use, capable of returning detailed and precise audio.

Headphones that can offer good sound isolation, comfort and excellent sound quality. Some technical data:

• Impedance: 32 ohms
• 40 mm mylar/titanium driver
• NdFeB magnet
• Peak sound pressure of 98 dB
• Frequency response between 8 Hz and 40000 Hz

We are talking about closed, hence soundproof, headphones with S-Logic Plus technology, which offers almost perfect sound spatialization.

A very high-end model, dedicated especially to professionals, which finds its natural application in recording rooms but also live in noisy environments.

To buy the Ultrasone Signature Studio and learn more about the other features of these headphones, you can rely on our data sheet.

HiFi Prestige's catalog of headphones

As seen, the world of studio monitor headphones is fascinating and varied. There are many models to choose from, suitable for just about every need.

We at HiFi Prestige offer an extensive catalog of headphones, which fall into different price ranges and are therefore appealing to all sound professionals.

For more information, please feel free to contact us at info@hifiprestige.it.