Professional headphones
Everything you need to know
Professional studio headphones are an essential tool for producers, sound engineers, and musicians who seek precision in sound during recordings, mixing, and mastering.
A complete and detailed buying guide will help you understand the various features you need to consider when choosing the right headphones for your needs.
Types of studio headphones
Open-Back
These are headphones that allow air and sound to pass freely through the ear cups, providing a natural and wide stereo image. They are ideal for mixing and mastering, as they offer a more realistic sound reproduction. However, they do not provide good isolation and may cause sound leakage.
Key Features and Advantages
Natural sound: Open-back headphones offer a more natural and accurate sound, as there is no sound pressure buildup inside the headphones. The listening experience feels more like listening to speakers in a room, with better spatial reproduction and stereo imaging.
Wide stereo image: Due to the free airflow, open-back headphones provide a greater sense of width and dimension in the sound, resulting in a more accurate stereo image, which is ideal for mixing and mastering.
Less bass: Because open-back headphones do not retain air pressure, they do not produce as much bass as closed-back headphones. This makes them ideal for tasks that require a more neutral sound reproduction.
Prevention of fatigue: The open design allows air circulation around the ears, making them more comfortable for extended listening sessions. The ears don't overheat, and the lack of pressure provides greater comfort.
When to Use Open-Back Headphones
Open-back headphones are ideal for mixing and mastering, where accuracy and natural sound are crucial. Since the sound is not fully isolated, you can hear it as it would sound through a speaker system. Additionally, they are suitable for environments where sound isolation is not needed, as they allow ambient sounds to enter, and sound from the headphones may leak into the room.
Open-back headphones are the best choice for professionals who want accurate and natural sound reproduction during mixing and mastering. Although they do not offer good noise isolation and may leak sound, the wide stereo image and "open space" feeling make them essential for any serious professional seeking the ultimate listening experience in the studio.
Closed-Back
They offer excellent isolation, as they prevent both sound from entering and exiting. They are ideal for recording sessions, as they prevent sound leakage into the microphone. They typically provide more pronounced bass but may affect the accuracy of the stereo image compared to open-back headphones.
Key Features and Advantages
Strong noise isolation: The closed-back design offers excellent isolation, making them ideal for use in noisy environments or during recording sessions. This isolation prevents interference from external sounds, allowing for clearer listening.
Accurate monitoring: During recording, closed-back headphones allow the musician or vocalist to hear their sound clearly without interference, which leads to better performance.
Enhanced bass: Closed-back headphones typically provide more enhanced bass, thanks to the air being contained within the ear cups, making them ideal for productions that require precise monitoring of low frequencies.
When to Use Closed-Back Headphones
Closed-back headphones are the ideal choice for recording, as they prevent sound leakage from the headphones into the microphone. They are also suitable for monitoring during live broadcasts or recording sessions, where isolation from external noise is crucial. They provide a more "closed" listening experience, which is useful in environments where interaction with the sound must be limited.
Closed-back headphones are essential for professionals who need strong noise isolation and accurate monitoring during recording sessions. Although they may not offer the same wide stereo image as open-back headphones, their ability to prevent sound leakage makes them extremely useful for recording and monitoring in studio or live environments.
Semi-Open
They combine the characteristics of both open-back and closed-back headphones, offering partial isolation and a more natural stereo image. They are suitable for both mixing and recording.
Key features
Isolation and Comfort: Semi-open headphones provide partial isolation from external noise without completely "sealing" the ears, allowing some sense of the surrounding environment. They are also designed to offer comfort during extended use, thanks to their lightweight construction and ear cushions that fit around the ears.
Natural and Open Sound: Unlike closed-back headphones that can "trap" sound, semi-open headphones offer a more open and natural sound. This makes it easier to hear the details of the mix and monitor the natural characteristics of music and vocals.
Frequency Balance: These headphones are designed to offer a good balance between low, mid, and high frequencies. The low frequencies are rendered accurately without overpowering the other ranges, while the highs remain clear and distinct.
Limited Sound Leakage: While they don’t provide full isolation like closed-back headphones, semi-open headphones offer fairly limited sound leakage, making them ideal for recording sessions where control is needed.
When to use them
Studio Recording: Semi-open headphones are ideal for studio recordings, especially in situations where full isolation is not necessary, but high-quality playback and sound accuracy are required.
Music Mixing: Due to the natural and balanced sound they offer, these headphones are suitable for mixing, allowing the sound engineer to accurately hear frequency differences and dynamic range.
Extended Use: Thanks to their comfort, semi-open headphones are suitable for long work sessions, without causing ear fatigue, making them ideal for marathon mixing and mastering sessions.
Professional semi-open headphones are an excellent choice for those who need a combination of accuracy, comfort, and balanced sound. Although they do not provide the full isolation of closed-back headphones, they offer natural sound, ideal for mixing and mastering. Also, thanks to their comfortable fit, they are suitable for long-term use without causing fatigue. Therefore, if you're looking for equipment that combines flexibility and quality, semi-open headphones are a great solution.
Frequency Response
The frequency response of headphones refers to the range of frequencies they can reproduce. For professional studio use, headphones must offer a balanced and flat frequency response, without exaggerating the bass or treble, so that you get a faithful reproduction of the sound.
Flat Response, the most important characteristic for mixing and mastering. Headphones with a flat frequency response do not "color" the sound, allowing you to hear the audio exactly as it was recorded.
Comfort and ergonomics
Comfort is a crucial factor, as professionals may wear headphones for hours. Some important comfort features include:
Ear Pads: They should be soft and comfortable to avoid fatigue, especially during long recording or mixing sessions.
Adjustable Headband: The headband should be adjustable and preferably padded for extra comfort.
Weight: The headphones should be lightweight, so they don’t put pressure on the head and ears.
Noise Isolation & Impedance
Noise isolation is particularly important during recording. Closed-back headphones are ideal for isolation, as they prevent external sounds from entering and stop sound from leaking out of the headphones into the environment. There are also headphones with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), but most professional headphones prefer passive isolation, so as not to affect the naturalness of the sound.
Impedance is measured in Ohms and affects the performance of headphones with different amplifiers. High-impedance headphones (over 100 Ohms) require high-powered amplifiers, such as professional studio setups, while low-impedance headphones are more compatible with portable devices and low-powered sound cards.
Conclusion
Choosing the right professional headphones for your studio depends on your needs, the stage of production where you will use them, as well as your personal preference for type and comfort. The right headphones will offer you the accuracy and clarity needed to create professional recordings and mixes of high quality.
The Athens Pro Audio team is always available to guide and inform you on all technical and non-technical matters, helping you choose the right headphones for your studio needs.
AthensProAudio Team ©