I Tested The 10 Best Headphones ($50 to $150)

0:00 - Intro
0:35 - The 10 Headphones
0:55 - How I tested them
1:55 - My favourite ($150 Budget)
3:25 - My Favourite ($50~$80 Budget)
4:10 - AKG 240MKII Review
5:08 - Sony MDR 7506 Review
6:05 - Sennheiser HD280 Pro MK2 Review
6:57 - Audio Technica M20x Review
7:30 - Audio Technica M30x Review
7:55 - Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro Review
8:20 - AKG K702 Review
9:30 - Final Summary

What are the best headphones for music production and mixing?
It's a good question! Today I hope to help answer it. Please ask me anything about any of the headphones in the comments of this video and I will reply with detailed notes and feedback :)

Good headphones should:
1) Provide an accurate, spacious sound stage to aid in mixing and mastering music.
2) Reveal low, mid and high frequencies without distortion so you can make quick production decisions.
3) Faithfully reproduce the dynamics and transient response of the material.
4) Reveal the depth of audio material.
5) Feel comfortable on your head for many hours and be strong enough to withstand daily ues.

These headphones I tested and the price at the time of video publishing ($USD / £GBP)

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro $143 = £108
Audio Technica M50x $143 = £108
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro $82 = £63
Audio Technica M40x $102 = £78
Audio Technica M30x $68 = £53
Audio Technica M20x $44 = £34
AKG K 702 $154 = £119
AKG K 240 MII $70 = £54
Sennheiser HD280 MK2 $143 = £110
Sony MDR 7506 $115 = £89

Notes:
- It appears that the AKG K702 is now produced in China (it used to be made in Europe and cost much more). This likely explains why my experience doesn't match what others have said in previous years.
- The DT 770 pro really is a step above the rest here and if you can afford it, I think it offers the best price to performance out of these 10.
- There were many other headphones which didn't even make it to this top 10 due to:
Lack of customer support/brand new company with no track record
Terrible first impression etc

[OlbaidMusic]

I am also a big fan of Beyerdynamic, I LOVE my DT880s pro. I've made full productions from scratch to mastering only using this. Great guide, cheers!

[hudyhere]

This man is on a mission to stop new every music producer from making mistakes. What a legend!

[cpthegenius]

Good detailed review! I’ve been using the AT M50x for the last decade. I broke one pair but the pair i use today for recording/mixing/producing have lasted about 7 years and still going strong.

[mVoo]

Dude. You‘re a blessing. Just today I thought „man I really need some better Headphones“. Godsent.

[Hipp]

Much respect for doing an unbiased, nonsponsored review.

[ivanriverooo]

Absolutely magnificent video. To the point. Nothing was excessive. Your diction and communication's skills are fantastic. You don't shout at us, you don't mega stimulate with over editing, you don't speak overly excited. You don't try so hard like most people to grab our attention. For that alone I have subscribed. And plus, you helped me choose my new headphones. Congratulations. This is how you do it. ♥️

[dayp]

Wow! Best review of headphones I've seen so far. I've watched so many videos looking for certain specifics about a couple of these and finally I have arrived. Thank you for all the work you put into this! Subscribed!

[darren]

Can we take this time to appreciate what he actually did for us. Im sure this video required a lot of time and money. Thanks

[bboygavin]

Bro I honestly love your dedication, and you seem like such a nice guy, thanks again for always putting yourself out there for all of us!

[SuperFluidFerroFluid]

I have been lurking around YT looking for different headphones videos, and somehow every time i find one that is somewhat legit i want to Hint them about your video, There is no other person who present it like you do and they should all take an example of you. Just a flawless presentation! And i love how you include, in my opinion being a dj, vital info about the different soundstages rather then just talk about things like "replacable parts". I truly respect your work :)

The reason the Sony headphones are so highly rated is because they have such a neutral flat response, which is ideal for editing. Most of the others you reviewed had a base bias, or extended mid range etc,
Which isn’t recommended if your editing audio.
That’s why they are the industry standard, not because they sound the most pleasing when listening to music!

[LiraeNoir]

The Sony MDR 7506 _are_ an industry standard, you will find them _everywhere_ in the pro world. **But** they are a standard for a very specific reason: they are very cheap (relative to a production/set budget), light, and they accentuate all the wrong frequencies in the "right" way, making them quite good for monitoring/tracking audio (of all sort, but mostly vocals and ambiance) and noticing problems very fast (like somebody just activate the AC on set, or a phone is ringing on the floor below).
They would be atrocious for mixing and mastering.
As for comfort, they need to be broken in a bit, but they aren't for wearing 8 hours straight that's for sure :)

[captain]

this guy taught me almost everything i know about fl studio and mixing music. great video as usual.
on the real, where im at now i'd be happy if i won any of these.

[GiovanniBrouwers]

Thanks for doing this! I had the Sony MDR 7506 for nearly 9 years and have to say i get the point about build-quality feeling like plastic, but they lasted me for years. But i want to try out the Audio Technica and Beyerdynamic because i hear a lot of good stuff about them aswell. The Sony was always recommended as an ''industry standard'' but i feel you hit the nail right on the head when talking about comfort, feel and soundspace.

[cornbone]

i trust your judgment the most out of any music channel on here lol. i was planning on getting the Audio Technica M20x but after watching this im definitely gonna get the M30x instead. this video was so helpful! i really appreciate these gear review videos because trying to find good (and affordable) gear is just so overwhelming as a beginner

[averagesomebody]

I wanted to take a minute just to thank you for your contribution to the music community. A lot of what you have shared through your channel has taken me from a novice to a rapidly approaching expert!

[Sunita.Kumari]

One more thing, My Friends tell me that I’ve got a slight british accent and I think it’s because I’ve seen so many of Michael’s super useful videos.
Thank you much Michael! Your video are so perfect that even me being a beginner, I didn’t face any problem understanding your videos. I learnt everything in fl studio from you and yes, can’t thank you enough 🙏😊 Greetings from India!

[FEARDROP]

I use the Sony MDR for quite a while now and used them for my first single release. They are so comfortable for my head. I don't sweat in them and I can wear them for a couple of hours. But, you are right, the low mids and the bass are hard to hear. I guess, for each headphone, you should always check out the inbuilt equalizer.

All in all, it does not really matter what headphones you are using. As long as you are used to the sound, you can also mix and master your stuff with them, because you know how other professionally mixed songs sound on your headphones.

[JAM_MCG]

Thanks for the list friend! I just got the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones, they are very similar to my Samson SR950's set that i'd been using but the 770s are less "screetchy" at the top end so definitely an improvement. And now I see many folks using them online and replacement parts are much easier to find. Thanks for the help!

[BarmizzIe]

This is an essential video because I’m trying to put together my Christmas list hahah thank you please do some audio interface ones as well!