Having the best studio headphones is a must for sound engineers and music producers. They greatly influence the overall audio quality. Deciding on the best studio headphones under 200 is not an easy task. It is recommendable to look for a model based on its performance, sound quality, comfort, and durability.
What are the best studio headphones under $200?
Below is a list of 7 incredible open- and closed-back models of studio headphones under 200. From it, you can select the perfect fit for your professional or home studio.
IMAGE | PRODUCT | RATINGS | DETAILS |
| Best for Quality | ||
  | Best for comfort | ||
 
| Best in Design |
1. Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO – Best for Quality
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO is among the best open-back headphones for mixing. These headphones are a newer model from Beyerdynamic.
The good news is that this headphone is multi-purpose. You can use it to listen to music for pleasure. Alternatively, you can also use it in the studio when you need to make critical mixing decisions.
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PROs produces an enjoyable sound. Besides, its bass is pleasant, and its mids are very clear. This studio headphone will offer you an excellent three-dimensional sound.
It is famous for its ability to reproduce every single detail of each instrument accurately. Moreover, its frequency range is quite extensive, 5 Hz to 35 kHz.
Although the design is quite rigid, this mixing headphone exerts very little pressure on your head. To enhance its comfort further, it is soft and padded. It also has soft ear pads that you can easily replace.
The DT 990 PROs come with a coiled cable. It also comes with compact and useful construction. It is of a material that gives it a premium finish.
The one major downside of this headphone is the sub-bass.
If you are looking for an affordable and comfortable studio headphone, this is a right choice. It will offer you accuracy as well as ease of use.
What We Liked
- Very comfortable
- Pocket-friendly price
- Has a quality build
- Good in accuracy and ease of use
- Rich bass and very clear mids
What We Didn’t Like
- Is a bit tight on the head
- Loud sound leakage
2. AKG K 240 MKII Headphones – Best for comfort
The AKG K240 MKII comes as a pair of semi-open headphones. One of the features that make it popular is its longevity. It is made of solid materials that enhance its quality and make it very long-lasting.
Another great feature of this studio headphone is the sound quality. It produces an evident and well-balanced sound.
The bass is also quite admirable in that it is rich and full. Moreover, the highs are also great in your ears. For the mids, maybe a little more detail could have made them better.
These headphones are among the best for mixing because of their ability to highlight the inconsistencies in a mix. Moreover, it also allows you to pick apart every component in the mix. You can, therefore, have a better critical listening.
You may also love these headphones because of their over-ear design that makes them very comfortable. As such, you can use them for long hours without any discomfort.
These headphones also come with a self-adjusting headband. With this, they make an ideal fit for you in the studio.
These headphones also allow you to connect them to any portable equipment easily. They come with a professional mini XLR connector and a straight cable. Moreover, they also feature a coiled cable and convertible jack plug.
The combination of ease of use, performance, reliability, and comfort makes them powerful tools for production.
What We Liked
- Accurate frequency response
- A well-balanced sound
- Comes in a robust construction
- Very comfortable
- Easy to use
- Self-adjusting headband
What We Didn’t Like
- Mids require an improvement.
- Not very suitable for portable use
3. The ATH-M50x Headphones – Best multi-purpose use
The ATH-M50x is another very popular studio headphone. Although very appealing in physical looks, they offer excellent performance.
Another reason why they are so popular is that they are multi-purpose. You can use them comfortably studio headphones. Moreover, you can also connect them to your mobile phone and enjoy your music leisurely.
You will get theses pair of headphones together with short and long cables. One cable is for your use outside the studio.
The other two cables are straight and coiled. It is these two that you use for studio listening. They use a twist-to-lock mechanism.
These headphones are also famous for their exceptional sound quality. They will offer you a punchy bass that as no skewed sound.
The higher end of the mids come with an added boost. As such, they produce a bright quality sound.
The ATH-M50x is also exceptional when it comes to its price. It is affordable compared to other studio headphones of similar quality.
However, one downside of these headphones is that it lacks an active noise cancellation. Moreover, it also lacks wireless functionality and an integrated DAC.
The other feature that you would love about these headphones is the circumaural design contours. They offer you the best isolation, especially in high noise environments.
They also come with 90 degree swiveling earcups. The earcups are crucial for easy, one-ear monitoring.
What We Liked
- Produces a punchy bass quality
- Are high durable in construction
- Mids are exceptional in quality.
- Good for portable use
- Comfortable
- Easy to use
What We Didn’t Like
- Have no wireless functionality
4. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Headphones – Best in Durability
If you are looking for a sturdy headphone, the DT 770 Pro is your choice. It comes with a metal frame and dense ear cups.
Consequently, it can withstand tough conditions without any damage.
About its physical appearance, it looks more like the DT 990 Pro. These headphones also come with a removable cushion strap. Although they are a bit bulky, you can still put these headphones comfortably outside.
These headphones offer you an excellent mid-range performance. They also have a virtually flat response.
Concerning the treble range, it will offer you a sound that is quite bright. These headphones will also reproduce an almost flawless bass sound.
If you are looking for headphones for professional recording and monitoring, you can also consider the DT 770 Pro. They are very popular for studio and stage recordings.
They offer you a pure, high-resolution sound. Moreover, they are also very comfortable for long hours of use.
Again, these headphones come with a single-sided cable that is three meters long. The headband is both adjustable and soft padded, making them a comfortable fit.
What We Liked
- They produce excellent bass performance.
- They are highly durable and have a sordid construction.
- They have soft padding for enhanced comfort.
- Their price is very pocket-friendly
- Have an adjustable headband
- Offer a high resolution.
What We Didn’t Like
- Are not the best option in terms of portability
- There is a sound leak at higher volumes.
5. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones – Best in Portability
Among the most attractive studio headphones in the market, today are the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Although made of plastic, they come in a stylish design that would capture your attention.
These headphones also score very highly when it comes to portability. You can easily fold up and in the earpieces and carry them along with you.
If you want to have more convenience, you can swivel out the ear cups in one direction.
The earpads are also quite comfortable. However, you may have to replace them with time since they tend to crumble.
The other incredible feature of these headphones is the noise isolation. They offer you extremely splendid isolation. As such, if you operate in a very noisy environment, then these are ideal for you.
The noise isolation feature also makes them ideal for use in a studio. As such, they will be a good company when you are doing the mixing process.
These headphones also come in a lightweight and comfortable, ergonomic design. You can also replace their ear pads, headband padding, and the audio cord.
The one major downside of these headphones concerns comfort. After long use, the earcups tend to become very warm and stuffy. As such, it may not be very comfortable to have them on for a longer time.
What We Liked
- Offers accuracy in audio performance
- Excellent noise isolation
- Comfortable earpads
- Come in an attractive design.
- Convenient for portability
- They fit securely for a long time.
- Highly portable pair of headphones
What We Didn’t Like
- You cannot detach the cable; it is fixed
- Earcups become stuffy after a prolonged use
6. Audio-Technica ATH-M40x – Best in Design
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is another trendy pair of studio headphones. They come with great designs and produce a very high-quality sound. They are also very pocket-friendly when it comes to the price.
These studio headphones are also very durable. They come with a robust construction that makes them very sturdy.
These headphones are also excellent in noise isolation. They have circumaural design contours around the ears.
As such, you can use them comfortably in any noisy environment. Also, they are ideal for use in the studio.
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is also a great tool for monitoring. It comes with 90 degree swiveling earcups. The earcups make it easy for you to do one-ear monitoring.
These headphones are also fabulous for comfort. They feature a professional-grade earpad as well as a headband material. They will offer you a comfortable fit for many hours of usage.
The other important feature that you may love about them is the accessories. They come with two detachable cables and a protective carrying pouch.
Although the headband is soft, it has one major downside. It may start to create pressure on top of the skull after long wear.
The other downside is that the material on the headphones is a poly-leather combination. As such, after using them for around one year, they tend to crack and flake off.
However, the good news is that you can replace the earcups at a very affordable price.
What We Liked
- Offers a good sound quality
- Comes in a strong built quality
- Has a great design
- Its price is quite affordable
- Excellent noise isolation
What We Didn’t Like
- Cups and headband materials become flaky if not well maintained.
7. KRK ‘KNS 8400’ – Best for sound clarity
The KRK brand has been trendy and common in many studios around the globe. They have been popular in studio monitoring.
The KRK KNS 8400 is one of their top-of-the-line headphones. It is a great tool when it comes to clarity and impressive low-end.
One feature that makes them very popular is their comfy headband and earcups. You can use these headphones for hours on end without experiencing any discomfort.
The unique leather material allows them to take the shape of your head and ears, thus enhancing comfort. They also make us of acoustic memory foam to give you a comfortable fit for long hours.
The only small challenge that you may face is when using them in hot environments. In such an environment, the material may become a little stuffy if you use it for long.
You may also want to note that they have a detachable cord with in-built volume control.
In case you want to prolong the lifespan of the headphones, you can always replace the earcups.
The earcups also come in a closed-back circumaural design that offers you excellent noise isolation.
What We Liked
- They come in a great design and quality
- The detachable cable has a built-in volume control
- The cables and earpads are replaceable
- They are lightweight
- Offer a detailed and accurate sound
What We Didn’t Like
- Earcups may become stuffy if used in a warm environment for long hours.
Conclusion
The best studio headphones will be great tools for your use in the studio. You will need them to get the best clarity of sound.
Other than clarity, they will need to offer you the best noise isolation. Without a noise isolation feature, you may not be able to hear each sound of the instruments.
In this review, Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO is our best pick. They produce an enjoyable sound. They will offer you an excellent three-dimensional sound.
The other reason they are our best pick is that they can reproduce every single detail of each instrument accurately. They are also very comfortable to use for long hours.
