I’ve been deep into mixing an 11-minute original instrumental, which recently got new acoustic drum and cymbal tracks, new hardware synthesizer parts and new effects. The composition and tracking for this song has now spanned the last six years.
My headphone comparisons took place over the course of several intense days of mixing, balancing, evaluating, and test playing this one song. I changed up my listening throughout the process to avoid burning out my ears. Besides listening through the headphones, I was evaluating my mix through multiple speaker systems at various volume levels ranging from 70 - 85dB. I kept listening to the same song, over and over, burrowing into it, deeper and deeper. I’m currently at that agitated and heightened sense of awareness about how every individual part of the song fits together dynamically and tonally, like building blocks. This tune has extreme dynamics; some parts are very soft, while others drop like 25-Ton weights. I’ve been intently focused on getting this mix right because it’s the subject of our next Spotlight on Music Series. Soloing tracks and working on this one mix with this level of focus and intent revealed some big differences between the various headphone models featured in this round of reviews.
EVALUATION HARDWARE SETUP
The Sound Files - 24-bit/44.1 WAV, first generation
Metering - JLM precision stereo level meters
Mixing - Soundcraft GB8-40/Neve 8816/Coleman TC-4
HEADPHONE AMP(S)
While almost any headphone output jack can cause almost any headphone to make some sound, for the truest sound, the cans need to be powered correctly. Here is the broad range of impedances I was dealing with in this headphone roundup (click on a headphone model below to go to their review on High on Technology):
38Ω - Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
55Ω - AKG K240 MK II
63Ω - Sony MDR-7506
250Ω - Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro-250 ohm
300Ω - Sennheiser HD600 and HD650
Headphone Amp #1. Neve 8816 onboard headphone output. The impedance rating from Neve is stated to be “greater than 60 ohms”. I’ve been listening one of my 8816 mixers for over 15 years and have driven the whole gamut of impedances. The powerful headphone amp is just one of my favorite features on this Neve model.
Headphone Amp #2. Little Labs Monotor. I feel very fortunate to have found this boutique headphone amp (the journey to this solution wasn’t short or cheap). It’s a premium headphone amplifier from Jonathan Little in California. His specifications say the amp will drive any headphone over half an ohm. I bought this amp to drive my HD 600 headphones, it is capable of powering any of the reviewed headphones with more than adequate drive.
The MONOTOR from Little Labs was the output driver for every critical headphone test in this round of reviews. It’s a very capable amplifier which can handle the radical impedance differences of the 38Ω-Audio-Technica up to the 300Ω Sennheiser. This headphone amp has two independent output drivers (not just parallel connected jacks). In addition to its heavy duty outputs, MONOTOR features some unique solo controls which help you listen to the left and right feeds independently.
THE FINAL ROUNDUP - Six different headphones in the studio
There is a reason the HD 600 are consistently mentioned in forums and reviews for realism, definition and just great sound. The key to this sonic performance is the amplifier you use to power them. These headphones can make ear damaging loudness even when plugged into a cheesy battery powered line mixer but gross under powering changes the HD 600 from WoW to Yawn and could leave you wondering about what all the fuss is about. The MONOTOR amplifier combined with the HD 600 headphones is now part of my dedicated monitoring setup. I love mixing on speakers but when I really want to know and understand what is there in a recorded track, the HD 600 headphones and the MONOTOR amp are ready to shine a spotlight on the sound and magnify the details.
THE WINNER FOR LOW PRICE: SONY MDR-7506
As I mentioned in their review, I’ve not been a fan of Sony audio products but that has now changed. These headphones are about $100 (hint, watch for sales, I found mine for $89 delivered). In spite of being tied with AKG for low cost leader in this review roundup these Sony headphones are up there with the best in sonic reproduction. These cans have deep low frequency response with excellent definition, uniform response throughout the audio range and crisp clean high frequencies without exaggeration or crazy notches. The closed cup ear cushions and the relatively short coiled cord makes them perfect for vocalists tracking on sensitive LDC microphones. My previous favorite under $200 model just got displaced by the MDR-7506. These headphones prove that great sound is not defined by spending a great amount of money. Save your pennies and don’t settle for less.
RUNNER UP FOR SMOOTH RESPONSE: SENNHEISER HD 650
Personally I like the HD 600 much better than the HD 650 — but even including their relaxed listening contour — the HD 650 are flatter than all the others in this roundup except for the HD 600. I prefer the clarity and added definition the HD 600 provide but the HD 650 are a very close second when correctly powered.
GENERAL PURPOSE STUDIO HEADPHONE: AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M50X
While these headphones may have had some growing pains along the way, Audio-Techinca has addressed some of them with their latest upgrades and time will tell if they have done anything about the vinyl rotting problem. These headphones have deep bass with good definition. The high frequency response sounds accurate not emphasized. The uniform response, defined bass and smooth extension up into the high frequencies make these easy to listen to for extended recording sessions. They are great for use with a guitar modeling amp, punchy bass stays tight on tuned-down instruments and the natural, unexaggerated midrange means less listening fatigue in long sessions.
COMFY STUDIO CLASSIC: BEYERDYNAMIC DT-770 PRO
Ultimate fluffy comfort combined with a unique frequency response, that’s the DT-770. They’re not what I’d call flat sounding, they don’t fold up, the cable is attached so you can’t replace it if it gets yanked, and they’re not inexpensive, but these headphones endure. Deep bass reproduction brings tuned-down instruments to life and bass players seem to really enjoy these headphones.
AKG K 240 MK II: An old brand with an old sound
These should be louder than the Sony but they’re not. With their European heritage they should sound better but they don’t. They fit well and don’t put pressure on your ears, plus they have a cool removable cable system and come with three different cable lengths included. The problem is, compared to the other headphones reviewed here these AKG just don’t sound very good. The soundstage seemed narrow and the bass sounded rolled off when using these headphones. Accessories included are nice but at the end of the day I just want great sounding headphones. Doing direct A-B comparing against the Sony MDR-7506 makes these AKG headphones sound broken or defective (same story when comparing the AKG against the Audio-Technica). It’s a shocking difference, you might even think the other headphones have exaggerated frequency response since the AKG sound so weak by comparison. The impedance of the Sony and AKG is very similar so you might expect similar volume outputs, but the AKG seem quieter thanks to their rolled off bass. I used the identical Little Labs Monotor headphone amps to drive the Sony and AKG simultaneously, switching headsets as fast as I could while auditioning the same tracks. The AKG sound thin and broken compared to the Sony. If you’re buying from a dealer make them demo these two headphone models side by side on the same program material. You’ll thank me.
EPILOGUE - The Final Wrapup
If you’ve been reading along in this series of reviews I hope you’re inspired to be sure that whatever headphones you’re using, they are technically powered correctly. The next most important characteristic is the headphones themselves. I’ve really enjoyed using Audio-Technica ATH-50 for several years but the vinyl rot has been a bummer and they are not what I’d call inexpensive to replace at $159/set. The Sony MDR-7506 have a complex model number to remember but the combination of amazing sound and low price make them an easy choice for day to day, studio monitoring use.
If you are doing headphone research with an eye to a step-up purchase, look for actual frequency response plots (if you can find them), especially high end headphone models with prices over $500. Study the graphs and see if that supposed “next level detail” isn’t really just boosted high frequency response (not some magical reveal). Above all, train your ears to recognize and appreciate flat frequency response, it’s the ruler used to measure sound.
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©September 2025 by Mark King, it is NOT ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author.
Bust out your headphones and listen to some tracks over on Mark King Radio for some original inspiration and encouragement .. . . . . . . .
