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Best Headphones for field recording
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The best field recording headphones are designed for professionals who require clear and accurate sound reproduction in outdoor or dynamic settings. These headphones feature high-quality drivers for accurate audio monitoring, excellent noise isolation to keep out external sounds, and tough, rugged constructions to withstand rough conditions. Comfortable for long hours of use, they also have adjustable parts for a secure fit in the field. Recording nature, interviews, or ambient sound, these headphones offer the capability to listen to every nuance with clarity, and are an essential tool for any field recordist.
OUR TOP BEST PICKS
Headphones
Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
$99,
at Amazon
$98.00
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Headphones - Studio Monitor
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
$69.00,
at Amazon
$69.00
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Wired On-Ear Headphones
AILIHEN C8 Headphones Wired
$12.99,
at Amazon
$21.98
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Bluetooth Studio Monitor
OneOdio A70 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones
$49.99,
at Amazon
$49.99
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Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Black
$199.00,
at Amazon
$199.00
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Headphones
Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
(4.7)Excelent
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Who It's For
Specs & Configuarations
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See How We Test This Products
Headphones - Studio Monitor
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
(4.6)Excelent
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Who It's For
Specs & Configuarations
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See How We Test This Products
Wired On-Ear Headphones
AILIHEN C8 Headphones Wired
(4.4)Excelent
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Who It's For
Specs & Configuarations
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Bluetooth Studio Monitor
OneOdio A70 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones
(4.4)Excelent
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Who It's For
Specs & Configuarations
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Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Black
(4.4)Excelent
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Why We Picked It
Who It's For
Specs & Configuarations
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One of my friends told me to suggest the best headphones for field recording as I write articles on different products. Then it comes to my mind why am I not writing on it and it will be helpful for the readers as well. To find the best kind of headphones for field recording there are some major issues to notice and these are : Sound Quality, Bass, Midrange, Highs, Attenuation, Build Quality, Value, Design, Connectivity, Portability, Feature, Comfort, etc. It is not so easy for a user to examine a headphone focusing on all the points. Even it is impossible to get all the features perfectly in one headphone. Rather this decision depends upon the users and their preferences. So I picked the 5 best headphones for field recording. Lets see:
Quick overview about 5 Best Headphones for field recording
01. Best Podcasting and Recording Headphone - M-Audio HDH40
The M-Audio HDH40 headphones deliver outstanding performance and are highly popular as the best field recorder headphones on Amazon.It is perfect for monitoring and field recording. It can record both the vocal and instruments with strong accuracy. You will be able to monitor speeches confidently and listen to satisfactory reproduction of your used instruments. To produce high and superior sound quality they use 40mm neodymium dynamic magnet. Capturing the widest range of equipment impedance of 32Ω and 95dB sensitivity ensures compatibility. You can use it with iPhone, Android, Playstation, and more. You can use it in rotating 180- degrees as it has a rotating frame.
The most important things about a headphone are comfort, sound quality and durability. A super flexible headband will help you to make your work easy and comfortable as you can be fix it perfectly on your head. Besides, leather cushioning will make you feel that the headphones are nothing but your body parts.
Usually, people ask, “what headset lasts the longest?” If you want my opinion I will say it is one of the low-budget headphones but doesn’t compromise with its design and can give the best music experience with recording. The manufacturer designed it with stainless steel telescopic arms with scale. To connect with tablets and smartphones 2.7m long fixed cable ensures a secure connection and consistency. If you want to connect multiple pro audio sources such as mixers, audio interfaces, and digital pianos you have to use a ¼-inch adapter. You will experience a premium feel with durability. Rugged design helps to deliver superb sound reproduction and outstanding acoustic isolation monitoring environments. These items are 408.24 grams.
Pros
- Flexible and comfortable.
- Accurate sound reproduction.
- Can capture the widest range.
- 2.7m long fixed cable.
- Reasonable price.
- Crystal clear sound.
Cons
- The pedal starts squeaking.
02. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X Professional
Among the best headphones in this range, Audio-Technica ATH-M20X stands apart because of its user-friendly facilities. They are designed in black color and are almost similar to ATH-M30x except for slight differences on the back of the ear cups. If you are a heavy user of a headphone, these headphones will ensure comfortability. The large ear cups fit perfectly and attach to the ears like an organ. You will feel a little stiff which makes you feel confident about your work. These headphones are not portable and you can not even fold it into a compact format. They will take a little bit more space in a backpack. As the cables are not detachable sometimes it seems difficult to the users. For studio tracking and mixing, they used an Advanced build quality.
These powerful headphones have the capacity for excellent sound isolation in loud environments. The single side(3.0m (9.8’) straight cable for professional applications exit Magnet neodymium Design for studio tracking and mixing which is extremely convenient for the users. It has excellent sound isolation and detection capacity as these have circumaural design contours around the ears. In the box, you will get Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Headphones and a 1/8″ to 1/4″ Adapter. The product dimension of this product: is 11.4 x 10 x 4.1 inches and the item weight: is 6.7 ounces. From the date of purchase, users will get a 2 years limited warranty for this product.
Pros:
- Not so costly.
- Comfortable.
- Advanced build quality.
- Has a long cable.
- Sound isolation capacity.
Cons:
- Can’t be folded.
- Not easily portable.
03. AKG Pro Audio K240 STUDIO Over-Ear headphones
AKG Pro Audio K240 STUDIOthe most widely used headphones in recording studios and broadcast facilities worldwide. The AKG K 240 Studio headphones are the updated version of the “classic” AKG K 240 Monitor. The excellent performance helps it to stand apart from the other same category, even its predecessor. It has a more dynamic range and sensitivity.AKG Pro Audio K240 STUDIO Over-Ear headphones with lower impedance, 55-ohm version provides a satisfactorily higher volume level when it is used with portable studios, keyboards, drum machines, and other projects.
It is one of the best field recording headphones. For naturally open sound quality, an integrated semi-open air design with a highly accurate dynamic transducer is added with it. The Frequency range of these professional headphones: is 15 Hz to 25,000 Hz. Stereo (1/8-inch minijack and 1/4-inch) connections. You can adjust it to your convenience. It is designed with a self-adjusting headband for optimum fit. For comfort, circumaural pads are used in these headphones. You can rely on these headphones as they can fulfill your demand for professional studio applications.
The most eye-catching things they are providing are Circumaural pads, steel cable, self-adjusting headband, single-sided professional quality audio, OFC screw type cable, etc. You may have questions about their uses. Let me clarify. It is rugged in construction and has a non-twisting headband. As your preference, you can wear them on a single ear or wear them in any other way. These will be the best choice for DJ and live sound use because of their durability. It can bear the roughest kind of handling during transport or on stage. This product is 1.23 pounds and has a dimension of 4.3 x 7.48 x 7.87 inches. Users will get a two years warranty from the date of original purchase for use.
Pros:
- Dynamic range and sensitivity.
- Lower impedance.
- Highly accurate dynamic transducer.
- Adjustable.
- Durable enough.
- Excellent sound quality.
- Parts are replaceable.
Cons:
- The bass is a little bit pale.
- Ear Cups should be deeper.
04. Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
There are a lot of headphones available on the market which can be used for field recording and studio environments but the quality is a great factor for these products. User- friendly products are very low in quantity. Besides, finding them out from the crowd of products is a tough task. Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone is a great choice for field recording, broadcasting, and studio environments.
It is lightweight and comfortable for wearing for a long period and at the same time, it is a high-quality product. To exceed the requirements of the users A 40mm PET diaphragm and neodymium magnet is used. It can produce high-quality sound and is suitable for recording studios, film production, video, electronic news gathering – and virtual applications. It has compactness in storage. Besides, they included 40mm driver units, gold connectors, and an OFC (oxygen-free copper) cord which maintains professional quality. This 40mm driver unit can produce clear, high-quality sound. It is engineered with a closed-Ear design for comfort and reduction of external noise interference. Gold Connectors and OFC Cord are used in it for Reliable and stable signal connection and transmission. For protection from any hitting they Supply a Soft Case which is good as protective storage.
Pros:
- Flexible and compact.
- Price.
- Can be fixed.
- Excellent sound quality.
Cons:
- The coiled cable is a little bit heavy.
05. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm Over-Ear Studio Headphones
Professional users all over the world prefer beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO for its impressive sound volume. Music producers, sound technicians, and broadcast users worldwide prefer these headphones. It is also an excellent alternative for music lovers and non-professionals. Spacious, transparent, and detailed sound quality, etc are the specialties of the field recording headphones. For ideal monitoring of musical detail, the headphones are the best. It can define Ultra-low bass sounds. and reproduce them crisply. It is also capable of translating High frequencies into an analytical, clear, and differentiated sound. These headphones provide excellent isolation from the outside world which is remarkable. For the users’ convenience, The robust spring steel headband ensures comfortable and secure wearing. It can be kept on the head all day long without any kind of discomfort.
It is engineered for heavy use. Users can put it on and put it off frequently without any hassles as a single-sided cable is used to make it user-friendly. These headphones are provided with 1.6 m / straight cable (32 Ω version), 3 m / straight cable (80 Ω version), 3 m / coiled cable (250 Ω version). The accessories given with it are a Stereo 6.3 mm jack adapter, a drawstring bag, and operating instructions. It can be easily repaired without any tools and can be replaced by nearly all the parts yourself.
Do you want to know more – What are the best Beyerdynamic headphones? If yes, you just click here to see our reviews
Pros:
- Excellent sound quality.
- Extremely durable and comfortable.
- An adapter.
- Spring steel headband
Cons:
- Could be more portable.
Conclusion -
The best headphones with specifications and pros and cons are given in detail. Help us to satisfy your curious mind by answering all the queries. Please feel free to ask by leaving a comment below.