Best 3 Studio Headphones for Gaming

After a long day of working in the studio, you want to rest and unwind with some gaming. Sometimes you want a pair of headphones that can do both. Today we choose three top brand studio headphones for gaming. While there aren’t too many options, there are a few that might pique your interest.

What are Studio Headphones?

Before we get to our list, let’s briefly go over what studio headphones are and compare them to gaming headphones.

Studio headphones have a high sound range needed for music producers, voice recordings, audio engineers, and other jobs that require work in a studio. They are also almost always closed back to prevent any sound leakage. Some may prefer open back to hear their surroundings, like a DJ.

Now compared to a pair of gaming headphones, studio headphones actually have less range. Why is that? Well, gamers want a wider range of sound because when playing a shooting game for example, you want to be able to hear the lightest footsteps on the battlefield. Gaming headphones usually have audio enhancements like bass boosting to make sounds even louder than normal.

Studio headphones don’t have any sort of audio enhancements like that, the sound is “raw” so to speak. Obviously this is important because musicians want to be able to hear exactly what their audience will hear when recording music for instance.

Another difference is that gaming headphones usually come with a microphone to communicate with teammates, studio headphones do not come with any sort of microphone.

Getting a good pair of headphones that can do both well can be a challenge, but there are a few options available.

1. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

According to Amazon, starting strong with one of the best-selling studio headphones. Available in three different OHMs sizes. 32, 80, and 250 Ohms, If you are unsure which size is right for you, go with the 32. Anything higher than 50 Ohms and you will need to purchase a headphone amplifier to take advantage of the increased sound.

The earcups are soft, providing comfort for both long studio recording sessions, as well as a long gaming sessions too. The earcups are detachable making cleaning them a breeze. These headphones are built to last for many years to come.

The DT 770 Pros come in two colors, gray and black. However, you should note that getting the black version of these headphones bumps up the price to $180. So we recommend the gray. These headphones also don’t have any RGB as that is more of a gaming headphone aesthetic.

That being said, you cannot go wrong with these headphones, they are the gold standard in sound quality, comfort, and durability.

Pros:

• Perfect for studio recording and gaming
• Durable and comfortable
• Comes in three different Ohm sizes.

Cons:

• Only two colors, black costs more
• Needs an amplifier if using the larger Ohm sizes

2. Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

Featuring yet another popular brand when it comes to studio headphones, Audio-Technica. These pair of headphones will get the job done in the studio and in the game. When used while gaming, you might even hear sounds you never knew existed in some of your games.

The ATH-M50X has more customization choices than the previous option. However please note that the different colors will again increase the price from anywhere to $150 to up to $180 so be careful before buying.

You also have the option to choose between wired and wireless, again keep note of the price, wireless will increase the price greatly. A pair of wireless black headphones bumps the price significantly.

That being said, you are getting top tier level of audio quality that Audio-Technica is known for. It also has a low latency mode for improved audio sync and video which is great for gaming.

However the biggest drawback, at least the one that I personally experienced is the lack of comfort. While these headphones did indeed provide superb audio quality, the headphones applied a bit too much pressure on my head. Forcing me to take breaks after wearing them for a few hours.

I have a large head so these headphones might not have been the perfect fit for me, but I have seen reviews and had friends say they were just fine.

Pros:

• Hear sounds you never knew existed in your games
• Available in more colors and wired or wireless
• Audio-Technica is reputable brand, known for their superb headphones

Cons:

• Customization options make it much more expensive
• Not comfortable for long sessions (results may vary)

3. Sennheiser HD 280

For those looking for a nice pair of studio headphones for gaming while on a tight budget. Look no further than the Sennheiser HD 280, priced at 100 dollars. Customization options are limited, but you can choose to buy bundled with an accessory for an increased price. A few examples would be longer cables of up to 10 feet, bumping the price up to $110.

You can also buy a stand which bumps the price significantly. This is not necessary at all, if you want a headphone stand, there are cheaper alternatives like this one.

Compared to the Audio-Technicas mentioned previously, this pair of headphones is light weight and comfortable to wear. The earcups, headband pads, and even the audio cable are all replaceable. Making these headphones last for years to come.

It has a wide audio range of up to 25,000Hz. With also a wide range of what these headphones can be used for. According to the Amazon store page, these headphones are great for composing, gaming, mixing, mastering video, or audio production.

These headphones are also quite large, while still just weighing a bit over a pound. Making them ideal for people with larger heads.

Pros:

• Great budget option!
• Lightweight and comfy
• Replaceable parts, from the earpads to the audio cable
• Strong noise cancellation

Cons

• No customization
• Cable is not durable

Looking for More Options?

We hope that the options listed here were able to convince you that you can have the best of both worlds. A pair of headphones that can be used for studio recordings as well as increasing your immersion when gaming.

If you decided however, that you would rather prefer headphones that were more suited for gaming, check out our other blog posts where we cover more headphone options.

We wrote a blog post on more closed back headphones for gaming, take a look. If you were looking for more budget friendly headphone, check out this post we wrote on the best gaming headsets under 100 dollars.

As always, you can also browse our store, if you want to see even more options, we update it quite frequently to have the latest and greatest products.