Écouteurs

Studio Headphones — What They Do and Which to Pick

Studio headphones have one job: to show you the recording as it is, including when it sounds bad. That is why they differ from consumer models — no lifted bass and treble, replaceable parts, and a fit that survives an eight-hour session. We stock Beyerdynamic, Neumann, Audeze, Sennheiser, Austrian Audio, Focal, Fostex, AIAIAI and Steven Slate Audio.

Open, Closed or Semi-Open

A sealed cup buys isolation in both directions, which settles the question for vocal tracking. It also adds cavity resonances that make the low end harder to judge — though how much depends on the specific design, not the category: well-tuned closed-backs measure linear. Open-back models give a wider stage and less fatigue over a long mix, at the cost of no isolation at all. Semi-open sits between the two. Either way, call the final bass decision on monitors in a treated room.

Which One for Your Work

• Tracking vocals and instruments — closed-back: Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro as the budget standard, DT-700 Pro X a step up.
• Mixing and long sessions — open-back: DT-900 Pro X, Sennheiser HD 650, Sony MDR-MV1.
• Reference listening and mastering — Neumann NDH 30, Audeze LCD-X, Focal Clear MG Professional.
• Working on the road, without a room of your own — Steven Slate Audio VSX, which models known listening rooms.

Impedance on its own settles nothing without sensitivity: there are 250-ohm models with high sensitivity and 32-ohm models that want voltage headroom. Check both figures against the output of your audio interface, and if you are unsure, write to us before ordering.

Listen Before You Buy

At our showroom at Nowogrodzka 6A/102 in Warsaw you can compare several pairs on your own material — with headphones, fit and clamping force matter as much as frequency response. Every product carries a 36-month warranty, we ship across the European Union, and returns are open for 30 days with no reason required.

Read Before Choosing

• How to choose studio headphones
• Open-back vs closed-back headphones
• Closed-back headphones — when and why