We remember life without having at least one pair of studio headphones in our lives, and all that comes to mind is the word ‘unclear’. These things are an absolute necessity not only for those making music in the studio, but others who partake in various recording activities such as podcasts, streaming, gaming, and more. Even if you aren’t somebody who may be recording, simply having a pair of studio headphones under $300 at their fingertips will make listening to audio simply more enjoyable and higher in quality. Here are our picks for your search today.
The Best Studio Headphones Under $300
Sennheiser HD 600
The Sennheiser HD 600 are a dynamic, professional, over-the-ear pair of studio headphones under $300 with a strong build. They have an open back design (great for mixing) with a wide dynamic capability and the ear pads are made of velour material over foam making it comfortable to wear for a long period of time. Even the headband is padded with memory foam.
Both ear pad pieces clip into the headband making it easy to be replaced and cleaned, giving us some more wiggle-room when it comes to the longevity of our investment. Its specification highlights include a sensitivity of 97 dB, 300 ohms of impedance, and a frequency response between 12 Hz and 39 kHz. The most importantly of course is when it comes to the audio quality, and these have a huge reputation around the net to be known to transmit a transparent, natural sound. It includes a 3 meters detachable cable. We love the Sennheiser HD 600 for those needing an open-back pair or really just want some straight up beastly headphones for all-around use.
Shure SRH940
Shure SRH 940 is another professional quality pair of studio headphones we truly love for just under $300. This closed back, around the ear headphone has velour ear pads over foam as well as padded headbands for comfort. The ear pads are replaceable as they clip securely onto the headband and also rotate 90 degrees for storage and travel or perhaps needing to switch between your monitors and these when producing or mixing.
It comes with two detachable cables: one straight cable and one coiled cable and a set of velour ear pad replacements. The Shure SRH940 has accurate and smooth frequency response that measures between 5 Hz-30 kHz with minimal distortion and tight bass, as well as 42 ohms of impedance.
Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro
The Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro is one we’ve personally reviewed, and they’re a durable, high end, dynamic, semi-open back and over the ear pair of studio headphones. The headband is covered with leather padding while the ear pads are covered with velour over pads and are replaceable. In fact, a lot of the parts are replaceable whether for normal wear and tear or just for preference (most higher-end studio headphones should).
For example, the cable is replaceable; you can go online and order a coiled or a straight one, or if you don’t like the ear pads to be covered in velour, you can go online and buy one that is not. It has an impedance of 250 Ohms, sensitivity of 96 dB / mW and a frequency response of 5Hz – 35kHz. The Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro are great when it comes to overall sound quality and build, and come in hot as another one of the best studio headphones under $300.,
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Another beautiful pair of studio headphones under $300 is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. These have just stormed the market since their introduction back in around 2015, so we have some longevity when it comes to the sample size of reviews with this one. These headphones are a closed back dynamic headphone, features sound isolation with the earcups having over the ear design and rotates 90 degree for compact storage or travel. The cable is detachable and there are tons around the net to buy in case you need a new, or perhaps longer one.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x however already comes with a 1.2m coiled cable, a 3m straight cable and a 1.2m straight cable in the box. This one again most notably has a nice, clear sound with a frequency response of 15 Hz to 28 kHz and a solid bass response, 38 ohms of impedance and 99 dB of sensitivity on top of it all.
Sennheiser HD 300 Pro
Nearing the end of our guide, we have another Senny pair of studio headphones to check out in case the previous few we listed weren’t hitting the mark for you. The Sennheiser HD 300 headphone has a closed back and around the ear design with foldable ear cups. This one has a decent and balanced sound with dynamic bass, frequency response between 18 Hz and 20 kHz, impedance of 18 Ohms and sensitivity of 118 dB.
Although the Sennheiser HD 300 Pro is in the lower end price range, the ear cups are padded for comfort and it features noise reduction as well. This is a great budget-friendly pair if you didn’t want a pair completely at $300 or less and wanted to save some money.
AKG K240 MKII
The AKG K240 MKII is a pair we’ve recommended in way more guides that we can count, and it caps off our list strong here by one of our favorite brands. It is a highly rated pair of studio headphones for less than $300 and most importantly is known for an accurate sound. It has a semi-open (giving you something in the middle), over the ear earcups that have detachable pads and a detachable cable. Of course, having a leatherette and self-adjusting headband as well as velvet ear pads never hurt as well, the AKG K240 MKII is very comfortable and durable.
To finish with some specifications in case that’s what you look for, these have a frequency response between 15 Hz and 25 kHz, 55 Ohms of impedance and 104 dB of sensitivity. It comes with two cables: one 10 feet straight cable and one 16 feet coiled cable and a mini XLR connector. Most reviewers say that the AKG K240 MKII is, “Accurate, dependable and comfortable”. We agree.
