AliceMost of the time, you’ll listen to recordings out loud. But what about if you can’t play sound through a speaker, like when you’re making a podcast? The best headphones for podcasting have a lot in common with the regular headphones you’d use for music. They need to have a good range of frequency, high fidelity, and exceptional sound quality. Yet in other ways, they’re different. Podcasting headphones need great noise cancelling, so you don’t record feedback. And they also need to be reliable, with long battery life so they don’t die mid-pod.
But with so many different brands on the market, how do you know which are the best podcast headphones for you? We’ve looked across the market to find you the top five ultimate headphones for podcasters. No matter which you pick, these studio headphones will give you everything you need to record in comfort, style, and confidence.
Product Comparison Table: Best Headphones for Podcasting
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Sennheiser Pro Audio HD25 | $$ | 4.5 stars | Best Portable | Amazon |
 | Shure SRH1840 Professional Headphones | $$$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Premium | Amazon |
 | Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Headphones | $$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Outdoors | Amazon |
 | AKG K72 Studio Headphones | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X Studio Headphones | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Sennheiser Pro Audio HD25
The Sennheiser Pro Audio HD25 carries the prestigious Sennheiser name, and offers the quality to match. The closed-back HD25 are purpose-designed, professional monitoring headphones offering high attenuation of background noise – that means you won’t be bothered by other voices or sounds when you’re recording. They’re also capable of handling very high sound pressure levels, so they won’t have an issue in loud environments. Frequency-wise, they can handle a response of 16Hz-22kHz.
They’re also extremely lightweight, weighing in at just 140g. This makes them very portable, so they’re perfect for travel; just stick them in your bag and you can record wherever you are. However, they only come with a 1.5m cable, so you’ll have to keep all of your equipment close together while you’re working.
Pros
- Lightweight build
- Sleek, minimal design
- Excellent in loud environments
Cons
- Short cord
Verdict
The Sennheiser Pro Audio HD25 is better known as a DJ headphone, but don’t let that put you off. These over-ear cans are equally strong for podcasting. Most specifically, they’re great for travel. Any podcaster knows that your work can often take you out of the studio, and you need a pair of headphones you can stick in your bag for use on the go. Although the cable isn’t the longest, you can’t complain when the headphones are this light.
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Shark VM252 Cordless VacMop
The Shure SRH1840 Professional Headphones are the most expensive on this list, but they also offer the highest sound quality. The individually matched 40mm neodymium drivers offer unparalleled acoustic performance with smooth, extended highs and accurate bass. Plus, the open-back, circumaural design gives exceptionally natural sound, wide stereo image, and increased depth of field.
Even the construction is precision-engineered for sound quality; the steel improves linearity and eliminates internal resonance, for consistent performance at all listening levels. Also, the construction is highly durable. It features an aircraft-grade aluminum alloy yoke, and stainless steel grilles so you can’t do any damage with minor drops or bumps. Lastly, the ergonomic dual-frame padded headband ensures you’re always working in comfort.
Pros
- Sturdy, optimized construction
- Excellent sound quality
- Ergonomic and comfortable
Cons
- Very expensive
Verdict
If you’re willing to pay the price, you won’t get better quality headphones for podcasting than the Shure SRH1840 Professional Headphones. There’s definitely a reason why Shure has been trusted to create quality headphones for decades. The construction, quality and sheer listening experience you get with these are all second to none. So, if you’re looking for premium studio headphones to really make your podcast pop, Shure have the ideal cans for you.
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Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Headphones
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Headphones provide exceptional clarity, thanks to the proprietary 45mm drivers and an extended 15Hz-28kHz frequency range. This means they have a deep and accurate bass response, as well as excellent treble performance. The circumaural design of the earcups also perfectly contours around your ears, isolating background noise. You can even monitor your mix with a single ear thanks to the 90-degree swiveling earcups.
These are also excellent headphones for travel, or working outdoors. The ATH-M50x has a collapsible design that allows you to save space in your backpack or handbag. Plus, the 3 detachable cables can be interchanged easily, so you can move further away or closer to your rig as you need. Lastly, to complete your outdoor kit, they even come with a free Slappa Full-Sized HardBody Pro headphone carry case.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Noise-cancelling earcups with swivel
- Detachable and interchangable cables
- Comes with hard carry case
Cons
- Heavy and chunky
Verdict
How many times have you listened to a podcast and heard, “sponsored by our partners, Audio-Technica?” Audio-Technica headphones are beloved of podcasters everywhere, and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Headphones are definitely up to the usual standard. These are our best headphones for podcasting if you often record outside. Although they’re quote heavy, they have the best noise-cancelling out of any headphones we’ve surveyed – and they even come with a carry case.
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AKG K72 Studio Headphones
The AKG K72 Studio Headphones are cheap and cheerful. These over-ear wired headphones offer a precisely balanced response with reference-monitor accuracy, that sounds excellent considering the price. Professional 40mm drivers also mean they’re capable of an extended 16Hz-20kHz frequency response. The noise-cancelling is decent due to the closed-back design. This maximises isolation – not enough to cope with loud environments, but more than enough for studio recording.
As for construction, the self-adjusting headband ensures perfect fit. The headset also comes with a headphone holder with padded cradle, plus an adjustable angle base that attaches to either a horizontal or vertical surface. The holder has three settings for attaching to surfaces up to 1.3″ / 3.3cm in thickness, as well as a threaded securing clamp to ensure a precise fit.
Pros:
- Extremely low cost
- Decent sound quality
- Self-adjusting headband for comfort
Cons:
- Best for beginners
- Not the best noise-cancelling
Verdict
The AKG K72 Studio Headphones are our best value headphones for podcasting. This means they have an excellent price point, but also a lot of shortcomings. The first of these is the sound reproduction; although they sound OK, they struggle with music or complex layered sounds. Secondly, they’re not ideal if you’re recording with a group, or outdoors. However, if you’re a solo performer who wants an entry-level headset to try out podcasting, these will work just fine.
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Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X Studio Headphones
The Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X Studio Headphones are a sleek, stylish pair of cans perfect for listening, mixing and mastering with a detailed, spatial and transparent sound. The newly developed STELLAR.45 sound transducer enables the DT 900 PRO X to deliver unprecedented performance in the studio headphone class. Meanwhile, natural frequency response ensures a consistently reliable sound without distortion, even at high sound pressure levels. Plus, an impedance of 48 ohms means it reproduces any sound perfectly, with any playback device.
On top of the sound quality, they’re extremely comfortable. The plush, velvety ear pads make them the most comfortable headphones on this list, while the memory foam headband subtly conforms to the shape of your head. This means that the longer you wear them, the more comfortable they become. Lastly, the detachable mini-XLR cable can be changed at will or exchanged with other connection options.
Pros
- Sleek yet sturdy construction
- Memory foam headband and velveteen cups
- Detachable mini-XLR cable
- Incredible sound quality
Cons
- Weaker for mixing music
Verdict
The Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X Studio Headphones come from one of the most celebrated brands in the world. Although Beyerdynamic offer a number of pairs in their DT range, we’ve found that the DT900 are the ultimate best headphones for podcasting. They perform outstandingly well in every single category, with a great value price point to match. So, if you want a great all-rounder pair of headphones for podcasting, you won’t find another pair as great as the Beyerdynamic DT900 PRO X Studio Headphones.
