The Best Recording Studio Headphones Under $200

Our Top Choice!​

Up next is a pair of studio headphones that shook the audio industry and skyrocketed Audio Technica in the headphone market. We present to you Audio Technica’s pride and joy, the ATH-M50x, which has proven time and time again you can get fantastic bang for your buck in terms of performance!

Diving right into the aesthetics of the ATH-M50x, they share what most Audio Technica models have in common: the design. The M50x is a functional and attractive looking set of headphones, and they come in a range of colors, including black, all-white, blue, red, and gunmetal.

They offer a well-built construction with a moderately solid frame. While they might be the heaviest headphones in the M series, they are lighter than most other competitors in the market. They not only look comfortable but also feel incredible around the head, with ample vinyl padding in all the right areas.

So Audio Technica has won our hearts over with the design of the M50x, but what about performance-wise? When these cans are plugged in, the initial thing you notice is the detail. Considering their price tag, the definition and detailing is remarkable.  They provide a frequency range that goes from 15Hz up to 28kHz at an impedance of 38 Ohms. They are also packed with plenty of transparency as well as a signal that is flat enough for studio use.  Unlike the Beyerdynamic, you can experience the entire range without any bias, even with the mild EQ curve—everything stays nice and tight.

The M50x comes with not one but three different detachable cables: a 4-10 ft. long coiled one, a 10 ft. straight one, and lastly a shorter 4 ft. straight one, which all terminate to a 3.5mm jack. These recording headphones also include a protective carrying pouch as well as a 6.3 mm adapter for added connectivity.

Upsides

• Superb, balanced sonic performance
• Great design and robust build
• Lightweight and extremely comfortable

Downsides

• Slightly bulky

We’re certain Shure fans will give us props for presenting these cans on our list. After all, Shure has built an impeccable reputation when it comes to their audio gear. Our first selection isn’t one of Shure’s flagship models; however, it proves to be one of the best studio headphones on the market for under $200.

Right out of the box, the SRH840’s aren’t exactly the most attractive set of cans we’ve seen on the market. The design is relatively bland, dull, and wouldn’t really stand out aesthetically in a room full of headphones. While they might be lacking in the looks department, they are built relatively well. The SRH840s are sturdy and stiff and fit comfortably snug around the head. The only detail we found on them concerning looks was the noticeable logo on the earcaps. If an attractive design is important to you, you might want to move on to the other options on this list.

As for their comfortability, we can safely say these are like cushions on your head. While they may come off a little big at first, you’ll come to realize it’s all about the comfort factor. The earcups feature synthetic leather with a plush cushion, and instead of using small padding along the headband like most headphones, Shure went ahead and padded the whole thing.

If you’re able to look past their overall look, you’ll find that Shure has balanced the scales with these cans regarding performance.  With a 5Hz to 25 kHz frequency response range, these headphones provide a very refined response with minimal bias and plenty of transparency. They also give you a little more insight into your mix with excellent clarity. With a soft EQ line, you’ll find it easy to catch and correct all those flaws and blemishes in your mix.

The SRH840 come with a detachable, 10 foot long, tightly-coiled cable with a twist-and-lock mechanism to prevent any accidental pulls. The end of the cable features a 3.5 mm jack for compatibility with different devices, including laptops, MP3 players, and smartphones.  They also come with a gold-plated 3.5mm-to-6.5mm adapter, a carrying bag, and replacement ear pads.

Upsides

• Excellent clarity, refined response, and transparent
• Superb comfort

• Great value

Downsides

• Relatively large and a bit on the heavy side
• Some design quirks

Next on our list are Beyerdynamic’s DT990 Pro studio headphones. This option has received a lot of praise from industry critics and audiophiles, and for good reason.

At first glance, the DT990 looks a lot like its younger sister, the DT770, only they feature grilles on the back. While aesthetically they look pretty good, there is a drawback in terms of the design. The whole build of these headphones is made entirely out of ABS plastic, which can come across as rather flimsy and cheap.

However, the fact of the matter is that the DT990s have a relatively robust and durable construction. Beyerdynamic also decided to switch it up by adding light gray velour pads to the earcups, giving it a bolder and more exciting look.

When it comes to actual performance, these headphones proved to be surprisingly good. While they are sometimes referred to as ‘near reference’ due to the slight bias in the treble and low-end, they still bring plenty of transparency to the table. Beyerdynamic decided to add a slight bias to the EQ curve to give them clarity and spatial definition.

With a frequency range of 5Hz - 35 kHz, these cans present an almost spotless midrange as well as a balanced treble. They also have an excellent and well-extended bass range, considering the fact that these are open-back headphones. Another benefit to the open-back design is that they have a wider and more spacious soundstage, but there are some loud leakages.

The DT990 comes with a 9.8-foot detachable cable, which terminates at a gold vaporized stereo 3.5 mm jack. The cans also come with a 6.5mm adapter for added versatility with audio gear as well as a carry case and a two-year manufacturer warranty.

Upsides

• Robust and durable construction
• Great open sound
• Well-padded with comfortable velour pads

Downsides

• Loud sound leakage
• Lack of isolation 

Considering AKG’s rising reputation in the audio gear industry, it’s no surprise that the K271 MKII made its way onto our list.

In terms of aesthetics, AKG opted for a relatively simple and minimalistic design with the K271. There’s nothing eccentric or aggressive about these cans. While the design may be a little plain, AKG did a good job of choosing the right colors and materials to make them a good looking pair of headphones.

The headband is a simple piece of leather that is placed with external metal rails, which means it can comfortably fit any head size and shape.

The earcups feature the industry standard vinyl earpads, which are pretty snug and comfortable around the ear. They also have some additional color with small silver and white details, giving it that extra charm.

With regards to how the K271s sound, we can safely say they deliver one of the most balanced responses we’ve seen in this price range. With a frequency response range of 16 Hz to 28 kHz, they have a lot of transparency and detail. One noteworthy factor we noticed was that unlike many monitor headphones in the market, these manage to devoid the brightness in the treble. With their closed-back design, they provide not only low signal leakage but also maximum sound isolation.

They come with two detachable cables: a 10ft. straight cable and a 16ft. coiled cable. These headphones also come with a ¼-inch 6.3 mm adaptor and replaceable velvet earpads.

Upsides

• Great noise isolation
• Attractive minimalistic design
• Lightweight 

Downsides

• Lacking in low-end range
• A little large and bulky

In the world of studio monitors and speakers, KRK has earned a respectable reputation and has become a household name. Now with the KNS series, they have introduced their first dive into headphone manufacturing. Our last, but certainly not least, pick for this list is KRK’s affordable and underrated KNS 8400.

While KRK hasn’t put a tremendous amount of effort into the aesthetics of these cans, don’t mistake that for lousy quality. In fact, they are pretty tough considering they’re made of plastic. The KNS 8400 offer supreme comfort with soft memory foam padded around the headphones, promising a perfect fit for any head shape or size. They have also been designed with a 90-degree swivel rotation for portability and packing.

Regarding sound quality, these headphones have reportedly been designed to imitate the listening experience of studio monitors (specifically KRK monitors) as much as possible. To a certain extent, these claims are valid. These cans do mimic the tonal quality of some of the industry’s studio monitors with a powerful upper‑mid range as well as an evidently present low bass and extreme treble.

The KNS 8400 comes with a detachable 8.2 ft. cable, which defaults to a 3.5 mm jack. They also come with a soft protective pouch as well as a 6.3 mm adapter to link up to additional audio gear.

Upsides

• Superb comfort with memory foam padding
• Good reproduction of audio
• Lightweight and foldable

Downsides

• Poor noise isolation
• Slight jump in the frequencies