Best Guitar Headphones

A good set of headphones are great for practice, the studio, or any other number of guitar-centric activities. You definitely want the best guitar headphones you can find. Check out this review to see which set is best for you.

IN THIS REVIEW

The Best Guitar Headphones
Our Favorite Headphones For Guitar
Our Top 12 Picks
Best Guitar Headphones Review
Open-Back Headphones
1. Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones
2. Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Headphone
Closed-Back Headphones
3. Audio Technica Ath M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
4. Sony MDR-7506
5. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
6. Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones
7. Edifier H850
8. Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System
9. Sony MDRV6 Studio Monitor Headphones
10. Status Audio CB-1
Semi-Closed Headphone
11. AKG K240 Studio Headphones
12. Samson SR850
Thing To Consider When Buying Headphones For Your Guitar
Open-Back Vs Closed-Back Vs Semi-Closed
How To Play Guitar Through Headphones
Common Questions
Our Favorite Headphones For Guitars
Conclusion

The Best Guitar Headphones

Ever wondered, "How can I play guitar without disturbing neighbors?"? It's easy! Just use headphones!

You're going to find out why guitar players wear headphones, how to listen to your guitar through headphones, and which headphones are best for guitar!

Our Favorite Headphones For Guitar

Our top pick from this list is the Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System. These headphones are specifically designed with guitar practice in mind. You can use them anywhere and, along with the free app, you can use any effects you like. This is like wearing a sophisticated modeling amp on your head.

Our Top 12 Picks

Open-Back Headphones

1. Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones

2. Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Headphone

Closed-Back Headphones

3. Audio Technica Ath M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones

4. Sony MDR-7506

5. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

6. Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones

7. Edifier H850

8. Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System

9. Sony MDRV6 Studio Monitor Headphones

10. Status Audio CB-1

Semi-Closed Headphones

11. AKG K240 Studio Headphones

12. Samson SR850

Best Guitar Headphones Review

As you can see, we have broken this list down into three categories; open-back, closed-back, and semi-closed back headphones.

Open-Back Headphones

1. Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones

Open-Back Design

The open-back, over-ear design of the Philips SHP9500 Headphones provides a low priced, comfortable listening experience. The open-back allows you to isolate your guitar sound while not completely blocking out the rest of the world around you.

Angled Drivers

The drivers in these headphones are specifically designed at an angle to give you the best sound while keeping your ear drums safe.

Superb Comfort

These headphones were designed with comfort, even during longer sessions, in mind. The open-back helps fight ear fatigue. The ear cushions are breathable.

The steel headband is strong and durable while also featuring a double layered headband cushion to keep your discomfort to a minimum.

Frequency Range: 12 Hz - 35 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 101 dB
Speaker Diameter: 50mm

2. Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Headphone

Eliptical Design

The Sennheiser HD650 over-ear headphones are shaped and designed to fit comfortably. They have an eliptical shape that has been adapted to the shape of the ears. Round them out with a stunning titanium/silver finish.

Direct Connect

Experience a full spectrum of sound and clarity. You can directly connect to any stationary hi-fi systems and get the absolute highest sound quality.

Frequency Range: 10 Hz - 41kHz
Impedance: 300 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 103 dB

Closed-Back Headphones

3. Audio Technica Ath M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones

Swivel Earcups

If you like to monitor using the one ear out method, these headphones make that really easy.. The earcups both swivel a full 90 degrees, in either direction, so you can easily turn them to the side when you need to.

Professional Level Comfort

The earpad and headband materials are both made from professional grade materials. You can tell a difference when wearing these versus wearing a set of cans made with inferior products. These are perfect for long practice or recording sessions.

Crystal Clear Sound

Experience the near full spectrum of audio possibilities with the dynamic frequency range of the ATH-M50x. Get lows all the way down to 15 Hz and the highest highs up to 28 kHz.

Frequency Range: 15 Hz - 28 kHz
Impedance: 63 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 106 dB
Speaker Diameter: 40mm

4. Sony MDR-7506

Pro Sound

The dynamic frequency of the Sony MDR-7506 Headphones is pretty impressive. While it may not reach quite the same heights as some of the other headphones on this list, getting to only around 20 kHz, they do reach impressively low. You will be able to hear that bottom end that may be lacking with other headphones as this range goes to around 10 Hz.

Accessories

Sony has included a "Stereo Unimatch" plug to allow your headphones to work with both ¼" and ⅛" jacks. You can also keep your headphones safe from damage with the included soft case. This is extra convenient because the cord is not detachable.

Isolation

The closed-back design of the MDR-7506's allows you to practice or mix with in complete isolation. You do not have to worry about sound leaking out or, more importantly, distracting outside noise getting in.

Frequency Range: 10 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance: 38 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 98 dB
Speaker Diameter: 45mm

5. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

Versatility

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is a fantastic set of headphones no matter what your intended use. Their closed-back design and wide dynamic range give you access to a full spectrum of sound in both home practice sessions or a professional grade studio.

Professional & Affordable

Beyerdynamic is a trusted name in the world of headphones. Their line of sound devices work well across a wide range of devices from high grade studio equipment all the way down to your mobile device. You can get professional grade sound quality and a very reasonable price.

Comfort

The addition of adjustable earcups and a padded, spring steel headband cuts down on discomfort and ear fatigue over longer sessions. There is also a single cable attachment to cut down on tangling for easy removal.

Frequency Range: 5 Hz - 35 kHz
Impedance: 80 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium

6. Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones

Wide Dynamic Range

The frequency range of the Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring headphones drops down to a staggering 5Hz! You are going to hear just about everything on the low end. Not to mention, you will also get a heavy dose of clear mids and super high highs at the top end of 25kHz.

Studio Use

These headphones were specifically designed for studio use. The wide dynamic range is perfect for analytical and critical listening while mixing and mastering a track. The attention to sonic detail also makes these great for practicing guitar in total isolation.

Comfort

The headband and earcups both have heavy duty, comfortable padding to cut down on discomfort during longer sessions. Additionally, the earcups are replaceable so you can extend the life of your headphones even longer.

Frequency Range: 5 Hz - 25 kHz
Impedance: 44 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 102 dB
Speaker Diameter: 40mm

7. Edifier H850

Leather Ear Pads

The earpads on the Edifier H850 Headphones were ergonomically designed to maximize comfort during longer sessions. In addition to the added comfort, they also give a great deal of isolation. You're going to get minimal sound bleeding in or out of these headphones.

Budget Friendly

These headphones are fantastic, especially at this price point. For sub $50 you can get a solid, sturdy, durable set of headphones with a dynamic range of around 20 Hz to 20 kHz. For a home studio environment, you will be able to hear the highs, mids, and lows you need for quality practice, mixing, and mastering.

Travel Friendly

Take these headphones with you anywhere. They are strudy and durable so they can handle a little wear and tear. You can also fold them flat and remove the cable for easy stowage.

Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 96 dB
Speaker Diameter: 40mm

8. Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System

Because these headphones are so unique and specifically designed for guitar practice, they are our top pick for best guitar headphones. Here's a few reasons why:

Total Freedom

The Boss Waza-Air Personal Guitar Amplification System is unlike any other set of headphone on this list. They are essentially like having an amp strapped to your head…only much more comfortable.

Using the Boss Waza wireless amp technology all you need is your guitar, mobile device, the wireless transmitter, and these headphones and you can practice anywhere.

Auto Connect

The wireless connection system for these headphones works very similarly to the Boss Waza amp from our best practice amps review. If you have the transmitter plugged into your guitar, as soon as it senses movement, it connects to the headphones and to your phone app or desktop (whichever you used last).

You can literally just pickup and play using whatever effects, amp modeling, and other features you already have selected.

Battery Life

Included in the headphones is rechargeable batteries. You can get up to 5 hours of play time on a single battery charge. Also included is the wireless transmitter that has up to 12 hours of battery life between charges.

Speaker Diameter: 50mm

9. Sony MDRV6 Studio Monitor Headphones

Peer Review

As of the time of this writing, the Sony MDRV6 Studio Monitor Headphones has almost 5 stars with almost 3,500 reviews. The number of people that have purchased, used, and positively reviewed these headphones is a testament to how great thesy really are.

Huge Dynamic Range

Probably one of the reasons these headphones are loved so much is because they have such a wide dynamic range. At 5 Hz you will get the very lowest of lows, the highest of highs at 30 kHz, and every single frequency in the middle. These headphones deliver crystal clear sound.

Frequency Range: 5 Hz - 30 kHz
Impedance: 63 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 106 dB
Speaker Diameter: 40mm

10. Status Audio CB-1

Durable

These headphones were built to last. EVen after repeated use with constant bending and shifting of the headband, it will remain sturdy and not crack. The padding, as well, holds up under frequent use.

Sound Quality

The Status Audio CB-1 headphones boast a dynamic range of 15 Hz all the way up to 30 kHz. You will get clear as a bell highs, satisfying mids, and deep lows. These headphones are perfect for a completely isolated practice session and/or use in the studio.

Comfort

The stitching in the can padding is designed to hold up over time. Because of this durability, they are extremely comfortable. Even after a long session (6+ hours or so) the pads are still breathable and comfortable.

Frequency Range: 15 Hz - 30 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Audio Sensitivity: 96 dB
Speaker Diameter: 50mm

Semi-Closed Back Headphone

11. AKG K240 Studio Headphones

Gimbal-Type Suspension

The AKG K240 Studio Headphones feature the use of Gimbal-Type Suspension. This means that the headband is made of a flexible steel structure that adjust itself to conform to the size and shape of your head. Not only does this make them more durable but it also holds them in place for longer periods of time without needing to press into your head or down on your ears.

XXL Transducers

AKG has patented their own diaphragm called Varimotion. The way it works is that along the outsides it is thinner and more elastic to allow a more powerful bass response. As you move closer to the center it becomes thicker and less resonant. This allows solid mids and clear highs to ring through.

Frequency Range: 15 Hz - 25 kHz
Impedance: 55 Ohm
Audio Sensitivity: 91 dB
Speaker Diameter: 30mm

12. Samson SR850

Velour Cushioning

Samson has gone all out for comfort with the SR850s. The ear pads are constructed with velour cushioning. They are extra soft and provide much needed comfort when worn for long periods of time.

Self Adjusting Band

Similar so the AKG 240 Studio Headphones, these also possess a steel reinforced, self adjusting band. You can wear these headphones for extended periods fiddle-free.

30,000 Hz

The highs on these headphones are unbelievable at this price. At around 30kHz you are sure to hear crystal clear highs without missing a note.

Frequency Range: 10 Hz - 30 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Audio Sensitivity: 98 dB
Speaker Diameter: 50mm

Thing To Consider When Buying Headphones For Your Guitar

The world of audio can be confusing and overwhelming at first. Here are a few things to help you out while choosing your headphones.

Dynamic Frequency Range

Dynamic frequency range is simply how much of the lows, mids, and highs you will be able to hear with the headphones. The average human can't hear anything higher than 20kHz or as low as 20Hz.

Impedence

Without going into the technical explanation, an easy way to evaluate impedance is, the lower the number, the more electrical signal can flow through the connection.

Sound on Sound has a fantastic explanation that is easy to understand, even if you are not a sound engineer.

Hearing Protection

You've only got one set of ears so you need to protect them. Wearing headphones can be risky enough, as it is, since you have a speaker in such close proximity with your ear drum.

You want to make sure the earphones are designed in a way to provide comfort and clarity without needing to crank the volume to unsafe levels.

Durability

Often times, headphones get a daily workout. If you are using them for practice or in the studio, you want them to be able to handle constant wear and tear.

Practice Environment

The style of your headphones will depend on what your practice environment looks like. If you

Single Use Or Multi Use

Are you just looking for a pair of headphones to practice occasionally when you need to keep things quiet? Will they become your go-to means of practice? Will they play double duty in practice and studio monitoring?

You will want to take note of anything you may use these headphones for and then pick accordingly.

How To Play Guitar Through Headphones

The whole reason you're looking for guitar headphones in the first place. So, how do you do it?

Difference Between Headphone Out And Line Out

Typically, line out is meant to connect to an external amp. This means it is not intended to drive a set of headphones. Headphone out is designed specifically for driving adequate sound and power to headphones.

Common Questions

We came across a lot of questions when researching for this review. Here are some of the more popular ones.

Can I Use Headphones With A Tube Amp?

You should not. The difference in input and output impedance is unbalanced and can damage your tube amp.

What Should I Not Use For Headphones?

Typically, for guitar practice you are going to want to avoid using things like air pods, earbuds, or smaller, commercial grade headphones like you'd get with an MP3 player.

They are not designed for the full dynamic spectrum of your guitar audio to come through. You will be able to hear your instrument, but you will not likely get all of the intricacies you will want to evaluate while practicing.

Open-Back Vs Closed-Back Vs Semi-Closed

These terms just describe the casing around the headphone i.e. the "cans" part of the headphones.

Open-back refers to a mesh or screen on the outside of the headphones. They will isolate your guitar, but not completely block outside noise. This is good if you don't want others to hear but you still need to be aware of your surroundings.

Closed-back refers to cans that are completely solid on the outside facing piece. These completely isolate your sound and block out any sound around you. If you are practicing in a noisy space these are fantastic for helping you concentrate.

Semi-closed back is a combination of the other too. Most times, you will see half of the headphone is solid with the second half a mesh or screen. These block out a lot of the outside noise but not as much as completely closed-back.

Can I Use Headphones For Bass?

If you want to know if you can plug your headphones directly into your bass guitar, then no, you can not. But if you want to practice bass with your headphones plugged into an amp, you definitely can.

You will just want to make sure your headphones can put out a full dynamic range that include the lower notes of the bass.

Whish Is Better, In-Ear Or Over-Ear??

It depends on your use but generally speaking, over-ear is preferable. Whether you are practicing, recording, monitoring, or mixing, over-ear along with padded cans give you isolation that just isn't possible with in-ear headphones.

Do I Need ⅛" Jack Or ¼" Jack?

Most headphones you find will have a ⅛" jack along with a ¼" adapter. Find something with this setup and you will have more options with which you can use your headphones.

Is It Bad To Play Electric Guitar Without An Amp?

It isn't bad but it can be disappointing. The solid body of an electric guitar is not made to resonate acoustically. So, you can get the notes, but they won't sound great.

Our Favorite Headphones For Guitars

Again, our top pick from this list is the Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System. If you want true versatility and the ability to practice any style from anywhere, these are the headphones to do that.

Conclusion

Now you know all you need to know about the best headphones for guitar. Which ones will you pick?

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