Finding the best cheap studio headphones under $50 for your recording studio can be tough. There are plenty of good affordable studio headphones in the $50 price range that have decent sound for mixing and recording. You just need to find the right ones though.
The main thing that you need to look for in an affordable pair of studio headphones besides the sound quality is the build quality. The materials are important because you don’t want something that is going to break or fall apart in the first six months of use. We review the build quality along with the tone and sound clarity of each headphone on our list, so you can pick the right one.
Let’s check out the top-rated $50 studio headphone speakers that will be a good addition to your recording gear.
Compare the Top Cheap Studio Headphones Below $50 in 2020
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Cheap Studio Headphones Below $50 in 2020
- 1.1 Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Studio Monitor Headphones
- 1.2 Samson SR850 Studio Reference Headphones
- 1.3 Superlux HD-681 EVO Professional Monitoring Headphones
- 1.4 OneOdio Studio Pro-10 Recording Studio Headphones
- 1.5 Behringer HPS3000 Mixing Headphones
- 1.6 CAD Audio MH110 Closed-Back Studio Headphones
- 1.7 Panasonic RP-HT161-K Over-The-Ear Studio Headphone
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best inexpensive studio headphones under $50 that sound awesome and won’t break your headphone budget.
- Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
- Samson SR850 Studio Headphones
- Superlux HD-681 EVO
- OneOdio Studio Pro-10
- Behringer HPS3000
- CAD Audio MH110
- Panasonic RP-HT161-K
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Studio Monitor Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
When you mention the name Audio Technica to any professional musician, they are certain to have a couple nice things to say about the brand. When it comes to professional headphones, this brand offers some of the very best sets in the industry.
Interestingly, it also offers something for those with very tight budgets. An example is this ATH-M20x. This is also a professional studio headphone that offers some good value despite being priced this low.
The brand tried to achieve two important things here. First is the durability that it offers and the second is the comfort you will enjoy from the headband and the padded ear cups.
Its design is circumaural which offers pretty good isolation and the ear cups can swivel making one ear monitoring easy.
Now for the core features, it comes with 40mm drivers. These drivers feature copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils as well as rare earth magnets. They have a sensitivity of 96dB and a frequency response of 15Hz -20kHz. You can expect a largely flat response from these headphones.
Truth be told, though this is a professional studio headphone, it is better suited for tracking than mixing.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-made and durable.
- Comfort – It is comfortable.
- Frequency response – 15Hz to 20kHz.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Earpads – Some low quality materials were used.
Bottom line
These are great for tracking. They will serve this purpose perfectly. Should you want to use them for mixing, ensure you work with a reference audio.
Samson SR850 Studio Reference Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
Samson Tech may not be the very first name that will come to mind when we are considering professional audio solutions. That said, this brand has been in operation for almost 40 years and in that time it has made some impressive inroads into the professional audio industry with over 250 products spread and used across more than 140 countries.
The SR850 Semi-Open-Back Studio Reference Headphones is a low priced tool for the professional on a very tight budget. Despite its low price point, it is well made and quite comfortable for extended wear thanks to its velour ear pads.
Though the headbands are not padded, they are not uncomfortable and can be easily adjusted for a good and comfortable fit.
It comes with 50mm drivers that deliver a frequency response of 10Hz to 30kHz, which is an impressively wide range. You will enjoy a transparent sound that will make this an option to consider for mixing when you are on a budget.
With its pretty low impedance of 32 ohms, your mobile device can power it fully with ease. Since this is semi-open back, they are not suitable for tracking.
Pros and Highlights
- Frequency response – 10Hz to 30kHz.
- Low impedance – At 30ohms, it doesn’t require much to power it.
- Comfort – It’s comfortable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Build – Lots of plastic parts
Bottom line
You can use these for mixing because of the transparent sound it offers. They will however not be great for tracking because they will leak sound.
Superlux HD-681 EVO Professional Monitoring Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
Nas Solutions, owners of the Superlux brand practically has its hands in every aspect of professional audio including live sound solutions. Superlux is focused on delivering products that are of good quality, offering top level performance but at very affordable prices.
One such product offered by this brand is the HD-681 EVO. This is a studio headphone that first offers obvious aesthetic value. Aside from this, it is also designed to offer a secure fit and a good level of comfort. The earpads may however not be totally up to scratch in terms of the comfort it offers. Trying to change them will improve its comfort level.
Looking beyond the not too impressive white plastic chassis, we will look at the core of these headphones and that is the drivers which is where this headphone excels. The drivers deliver superior clarity and definition while maintaining impressive transparency. This will make it ideal for professional audio monitoring applications.
It comes with two cables – 2 feet and 10 feet and a 1/4” jack adaptor.
Pros and Highlights
- Performance – It offers great clarity and definition.
- Appearance – It has good aesthetic value.
- Comfort – It is lightweight and an easy fit.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Build – It has a plastic construction.
Bottom line
These are great headphones for professional audio monitoring. Since they are semi-open back in design, they will not be ideal for tracking. You may also find the plastic construction lacking that professional quality you will expect from a professional headphone.
OneOdio Studio Pro-10 Recording Studio Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
OneAudio Technology or OneOdio as it is also called is an audio solution company that is focused on delivering to its customers an amazing sound experience. It goes about achieving this with the design of headphones that not only sound great but are also very beautifully put together. Best of all, they are offered at very competitive prices.
One such product is the Pro-10, a closed back professional headphone designed to deliver durability and professional sound quality in a comfortable and lovely design. It features a foldable design that allows for easy storing and portability. The ear cups also rotate, making one ear monitoring really easy.
For comfort, the earcups are well-padded and covered in leatherette. They are comfortable but can feel a bit too snug especially since they have a round shape rather than the oval shape that will better accommodate the shape of the ears. The headband is also designed to add to the fit and comfort offered by the headphone. It is adjustable and you can stretch it to find just the right fit.
At the core are 50mm neodymium drivers with a sensitivity of 110dB +- 3dB and a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz. They offer good sound reproduction with a bit of emphasis on the low frequencies.
Pros and Highlights
- Appearance – Lovely.
- Sensitivity – 110dB +- 3dB.
- Build – Nice and comfortable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Earpads – They can get too snug making the ears sweaty.
Bottom line
These are lovely and will be good for tracking and DJs.
Behringer HPS3000 Mixing Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
When Behringer came on the scene about 30 years ago, it looked like it was destined to serve the lowest rung of music professionals. This was probably because from the get go, it was focused on delivering its products at far cheaper prices than the competition. Three decades later, the German brand has shown that it can play at the highest level while still retaining its principal focus of providing its products at affordable prices.
This headphone is a testament to this unchanged focus. The HPS3000 is a really low priced headphone that is designed to look a lot more expensive than it really is. They may not have been made with the best of materials but they look great.
The headband and the nice padded ear cups provide comfort and a good fit. This in addition to its overall lightweight design ensures it can be worn for extended periods without undue discomfort.
For the drivers, they offer nice sound reproduction with a nice low frequency representation which will perfectly suit casual listeners. It also offers a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz, which is quite wide.
Pros and Highlights
- Design – Lightweight and lovely aesthetics.
- Comfort – Is quite comfortable.
- Frequency response – 20Hz to 20kHz.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Materials – Not the best of quality but given the price, it is certainly worth it.
Bottom line
This is a lovely headphone that will do very well for casual listening. It can also be used for tracking but certainly not for mixing or mastering.
CAD Audio MH110 Closed-Back Studio Headphones
Specs, features, and benefits
CAD has built a reputation for itself over the past 85 years. It has consistently delivered professional audio solutions that are innovative and ideal for a wide range of professional audio applications from studio to live scenarios.
The MH110 is one product designed for professional monitoring making it ideal for use in a studio setting. It is a closed back headphone that is targeted at really low budget buyers.
The focus of the brand was clearly on getting the core of the headphone right so it kind of skimped on other areas like the materials used for the chassis which are pretty cheap. The design is also pretty standard with foldable earcups, padded headband and earpads.
At the core of this headphone are two 50mm drivers. These drivers have a sensitivity of 112dB and really offer a wide frequency response range. They also offer low impedance which makes them easy to power.
Again, this is a low budget studio headphone so you cannot expect them to perform at the level of top-end models. That said, these can be used effectively for monitoring and tracking.
Pros and Highlights
- Frequency response – pretty wide.
- Sensitivity – 110dB.
- Design – Foldable and comfortable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Chassis – Made of low quality materials, which is understandable given the price.
Bottom line
For a home studio owner with a tight budget, this can be the solution you require for monitoring and tracking. You may however want to invest in something of a higher quality for mixing.
Panasonic RP-HT161-K Over-The-Ear Studio Headphone
Specs, features, and benefits
Panasonic is not a brand name you expect to hear in a professional audio setting such as a production studio. The brand is better known for home appliances and such other consumer electronics. It however offers this headphone as a low budget option for those who can’t afford better options.
The RP-HT161-K is a lightweight over-the-ear headphone that offers simplicity and comfortable monitoring. You won’t find much by way of padding on these headphones except where they really matter which is the earpad. The headband is very adjustable making it easy to fit while its plastic construction adds to the light weight of the headphones. With the well-padded earcups, listening is both comfortable and fairly isolated from external noise.
Now let’s get to the heart of the matter. It features 30mm neodymium drivers which can handle up to 1000mW of power. They deliver a frequency response that covers 10Hz-27kHz. You will get clear audio from this with a good balance of highs, mids and lows.
This is the kind of headphone you will want to watch a movie with or listen to a song with simply for pleasure. In a studio setting, you can use it for tracking and monitoring.
Pros and Highlights
- Frequency response – 10Hz to 27kHz.
- Build – Simple, lightweight and comfortable.
- Performance – Clear and balanced audio.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Materials – Some of the materials are of low quality.
Bottom line
This is not your traditional studio headphone. It can however handle tracking and simple monitoring tasks easily.
What We Recommend and Why
We have finally concluded our review of these seven studio headphones under $50. These are of course not the ideal standard but we understand that some folks may be operating with a very lean budget. After carefully going through this list, our pick for the Top Studio Headphone Under $50 is the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones. We believe that it offers the overall best value.