Collection: Headphones

Headphones: What to Know

Headphones are the most personal piece of gear in any studio or DJ setup. Closed-back models isolate you from room noise and prevent bleed during tracking. Open-back designs offer a wider soundstage for mixing and critical listening but leak sound both ways. In-ear monitors give you portability and isolation on stage or during mobile production. DJs need swiveling cups, replaceable cables, and enough isolation to hear a cue mix in a loud booth. Studio engineers prioritize flat frequency response and comfort during long sessions. Casual listeners want something that sounds good without fatigue. The right pair depends entirely on where and how you work.

How to Choose Headphones - Studio, DJ, and Listening Use Cases

What to Look For

Driver size matters, but not the way marketing suggests. Larger drivers (40mm and up) can reproduce low end with less distortion, but tuning and build quality matter more than diameter alone. Impedance tells you what you're plugging into: 32 ohms or lower works fine with phones and portable interfaces, while 80 ohms and up demands a dedicated headphone amp to reach proper volume without strain. Closed-back designs seal around your ears for isolation, critical for tracking vocals or DJing. Open-back models let air through for a more natural soundstage but offer zero isolation. Check the cable: coiled cables are standard for DJ use, while straight cables with locking connectors suit studio work. Replaceable cables and ear pads extend the life of your investment. For DJs, swiveling or rotating cups let you monitor with one ear while keeping the other on the room. Comfort during long sessions comes down to clamp force and pad material. Memory foam stays cool longer than pleather.

Top Brands

Audio-Technica dominates studio and DJ applications with models like the M50x. Shure's SRH line offers rugged build quality and replaceable parts. Pioneer DJ and AlphaTheta make headphones tuned specifically for booth monitoring. Fostex and Avantone Pro focus on reference-grade studio models with flat response curves.

Shop Headphones at Blackout Audio

Your headphones are the one part of your signal chain that touches your body for hours at a time. Pair closed-back models with audio interfaces that have dedicated headphone outs with enough gain to drive higher-impedance designs. Open-back headphones work best in treated rooms where you can hear the space without external noise creeping in. Free shipping on orders over $199 across Canada. Browse the full range online and contact the team with questions about impedance matching or specific use cases.