Best Headphones for Electric Guitar 2023 – ElectronicSHype
When practicing at home, it’s not always convenient to connect your axe to a Marshall stack. And using the complimentary headphones that come with your phone to monitor your guitar amp is likely to make you never want to play again.
So we decided to look for the Best Headphones for Electric Guitar. We put the following seven popular models through rigorous testing.
- HOW WE RATED THE BEST HEADPHONES FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR
- Target Frequency Response: Best Headphones for Electric Guitar AMP
- AKG K702 (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
- Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
- Boss WAZA-Air (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
- Sennheiser HD 650
- Superlux HD681 Headphones for Electric Guitar
- Vox VGH-AC30 Headphones for Electric Guitar
- AKG Pro Audio K240 Headphones for Electric Guitar
- Sound
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW WE RATED THE BEST HEADPHONES FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR
First and foremost, we test everything on this site ourselves.
We confined our studies to guitar monitoring and practice models. To accommodate greater power guitar amps and applications, they required to be over-ear versions with higher impedance levels.
In our ratings, we make a few assumptions. We presume that you prioritize sound quality over all other considerations. Best Headphones for Electric Guitar buy in amazon.
Second, for guitar playing, we favor open-back headphone types because they have a more natural resonance.
Closed-back headphones, while excellent for sound isolation, cut off the sensation of sound flowing through space at the ear cup. This is most obvious when using overdrive and distortion on an electric guitar.
This list’s closed-back versions are particularly suited for guitar practice. Two of these devices (Boss WAZA-Air and Vox VGH-AC30) are plug-and-play systems that do not require an amp or other additional equipment.
Target Frequency Response: Best Headphones for Electric Guitar AMP
Depending on how low you tune your bottom string, the audible frequency response of an electric guitar ranges from 80 Hz to 4.5 kHz.
While the response of your headphones above and below this range will alter how the audible range sounds, clear monitoring in the 300 Hz – 3kHz region is essential for guitarists.
The AKG K702s are designed as reference studio Best Headphones for Electric Guitar, featuring a balanced frequency response and optimum clarity in all registers. Our entire review of the AKG K702 Headphones can be found here.
When compared to the Best Headphones for Electric Guitar on our list, the AKG K702s exceeded or were on a level with the competition in practically every comfort and sound quality metric. The AKG K702s are a steal at less than half the price of the Sennheiser HD 650 or Boss Waza Air headphones.
These headphones’ mid and high frequencies were the most thrilling on this list, making them the clear first pick for guitar playing.
AKG K702 (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
Best Headphones for Electric Guitar – K702’s lightweight (235 g), open-back design with moderate pressure on the ears and even weight distribution ensures hours of comfort during extended jam sessions.
Build / Comfort:
The leather head strap is quite comfortable and can be adjusted to fit all sizes of heads, including large ones. The velour ear cups provide enough space in all directions to prevent ear contact with the inner-ear cup. This provides the listener with the impression that the music is being sent to their ears rather than merely residing in their heads.
Sound
The K702 (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar) provides an exceptionally pleasing sound for guitar playing. The headroom is substantial and appealing, with a sensitivity of 105 dBspl/V at an impedance of 62.
The frequency response of the K702s is transparent and neutral, making them ideal for mixing and mastering. This enables for greater clarity from your amp’s or DAW’s tone in any frequency range.
Some people say that the bass on these cans is very weak. But after two weeks of testing, I discovered that they were simply honest, with nothing lacking. The bass is quite crisp, although it may lack the additional bump we’re used to hearing from recreational headphones.
Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
Beyerdynamic, which was founded in 1924, has been producing headphones for a long time. The intricacies of their headphones reflect their experience.
Comfort / Build:
I like how virtually all of the parts can be replaced at a reasonable price. Ear cushions and headbands, for example, are easily interchangeable in velour or leather, silver or black.
The Best Headphones for Electric Guitar DT 880 Pro is a pair of semi-open over-ear headphones that block out some ambient noise but not much.
In general, the semi-open design provides little value. The DT 990 Pro, with its entirely open-back design, is definitely worth considering.
Sound
The large soundstage of many Beyerdynamic models is their distinguishing feature. In this aspect, the DT 880 Pros are outstanding.
This list’s general balance of lows, mids, and highs is the finest. The bass is full yet clear, and not over-hyped. For the Best Headphones for Electric Guitar in this price range, the transient response is swift and significantly controlled.
For guitar playing, I felt the mids to be less thrilling than the AKG 702 or the Sennheiser HD 650.
Perhaps it was because they were so precisely matched for mixing and mastering. The accuracy is fantastic for that purpose – everything in the mix comes through.
Boss WAZA-Air (Best Headphones for Electric Guitar)
The Bluetooth over-ear, closed-back headphones, the transmitter with a standard 1/4 inch socket, and several charging wires are included in the box. There is no carry case, which should be included in the price.
The overall vibe is wonderful. The people at Boss definitely thought about the lives of guitarists who perform at home. WAZA-Air is the Best Headphones for Electric Guitar use at home.
Guitar performing at home entails so much messing with your amp, pedals, dials, computer, or phone that the creative spark is frequently gone by the time you get all the dials set.
However, these cans have been thoughtfully constructed to eliminate all of the fidgetings.
There’s no need to stare at a screen. You simply plug in and play. The default amp settings are excellent and can be changed using the controls on the right ear cup.
Features, if you are so inclined
If you want to get more engaged with the settings, you may connect the WAZA-Air app and play around with the amp settings and room controls.
I particularly like the sleep/wake option for preserving battery life. Set them down for a bit and they’ll fall to sleep; take them up again and they’ll be back on after a few strums.
Comfort / Build:
They have a pleather headband and pleather ear cups that weigh about 320 grams. Volume and amp preset settings are located on the right ear cup. The steel roll dial for volume was easy to identify and pleasant to the touch.
It may be easy to connect the Bluetooth app. The connect button also has a toggle function that may be accessed by pressing it; this was not clear at first and needed human intervention (which no one likes). [WAZA user guide]
Sound
The clear channels sound fantastic. There’s a gap between the music and you that seems like the amp is in the room. The clean settings were wonderfully tuned in for my Strat, with just the correct amount of roll-off.
The WAZA-Airs include the same dynamic head tracking technology as the Apple AirPods. Like the AirPods, this is nice at first, but as the novelty wears off, you may want to turn it off.
Sometimes the head tracking function is really great, giving you the impression that you’re sitting on the sofa and your amp is off to your left. But then you bend your head too much and the sound comes out at an odd, unnatural angle.
Sennheiser HD 650
The Sennheiser HD 650s’ open-back design lets sound travel further than previous designs, providing distortion and reverb more room.
The design makes them ideal for late-night jam sessions. The ear cushions are constructed of velour cups that are comfortable to wear, and the headband is adjustable to accommodate all head sizes. The frame’s modest weight of 260 grams also helps.
The detachable cable is 3 meters long with a 1/4 adapter, which is great for guitar playing.
On the negative, no carry case is included, which you’d expect at this price.
Sound
The HD 650s are manufactured to exceptionally tight tolerances, with a total harmonic distortion of less than.05% (1 kHz, 1 V). This is obvious. In general, they sounded amazing whether listening to music or playing with the axe.
With headphones, it might be difficult to get the full effect of overdrive or broken-up sounds from a guitar amp. In this way, they surpassed all others on the list. A large amount of headroom allows the distortion to move and blossom like it would in a room.
The accuracy is exceptional for mixing and mastering. The sound stage is very excellent and spacious.
Superlux HD681 Headphones for Electric Guitar
The Superlux HD681 headphones have a semi-open back design, are constructed of durable pleather, and are lightweight and comfy. (278 grams) They have the appearance and sensation of being able to be thrown about your studio for years and yet sound the same.
Comfort / Build:
The cable is 2.5 meters long and terminates in a regular 1/4 jack with a mini-jack converter, making it suitable for most guitar configurations.
Sound
You need interesting mids for guitar playing and these offers. Perhaps too much. For reference headphones, these are a tad too boosted in the bass and mids.
The soundstage is adequate. Lower midrange instruments might be harder to distinguish in the mix, and the overall balance is not optimum.
However, at this price, it’s tough not to be pleased by these cans – an excellent choice for a budget set.
Vox VGH-AC30 Headphones for Electric Guitar
The VGH-AC30 headphones are on-ear closed-back headphones with a 1.6-meter cable that terminates in a 1/4-inch jack that connects straight to your guitar. There is no need for an amplifier or any other special equipment.
Comfort / Build:
They operate on two AAA batteries, which are provided. On the right ear cup, there are small dials for amp adjustments. These have a cheap feel to them and are difficult to manipulate and place properly.
The whole construction quality is deplorable. They just don’t feel or appear to be made to last.
Sound
Surprisingly good sound quality. The clean channels produce a beautiful chimney tone that is enjoyable to jam with. Anything that breaks up with high gain and low loudness, on the other hand, begins to sound cheap.
We thought these cans would be a step up from the VGH-AC30s, but we were mistaken. These are a letdown and, considering their price, are typically not recommended.
They are touted as high-end guitar practice headphones that may be used for a variety of purposes. We found these to be adequate recreational Bluetooth headphones at best.
AKG Pro Audio K240 Headphones for Electric Guitar
The AKG Pro Audio K240 are closed-back Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones. They are quite comfy, but a touch too toasty. On the right ear cup, there is a multi-function switch that controls play, pause, forward and back operations.
Comfort / Build:
Vox claims that they are “perfect headphones for every guitarist,” however they lack even a basic 1/4 wire for connecting to an amp! They include a cheap mini-jack cable but no adapter. Amazing.
You can play guitar with them through Bluetooth connection with your computer or phone, but this takes an audio interface, a DAW or software, and a lot of tinkering to set up.
Sound
When connected to an amp with the supplied connection, the sound is weak and unpleasant. Anything else than pure tones is a waste of time. To say the least, distortion and anything somewhat husky were underwhelming.
They’re adequate as recreational headphones. Like most, they are bass-heavy and have decent noise cancellation. However, given the price, they fall short of the competition.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you properly plug a guitar into an amp?
Use the amplifier’s clearly labeled “headphone out” jack. Don’t connect to a “line out,” “direct out,” or “input” jack. If necessary, use a mini-jack or 1/4-inch adaptor.
Can I use headphones with my tube amp?
Unlike solid-state amplifiers, most tube amplifiers do not even have headphone outputs. When you plug in headphones, the output voltage to the speaker is disconnected. Tube amplifiers must have an output for the voltage from the transformer or they would physically burn up.
An attenuator will be required to connect headphones. This removes the burden from the speaker and provides a headphone output.
The high-end Universal Audio Ox to the low-cost yet superb Bugera Power Soak are examples of attenuators.
An attenuator will be required to connect headphones. This removes the burden from the speaker and provides a headphone output.
The high-end Universal Audio Ox to the low-cost yet superb Bugera Power Soak are examples of attenuators.
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