3 Best Headphones for Vinyl in 2024

Are you looking to expand your frequency spectrum? Do you want to know the best headphones for vinyl with which to do it?

Then come along, as we expand your hearing capabilities and explore the best headphones for listening to vinyl.

Table of Contents

• What Makes Good Vinyl Headphones?
• 1. Sennheiser HD 650 (Best for Best)
• 2. Sony WH-1000XM4 (Best for Bluetooth)
• 3. AKG K72 (Best for Budget)
• Final Tones
• FAQs Best Headphones for Vinyl

What Makes Good Vinyl Headphones?

This will very much depend on the individual needs, wants, and desires of the consumer. There are many variables to think about. Though it seems that the unanimous and universal desire would be to prioritize sound quality.

Will your headphones be open-back or closed-back? The former refers to a pair of headphones that have a perforated external shell that allows air and surrounding sound into the phones freely. This reduces pressure and promotes a more natural sound for extended listening sessions.

This all sounds well and good. But the reason some decide to opt for closed-back headphones is so that they can prevent people from hearing the music they are listening to and so that they can block out external sounds.

It, thus, stands to reason that the best vinyl headphones will cater precisely to each person’s needs and circumstances.

Even if headphones sound great, they might not be the right choice for some. Especially for some people for vinyl listening.

Listening to vinyl records is a very specific experience, just as specific as the specific circumstances of each listener. Some might even prefer to listen to their music with Bluetooth headphones. Something which will be rendered at least a little more difficult considering vinyl’s status as an analog format.

Likewise, the ear cups might need adjusting for over-ear headphones, something that some models simply do not cater to. Bass response, sound isolation, and the like will be just some of the qualities of in high-quality headphones.

1. Sennheiser HD 650 (Best for Best)

Sennheiser has a long history of providing quality sound solutions for fairly reasonable prices. Founded by scientist Fritz Sennheiser in 1945 in a farmhouse in Hanover, the company has since become one of the most recognized faces in the game. Manufacturing all sorts of cutting-edge audio technology.

No doubt coming in at a sum, these boast a better-than-average sound quality at a price that most record collectors will be able to afford if they save up their pennies.

These open-back headphones are designed for on-ear use with a headphone amplifier that is optimized to ensure that external noises, like the sound of the headphone wire against your clothes as are going to and from somewhere. For instance, do not build up enough to distract you from your listening experience.

Pros

• The sound quality is extraordinary considering the fairly reasonable price point.
• The design is largely inoffensive, and the fact that it weighs hardly anything makes this a pair of portable headphones that can be taken anywhere despite what the heft of the design might imply.
• Comfortable with more than adequate cushioning for the ears
• and with a long cable that can stretch the listening experience just about anywhere – this cable is also detachable, meaning that it can be easily replaced.

Cons

• The design can come at a cost, for the paint can easily chip from the surface if one is not careful enough.

2. Sony WH-1000XM4 (Best for Bluetooth)

For those more inclined towards comfort above other factors, then you can’t really go wrong with this pair of headphones. If you cannot do without Bluetooth technology – even when you are listening to your favorite vinyl records on your Bluetooth record player between different rooms of the house – then you and this pair of headphones were made for each other.

Sony actually better Bluetooth, in fact, by making use of LDAC technology which seeks to allow music to be enjoyed wirelessly in the highest quality possible, coming as close to mimicking a wired connection as you are likely to find on today’s market.

These features are extended even to the Dual Noise Sensory technology, which can adapt to the surrounding environment and cancel out any unwanted noise as though it were never there in the first place. Neat!

Pros

• More than adequate sound quality to match even the more discerning listener.
• The design is sleek and inoffensive
• While also being incredibly portable thanks to the lightweight and matte finish, which can come in a whole variety of different colors.
• These headphones can even pair with multiple devices at once, allowing the user to flit between them with relative ease.

Cons

• Connecting to multiple devices can take a bit of getting used to and might not be as immediately gratifying as some might wish.
• Might not work with all types of record players, either.

3. AKG K72 (Best for Budget)

AKG has always made audio equipment for the discerning listener. I own a pair myself (the AKG Y50s, to be exact). I purchased them precisely because of their heralded reputation as manufacturers of audio equipment that is not only exemplary, but that attempts to put up as few barriers as possible between listener and sound.

The AKG K72s offer these things and more at an incredibly cheap price. Though they are not exactly going to blow you away with their design or build quality, their flat frequency response and sound drivers will offer a balanced and relatively unbiased impression of the frequency spectrum of any song.

For this reason, they are best for those who have a discerning ear. But who are likewise operating on a budget. Allowing the said ear to cut through the crap and hear what is there.

Pros

• This is a brand that is well-trusted to deliver the goods when it comes to frequency response.
• The sound quality is exemplary considering the price, with a full and rich sound response when fed a whole variety of different styles of music.
• They are comfortable and well-suited to long listening sessions
• And come with a 3-meter-long cable that allows the listener to roam freely through their space while listening.

Cons

• The build quality leaves a lot to be desired, though I think this is to be expected at such a price.

Final Tones

So, there you have it!

Hopefully, you are feeling better informed about some of the best headphones for vinyl available on the market today. Ready and prepared to make a purchase that is going to change your listening experience forevermore. This even leads you to ask: do you need speakers for a record player?

FAQs Best Headphones for Vinyl