6 Best Headphones for Music & Gaming in 2024

If you consider yourself a critical listener or serious audiophile, the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro should be your first choice to consider. Not only will you notice they look like a high-quality and premium headset, but they also offer an incredible level of well-balanced sound.

When it comes to instrument and vocal reproduction, the DT 1990 Pro will offer listeners a truly extended deep bass range. The treble can be slightly sharp on some bright tracks, but the slight peak will not be enough to ruin your listening experience. These headphones are great for neutral listening and offer a spacious soundstage for those wanting a higher-class audio result.

For comfort levels, most Beyerdynamic brand headphones offer a premium design that includes accents to give them a high-end feel. The ear cups are well-padded and coated in microfiber that feels soft and soothing on your skin. The biggest downside, however, is the weight of the headphones themselves, which can make them feel a bit bulky when being worn.

You might also notice the tightness of the headphones is a bit more than most. This might not be noticeable unless your head is slightly larger than average, but the headband of this headset doesn’t extend as far as other models or brands, it may not fit well on some head shapes or sizes. For average use, they will likely be extremely comfortable and you won’t notice any issues with tightness or fatigue.

As the DT 1990 Pro headphones are an open-back design, they will lack sound isolating and noise cancellation features. This can be a huge issue for some, but not a concern for others. If you plan on using these headphones for studying in a quiet location such as indoors, in an office, or in a library you will not notice any lack of audio quality. For those wanting to wear their headphones outdoors or in loud environments, the open-back design is not the best choice.

Overall the DT 1990 Pro headphones can be extremely comfortable for long-term use. The ear cups are breathable and cool, preventing sweat buildup even after a few hours of wearing them. You’ll enjoy the high-quality design and premium materials used in construction, as well as unique features such as replaceable audio cables in case they get damaged.

Meze has created their 99 Neo headset with a timeless and fashionable style. Their focus is on creating a headset for contemporary stylized users that will also fit into the related decor of a modern home or coffee shop.

The 99 Neo headphones have a very well-balanced sound, similar to the warm and natural sound you will find in their other models such as the 99 Classic. For the 99 Neo, you will notice a very high musical signature that does not lose much fidelity in the process.

When it comes to an overall sound profile, the 99 Neo can offer a decent mid-bass that does not rumble at too low of a frequency before leveling off. The treble response provides a suitable contrast between the heightened bass as well as the mid to upper treble range.

The biggest issue with the audio contrast is that the sustained elevation peaks of sound will noticeably drop around the 200-300Hz range. On this front, the 99 Neo falls a bit lower on the overall audio quality scale than the 99 Classic would, for example. For casual audio lovers and gamers, this is a very minor issue. But for serious audiophiles, this can be a turn-off.

If you’re a lover of online gaming, the Sennheiser Game One gaming headset is an outstanding option to give you an immersive audio experience. You won’t find any RGB lights on these gaming headphones, but the accent coloring can help them stand out more than a plain colored set.

You’ll notice this headset is somewhat utilitarian in its design. It’s not nearly as sleek and elegant as some other headsets on this list, but the black matte padding is great for those who wear eyeglasses (other gaming headset recommendations for glasses wearers here). The biggest downside, however, is the fact that the plastic exterior is very prone to picking up fingerprints.

A potentially controversial feature of the Sennheiser Game One gaming headset is that it is an open-back variety. This will limit the depth of sound from the headset’s lower end as it will not offer any isolation or noise cancellation. This will also introduce any background noise in your environment into your audio. For quiet gaming spaces, this is perfectly fine – but if you plan on gaming with others nearby or in loud environments, this can be very distracting. The biggest upside to an open-back design is that it helps create a much better 3D sound space.

As for the actual listening quality, you’ll notice a unique depth to the bass level. If these are compared to other gaming headsets such as the Razer or Turtle Beach brand, you may feel like they fall short with the audio clarity but luckily this is not the case. However, the emphasis on bass sound may take some getting used to if you are not familiar with open-back gaming headphones.

One of the biggest downsides if you often use a microphone during your gaming sessions is that you will need to speak up for the microphone to pick up each of your words. The easiest way to fix this issue is by using boost gain software to eliminate the need to speak too loudly and disrupt your entire house.

For many years, Bose has been known as the best brand for noise-canceling headphones. Their QuietComfort or QC line of headphones are an outstanding all-around peripheral for both gaming and enjoying your favorite music.

If you’ve had other Bose QC headphones in the past (like the famous gamer Ninja), you will notice many similarities in the QC 35 Series 2 line. One of the best features is their slimline design, giving them a light and sleek feel when being worn. You can wear these headphones all day and not experience ear fatigue from the weight.

When it comes to technology integration, the Bose QC 35’s have a dedicated Google Assistant button. If you have no use for this feature, the same button can instead be used as your noise-canceling toggle. Multiple presses of the button will allow you to switch between three different ANC strengths.

The Sennheiser HD 599 headphones are an excellent choice for gamers of all levels. You’ll find they offer a very well-balanced sound profile overall, regardless of what you may be listening to. Being an open-back headset, they are not great for loud spaces. However, if you are able to use these headphones in a quiet and secluded space you will be very pleased by the audio they offer.

You can find the Sennheiser HD 599 headset in both ivory and black colorations depending on your personal preference. Both headsets feature silver branding and metal accents to help them stand out from other headsets of the brand. If you’re looking for a set of headphones that have a premium look and elegant feel, the HD 599’s are a great choice.

If you plan on wearing the headset for an extended period of time, such as for gaming sessions or enjoying a long podcast, you’ll be pleased to know they are extremely comfortable. The ear cups are well-padded and are in an oval shape which is arguably more comfortable than round cups. The headband as well as padded with thick foam to prevent both ear and scalp fatigue over a few hours of use.

These headphones have very balanced audio, though the sound quality is not as good as some of the higher-end Sennheiser offerings. If you’re a serious audiophile, you will notice the sound is lacking a bit in these headphones. Since they are an open-back design, you’ll notice some muddiness when it comes to treble and bass. However, for gaming and podcasts or audiobooks, the sound mixing is rather desirable.

The biggest downside to the Sennheiser HD 599 is its lack of portability. For keeping the headset at home with your desktop PC, this is probably a non-issue. However, if you are looking for a set of headphones you can toss in a backpack or bag and carry around, these are not it. They do not fold and can be very bulky. In addition, you’ll notice they may break or scratch easily when attempting to port them around without a specific carrying case made for their size.

For a great sound profile that has a well-balanced result for all types of audio uses, the Philips Fidelio X2HR is an amazing choice. They’re an excellent choice for neutral sound listening but can lack a bit when it comes to the low bass range. Luckily, you won’t notice much harmonic distortion even if you are specifically listening for it.

When it comes to comfort, few headphones are as comfortable to wear as these. Not only are the ear cups extremely well padded with a soft and conforming foam, but the headband is automatically adjusted to keep your entire head free of fatigue even after several hours of use. If you wear glasses, the padding will help reduce the amount of pressure on the back of your ears.

If you have had other Philips headphones, you will notice these feel a bit tighter against your head but this is more for security when movement and should not cause discomfort. They’re very secure against your head when listening and doing casual dancing at home, but are not secure enough to wear while jogging or exercising.

As these are an open-back headset, you will notice they lack any sound isolation capabilities or noise cancellation. This will allow background noise to seep into your headset so, if you game somewhere that isn’t private, we’d recommend getting a pair of closed-back headphones.

The treble range is also a bit uneven, which is also common for open-back headphones. The biggest downside to this is that some frequencies may come across as too dull while others can be too sharp. For casual listeners, this is not going to be a major issue, but for serious audiophiles looking for the highest quality sound profile, these headphones should be avoided.