Best Headphones for Vinyl in 2024

How to Choose the Best Headphones for Vinyl

Sound Quality

Whether you are a hardcore audiophile or a casual listener of an older record collection, sound quality is extremely important in your headphones. This is especially true if you have invested a fair amount of money into a new headset, or plan on using it for studio recording and sampling purposes. Headphones can provide warm sounds with precise details on every tone that can then be pushed through high fidelity devices so you can hear and enjoy your music.

Some headphones are made to be more powerful in reproducing bass tones, while others are better balanced overall. If you only listen to a certain type of music from your record collection that is heavy on the bass, a bass specific headset might be more for you. If you decide to listen to a wide range of music genres, a more balanced pair of headphones that can handle highs, mids, and lows well across the board is a better option.

For those listening to vinyl almost exclusively, you’ll get a much warmer and more balanced tone quality. This is much improved over the sound quality you get from CDs or other music storage options. Additionally, vinyl can be much better sounding overall than internet music files, even high fidelity and high definition audio.

Connection Options

Headphones can have a wide range of different connectors including USB, 3mm jack (see also 3.5mm vs 1/4″ jacks here), 6mm jack, Bluetooth, and more. The most commonly preferred connection for vinyl enjoyment is the 6mm jack, though USB and Bluetooth technology can also work exceptionally well depending on your style of record player.

Many audiophiles love the sound quality that can be delivered by gold plated or brass 6mm headphones jacks. If you find a pair of headphones that you love, but they don’t have a 6mm jack, you can find a variety of different adapters on the market to make those headphones work with your stereo system or record player.

It’s not uncommon to find 3.5mm to USB adapters, as well as 3.5mm to 6mm adapters. In fact, it’s almost standard to find a 6mm adapter cap over headphones that have a 3.5mm headphone jack as well. You can also find headphones which have detachable cords giving you the option of using the headphones corded with a headphone jack, or cordless with a Bluetooth wireless dongle.

Back Design

Headphones come in two back styles; open back and closed back. The better one for your needs can depend on where you plan on using your headset the most often. For example, if you are in a busy area, noisy room, or listening to your music when commuting on a bus, train, or plane, closed back headphones can provide the best sound isolation.

Open back headphones are perfect for a quiet room such as your bedroom, office, or other area where ambient noise is kept to a minimum. You’ll get a nice expansive and clear sound from the headphones, but will easily be able to hear a phone ringing or footsteps behind you in the room.

Open back headphones are great for individuals that still need to stay alert to things around them, such as children crying or dogs barking. Closed back headphones can fully immerse you in your music, sometimes completely drowning out the background sounds that may be present in the room around you.

Extra Features

Certain manufacturers or certain headphone models will have a variety of extra features available. For example, you may find headphones with RGB lighting, different levels of noise cancellation, multiple styles of ear and headband padding for longer listening sessions, replaceable ear cup pads, replaceable decorative aesthetics, and more.

In general, the extra features won’t improve or change the audio quality, but can improve the overall look of the headphones as well as the comfort levels. The only time an extra feature may improve the audio is with certain circumferential ear cup pads. Better padding can improve sound isolation and keep the sound waves on top of your ears.

Many over-ear headphones on the market today will provide multiple options for ear cup padding. The default foam is nice, but some brands and models will come with a few different options for you to choose into. Memory foam padding is common, as is gel foam. You can also find over-ear cups with mesh fabric in case you suffer from overheating around your ears and along the headband.

RGB is another popular extra feature some over-ear headphones may include, but it is most often found on wired headphones. The addition of RGB accents on wireless headphones can quickly reduce the battery life those headphones carry. In most cases, audiophiles that love their vinyl collections will go for simple yet reliable headphones over flashy RGB styles.

Drivers

The drivers in your headphones are what delivers the natural sound of the music to your ears. It includes the voice coil, magnets, and diaphragms. Each of these components can be made from a different material, and with advances in technology every year, high quality drivers are getting smaller and smaller in an attempt to create a more natural sound.

It’s still quite common to find larger and more impressive drivers anywhere from 40mm to 50mm in size, but small and discreet drivers can go as small as 8mm. These smaller sized drivers are commonly found in earbuds which are not the best choice for audiophiles and vinyl collectors since these smaller drivers, even at the top of their game, cannot compare with larger and more robust 40mm drivers to get that high dynamic range of sound.

The driver in high quality headphones is what is responsible for the sound frequency response range as well. Average drivers can run from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but can go as low as 8 Hz or as high as 50 kHz. Both electrostatic and planar magnetic drivers are extremely popular with vinyl audiophiles, with the latter being much more easy to find, however both headphones sound great.

Battery Life

Only a concern for wireless headphones for vinyl listening, battery life can run anywhere from 8 hours to 40 hours. The most common battery life on the market is around 24 hours. The battery life will depend on the type and age of the battery, with lithium ion being an extremely popular and highly reliable battery choice.

Charging times will also be a concern for some, as most over-ear design headphones for vinyl will not be usable while they are charging. The shorter the charging time needed, the more time you have to enjoy your music. Some headphones can fully recharge in 5 hours, while others may need to be left on their charging stand overnight.

If you are looking for wired headphones, an excellent battery life will not be of concern to you. Your headphones will instead get all of the power they need through their cable from your stereo system, external preamp, built-in phono preamp, or other connected device.

Price Range

Headphones, like all stereo equipment, can be found in a wide range of prices from entry-level to investment level. Most headphone prices will vary due to changes in driver quality, brand names, overall sound quality, noise reduction capabilities, and extra features.

If price is of a major concern to you when searching for the best vinyl headphones, consider looking at headphones from lesser known brands. You may not get the same robust warranty guarantees, but chances are you will still get a very reliable headset that can deliver an acceptable quality of sound for casual listening, mixing tracks, and more.

Audiophiles and anyone serious about the quality of their music may prefer going with a well known name brand. Not only do these more popular companies have better access to high quality components for driver construction, but they also usually have very good warranties that can protect you in case of the headphones becoming damaged or not meeting your expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How important is overall sound quality?

Sound quality should be one of the most important things for you to keep in mind when purchasing a new pair of headphones, especially if you will be using them for listening to your vinyl collection. Headphones are not all created equal, even if they seem to have the same internal components and driver types.

Sound quality between headphone brands and models can be drastic. If given the chance, try and test the headphones in advance before making your purchase. Play some of your favorite tunes, and crank up the volume loud as well. A lot of the time, distortion will be noticed at higher volumes before it will be noticed at lower volumes.

Additionally, for audiophiles, be sure the headphones you are considering have the connection you want. In some cases, the type of connector can have an effect on sound quality, especially when comparing USB to 6mm headphone jacks. For heavy bass, many audiophiles stand behind 6mm or 6.35mm headphone jacks in order to make all of the audio they play sound good.

How do I choose a good headset for my needs?

The first thing you should do is consider your specific needs. Are you an audiophile that is extremely discerning about every note you hear through your headphones? Or are you a vinyl collector that has a more casual ear? Sometimes, the best sounding headphones to a casual listener will not be up to par for a serious audiophile.

Each type of listener has their own level of quality as to what makes the best headphones for vinyl. You may also notice that certain headphones sound better with some types of music over other types of music. If you are strictly a Jazz listener, but your headphones sound better with high bass rock, you won’t get the full enjoyment from your preferred music.

You also need to consider your listening habits. Do you wear your headphones for a short amount of time once or twice a day? Or do you wear them for several hours at a time on a daily basis? This will determine your needs when it comes to the overall weight and comfort levels of the headphones too. Extended listening sessions will require more padding around the ear cups and headband in order to prevent fatigue and pressure pain.

Are gaming headphones okay for vinyl listening?

In most cases, no. While gaming headphones can give you a wonderful casual listening experience and might be the perfect answer for someone who doesn’t hang on every note of their favorite songs, they can be a poor choice for audiophiles looking specifically for vinyl headphones.

Gaming headphones are great all-around headphones, and normally have a powerful 7.1 surround sound system and very robust noise cancellation technology. This is, unfortunately, not the best balance of tones for audiophiles that specialize in, or focus on, vinyl music.

You’ll get a decent mid range detail from gaming headphones, but deep bass lows and high trebles may not be as clear and defined as they would with the best headphones for vinyl. Bass response and the overall frequency range will be drastically different in gaming headphones and this can reduce your overall listening experience when using them as vinyl headphones.

What makes one headset more expensive than another?

Even if headphones look similar and advertise the same frequency response range and driver sizes, you may notice a drastic difference in their prices. This can be due to a variety of factors, but the most common one is brand name. Certain manufacturers such as Sony, Bose, and celebrity-branded headsets, can command a higher price than their lesser known twins.

If you are specifically looking for a certain brand of vinyl headphones, you may be paying a slightly higher price for the same components. However, the benefit here is that the well known brands usually have solid warranties and other guarantees behind their products while the lesser known brands may not.