A microphone may get most of the attention when you’re building a podcast setup, but a good pair of headphones is just as important. Headphones let you hear exactly what’s happening while you record.
Without proper monitoring, you might not notice these problems until the recording is finished.
The best podcast headphones should be comfortable, accurate, durable, and provide enough isolation to prevent your microphone from picking up the sound you’re monitoring.
That’s why closed-back headphones are usually the best choice for podcast recording.
For most podcasters, the Sony MDR-7506 is my favorite overall option. It has a closed-ear design, 40 mm drivers, a folding construction, and a long history in professional broadcast and recording environments.
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is another excellent choice, particularly if comfort during long sessions is a priority.
What is the Best Podcast Headphones?
Here are eight podcast headphones worth considering.
1. Sony MDR-7506 – Best Podcast Headphones Overall
The Sony MDR-7506 is a classic professional monitoring headphone. You don’t get Bluetooth. You don’t get active noise cancellation. You don’t get an app filled with sound effects.
And that’s exactly the point. The MDR-7506 is designed for monitoring. Sony uses a closed-ear design with 40 mm drivers and specifies a frequency response of 10 Hz to 20 kHz. The headphones also fold, making them relatively easy to carry between recording locations.
For podcasting, the closed design is particularly important. You don’t want the sound from your headphones leaking into your microphone while you’re recording. That becomes especially important when using sensitive condenser microphones.
The MDR-7506 is also easy to use with typical podcast equipment. It includes a 3.5 mm connection and a 6.3 mm adapter, allowing you to connect it to many computers, portable recorders, mixers, and audio interfaces.
If you simply want dependable headphones for recording and editing podcasts, the MDR-7506 is difficult to beat.
2. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO – Best for Comfort
Podcast episodes can take a long time to record. Then you have to edit them. Comfort therefore matters more than you might expect.
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is one of my favorite options for people who regularly wear headphones for several hours.
It’s an over-ear, closed-back studio headphone with soft circumaural ear pads and an adjustable padded headband.
Beyerdynamic specifies a frequency response of 5 Hz to 35 kHz and offers the DT 770 PRO in 32-, 80-, and 250-ohm versions.
The 80-ohm version is an attractive option for many studio environments.
The 32-ohm version is easier to pair with portable equipment. Beyerdynamic specifically recommends the 32-ohm model for devices such as computers, portable recorders, and battery-powered equipment.
The 250-ohm model makes more sense when you’re using equipment with a powerful headphone output or dedicated headphone amplifier.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x – Best All-Rounder
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is another extremely popular studio headphone. It’s a closed-back over-ear design that works well for recording, editing, music production, and general listening. That versatility is useful for podcasters.
Maybe you’re recording your show in the morning, editing it in the afternoon, and listening to music from the same computer later. You don’t necessarily need three different pairs of headphones.
The ATH-M50x is also practical for mobile podcast setups because the earcups can fold and swivel. Another advantage is the detachable cable.
Cables are often one of the first parts of studio headphones to fail. Being able to replace the cable instead of replacing the entire headphone can extend the useful life of your equipment.
For creators who need one pair of headphones to handle several jobs, the ATH-M50x is an easy model to consider.
4. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro – Best for Isolation
Sometimes your biggest problem isn’t sound quality. It’s everything happening around you. Maybe you’re recording in a room with several people. Maybe your computer fans are loud. Or perhaps you’re monitoring a live recording in an environment with a lot of surrounding noise.
A closed-back headphone with strong passive isolation becomes extremely useful in those situations.
The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is designed for professional monitoring and is known for its closed circumaural construction.
That helps reduce the amount of outside noise reaching your ears while also reducing headphone sound leaking toward your microphone.
This makes it particularly useful for podcast studios where several people are recording simultaneously.
The fit can feel relatively firm compared with more relaxed listening headphones, but that tighter seal contributes to the isolation.
5. Sony MDR-7506 – Best Budget Professional Option
The Sony MDR-7506 deserves another mention because of its value. You can spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on headphones. Podcasting doesn’t require that.
The MDR-7506 gives you a professional closed-back monitoring design without moving into audiophile pricing.
Sony says the model is used in broadcast and recording studios and emphasizes its combination of durability, comfort, and practicality.
That’s exactly what most podcasters need. You want to clearly hear speech. You want to notice background noise and recording problems. And you want headphones that won’t cause excessive bleed into your microphone.
If you’re building a two-person podcast, buying two affordable professional monitoring headphones may make more sense than buying one expensive audiophile pair.
6. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 32 Ohm – Best for Portable Podcasting
If you record interviews outside your normal studio, impedance becomes important.
You may be connecting your headphones to a portable recorder, laptop, compact interface, or other mobile equipment. That’s where the 32-ohm DT 770 PRO becomes attractive.
Beyerdynamic specifically positions this version for mobile monitoring applications and devices such as audio interfaces and portable recorders.
You still get the benefits of the DT 770 design. It’s closed-back. It’s over-ear. It has replaceable ear pads. And it provides the detailed monitoring needed to notice recording problems before they ruin an interview.
If you regularly take your podcast equipment on the road, the lower-impedance version makes more sense than buying the 250-ohm model simply because the number is higher.
Final Thoughts
For most podcasters, the Sony MDR-7506 is my top overall choice.
Its closed-ear design, 40 mm drivers, folding construction, and professional monitoring focus make it well suited to podcast recording and editing.
For maximum comfort during long sessions, consider the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO. The 32-ohm version works particularly well with portable equipment, while the 80-ohm version is a strong general studio choice.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is another excellent all-rounder, particularly if you also produce music or other content.