Studio Headphones vs Consumer Headphones - Which One to Pick
Anyone who has ever enjoyed their favourite music through headphones, or earphones will almost always state that quality of sound is an important selling point for their audio equipment; the rest is often merely detail... But is that really the case? The best quality sound is important of course, but often other factors can, and very often do come into play.
Some people might make the mistake of asking what all the fuss is about, they all fundamentally do the same thing, they play music for you to enjoy, so why choose consumer headphones and are there really benefits to using studio headphones? Let’s have a look at some of the key differences in a market where choices are everywhere, but getting it right is everything...
Studio headphones are known for their durability first and foremost, they are built to use, and use a lot. They are also built to last with high quality and often heavier materials. Importantly though due to the nature of who exactly uses studio headphones, style and looks can often take a back seat, if you are a sound engineer for example, busy at work then you might not care as much what your equipment looks like, you want, or need your sound gear to do a job, and little else. Leave the studio behind though and on the journey home, you may want a pair of headphones that follow form, just as much as they follow function, right?
Another important factor to consider when looking at the differences between studio and consumer equipment is that music is usually mixed to be enjoyed on consumer equipment. That is great news for consumer headphones, grab your lightweight headphones and simply enjoy it! Studio headphones however are far more geared towards picking up flaws in music through the compression, mixing and mastering processes that your favourite tunes have gone through in the studio before ever reaching your ears. That’s all great if you are in charge of those processes, you need to hear them with studio headphones, but if you just want amazing tunes, or lightweight and noise cancelling headphones, then consumer equipment is by far the best and thanks to Panasonic you can have the very best of all worlds.
Panasonic’s range of lightweight headphones has been designed with that very ethos in mind; of delivering the kind of sound quality that is synonymous with the very best studio equipment. Coupled with a build quality and materials that guarantee they’ll take anything you could possibly throw at them.
But there is much more to it, take the Panasonic HTX80 wireless overhead headphones for example; studio quality is there in abundance, thanks to the 40mm driver unit and range of supported profiles, such as A2DP, AVRCP, HSP and HFP. There is also retro styling in a range of colours, a mic built-in, and a wireless Bluetooth range of 10 metres. Further to this, there’s a quick charging and an impressive 24 hours of playback meaning you really do have the best of both worlds, studio quality combined with a style and functionality that demands to be shown off, all in a pair of lightweight headphones weighing just 190g.
If your style is less retro and more contemporary then the Panasonic HD605NE overhead headphones are worthy of any audiophile’s consideration. Again you get studio quality sound with amazing dynamic range, combined with excellent noise cancellation for the very best feeling of immersion. You also get stunning high definition sound, Bluetooth and voice assistant activation for your mobile devices, along with a choice of colours, a sleek contemporary design and a bespoke carry case.
So, if you are trying to decide whether to pick studio headphones, or consumer equipment, there might well be a third option, an option that combines the very best qualities of both, into one. The quality of sound and the quality of the hardware itself, in a range of wireless headphones that deliver the best of both studio and consumer equipment impressively well.
It is possible to make the choice between studio headphones and consumer headphones, but that choice shouldn’t mean sacrificing quality over style, with the Panasonic range of lightweight headphones and in-ear headphones it really is possible to get the best of both possible worlds.