With the advent of modeling tech and the modern practice amp and all its smart features, practicing your playing with a pair of headphones is more viable than it's ever been. You can't just use any old pair you've got lying around, though, because if you want the very best sound quality, then you'll need a pair of the best guitar amp headphones.
One of the critical decisions you'll need to make is whether to go for an open-back or closed-back pair. The former will give you a more natural sound, but allows noise to bleed through. The latter is better for isolating yourself from the outside world and preventing others from hearing what you're doing, but will sound less open and natural. Both are great options, but it all depends on your particular use case.
My top pick is the closed-back Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X. Partly because they do a brilliant job of isolating you from any distractions, but also because, as a pair of studio headphones, they sound absolutely phenomenal on guitar. They're not the cheapest though, so if you need something cheap, check out the AKG K240 Studio, which deliver excellent value for money.
If you're new to headphones, then I'd highly recommend you check out my how-to-choose section, which will guide you through all the considerations you need to make before purchasing. I've also included a comprehensive FAQs section and a glossary of key terms to get you up to speed on technical terms related to headphones.
My top picks
For the best all-around experience when playing through your guitar amp, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X would be my top pick. The closed-back design isolates you (and others) from any extraneous noise, and the frequency response is fantastically well balanced.
If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful pair of headphones to twin with your guitar amp, the AKG K240s are a very reliable performer. The lightweight design with self-adjusting headband makes them uber-comfortable, and they sound pretty good too, thanks to a semi-open-back design.
If you want the freedom of wireless, the Boss Waza-Air is a pair of headphones and a modelled guitar amp all in one. Coming with a wireless adapter, simply pair them with a guitar, and you're good to go, no matter where and when the desire strikes to play.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want a great all-rounder: As a very highly regarded studio headphone, the DT 770 Pro X isolates you really well and sounds very natural when playing with a guitar amp.
❌ Avoid if you need portability: The non-folding design means they take up quite a lot of room if you need something to take on the road with you.
Overview
Beyerdynamic is a somewhat quiet, unassuming brand in pro audio, being that it quietly and unassumingly produces some of the most practically useful artefacts in the average studio environment, from microphones to monitor headphones. The DT 770 PRO is one such artefact: a set of headphones with around 40 years’ goodwill behind it, providing a crisp, constructive platform on which to work with audio.
Beyerdynamic’s 100-year anniversary brought with it an opportunity for the brand to celebrate its successes, culminating partly in the design and launch of this – the DT 770 PRO X. The PRO X is a souped-up special edition of a tried-and-tested headphone design, with a wider frequency range and some key quality-of-life improvements besides.
Build quality & comfort
A new set of 48-ohm STELLAR.45 drivers provide a familiar frequency response, but with better performance across devices. A detachable micro-XLR cable makes it easier to handle and transport the PRO X, and an improved headband design increases the comfort levels for longer sessions.
Sounds
The prominent bass representation makes this a great choice for octave-pedal-toting pedalboards, and the clear response across the spectrum makes for less-fatiguing play sessions. The low-impedance cans make them smartphone-friendly as well as amp-friendly, so these things could even become your daily drivers (pun somewhat intended).
"It's easy to see why these are such popular tracking cans, since the passive noise reduction is excellent for maintaining performance focus while simultaneously preventing problematic backing track bleed onto the mics. The generous 3m cable is also a welcome bonus in a studio setting, allowing ample freedom of movement for guitarists, drummers and vocalists alike, as long as you don’t allow it to get tangled up in the wheels of your swivel chair"
Read more: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro review
Best budget
✅ Buy if you want a good sound on a budget: These headphones are very low-cost, which makes them a great option if you want to practice guitar quietly without spending loads.
❌ Avoid if you need total silence: The semi-open-back ear cups mean they do let some noise through, which isn't ideal if you need complete silence.
Overview
The AKG K240s are studio classics, favoured for decades by producers and performers across the world. They’re another good example of how less is more – it’s striking how pro cans tend to come with far fewer ‘features’ than their consumer counterparts, even though they see many more hours of use. In the studio, sound quality is king.
These headphones come in two flavours – Studio and MKII. The MKII set features some basic cosmetic upgrades, but the technical specification is identical for both. On this basis, we’d recommend opting for the cheaper Studio cans that, for the quality, are very cheap indeed.
Build quality & comfort
With their gold trim, elegant logo, and self-adjusting headband, the K240 Studios appear enchantingly retro. The padded cups are very comfortable, and they feel robust enough to serve you well for years.
Sounds
The circular ports cut into the ear cups may look aesthetic, but they are in fact functional. The cans sport a semi-open design, which means that they sound more natural, airy, and balanced than a fully closed design, but to the detriment of sound leakage.
This makes these headphones an excellent choice for occasions when sound isolation isn’t hugely important. They leak less than fully open headphones, but they’re still best avoided in noisy environments or where you could prove a nuisance to people sitting close to you.
If you can tuck yourself away somewhere quiet, though, you’ll be rewarded with an impressively accurate sound, with extremely clear highs, an even mid-range, and a solid bass response.
"In terms of how the K240 sounds overall, we found them detailed, spacey and natural-sounding. We couldn’t fault the overall clarity, with plenty of detail discernible at each end of the spectrum and a soundstage that was smile-inducingly wide."
Read more: AKG K240 Studio review
Best all-in-one
✅ Buy if you want an all-in-one option: Combining headphones and a guitar amp in one with a wireless transmitter makes the Waza-Air an excellent option if you don't already have a guitar amp or need something portable.
❌ Avoid if you need to practice with your amp: At this price, you could get a very good pair of studio headphones to pair with an already existing guitar amp.
Overview
Wow, we’re living through incredible times. Iron Man-style jet suits, superfast self-driving electric cars, digital money, apple-pie-flavoured Baileys... Every few months, a tantalising futuristic fantasy product is suddenly here, just a mouse-click away from the joys of ownership.
The Boss Waza-Air headphones are exactly this type of product, the kind that feels like it’s arrived suddenly and unexpectedly from the future to change our lives forever. The idea is simple enough – stuff some modelling technology into a pair of cans – but the execution is way cooler than that.
Build quality & comfort
This product just wouldn’t be the same if it looked like a couple of oversized techy carbuncles growing out of your head. Fortunately, the headphones are relatively sleek, lightweight and good-looking in a retro-postmodern, authentically faux Japanese kinda way. To be frank, they just look like an unassuming pair of squared-off headphones with some shiny steel detailing. The boffins at Boss clearly know their stuff when it comes to miniaturisation.
Sounds
Once powered-up, the Waza-Airs gives you access to five great-sounding amps derived from the Katana stage amplifier series, together with more than 50 effects from the Boss Tone Studio app. They’re totally wireless, too – just plug the tidy transmitter into your guitar’s output jack and you’ll be free to rock 'n’ roll. We’re already sold, but we haven’t got to the really clever bit yet.
The Waza-Airs also pack spatial technology and a gyroscope that elevates the player experience to another level. When playing a guitar through a standard amp, a big part of your adventure depends on where that amp sits in the room. Most likely, it’ll be behind you or in front of you, but it could be anywhere in a 360-degree circle. These headphones can replicate this, enabling you to place a virtual amp wherever you want it.
Incredibly, you can also set the amp to maintain its position regardless of where you turn your head. In other words, place your virtual amp near the window of your real room, and even if you turn to face the opposite wall it will still sound as if the amp is placed by the window. It’s a surreal yet seductive playing experience.
If that’s not enough, you can jam to tunes streamed over Bluetooth, too. Impressively, this ‘virtual band’ can also be placed next to your amp for uncanny realism. The Waza-Airs are so good, we wonder if they render small practice amps obsolete. At last, a product that makes us glad to be alive!
Best for comfort
✅ Buy if you want a comfortable option: The super thick, comfortable ear cups and silicon headband make this a very comfy option for longer playing sessions.
❌ Avoid if you want a natural sound: As a closed-back pair, these will feel very close, which might not be the natural tone you're going for when playing with a guitar amp.
Overview
Focal is one of those intriguing brands that sit just outside the mainstream. It manages to balance what appears to be a cult following with a very popular and recently expanded mid-range consumer product line. Its original top-end ‘Made in France’ series – speakers for audiophiles and studio monitors – has won numerous awards and the greatest respect, but tests the pockets of even the wealthiest.
A decade ago, when Focal merged with British hi-fi expert Naim, it started to introduce Focal-branded products that were designed in France but manufactured elsewhere to keep costs manageable. The Focal Listen Professionals are part of that evolution; they may boast a cheaper ticket price and lack a ‘Made in France’ sticker, but the quality is not to be sniffed at.
Build quality & comfort
The thick, opulent ear cushions, resplendent in claret-coloured microfibre cloth, certainly look comfy – but even they have been developed with enhanced acoustic properties in mind. Focal claims that microfibre provides a more linear bass response than plastic or leather, and the volume of the cushions has been precisely calculated to achieve greater tonal balance.
Apparently, the cups are the ideal acoustic environment. Could we tell? Perhaps that’s missing the point. What we do know is that these cans are beautifully comfortable for extended listening periods, and make guitar sound terrific provided you’re after a very natural, honest tone.
Sounds
Focal’s goal with the Listen Professionals was to maintain dynamics and accurate detail across the whole audio spectrum, so it blessed them with brand-new custom drivers. In order to extend frequency response in the upper ranges, the manufacturer has suspended each 40mm speaker driver in Mylar, and composed the central domes from a Mylar-titanium alloy. The result is a driver that’s light, rigid and capable of bringing clarity and transparency to the very high end. The bass and sub-bass are excellent, too, with almost no distortion.
They’re more expensive than many of the products featured here, but bear in mind that the next model up in Focal’s studio line, the Clear MG Professionals, cost around four times as much, making these seem remarkably good value. They’re also the only closed-back headphones that Focal manufactures, making them the most viable choice for guitarists that this brand offers.
"Being a closed-back design means you’re not going to get the most expansive soundstage that an open-backed design can provide, but next to its closest rivals, the Listen Pros are honest, direct and the soundstage is very pleasing. Those memory foam earcups aren’t just for comfort and isolation, as Focal have deployed certain materials as acoustic treatment, which further enhances the level of clarity and detail that these headphones provide, leaving you with no unwanted frequencies bouncing around, getting in the way."
Read more: Focal Listen Professional review
Best lightweight
✅ Buy if you want a lightweight option: Weighing just north of 200g, these lightweight headphones are great if you value a headphone that doesn't weigh too heavily on your head.
❌ Avoid if you need portability: They don't fold, so if you want to take these and out and about you might find they take up a bit too much space.
Overview
If you want a pair of headphones that don't weigh too heavy on your head when you're playing, the Rode NTH-50 is an excellent option. At 220g, they're amongst the lightest headphones we've tested, making them ideal for those extra long practice sessions where you want to keep playing for just a little bit longer.
Build quality & comfort
The Rode NTH-100s were the pick as the most comfortable in our best budget studio headphones guide, and the NTH-50 very much follows in its footsteps. I found these to fit snugly and comfortably with a decent amount of clamping force, but not so much that it felt overbearing.
There is some flex in the headband, but the ear cups don't rotate so if you need that functionality then you'll have to look elsewhere. The overall weight of them means they feel nice and light on your head, which coupled with the decent clamping force means you'll spend ages wearing these and hardly know that they're there.
Sounds
Sonically, they're very impressive considering the cost. It's pretty balanced, although I did find that the lower frequencies felt a little boosted versus the mids and highs, which are nice and flat. This isn't a bad thing for practicing guitar however, making them very pleasant no matter what sort of tones I was going for.
Picking out ping-pong delays in the stereo field is really well represented, with a nice stereo spread. Probably not as much as you'd get with an open-back pair, but still very precise. I also didn't find them too fatiguing and higher listening levels thanks to the smooth top end.
"Sonically, the NTH-50 has a reasonably balanced delivery. There is some boost to the lower frequencies, but this is not too excessive. Whereas the higher frequencies are quite smooth and not boosted. We would say the mid-range is also not too forward, and the overall tonality means the NTH-50 is suited to a wide range of musical styles, including rock and guitar productions as well as contemporary beat-heavy sounds."
Read more: Rode NTH-50 review
Best closed-back
✅ Buy if you want complete isolation: The ATH-M50x are great for blocking out any external noise, making them a great option if you value silent practice.
❌ Avoid if you want something really flat: These blend the line between consumer and analytical, so if you prefer a more studio-geared headphone, look elsewhere.
Overview
Not only are these best-sellers for Audio-Technica, they’re also among the best-selling headphones on the market, period. Most brands differentiate their professional catalogue from their consumer products, but not Audio-Technica with its ATH-M50x cans. It markets them as studio, gaming, and everyday headphones for all.
Build quality & comfort
They certainly look the part, with their wide, soft headband, generously cushioned earcups, shot-peened-look plastic parts, and brushed stainless-steel detailing. We had to double-check to make sure we hadn’t been sent a more premium model by mistake.
There are some neat user-friendly design touches, such as the way they collapse down into a manageable package that’s easy to stuff into a travel bag, and how the earcups rotate through 90 degrees so that you can wear them comfortably against your neck when not in use.
Sounds
How do they sound? What’s immediately apparent is the bass response, which is muscular but balanced, a characteristic of the two large 45mm drivers that feature neodymium magnets and a voice coil that’s wound with copper-clad aluminium wire. There’s clarity and mid-range definition aplenty here, too, along with an integrity that’ll stay loyal to your original sound.
There’s no Bluetooth or active noise cancelling, but the plush earcup cushions do a great job of keeping the outside world out and your guitar playing in sharp focus.
"M50x goes deeper and feels clearer and more airy, with the M50 sounding more like the M40x. We'd happily mix with the M50x, which we would have shied away from on the old model."
Read the full Audio-Technica ATH-M50x review
Also consider
How to choose
Choosing a pair of guitar amp headphones is an important decision. You want something that truly captures the sound of your instrument, not something that sounds like an angry wasp trying to get out of your living room. So before you take the plunge, here’s some sound advice to make certain you make the right purchase.
1. Open-back vs closed-back
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First up, you'll need to decide between an open-back and closed-back pair of headphones. The terms refer to the way the ear cups are built, with open-back featuring a grille or holes through which air can pass, whereas closed-backs have solid ear cups, similar to what you'd experience with a closed or open-back guitar cabinet.
Open-backs let some sound through, which means they're not a totally silent option for practice as others in the nearby vicinity will hear what you're playing. However, they will feel more 'open' and natural when you play through them, which can get you closer to the sound of an 'amp in a room'.
Closed-back headphones are a much better option if you need something really quiet, as the design prevents the majority of sound from leaking through. They also prevent sound coming the other way, providing a bit of isolation which some guitarists prefer when practicing. They don't sound as wide versus open backs however, and some players can find that it makes you feel like you're right on top of the guitar amp when playing through them.
- 📕 Buy closed-back headphones if: You need to practice in a noisy environment or need to isolate your sound from others.
- 📖 Buy open-back headphones if: You have a quiet place to practice away from others and want the most natural sound.
2. High impedance vs low impedance
Without getting too scientific, impedance is the measure of electrical resistance in ohms (Ω). What this translates to in the real world is that every pair of headphones needs a certain amount of ohms to make it perform at it's very best. Lower impedance numbers mean less power required, and vice versa for higher impedance headphones.
Guitar amps and modelers all have different outputs from their headphone outs, with some being quieter than others. This means you need to match the impedance of your headphones with that of your amp or modeler, similar to how you would with an amp head and a cabinet.
Ideally you'd want a headphone in the 30-80 ohm range to get the most out of a headphone output on a guitar amp, as with a higher impedance headphone you might find the output is too quiet, which means you can't get as much volume out of your headphones as you might like.
Of course if you can, a higher impedance headphone will sound better, which is why high impedance headphones are typically found in audiophile spheres, usually with a headphone amp to drive them harder.
So, before you buy your headphones, make sure to check the impedance of the headphone output on your amplifier to ensure you can get the best out of yours.
3. Comfort
The final consideration you'll need to make is the comfort factor. Everyone has different shaped and size ears, as well as the shape of your skull, so what is really comfortable for one person might not be as nice for someone else. If you can try out some headphones then this will help you a lot, but typically we're buying online these days so this isn't always possible.
Just make sure that whoever you buy from has a good returns policy so you can return the headphones if need be.
FAQs
Why choose headphones instead of earphones?
Generally speaking, in-ear headphones aren’t usually the best for playing with guitar amps. Most in-ear headphones are consumer-grade hi-fi affairs, with sometimes-odd frequency responses and a tendency to get uncomfortable before long. In-ear monitors are the exception to the rule, being ergonomic in-ears designed for comfortable and reliable on-stage monitoring.
Smaller in-ear devices are often hamstrung by the potential power of their drivers. Simply put: size can be a chief determiner for the power and resolution of a listening device. While in-ears excel at blocking out external noise and delivering signal straight to the ear, larger headphones can achieve more power, wider frequency ranges and sometimes better resolution due to the size of their transducers.
In truth, in-ear monitors are a topic all of their own; if you’re looking to improve your on-stage monitoring, you’ll want to research the best in-ear monitors for your needs. Here, though, we’re looking for something different – namely, the best options for comfortably monitoring your guitar playing at home, or in the studio. Speaking of which…
How can I choose comfortable headphones?
Fitment is one of the most important aspects of any headphone purchase. You want to be sure that they’re comfortable enough that you can wear them for lengthy play sessions. The last thing you want is to have to stop your practice regimen because they’re making the top of your head or your ears hurt.
The majority of headphones come with an adjustable band so you can find the right size for you. Cushion sizes tend to be fairly standardised, you’re not likely to find headphones with different sets of cushions. But if you’re really finding them uncomfortable, with some headphones you can purchase third-party cushions to help improve the comfort level.
As for ear comfort, headphones are typically ‘on-ear’ or ‘over-ear’. The former describes a smaller can, which sits directly on your ear and delivers sound more directly to your eardrum. Despite this directivity, on-ear headphones are less immersive – being that they do not cup your ear, but rest over it. Over-ear headphones are most common for studio monitors and guitar amp headphones, describing cans that completely enclose the ear; these are more comfortable for long-term wearing, and can make for a more accurate listening experience too – but in some cases can feel claustrophobic with that immersion.
What are ‘closed-back’ headphones, and how are they different from ‘open-back’ headphones?
The terms ‘closed-back’ and ‘open-back’ differentiate between two key design approaches with respect to headphones. Closed-back headphones have completely enclosed cans, which prevent sound from leaking out during use. These are great for quiet practice where you don’t want to interrupt anyone (or be at all heard while learning something tricky), and even greater for recording with; the reduced leakage means less unintended noise picked up by microphones.
Open-back headphones are the opposite, where no efforts are made to insulate sound leakage from the cans. This can reduce low-end build-up and create a more natural-sounding end result, with the added benefit of reducing fatigue over longer sessions. These are often chosen for headphone mixing for these reasons, and could make for comfier practice sessions if being overheard isn’t an issue.
Do I need noise cancelling headphones for my guitar amp?
Active noise cancellation is a nifty feature, wherein the outside world is ‘heard’ and cancelled out in your ears. Small microphones that ‘listen’ to the world around you, and send the resulting signal to a A tiny amplifier, which then flips the phase of the signal and adds it to the signals your ears are hearing. The inverted signal destructively interferes (Year 10 Physics, anyone?) with the original sound from outside, effectively eliminating the sound of outside altogether. It’s a bit like adding +2 to -2 to arrive at zero, but more expensive. That said, although it’s true that this technology was once the preserve of top-end headphones, it’s now much more affordable and definitely worth seeking out if you find yourself playing quietly, or otherwise easily distracted.
Studio headphones vs normal headphones: which is better for guitar?
A lot of the choices in this guide are ‘studio-grade’ headphones rather than consumer-grade. This is because consumer-grade headphones (think Beats or Skull Candy) tend to hype certain frequencies to give you that super-low 808 on your hip-hop tracks or add clarity to vocals on pop and dance tunes. If you’re just enjoying some of your favourite music that’s great, but for us guitarists who painstakingly sculpt our guitar tones, it’s the last thing you want. Studio-grade headphones deliver what’s called a ‘flat’ EQ curve. That means no hype, just your guitar tone, pure and unadulterated.
Do I need Bluetooth headphones for guitar?
Bluetooth is a ubiquitous feature in today’s audio equipment, and rightfully so; it’s a hugely accessible and near-idiotproof technology for wireless transmission, that feels as futuristic now as it did years ago. While there are undoubtedly applications for it in music, they aren’t what you’d think when it comes to playing guitar.
Transmitting a Bluetooth signal from your amp to your headphones might sound like a good idea in theory, but in practice it isn’t; there’s a reason guitar amp manufacturers have only added Bluetooth receivers to amps before. Bluetooth introduces latency – that is, a delay between the sound and its reproduction in-headphones. For guitarists, this delay in aural feedback is, in a word, intolerable. It is for this reason that wired headphones remain king in the world of headphone guitar-playing!
This isn’t to say that Bluetooth doesn’t have a place in guitar-playing. Bluetooth receivers are gainfully employed in Boss’ Waza-Air headphones to enable play-along with backing tracks of your choosing, for instance. But Bluetooth should not be a guiding criterion in your hunt for the best guitar amp headphones; rather, comfort and fidelity should sit top of your list.
Key terms
- Bleed: The amount of noise that headphones let out while you're wearing them.
- Burn-in: A term that describes using headphones for a certain amount of time before they sound their best. This is completely unfounded and has never been scientifically proven.
- Cans: A slang term for headphones.
- Closed-back: Headphones with ear cups that prevent sound from leaking out.
- Coloured: Headphones that boost certain frequencies.
- Fatiguing: Bright or harsh headphones that can tire your ears over long listening periods.
- Flat response: Headphones with a 'flat' frequency response that give you a better representation of the sound you're listening to.
- Frequency response: Measured in Hz and kHz, these are the total frequencies a headphone can reproduce.
- Imaging: The way a headphone places objects in the stereo field.
- Impedance: A measure of electrical resistance in ohms, which means higher impedance ratings require more power to drive the headphones.
- Isolation: How well headphones prevent sounds from coming in while you're playing or listening.
- Open-back: Headphones with ear cups that let out some sound for a more natural tone and wider soundstage.
- Reference: Very accurate (and usually expensive) headphones used at the highest levels of mixing and mastering.
- Semi-open-back: A headphone that blends open and closed-back designs as a go-between both.
- Sensitivity: A measure of efficiency, determined by how much the headphones output at a certain amount of power.
- Soundstage: The width, depth, and perceived space a pair of headphones creates.
- Transient response: How fast headphones can reproduce transient sounds like snare drums.
- V-shaped: A type of headphone EQ that dips the mids and boosts the highs and lows for a more pleasing and less analytical sound. Typically not great for pairing with guitar amps.
How we test
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best guitar amp headphones available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best guitar amp headphones on the market right now.
Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.
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