The Best Headphones for Film Editors

• How to pick the best headphones for film editing
• What matters most to a film editor using headphones
• Headphone reviews, suggestions and my personal choice

Last Updated – June 2022

As a film editor I spend many hours working in client offices, on-set and other random places with a need for some high quality, reliable and comfortable headphones.

In this post I’ve put together a guide to help you choose the best set of headphones for film editing.

We’ll start with a quick run down of the specific needs of a film editor, a few technical details you need to understand and then a selection of headphone options and recommendations from myself and other editors I polled in researching this post.

What did I choose?

If I was to recommend one pair of headphones that will serve most editors incredibly well it would be the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros. They are comfortable (even with glasses) for long sessions, deliver an accurate and reliable sound and are very affordable.

Ever since I first put this post together, 10 years ago, I have been exceptionally happy with them, in fact I still use the exact same pair to this day!

Buy Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros on Amazon Global Stores

The best headphones for film editing, the short list

The headphones in this post are grouped by brand and so do not appear in order of preference.  If you want to dive right in, jump to:

Sennheiser Headphones | AKG Headphones | Audio Technica
Sony Headphones | Beyerdynamic Headphones

Here is a list of quick links to some of the best headphones for film editors, in the order they appear in the post. These links will take you to your local Amazon Store, where ever you are in the world.

• Beyerdynamic DT250
• Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros
• Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X
• Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
• Sennheiser HD 380 Pro
• Sennheiser HD 300 Pro
• Sennheiser HD-25
• Sennheiser HD26 Pro
• AKG K240
• AKG K702
• Audio Technica ATH-M50x
• Audio Technica ATH-M70x
• Sony MDR-7506
• Sony MDR-7510
• nuraphones
• Sony MDRZX 110
• Sony MDR-V150’s

How to choose the right headphones

For comfort, you will definitely want circumaural headphones – which basically means the pads sit around the earlobe, rather than pressing down on them. This should help prevent your ears from hurting after many hours of use and reduce how hot they may feel too.

For quality, and suitability of our particular use, you want Monitoring headphones, or Reference Monitors – which is self explanatory really… they are designed for monitoring, so won’t colour the sound too much. This means they will provide a more accurate representation of your mix.

Some headphones that are more designed for music – such as the popular Beats headphones, artificially increase adjust the sound to increase the bass and other things. If you’re using these kinds of headphones then you’ll think there is more bass in your mix than there really is.

You’ll also want to avoid noise cancelling headphones too as they will be adjusting the sound to filter out background sounds. In the future I might update this post to include ear-bud headphones, as I know a lot of editors like using them for their portability, but they won’t deliver as balanced a sound as reference headphones.

One last thing you might want to look for specifically is the ability to replace the headphone cable, as this tends to be one of the most likely things to break or get damaged over many years of active service. I’ve included links to replacement cables where applicable.

Understanding the technical details of headphones

There are a few key terms that you need to understand to make sure your buying the right kind of headphones for film editing. One of my most technically minded post-production friends (thanks Gareth!) sent me this helpful explanation of the difference between open and closed back headphones and ohms.

Understanding Open & Closed Back Headphones

With closed back headphones you have a trade off.

Fully closed will isolate more sound (for the listener and away from any bystanders) because of less ambient interference. But, as sound is about air pressure – with a speaker moving the air in front of it to create sound, and by default the air behind it will move as well.

If that air can’t move as freely (being fully closed creates a build up of pressure), it will affect the movement of the speaker and therefore affect the fidelity of the reproduction. Whether that difference is notable by the listener is another question.

I’ve personally tried closed and open back headphones side by-side, at first glance I couldn’t hear much difference.

A lot of high-end headphones tend to be semi-open to balance the issue of isolation vs fidelity. I think the Beyerdynamic 770 Pros have a small slit in the casing so the sound can breathe, despite being considered closed backs.

I suppose another crude summary – for personal use in public, on the tube etc. – fully closed; for use in a well insulated sound/editing suite – open/semi open.

Understanding Frequency Range

One of the key attributes to look for in a pair of headphones is the frequency range they can deliver.

Essentially the greater the range of frequencies the headphones can reproduce, the more accurate their sound. Human hearing is generally considered to be 20-20,000 Hz.

In my post on In-Ear Headphones for film editors there are some headphones which are considered to be capable of reproducing frequencies beyond human hearing.

Here is what the Sony site had to say about ‘High Resolution Audio’ and increased frequency range.

While most people can only hear frequencies from 20-20,000 Hz, [the Sony XBA-H3] actually reproduce 3-40,000 Hz. This is because infra- and ultrasonic frequencies are not heard—they are felt.

This creates the richness of live and studio-quality music experiences—an experience lost with compressed digital files or some other headphones.

Whichever headphones you end up choosing, you’ll want to see at least 20-20,000 Hz range (or greater), although depending on the particular make up of the inner workings of those headphones (drivers, type of metal in the cables etc.), the precise reproduction of those frequencies might differ, creating marginally different sounds for discerning ears.

This is pretty much why personal preference will always trump technical run downs and spec comparisons.

Understanding ohms  

If you remember physics lessons back at school, electrical resistance (measured in ohms) is related to wire width. The thicker the wire the less resistance (as there is ‘more space’ in the wire for the current to flow through – think of it like water in a pipe, the narrow, the harder to get through).

Therefore speakers / headphones made with thicker wire need less power to drive and can therefore go louder, but that thicker wire (which is coiled around and around at the back of the speaker cone) is therefore heavier and means the speaker cone moves less freely, thus affecting it’s reproduction of the sound.

Conversely speakers / headphones made with thinner wire will move easier, but will need more power. Crudely speaking, lower impedance (less than 100 ohms), needs less power to drive, therefore can get louder; higher impedance (250 ohms), better sound but more power needed. Real world examples would be, less than 100 ohms – iPods, laptops, field recording; 250 ohms – hi-fi installations, studio monitoring.

And the end of the day in an ideal environment, 250 ohm headphones will sound better and more natural. If power is an issue and you don’t have a headphone amp, you could consider something like one of these:

FiiO Portable Headphone DAC Amplifier

 Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Plus it will most likely offer better quality than the built in headphone out of most laptops and due to it using USB. Check out this short review of several Fiio Headphone Amps.

Beyerdynamic Headphones

All of the editor’s I polled whilst researching this post highly rated either the Beyerdynamic DT250 or the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros.

The DT770 Pro headphones come in three levels of impedance at 32 ohm, 80 ohm and 250 0hm. If you’re not planning on using a headphone amp, as mentioned above, go for the 80 ohm pair.

They are incredibly comfortable to wear especially for long edit sessions and do a great job of keeping my ears cooler than in other sets of headphones.

They also deliver tremendous audio fidelity and have remained in great shape after being stuffed into my edit bag on untold occasions. You can also get replacement velour ear pads, which are part of the magic behind their extreme comfort!

The only catch compared to some of the other headphones is that they don’t have the ability to replace the headphone cable, but if you look after them you should be just fine.

These are without doubt, my favourite headphones for film editing.

Buy DT770 Pros from Amazon.com | Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Buy replacement ear pads from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

What’s the difference between the Beyerdynamic 770, 880 and 990 Pro headphones?

The main differences between the variants of this series of headphones is how open they are. Check out the ‘Understanding the Technical Terms’ section for more on this, but the basic point is that the more closed they are the less you’ll hear the outside world, although technically a more open set will give you a more accurate sound.

According to the Beyerdynamic site, the headphones should be used in roughly the following scenarios:

• DT770 Pro – Closed back for studio or stage use
• DT 880 Pro – Semi-open back for reference monitoring, mastering or mixing
• DT 990 Pro – Fully open back for ‘critical listening’

Having recently tried a set of the DT 990 Pro headphones, back to back, with my DT 770 Pros, in a normal freelance editing environment (i.e. less than ideal), I have to say I prefer the isolation and focus that the closed back headphones provide.

By blocking out more background sound, they definitely help you to focus on the work at hand and I couldn’t immediately hear much difference between them.

Beyerdynamic’s Pro Ranges Compared

Michael from the hugely popular (992k subs!) In The Mix YouTube channel shares his thoughts on the closed-back versions of each tier of Beyerdynamic’s professional headphone ranges:

• DT 770 Pro (Classic)
• DT 700 Pro X (New)
• DT 1770 Pro (Premium)

You can also get an open back version of each of these (990/900 X/1990) and a semi-open version too (880/800 X/1880), should you prefer.

As you can see the very top of the Pro range cost about 3 x as much as my trusty DT 770 Pros, but should you be upgrading and to what?

Here’s Michael’s conclusion on each of the headphones but it’s also worth listening through how he describes the sound signature of each device here.

DT 700 Pro X – How do they sound?

“I’d say they have a similar bass response to the Classic range but where they’ve really reinforced it is in the sub bass. So it’s still a very clean sub bass but they just sound like they extend a lot deeper and they sound richer in that sub bass which, to be honest, makes them a lot more fun when you’re producing.

They’re definitely warmer through the low mids they don’t feel scooped in the low mids or the mid-range at all, however they don’t have the same airy treble response that the Classic range or the Premium range have.

They’re a lot smoother in the top end, and honestly, it’s a really interesting treble response because it’s not crispy or airy like you might normally be used to with Beyerdynamic headphones but it still has an awful lot of depth.

It’s very easy to still hear where things are placed, the stereo image is brilliant, it just doesn’t have that sort of airy quality that, I know for some people, can be a little bit fatiguing.” – Michael

DT 1770 Pro – Not for every day use

“While I wish I could take my DT Premium headphones with me everywhere, the reality is that to get the most out of those Premium headphones you really do need to plug them into a high quality amplifier, but I would never want to take these on the go – they’re the sort of headphones you want to keep them safe in your studio.” – Michael

DT 770 Pro – Still an excellent choice

“The classic DT pro range still represents the best value for money of any headphone I’ve tried and they’re not just good as your first pair of headphones – these would be good for your whole career, honestly.

They last for such a long time and it’s a really, really trusted sound profile.

The issue is one pair of headphones is not going to suit every device you might need to plug it into so you’re going to need to you know make sure that you’ve got the right impedance for the task.” – Michael

Sennheiser headphones

2019 Update – Sennheiser have discontinued both the HD 6 Mix and the HD 380 Pro headphones replacing them with the HD 300 Pro series. If you can find a pair of either of these headphones they’re still well worth your consideration!

Scroll down for details on the new HD 300 Pro headphones.

Sennheiser HD 280 Pro: These are their cheaper pro monitoring headphones, and considering that, and the brand, this seems like a really good value price.

Buy from Amazon.co.uk | Buy from Amazon.com

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro: For not much more, these are their top end ones – better audio range, build quality and a replaceable cable – Take these over the cheaper ones.

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Headphones were one of the pairs Sennheiser sent me for testing. After several extensive 8 hour editing days, I can say that they offer excellent sound quality with great clarity in both the high and low end, and, if you get them set up and positioned correctly on your head (I found I had to have the band a bit further back than normal for maximum comfort) they will carry you through the day without a hitch.

One of my favourite things about them is that they a) come with a travel case and b) fold flat into the travel case which really helps when you’re fitting them into your editing bag with the rest of your gear. These were originally in the final running for my selection for good reason, a great buy for any editor who travels frequently.

Buy from Amazon.co.uk | Buy from Amazon.com

One of the slight niggles with the HD380 Pro’s is the heavier coiled cable, which you can see in the image above. Some users like to replace it with a lighter weight cable like this one.

HD380 Pro Replacement Cable on Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

June 2019 Update – Sennheiser have recently discontinued the HD 380 Pro headphones and replaced them with their brand new HD 300 series headphones.

I’m hoping to get my hands on them soon to personally review them for this post, but looking at the specification and the build quality, they look like they should be a great option in terms of very high quality neutral sound reproduction, comfort over long hours due to the large pads and solid Sennheiser build quality.

Although it’s worth noting that they do have a narrower frequency range (6-25k Hz) than the previous Sennheiser HD 380 Pro and HD 6 Mix headphones or the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros (5-35k Hz), which are still my personal recommendation.

The HD 300 model have ‘passive noise cancellation’ which essentially means their closed backs will block out local sound, rather than actively parsing out troublesome frequencies through active noise cancellation.

The HD 300 PROtect model has an interesting feature, presumably aimed at live sound use, which “reduces signals that are too loud down to a safe level.” So anything above 110 dB it will smoothly reduce in volume, without clipping. These are only marginally more expensive than the HD 300’s and you can switch this feature on and off, so it could come in handy if you’re also moonlight in live-sound production environments.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Sennheiser HD-25: Light and comfy. Popular with DJ’s and Video/Film Sound guys due to the ability to swing one ear away. These are not circumaural and so will sit on top of your ears. If you’re in a noisy environment this might help block out even more background sound, but for comfort reasons you’re best going for a different set.

Sennheiser also sent me the HD26 Pro Broadcast headphones. These are not circumaural headphones, which means that they sit on your ears, rather than around them.

This might well be a benefit in broadcast production, for which their closed design is intended – and helps to keep out surrounding noise, but after several hours of use whilst editing I found them to be quite hot and uncomfortable.

Although they are light weight and provide excellent sound quality I would highly recommend choosing a pair of circumaural headphones instead to provide constant comfort during long editing sessions.

Buy from Amazon.co.uk | Buy from Amazon.com

AKG Headphones

AKG K240:  Another great make, my editor friend Alex has 2 sets of AKG headphones.

These have a slightly smaller range (15-25,000 Hz) of frequencies than the top end Sennheiser’s (8-27,000 Hz), but are slightly cheaper.

Alex mentioned that these are the most comfortable things he has ever worn. Again, there is a detachable/replaceable cable.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon.co.uk

AKG K702:  My editor friend Alex has these, except he has the non-pro model, which basically just means the cable isn’t removable, and they are a much prettier colour!

Even though they are way more money, Alex suggested them to me because he loves them and thinks they are worth it.

They need to be listened to for some time to break in the sound, but they are great and super comfortable!

Buy from Amazon.com | Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Audio Technica Headphones

Audio Technica ATH M50x – These headphones seem to be an increasingly popular alternative choice, for many editors. The ATH-M50x are the follow up to the ATH-M50 headphones, which were much more directly geared towards professional monitoring use.

The ATH-M50x have a high quality, if slightly bass-led, sound, with lots of definition in the high end and decent isolation from background noise due to their closed-back design. The frequency response is listed as 15 – 28,000 Hz. They also have a more compact and portable folding design.

A reader of the blog, Seb, shared his experiences in the comments below, on the pros and cons of the M50x:

“I’ve got the ATH M50xs – the sound is great, good insulation from external noise, but they are essentially DJ headphones, which means they’re quite tight on your [head] and can get a little uncomfortable after a while – I need to take little breaks from using them during the day. Because of this, I’d hesitate to recommend them for work use.“

The ATH-M50x headphones come in a choice of black or white and ship with three detachable cables, offering you a choice of lengths (1.2m v 3m) as well as straight and coiled.

All things considered I would still highly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones for comfort and quality and they only cost a little bit more than the M50x’s.

That said, if anyone from Audio Technica reads this and want’s to get in touch, I’d be happy to update this review from a personal perspective!

Buy on Amazon Global Stores

Audio Technica ATH M70x – The flagship headphones in the M-series these are more accurate in their sound reproduction that the slightly bassy M50x’s. They also cost nearly twice as much!

So what’s the difference between the ATH-M50x and the ATH-M70x?

Well, Audio Technica claim that the M70x benefit from an improved audio tone that is “even more precise in medium and low frequencies than the ATH-M50X.” As well as a more ‘refined design’ which makes them lighter (by only 5g!) in comparison to the M50x headphones and with a better fit.

It’s possible that this improved design would reduce the kind of tightness that Seb is talking about, making them more comfortable for longer sessions.

In comparing the specifications the M70x have a much wider frequency response at 5 – 40,000 Hz and a slightly lower impedance at 35 ohms compared to 38 ohms. Although they seem to be constructed from the same 45 mm driver and internal metals.

Without giving them a side by side listen, it’s hard to say where the price/quality improvements come in.

Buy on Amazon Global Stores

Sony Headphones

Sony MDR-7506: These are the slightly better, much more comfortable version of the (cheaper) ones you see in loads of edit suites – from universities to post-houses, but basically they are otherwise the same.

I think they are considered to be good for editors, this, of course implies that they aren’t great for sound mixing, but are close enough for general reference/mix. The frequency range is 10-20,000 Hz.

The difference between these and the ones you normally see in suites, is that these have proper big ears for comfort instead of those little round ones, and a better cable.

Buy from Amazon.com | Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Sony MDR-7510: These are Sony’s much better equivalent in terms of getting a more accurate sound.

Actually they seem to have the widest range of audio frequencies of the lot, (5 – 40,000 Hz) so in the sound sense they are the ‘best’ of the Sony’s. They also have a larger 50mm driver compared to the 40mm driver of the 7506’s, so should deliver a better sound too.

Buy from Amazon.com | Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Film Editor’s Headphones, My Choice

I’m currently choosing between the Sennheiser HD380’s and the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro’s.

I went for the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro’s in the end and they have been both extremely comfortable for long editing sessions and provided fantastic depth and clarity even in the midst of a busy office environment. I would highly recommend them!

Having now personally worn the Sennheiser HD380 Pro’s many times, I would happily recommend them as superb headphones, but I would say that I’ve personally found the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro’s to be the most comfortable for really long editing sessions.

Film Editing with nuraphone Headphones

Added May 2018

I recently got to review the first set of headphones from the insanely successful* Kickstarter backed company, nura. I ended up writing over 5,000 words on these headphones in this post on using nuraphones for film editing. I’ll be a bit more concise here.

Nuraphones are a completely different kind of headphone as they use both an over-ear speaker set and an inner ear bud at the same time. This helps to split the frequency range to deliver maximum audio resolution and fidelity.

Not only that, but their unique method of calibrating the headphones to account for how you personally hear sound enables them to deliver a sonic experience like no other headphones I’ve tested. You really have to hear it to believe it.

In this regard they are a superior set of headphones to use for film editing, compared to my personal favourites the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros,  as you can now more accurately hear everything in your mix, rather than missing things because your ears don’t hear those frequencies as well as they do others.

When comparing the too headphones side by side, the nuraphones delivered a deeply detailed soundstage that transformed every music track I listened to, with a depth of bass and clarity of the mids and high-end that make the Beyers’ feel flat and thin in comparison.

That said, they’re not cheap at about £349 in the UK.

They’re also not as comfortable as the DT 770 Pros, due to the inner ear bud sometimes applying pressure to your ears, if you don’t have the fit quite right, but this was only over multi-hour sessions that are sometimes required when film editing on site.

For all these reasons I would highly recommend that you check them out as they deliver an exceptional experience, but if comfort over 4-8 hours of constant use is critical for you, then I’d recommend using the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros, as the most comfortable headphones I’ve used.

Read my full review here and use this referral link to save 20% on a pair of nuraphones if you choose to try them for yourself through the 30 day money back guarantee.

Buy on Amazon.com | Save 20% on nuraphone.com

*Nura’s initial campaign was for $100,000 they raised $1.8 million!

A Full Size Protective Headphone Case

If your headphones of choice don’t come with a rugged travel case, then to protect your investment you might want to grab one of these Slappa Hardbody Professional headphone cases.

Designed to fit with many of the headphones listed in this post (and many others!) the crushed velveteen inner lining will keep them scratch free in transit, whilst the fire-resistant and water-retardant outer shell will keep them protected from the usual bumps and bruises.

The centre of the case leaves plenty of room to coil in your cable in a tidy fashion.

Check out the extensive product description for a list of all the headphones they have been tested with, to be sure they’ll fit your particular brand and model.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Affordable Alternatives…

I added the Sony MDR-V150’s as a reader had asked me to include an affordable alternative set of headphones that wouldn’t break her limited budget.

It turns out that those headphones have now been superseded by the Sony MDRZX100 and 110 series headphones.

I’ve not had a chance to try them out myself but several of the reviews I read said they sounded far better than their cheap price tag would lead you to believe. They also come with some additional benefits over the V150’s including the option of a in-cable microphone so they can double up for phone calls, a range of colour options and a foldable design for more compact travel.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon.co.uk

If you just need a pair of cheap and simple headphones to get you started, then I’d recommend these Sony MDR-V150’s, which I found once in a Soho edit suite.

Nice sound, pretty comfortable and reasonably priced at under £20/$30. I’ve had a pair for years.

Buy from Amazon.co.uk | Buy from Amazon.com

More Affordable Headphones – $50 to $150

Michael from In The Mix reviews a whole host of headphones that cost under $150 in this useful video, which also includes several of the headphones listed in this post.

Michael’s top picks are:

• $150 – The Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros and the Audio Technica M40X
• $50-80 – Audio Technica M30X and Beyerdynamic DT240 Pro

Interestingly, Michael had nothing good to say about the Sony MDR 7506 headphones which are often considered an ‘industry standard’!

Michael knows what he’s talking about, has tested all of these himself and offers a detailed and thorough review of each headphone.

In-Ear Headphones for Film Editing

If you’re looking for some recommendations on high quality, comfortable and accurate in-ear headphones, that are (mostly) affordable, check out this brand new post that rounds up numerous options at various price points.

The post also breaks down what to look for when it comes to in-ear headphones, delivers some personal recommendations from trusted editors and composers I know and provides some tips on getting the most out of your new purchase.

My only caveat to in-ear headphones when it comes to your final mix is that you should really be doing that on a set of professional grade Studio Monitors (like these) or if that’s not possible on some over-ear headphones like the ones in this post.

Professional Post Production Headphones In Use

Every now and then you can catch a glimpse of headphones being used in a professional post production context and it’s always interesting to see which headphones have been selected. In this still from Michael Bay’s behind the scenes of Transformers 4 you can see Peter Cullen (the voice of Optimus Prime) wearing the Audio Technica ATH-M40 Headphones.

In this screen grab from a behind the scenes featurette on the sound design for Pixar’s Brave, sound designer E.J. Holowicki is wearing some of the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros.

Common Questions on Using Film Editing Headphones

Once again, the knowledgable and articulate Michael from In The Mix, answers three common questions about using headphones in post-production.

Can you mix in headphones vs Studio Monitors?

Which OHM value headphones should you buy? (32, 80, 250ohm)

Are closed or open back headphones best for mixing and mastering?

If you’re interested in buying a pair of professional Studio Monitors for your edit suite, here’s my previous post all about that.

Testing your Headphones – Things to Listen To

One of the things to do when you get your new headphones is to listen to a few of your favourite tracks, films, trailers etc to get a feel for how things used to sound, and how they sound now with your serious new headphones. One of the things you may find is how badly encoded some of the music you’ve been listening to is and that with decent headphones, the source quality really matters.

Personally I love to listen to film scores, and this recording by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios from Alexandre Desplat’s score to Birth, is a great way to check out both the high and low end capabilities of your headphones. That or a properly mixed film trailer.