5 Highly-Rated Headphones Worth The Money For Vinyl Lovers

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A pair of headphones and a turntable go together like a great frontman with an equally iconic guitarist. And after considering all the features, you've gotten the turntable of your dreams, so you need a set of headphones that make your records sound amazing. Thankfully, we have a set of five highly-rated headphones that are worth every penny.

Before you review this list, one thing you should consider is open-back or closed-back. The difference is simple: headphones that generate a significant amount of sound from the rear of the headphones, those are "open-back"; those that do not, and whose majority of their sound are coming from the part by your ears, are "closed-back." Open-back headphones usually have built-in gaps, which allow for air and sound to pass through and eliminate air pressure. But open-back headphones will not block out environmental noise, whereas closed-back headphones are great when shutting out the rest of the world.

If you are someone who wants to focus solely on the music when you listen, the design of closed-back headphones provides passive noise cancellation, allowing you to be alone with your records. But if you want a listening experience that sounds a little more natural, open-backed headphones are the way to go. So consider the following, which many audiophiles have given rave reviews.

AKG knows sound, and the AKG K702 open-back, over-ear headphones are considered the total package for audiophiles at a reasonable price. These are headphones designed for "precision listening" that "combine an extremely accurate response with agility and spaciousness," according to the brand. These headphones were designed for studio use, but vinyl enthusiasts soon discovered that they made their records sound brilliant.

Though they're currently not available on the AKG website, Amazon has them listed for $256. "Are they the best headphones I've owned yet? Yes, because after going through so many mostly closed-back and a few open-back headphones, these took things to the next level for me," reads one Amazon review. "The soundstage is vast, like you can feel the sound extending farther outside your head than the sound of all the other headphones I've tried or owned," said another. But head's up: many of the reviews are a bit split on the bass level, with some saying that it's light while others argue that "unless you like your bass so heavy that it muddles everything else, these headphones are for you."

AKG has been in the audio game for almost 80 years, so you can trust the brand. Founded in Vienna in 1947 by Dr. Rudolf Goerike and Ernst Pless, Akustische und Kino-Geräte Gesellschaft (or "Acoustic and Cinema Equipment") started off making speakers before pivoting into microphones, headphones, and earphones.

On nearly every "Best Headphones" list, you'll find a pair of Sennheisers. Like AKG, Sennheiser has been in the audio game for nearly a century; The company first formed in Hanover, Germany, in 1945, building microphones before expanding its range to include headphones. Sennheiser introduced the world's first open-back headphones in 1968. Since then, the brand has continued to develop its line of audio equipment, producing high-end headphones like the Sennheiser HD 650. These open-back headphones boast earcups that accentuate sound to be "as they would in nature," and an aluminum voice coil that's "specifically tuned for extended, critical listening," per their website.

The results? "Heavenly sonic bliss," wrote one satisfied fan on Amazon. "Full, rich, lush sounding voices and instruments. Widest sound stage of my headsets with excellent clarity. Very easy to separate and follow various voices and instruments in the music I listen to." Others called these "the best cans for the price," and "the most wonderful headphones I've ever heard."

Many reviewers did not mention that the headphones work best with a proper amp in your audio setup. One reviewer noted the difference from their PC speaker sound and a "cheap-$75 FiiO 10K DAC amp" was night and day. So if you do have a good setup, it should be no problem. Amazon lists the headphones at $379, which is on the higher side, price-wise. The HD 505 headphones go for about $232; the HD 560S is $179.

Hey, it's another German pioneer of high-class headphones: beyerdynamic (stylized in all lower-case) is the legacy of one Eugen Beyer, a man born in St. Petersburg, Russia, who ended up in Berlin at the start of the 1900s, just as radio began taking off in the home, along with the use of headphones for private listening. Like AKG, beyerdynamic focused on loudspeakers for cinemas before spending the next century developing top-tier headphones like the DT 990 Pro X.

The soft velour ear pads might be worth the price alone. Plus, with a 3.5 mm jack (and a 6.3mm adapter), you can plug these open-backed headphones into just about anything. "These are very well balanced with a 'normal' bass and treble, neither of which is overpowering and not at all offensive to the ears," reads a five-star review on Amazon.

The DT 990 Pro X model is a fantastic set of headphones, but its price ($229 on Amazon) might put people off. The DT 990 Pro (not the Pro X) sells at $199, but the difference is that the DT 990 Pro has multiple impedance versions (80 ohms & 250 ohms), meaning you will need an amplifier in order to experience your vinyl fully. The Pro X model is specifically designed to be used with a wide range of devices, so if you want headphones best for your turntable and your smartphone, these are worth your money.

This pair of closed-back headphones comes from Audio-Technica, the renowned brand was founded in 1962 by Hideo Matsushita focused on the idea of making high-quality audio available to everyone. Audio-Technica makes one of the best and most affordable highly-rated turntables out there, and their ATH-M50x headphones are perfect for intimate listening sessions.

The headphones boast "copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils, plush sound isolation pads, and an over-ear design" (per the website). They were designed for engineers and studio work, where you need to focus on the sound coming out of your ears and nothing else. If you want to pick up every nuance and warmth of your vinyl, the ATH-M50x might be the ones for you.

"The range of music that these can be used for is absolutely stunning," said one five-star review on Amazon. Another reviewer noted how powerful the headphones were. "I had to turn the volume down to '2' so I didn't go deaf," they wrote, noting that the lower ohms (they only have 38-ohm impedance) meant that it was easier to get the volume that they wanted. "The bass isn't too loud to where you can't hear anything and isn't too quiet where you can barely make it out. The sound quality is better than anything I've ever heard before," added a third. The ATH-M50x set sells for $159 on Amazon.

Shure is a brand synonymous with microphones. Their cardioid SM58 microphone has been used everywhere from podcast studios to dive bar backlines. Over the past 100 years, Shure — founded in Chicago, Illinois, by S.N. Shure — has slayed the audio game, and the SRH 1540 are the brand's premium closed-back headphones. Luxury in headphone form, the ear pads are covered with Alcantara, the Italian microfiber that is known for its soft, suede-like feel. With low-density, slow-recovery foam, the SRH 1560s have developed a reputation for being the most comfortable top-tier headphones on the market.

But how do they sound? "The sound stage is expansive as reported and the highs, mid-range and bass reproduction are more than acceptable," reads one five-star review on Amazon. "As soon as I tried the Shure 1540 I was done, no more shopping around," reads another, adding, "I once let a friend try them on with one of his favorite songs and all he could say is 'I am sure glad my ears don't have a memory because they will hate my phones.'"

The only major hurdle is the price: Amazon has them for $530. But, if you want super comfortable headphones that close out the rest of the world, reviews say they're worth every cent.