There is something truly special about classical music. Whether you are listening to a Bach concerto or a Beethoven sonata, there is an undeniable power and beauty to the music. If you are a fan of classical music, then you know that it is important to have the right equipment in order to get the most out of your experience.
In this article, I will discuss some of the best headphones for classical music lovers. I will also provide a brief overview of what makes classical music so unique. Let’s get started!
| # | Best Headphones For Classical Music Under $100 | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo | Check Price |
| 2 | AKG Pro Audio K240 | Check Price |
| 3 | GRADO SR80e | Check Price |
| 4 | Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X | Check Price |
| 5 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 | Check Price |
Buying Guide: How to choose the best headphones for classical music
When it comes to headphones for classical music lovers, there are a few things to consider.
Open VS Closed Back
Open back and closed back are the main types of headphones. Open-back headphones allow sound to escape from the ear cups, which gives you a more natural listening experience and allows you to wear for extended periods of time.
Closed-back headphones block out all sound, which is ideal for noisy environments.
When it comes to classical music, open-back headphones are often preferred. This is because classical music often features delicate orchestral arrangements and solo instruments.
That being said, there are some great closed-back headphones out there for classical music lovers. Some examples include the Sony MDR7506 and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.
Impedance
Another thing to consider when choosing headphones for classical music is impedance. Impedance is a measure of how much electrical resistance a headphone presents to the amplifier driving it. In general, higher impedance headphones require more power to drive and are better suited for high-end audio systems.
If you are using a portable audio device, such as an iPhone or iPad, then you will want to choose headphones with low impedance.
Some great examples of high-impedance headphones include the Sennheiser HD800 and the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. Low-impedance headphones include the Philips SHP9500 HiFi(excellent quality headphone under $100).
Sensitivity and soundstage
Sensitivity and soundstage are also two important factors to check. Sensitivity is a measure of how loud a headphone can get with a given amount of power. Soundstage is the perceived size of the audio image. A headphone with a large soundstage will give you a more immersive listening experience.
Comfort
Comfort is another important point you should not compromise on. This is especially important if you plan on wearing your headphones for long periods of time. Look for headphones that are lightweight and have soft ear pads.
Some great examples of comfortable headphones include Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X and Sennheiser HD 800 S.
Price
Price is also an important consideration when choosing headphones for classical music. You can find great-sounding headphones at a variety of price points. It is important to find a balance between quality and price that is comfortable for you. The list of best headphones for classical music I shared includes budget-friendly options so you can also check them out.
Best Headphones For Classical Music in 2022
1. Sennheiser HD 600
The Sennheiser HD 600 headphones are audiophile-grade headphones that are perfect for listening to classical music. They have a sophisticated design and are elegantly finished in black and gray. They feature high-quality open metal mesh earpiece covers, which allow for natural sound reproduction.
The lightweight aluminum voice coils ensure an excellent transient response, and the neodymium ferrous magnets maintain optimum sensitivity and excellent dynamics. The headphones have detachable. Speaking of comfort, the ear cups are very soft and have an oval shape that will perfectly fit your ears.
The headband is also adjustable, so you can find the perfect fit for your head. They also don’t put any pressure on your head because of their excellent weight balance, so you can wear them for hours without feeling any discomfort.
Overall HD 600 headphones are perfect for those who want the best sound quality possible.
2. Philips SHP9500
The very first headphone I recommended is Philips SHP9500. Because of 32ohm impedance and 101 sensitivity, you can drive these on anything, whether you plugged on mobile, laptop, etc. to listen to classical music. This is the best headphone available at under $100.
The 50mm neodymium drivers deliver a full spectrum of sound with a comfortable double-layered headband cushion. Which means you’ll get both quality sound and comfort.
Let’s take a closer at what features and possible benefits we can get if we purchase the Philips SHP9500.
They have an open back over-ear design that allows the wearer to use it for longer periods without ear fatigue or getting the ears warm. If we talk about its built quality, most of the parts are plastic except for the steel headband.
The plastic is solid that makes it lightweight and durable as well. The headband is also adjustable from 0 to 4 numbers so that you can adjust according to your head size.
Another excellent thing about the SHP9500 headphones is they have a very comfortable clamping force while wearing for 2 to 3 hours. I didn’t notice anything that caused me discomfort.
The headphone has an only 280-gram weight which is considered lightweight. However, the plastic on-ear cups doesn’t feel premium. But it is pretty solid and wrapped in a comfortable sports mesh fabric that ensures amazing comfort during long wearings.
Moreover, ear pads and headband padding are removable, so if you want to increase the comfort, you can replace them with a new one as the connection is wired and comes with a 1.5m long removable cable with a standard 3.5mm jack.
If we talk about their sound quality, they sound the best at $80 price. They present the sound with a lot of clarity, separation, and detail. They have nice lows and mids, nothing too harsh or too focused.
Overall they feel pretty balanced. They have 50mm drivers that deliver a pretty high sound on any device, but it will be great for lows if you plug them into a dedicated amp.
Philips SHP9500 does not have as much detail and clarity as high-end headphones that cost $500, but they have more than enough at less than $100.
Pros
Nice and Solid built quality
High-quality sound with a balanced signature
Comfortable and lightweight
Low Cost
Replaceable and Breathable pads
Cons
Nothing to complain but Treble is sibilant at times
3. AKG Pro Audio K240
AKG is a popular acoustics company and well known for manufacturing high-quality audio products at affordable prices, and AKG PRO Audio K240 is one of them.
AKG K240 is a professional studio headphone with a wide dynamic range, great sound, and high comfort. If you’re looking for critical listening, classical music listening, and a reliable pair of headphones with a great comfort at under $100(only cost $69), AKG K240 is a phenomenal deal.
Let’s take a look at the features.
AKG Pro Audio K240 has a semi-open back around-ear design, which means they’ll leak sound but not as much as fully open-back headphones.
The headphone is built of plastic material, which is pretty solid and reliable. The headband is adjustable and has a pretty nice size that fits every size of the head.
Ear cups come with a black and gold color combination that makes the headphone more attractive(Still it’s personal taste). The headband has soft leather padding, and ear cups also have soft leather that offers excellent comfort.
AKG K240 is very lightweight, and their clamping force feels you’re not wearing anything. The ear cups are also big enough to feel any problem or my ears touch the surface.
The benefit of the semi-open design is it lets the air in, which means your ears will not get even after wearing and listening to music for multiple hours. K240 is a wired headphone, and they came with a 3m replaceable cable that ends at a 3.5mm standard jack and includes a 6.3 mm (1/4”) screw-on adapter.
The sound quality of AKG k240 is what you need for listening to classical music. As these are professional studios designed, they sound flat and neutral.
All frequencies are balanced and don’t emphasize any frequency. Thanks to the semi-open design, it delivers nice and sweet lows, mids, and highs. The bass is also pretty nice, but it didn’t affect the other sound. You’ll hear every detail.
The only thing you may not be comfortable with is they leak sound; other than that, there is nothing to worry about. With 55ohm impedance, you can use AKG k240 on mobile and laptop, but these are specially designed for home studios, and plugging them with amps will make their sound quality more impressive.
4. GRADO SR80e
The next headphone I recommend to listen to classical music that costs just around $100 is an award-winning headphone, a Grado SR80e.
Grado SR80e features amazing sound quality and a nice comfortable design. It is an open back on-ear headphone with a plastic build. The build quality is not high, it is okay, but their comfort quality is excellent.
First, let’s talk about the ear pads. Earpads are nice, but I recommend you order new pads to enhance the comfort quality, and also, they sound best.
The headband is also comfortable. Comfort is not a big issue with a Grado SR80e. You can wear them for a long period of time to listen to music.
Their build quality is not as high as the above-mentioned pair of headphones. They came with a cable that terminates with a standard 3.5mm jack, but the cable is not removable, so you cannot just remove and replace it if you break.
You need to open the headphone and attach a new one. Although the cable is strong at $100 and in the latest technology, a headphone should have a removable cable.
Overall build quality needs improvement, but they are lightweight and offer excellent comfort. One of the good things about Grado SR80e is they came with 32-ohm, which means they’re compatible with any devices without an external power source to drive them.
If we talk about the sound quality, they sound pretty amazing, and their sound quality and comfort we consider the best headphones for classical music under $100.
Grado SR80e features a wide mid-range focused sound with a unique set of characteristics. Bass response is pleasant but not as much as bassy headphones have.
They sound pretty balanced and more natural. Overall they sound amazing and are recommended to you only major issue to consider is not detachable cable; otherwise, Grado SR80e is an excellent pair of headphones.
5. Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X
The next best headphones for classical music under $100 in our list are from the Audio-Technica model ATH-AD500X.
All who are familiar with the headphone industry better know the Audio-Technica brand. Moreover, Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X is popular because of its solid build quality, amazing comfort, and newly designed 53mm drivers with CCAW voice coils that reproduce remarkably natural sound.
Along with classical music, ATH-AD500X headphones are also suitable for gaming as well. If we talk about its design at first, you may find it weird, but actually, it is a super solid and comfortable pair of headphones.
The 3d wings make the headphone fully comfortable for any size of the head, and while wearing, you’ll feel zero headband pressure. Along with a comfortable headband, ear cups also have a big size that any type of ear size small, medium, or big stays well in the ear cup without touching the inner surface or drivers.
The only big downside of build quality is not having a removable cable. Otherwise, their build quality is solid. The ATH-AD500X is also super comfortable.
They have little to no clamping force because of the headband’s unique style and have soft and comfortable ear padding. Also, the open back design lets in the air, and even in longer listening sessions, ears will not get heat.
As their price tag is under $100, they sound stunning. The key feature that makes them the best headphone among its competitors is sound stages. Because of the open back design, directional audio is excellent.
That’s one reason, along with classical music listening, they’re very appropriate for gaming and ASMR videos. They provide excellent detail and instrument sound separation. However, you may not like it because of the heavy bass. If you like the bass, then you’ll love these pairs of headphones.
Overall the build quality, sound quality, and the comfortable are impressive vs the price. If you like the little bass, then definitely consider AD500X.
6. Beyerdynamic DT 990
The last headphone I recommend you in the list of best headphones for classical music is Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. It is one of the most popular headphones with three versions 32, 80, and 250 ohms.
If you’re not familiar with impedance and these numbers, it’s better you take a look at the headphone impedance. All you need to do is understand the higher these numbers are, the more power you need to drive the headphone.
If you want to plug the headphone with mobile or portable devices, Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro-32ohm will be the ideal option. For a home studio where you plug the headphone into the amp, Beyerdynamic DT Pro 80ohm and Beyerdynamic DT Pro 250ohm will be the best option.
Now let’s take a look at their features.
Beyerdynamic DT pro is an over-ear open-back headphone and ideal for mixing, mastering, and editing. Their build quality is solid and even considered as the most solid and comfortable on this list.
The headband has a strong and comfortable headband that provides comfort for a long period of time. Also, they have soft, circumaural, and replaceable velour ear pads that ensure high wearing comfort.
Ear cups are large enough that any size of ears remains comfortable without touching the drivers. Overall, everything is perfect except for the wired, which is not removable, but the cable is pretty solid and tangles-free.
If we see their sound quality, they sound stunning even though these are the best sounding pair of headphones among the above mentioned for listening to classical music, professional studio, and editing use.
The sound is transparent, spacious, and has strong bass. Beyerdynamic DT pro is the best choice if you’re looking for a headphone with sweet piercing highs and decent lows.
7. Sennheiser HD 800 S
The Sennheiser HD 800-S Over-the-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphone is a superb choice for listening to classical music. The large ring radiator transducers produce clear and detailed sound, while the innovative absorber technology reduces unwanted frequency response peaks. The unique ear cup design directs sound waves to the ear at a slight angle to create an impressively natural and spatial listening experience. The HD 800-S includes two connecting cables: single-ended and balanced. With its superior sound quality and comfortable design, the Sennheiser HD 800-S is an excellent choice for enjoying classical music.
The HD 800 S is the most comfortable headphone. Its ear cups are designed to fit around the ear and its headband is adjustable to provide a custom fit. The headphone is also lightweight, which makes them more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you find the best headphones for classical music. Classical music is a truly special genre that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With the right equipment, you can enjoy classical music to its fullest potential.
In the above section, I discuss a few of the important things to consider when buying the best headphones for classical music as well as review 7 best options available in the market.