There are few things more frustrating than cueing up a classic album on vinyl, then listening to it through a pair of headphones that flatten the whole experience into something you could've streamed through your phone speaker.
Investing in some top-drawer headphones is vital if you want to hear your cherished records at their absolute best on your turntable. The trouble is, ‘good headphones’ and ‘good headphones for vinyl’ aren't quite the same thing. You’re not just looking for something that’ll deliver your tunes loud and clear – you want to hear the warmth and texture that makes records sound alive in a way that digital music rarely does.
To help you find something that meets this criteria – and aligns with your budget – I've put together a guide to the best headphones for vinyl. I've highlighted my favourite headphones in a number of different categories – from best noise cancelling to best detail – as well as picking out a top choice overall, which I've given to the excellent AKG K702.
Whether your setup is an austere all-in-one hi-fi or a major system with amplifiers, a phono preamp, and extra speakers, the following sets of headphones for vinyl will undoubtedly play ball.
Note, though, that this list isn’t exhaustive; rather, it's illustrative of the wide world of over-ear audio available to the curious late-night listener.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want to fall into a record: The soundstage is one of the best you'll find at this price.
❌ Avoid if you want bass that’ll shake your bones: It’s clean and precise but hardly earth-shattering.
The AKG K702 have been a studio staple for years, and once you start playing a record through them, you’ll realise why. Nothing is artificially boosted – mids are rich and authentic, vocals sound completely natural, and the top end has just enough sparkle to keep things exciting without going over the top.
You could listen to a whole album on these and never once feel like you need to reach for the volume knob to keep things under control. The one slight disappointment is in the low end, which is clean and precise but a little on the flimsy side.
One of the best things about these headphones is the comfort. The earcups are generously sized, with velour padding that stays cool and comfortable rather than sweaty. And so light is the clamping force, you could easily forget you're wearing them at all.
The leather headband takes a little while to soften up, but once it does, these are some of the most wearable headphones that money can buy. Just don't make plans to take them on your travels – not only are they bulky and not foldable but, being open-back, they'll pump your music out to everyone in the vicinity. For home listening, though, they're an absolute treat.
Best noise cancelling
✅ Buy for top-tier noise cancelling: These Sony headphones boast amazing noise cancelling - and they sound incredible. Seriously good headphones.
❌ Avoid if you want headphones that fold: Unlike the XM4s, the XM5s don't pack away as neatly, so go for the older model if travelling.
These things arrive packed to the rafters with features. Alongside a cracking mic system and remote, they’re wireless and noise cancelling. Crucially, a set of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are also light and comfortable.
Sound-wise, these headphones are all about balance. They work hard to present a wide open sound stage, neatly situating vocals and lead lines at the forefront. And they don’t skimp on the bass either, keeping things nicely grounded.
With the battery going from dead to offering 5 hours of listening with just a 10 minute charge (a full charge gives you up to 40 hours) and the noise cancelling easily coping with the hustle and bustle of daily life, these are as good a pair of wireless headphones as you’ll find. You can also tweak the EQ settings via the Sony app - and update firmware etc.
Just make sure your record player has Bluetooth functionality before taking the plunge. A solid set of headphones that come highly recommended.
"Offering supreme sound quality, a terrific set of features and plentiful battery life, Sony’s stylish over-ear headphones are the best set of headphones you can buy at this price."
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Best comfort
✅ Buy for comfort and sound: These are a great headphone pick if you're into prog epics as they're comfortable for long listening sessions.
❌ Avoid if you want noise cancelling: The Shure SRH1540 sound great, but there's no noise cancelling included.
Sometimes I just want to settle in with a few favourite albums back-to-back, and that’s where a pair of Shure SRH1540s enter the picture.
Light, spacious and supremely comfortable thanks to their Alcantara pads, these headphones won’t aggravate you even after a marathon prog-style listening session. That’s a really good thing as sound-wise, they supply the goods in some style.
The SRH1540s are texturally literate and open to new things, laying bare the intricacies of a wide range of styles through propulsive bass and an expressive overall presentation.
"The price tag is eye-watering, but the amazing sound quality delivered by the Shure SRH1540 headphones might just make you weep, too. Add in deluxe comfort and a sturdy build, and you’ve got a pair of headphones that are well worth the cost."
Read our full Shure SRH1540 review
Best mid-range
✅ Buy if you want great headphones with top design credentials: Not only do the Classics look amazing, they also offer excellent audio.
❌ Avoid if you want something for the daily commute: For me, the Classics could offer a more secure fit - and I'd rather use them at home than on the road.
Have you ever seen a nicer pair of headphones? The answer is no, and that’s that. These beautiful cans are the Meze 99 Classics – and if I'm to read a book by its cover, I would naturally assume these are great headphones for vinyl, on account of those distinguished walnut-veneered earcups. And I'd be absolutely right.
The Meze 99 Classics are actually at the lower end of that mid-range price bracket, and yet outperform a great many of their contemporaries. I found them to be hugely tactile things, with a responsive mid-range and some respectable, representative bass too. These are clear from bottom to top, but by no means bright; this is the aural equivalent of looking at a canvas bare, as opposed to through a pane of glass.
This tactility sets them up especially well for listening to vinyl, particularly records with some dynamic range or unique textural approaches. Of course, they’ll handle AC/DC just fine too.
"Looking far more premium than their price tag might suggest, the Meze 99 Classics can be consider brilliant value for money. Their wired design may rule them out for some, but when used with a portable Digital Audio Player, headphone amp or smartphone with 3.5mm minijack, they're a knockout. Dynamic, articulate and musical, these Meze headphones tick all the right boxes."
Read our full Meze Classics 99 review
Best for detail
✅ Buy if you want your records to breathe: These have an airy, open sound that gives vinyl room to shine.
❌ Avoid if you like a mellower top end: Beyerdynamic's classic sparkly treble is still here, but it's not for everyone.
Beyerdynamic launched the DT 990 PRO X in 2025 as an update on a studio favourite – but these over-ear headphones are a lovely match for a turntable, too.
Due to their open-back design, sound spreads out nicely, enabling you to appreciate the space between instruments. The bass is deep and controlled rather than boomy, meaning heavier-sounding records don't turn to mush, and there's plenty of detail at the top end to bring out all the little textures that make listening to vinyl so satisfying.
Some listeners might find the treble a bit much, but I didn’t mind it personally. These headphones are also genuinely comfortable – light on the head and with just the right amount of grip – which counts for a lot when you're planning on sitting through a whole album rather than just a track or two.
One thing to bear in mind: being open-back, the sound leaks both ways. That means other people in the room will be able to hear what you're playing – so the DT 990 PRO X are probably better for solo listening than late-night spins next to your sleeping partner.
Best high-end
✅ Buy if you've won the lottery: These headphones are super expensive, but deliver the kind of audio quality you'd expect with an outrageous price tag.
❌ Avoid if you want bang for your buck: The eye-watering price takes the Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 out of the reach of most of us - and you can get awesome headphones for a fraction of the price.
Designed and crafted in San Diego, California, the Ether 2 is an exercise in assembling the best vinyl headphones for audiophiles possible with a price tag to match.
Comprising interlocking metal and carbon fibre elements, these things are extremely light (the Dan Clark team boast that they’re 90 grams lighter than other models in the Ether Flow range) and very stylish in their industrial chic way.
The sound is designed to be open and responsive, reacting to the dynamic requirements of a wide range of styles. If you’ve got the cash and are seeking something high-end, then these lovingly designed headphones might be the perfect fit for you.
FAQ
How do I choose the best headphones for vinyl?
Headphones – and which headphones qualify as the best headphones for vinyl – are hugely subjective, as topics go. There are qualities which appeal to some but not to others, and features which apply themselves better to certain use-cases than others. As such, my own shortlist above is by no means exhaustive. It does, however, touch on a number of the qualities which are often lauded in the pursuit of superior vinyl listening.
Notice, also, that our focus here is on headphones – the over-ear variety, as opposed to earbuds or on-ear DJ-style headphones. While these have their place, over-ear headphones are much better for immersion, and in a couple of ways too. For one, over-ear headphones of all types have more room for bigger drivers, which enable better extension into low bass frequencies as well as more volume. Closed-back over-ears, too, are passive insulators of sound – serving to separate you from the outside world a little more cleanly.
The main tension in any best-of headphones list is between closed-back and open-back. The former is better for immersion, but can suffer from bass build-up and a close soundstage; the latter, with an open or mesh-covered back that allows the movement of air through the ear cups, benefits from a clearer sound and wider soundstage at the cost of increased audio bleed. Between these two, the best option is the one that suits your needs, and that doesn’t fall apart from regular use! Past this, variables like frequency response are a matter for personal preference.
Who makes the best headphones for vinyl?
There are a great many manufacturers in the headphones-for-vinyl space, each of which have their own USPs and claims-to-fame. There are some brands often seen in best-of shortlists, though: namely Sony, Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser, each of which offer headphones catering to every budget and musical preference.
It’s also worth remembering that technology is having an increasingly sizeable say in the vinyl market, and headphones space isn’t immune. There are Bluetooth turntables that can be paired with Bluetooth headphones for maximum wire-free convenience, for example.
Remember, though, that this is an often-lossy, digital protocol that could take a little of the shine off your warm vinyl experience; if you’re dead-set on wireless connectivity, or if your turntable demands it, look out for Bluetooth headphones capable of aptX HD or better communication.
Active noise cancelling has also been a major selling point with headphones for some time now, and continues to get better with development. If you want even more immersion in your music, choosing vinyl headphones with active noise cancelling would be the platonic ideal for letting you relax with your wax.
How do you use headphones with a turntable?
Record players and hi-fi systems are more diversely-designed than ever before, meaning there are many ways in which a given setup might work with your headphones. Conventionally speaking, record players are separate elements which translate sound and deliver it to an amplifier. Hence, in many cases, you won’t be able to plug your headphones straight into your record player, but will rather need to locate the headphone output on your separate amplifier – or use a headphone amplifier specifically designed to drive more detailed sound to your headphones.
Another option is to use a Bluetooth turntable or Bluetooth transmitter with Bluetooth-enabled headphones. Keep in mind that some Bluetooth protocols will be demonstrably worse-sounding than the analogue signal path of a plugged-in pair of headphones, though.
How do I choose the right set-up for vinyl listening?
A good vinyl-centred hi-fi system is a versatile one, that makes the most of the various ways you might want to hear your records. As well as a decent integrated or headphone amplifier for intimate, neighbour-appeasing headphone listening, you might want to invest in a good pair of speakers for a more immersive ambient listening experience – or for when the neighbours are away, and you can properly test the limits of your amp’s volume knob. With specific regard to headphones for vinyl listening, the main choice you face is, again, between open-back or closed-back designs.
Open-back headphones are often described as ‘freer’, or ‘natural’ sounding; this sound is at the expense of bleed, meaning anyone sitting near you will hear exactly what you’re listening to. Closed-back headphones are fully contained, with no exposed elements. The sound bleed is therefore greatly reduced, so you won’t annoy anyone else in the living room if you’re listening to your vinyl collection on your headphones. The trade-off is a slightly ‘thicker’ sound, and a claustrophobic feel after long periods of listening.
In an ideal world, the best headphones for vinyl are open-back over-ears, but where you regularly listen to your record collection, who else is in the room, and your budget are all major factors to keep in mind.
How we test
When accessing headphones to partner with a vinyl turntable, specific criteria apply, depending on the type of record deck you’re likely to own.
Increasingly, modern turntables are arriving with Bluetooth on board. Models like the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT, Pro-Ject Essential III and Sony PS-LX310BT are three of Louder's favourites. These record decks can be paired with Bluetooth speakers and Bluetooth wireless headphones, as they behave like any other music source.
Consequently, all the usual Bluetooth headphone buying criteria still applies - specifically battery life (how much playtime do they offer?), comfort (are they light enough to wear for extended periods?) as well as general kickass musicality.
If a turntable isn’t Bluetooth enabled and you’re opting to run it through a separate headphone amplifier, then your choice of headphones is likely to be wired and audiophile-centric.
Attributes that make a pair of headphones particularly suited to vinyl include their ability to convey the warm tonality often associated with records. We want to hear an openness to Lzzy Hale’s vocals, and a lack of splashy sibilance when it comes to treble reproduction. Ideally they should sound as smooth as Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford’s pate.
Why you can trust us
⚡ Louder was established in 2017 and founded on long-running brands including Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog (launched in 1986, 1998 and 2009 respectively)
⚡ Over 80,000 products reviewed on site, from music listening tech to albums and box sets
⚡ Our reviewers are all passionate music fans who draw on decades of testing experience
Louder’s reviewing team consists of music fans, musicians and professional product testers, who between them have accumulated decades of product reviewing experience, writing thousands of words on music listening gear across thousands of reviews on Louder. Our tests also inform our buyer's guide - just like this one.
As lifelong music fans, we're serious about the tech we listen to our favourite artists on. We want them to sound incredible, giving us all the detail those bands intended us to hear, and deliver the perfect balance of bass, mids and highs. We're looking for pure immersion in our chosen sounds, whether it's a classic '70s rock album, or a cutting-edge noise band.
And we test turntables with albums we know inside and out, and that we've listened to on a variety of systems already, so we know exactly what we should be hearing and when we're being short-changed by lackluster audio.
Meet the experts
Huw Baines is a freelance music writer with a particular interest in all things punk, hardcore and vinyl. Alongside Louder, he has written for Long Live Vinyl magazine, the Guardian, Kerrang!, Huck, Guitar Magazine, Vice, Clash, and elsewhere.
Paul has spent the past nine years testing and writing about gadgets and technology for the likes of Louder, T3 and TechRadar. He might not have the wealth or the looks of Tony Stark, but when it comes to knowing about the latest cool kit, Paul would surely give Iron-Man a run for his money. As for his musical leanings, Paul likes everything from Weyes Blood to Nirvana. If it's got a good melody, he's on board with it.
Latest updates
04/08/26: The guide has received a complete audit with new products added and existing headphones checked over. There's a new introduction while the old Quick Links section has been removed entirely in favour of a concise easy to navigate product list. We've also added a section on why you can trust the Louder team. Finally, we've included a section about the authors of the guide so you can get to know the faces behind the names.
Read more
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
- Best record players: Treat your vinyl collection to a top turntable
- The best classic rock albums to own on vinyl
- How to properly set up a record player: Get the most from your system
- 7 ways to make your vinyl sound better: Get the perfect set-up
- 9 cheap upgrades you can make to improve your vinyl setup
