Sony’s new open-back MDR-MV1 wired headphones are marketed as studio monitor headphones. That got us thinking. How are headphones designed for use in the studio different from ones intended for the home? Give it some thought and you will find that the answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might think.
Studio headphones will be heavily used day after day for hours on end, so have to be comfortable, reliable and durable. Wear and tear items on them such as earpads and cables should be easily replaceable too. But, all of these things are also equally desirable for long-term home use. Ah, you say, what about sound quality? Something designed for monitoring has to be revealing and tonally neutral. Those are exactly the qualities we look for in any piece of hi-fi, so there is no distinction there. Is there really a meaningful difference between studio and home headphones, then? We’re not sure there is one.
