Best Headphones For Video Editing (2024)

In this article I'd like to share what I consider to be the perfect headphones for video editing. Please stick around to the end for an honorable mention.

Over the past 20 years I have tried countless headphones in search of the perfect pair, and I think I’ve found them.

Before I reveal the headphones, I’d like to share a bit about how I use them and the features that are most important to me. The perfect headphones for me may not be the perfect headphones for you.

First and foremost, I want headphones to provide a flat frequency response for accurate audio mixing. If you mix your own audio, this should be a priority. But even if you pass off your edits to an audio house, I think it’s extremely valuable to have a solid pre-mix in the rough cut stage.

 The second criteria I use to judge a pair of headphones is comfort. While I don’t share an office with others, I still find myself doing the majority of my editing with headphones on. Compared to listening through speakers, I feel like a good pair of headphones limits outside noise and keeps me more focused. For the hours I spend in them, an uncomfortable pair just wouldn’t work.

Third for me is build quality. I’d rather spend money once on something that is going to last, rather than spending less money, but having to replace it when it breaks.

My last criteria is value for money—what’s the best audio quality, comfort, and build quality I can get for a price within my budget?

For me, the perfect headphones for video editing are the Neumann NDH 20 (affiliate) Closed-back studio headphones. At the time of this writing, they retail for $549.

The sound quality is just superb on these headphones. Keep in mind these are for mixing (they are not overly bass-y like a lot of consumer headphones). I find that these have a very flat frequency response, so I know exactly what I’m getting and I can mix accordingly. The overall sound quality is very hi-fi so I feel like I can hear every detail.

These are also the most comfortable headphones that I’ve ever owned. Keep in mind that I have a pretty large head—so your results may vary, but I almost forget I’m wearing them. The ear cups are super comfortable and they also do a great job of keeping out external noise. I also want to point out that these may be the only headphones I’ve ever owned where the cable comes out of the right side. This feels so much more natural to me for some reason and I’ve really come to love it.

Neumann is known for its high-end microphones and recording gear so the build quality on these headphones doesn’t disappoint. They feel very sturdy and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever after almost 2 years of ownership. I will also say that they are very aesthetically pleasing. For me, it’s a huge bonus when products are beautifully designed.

And finally value for money. I think these headphones are a great value at this price. If you are mixing your own audio and you don’t have the resources to spend thousands on audio monitors, these are a great alternative. I would feel absolutely comfortable doing a final mix on these if I didn’t have my Genelec 2.1 audio monitor setup. And with the comfort and build quality, I can see myself using these for many years to come.

While these are not the most expensive headphones out there (I’m looking at you, Focal), I do realize they could be cost-prohibitive for some, so for my honorable mention I chose the Sony MDR7506 (affiliate). In my opinion, these are the best headphones I’ve used for under $100. 

If you are currently editing with consumer headphones, these might be a nice upgrade, as they are widely used in the recording industry. I might not complete a final mix on these, but they will give you a much more accurate frequency response than consumer headphones. They are reasonably comfortable and the pairs I’ve had lasted a long time (though the ear cups did eventually start coming apart over time).

Austen is an ADDY award-winning film & commercial editor with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with global brands like Meta, KPMG, SAP, and Christianity Today. His PSA work has championed causes like school safety (with Matthew McConaughey), driving safety, and anti-tobacco. A thought leader in the editing field, his online lessons quickly amassed over 100K views after launch.