The best audiophile headphones for gaming are excellent for immersive gameplay. You might think it's overkill to use high-end headphones for gaming, but they can transform your experience. They can simply make your games sound so much better than a cheap headset ever can.
In our learned opinions, the best audiophile headphones for gaming are currently the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X. These marvels of audio engineering offer simply stellar sound quality and comfort, with rock-solid build quality and a name that simply can't be argued with. However, if you're looking for the best budget audiophile headphones, the Drop + Epos 38 PC38X are an affordable set of cans with fantastic audio quality and an easy-to-use microphone to boot.
The audiophile rabbit hole is something it's all too easy to fall down when you start chasing a sound that can't be caught, but can you really put a price on total audio immersion? No. And yet, we've tested and ranked the headsets below with pricing in mind, so you can better understand which will suit your audiophilic needs.
Dave's been a born again audiophile since his time running Techradar's Home Entertainment channel around half a million years ago (give or take) and after his first taste of high-resolution audio, speakers worth tens of thousands of dollars, and $51,000 headphones, he's been all in on what sounds good. Having tested the whole spread of different quality gaming gear he's best placed to say which budget cans still sound good, and which high-end headsets are worth the cash.
The quick list
Best overall
With incredible audio performance and supreme comfort, the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X represents just about the best audiophile gaming experience you can buy right now, all wrapped up in a handsome frame. A classic in studios the world over, and perfect for your games too.
Best budget
Brilliant audio quality and excellent depth combined with a high-performing and easy to use microphone means this Drop/Sennheiser collaboration is a great pick for the audiophile on a budget. It's lightweight, comfortable and a great affordable choice.
Best mid-range
Highly detailed drivers, spotless audio quality, and a massively wide soundstage. Need we say anymore? Well, it's well built, comfy, and comes from one of the most recognisable brands in high-quality audio. That'll do.
Best wireless
Audiophile headphones and wireless are not traditionally good bedfellows. The Audeze Maxwell is here to buck that trend, however, what with its staggeringly good planar magnetic drivers. It might be a bit big and heavy, but its audio chops are exceptional.
Best studio
Reference audio isn't for everyone, but if what you need is something that can let you hear every little detail for mixing, mastering and editing work, these headphones be ideal if you're also looking for a stellar gaming headset with a great mic.
Recent updates
Updated August 14, 2024 to change our pick for best studio headphones for gaming, remove our "best noise-cancelling" section, add an "also tested" section, and check our recommendations are relevant and up-to-date.
Best audiophile headphones
✅ If you want the best sound: The DT 900 Pro X is exceptional when it comes to all things audio.
✅ If you're looking for comfort: With huge velour pads and a memory foam headband, you can wear a set all day with zero issues.
❌ If you want a microphone: Nothings perfect, and the lack of a microphone here means that, well, you'll have to buy one separately.
The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is the best audiophile headphones for gaming we've tried to date. Perfect for mixing and mastering audio, but brilliant for gaming, too. We'll get to sound in a moment, but let's kick off with the build quality and comfort.
Forget leather, the substantial pads are immensely comfortable compared to just about anything else you could wear on your head. Those gigantic velour cushions completely cover the ears and if you wear glasses, they're much more forgiving than most.
It's not just the pads, either. The spring steel headband has a good coating of memory foam, and the whole apparatus stays clamped to your head with a superb seal that makes for a perfect balance between comfort and sound isolation. You can still hear the world around you, mind, but it's decently muffled in a way that doesn't feel completely isolated, yet lets you disappear into your audio without distractions. It is worth noting that the clamping force is initially very strong, but over a few days of usage stretches out for a very comfortable, worn-in feeling fit.
Two cables come included, a 3 m and a shorter 1.8 m. There's no perceptible cable noise, and the low power requirement of 48 ohms means you can use the DT 900 Pro X without a preamp, which means they're compatible with just about anything you can connect them to.
This is an open-backed headset, which traditionally means you get a vaguer if perhaps overall more accurate sound than a traditional closed-back model. That's not the case here, however, as while the DT 900 Pro X is immensely accurate, it also delivers punchy bass that makes other, bloated, gamer-focussed headsets sound plain bad by comparison. The flat response might be pinpoint precise, but it's also got a surgical level of low-end accuracy that allows you to hear all the layers in a mix while still receiving a substantial kick.
It's not all about ambience, however. We're not just recommending the DT900 Pro X for immersion, if you're a fan of competitive shooters you'll be looking for something that reveals footsteps around corners, relative distance of opponents, and the sort of whizz-bang bullet-dodging action experience that doesn't just pull you into the game, but helps you become better at it, too.
With all the qualities mentioned above, it goes without saying that if you are into content creation, the DT 900 Pro X will help you create the most accurate audio for your audience. Since a lot of us are now dabbling in some form of creation be it streaming, podcasting or YouTube, these are a no-brainer.
Bottom line? If you're prepared to pay the entry fee (and we have a great budget option if it's a bit too steep) and can put up with the fact it isn't wireless, we highly doubt you'll be disappointed.
Read our full Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X review.
Best budget audiophile headphones
✅ If you love a punchy sound: The bass response here is excellent, but what's even better is the fact that it doesn't overwhelm the high and mid ranges.
✅ If you want a proper mic: Sometimes audiophile grade headphones skip the microphone entirely, but here you get a massive one, with great audio quality, too.
❌ If you're on a very tight budget: Given the sound quality on offer here, the PC38X set is very good value at $140, hence our budget recommendation. If it's still more than you're prepared to pay, however, our best gaming headset guide has you covered.
Whether you consider this a pair of audiophile headphones is subjective. Admittedly, 'cheap audiophile headphones' is an oxymoron, as audiophile status is mostly reserved for the high-end. But we firmly believe there is great audio quality on offer, at the lower scale of the price range, and these Drop + Epos (formerly Sennheiser's gaming division) PC38X headphones are the best budget audiophile headphones for gaming.
The PC38X is one of the best gaming headsets we've used in terms of raw audio quality. They're open-back, with a wide and open sound from the get-go, but they're also crisp and expansive. Whichever genre you care to throw at this pair will sound fantastic, although it must be said the Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X does outmatch it, for a fair bit more cash.
The bass response delivers a surprising amount of punch, and while the classic Sennheiser-defined high-end is still present, it doesn't detract from the substantial mids, thumping bass, and well-defined frequency response. You can really feel the lowest sub-bass here, quite impressive for any set of cans.
It's not all about the tunes, however. When it comes to game audio, the PC38X shines with an atmospheric and spacious sound that allows Elden Ring's spooky ambient audio to ring wide and true, while still showing just as much aplomb banging out music in Forza Horizon 5. Hunt Showdown was also a highlight, allowing the precise imaging of the set to come to the forefront.
The benefit of these headphones being a primarily gaming affair is that the microphone is also a high-quality, and integrated, unit.
It's the same microphone and boom arm construction you'll find on any number of Sennheiser Gaming/Epos headsets today, but that's not such a bad thing. The flip-to-mute function works well and keeps the mic out of the way for regular use while allowing a comfortable distance from your mouth while speaking. You can also bend it around a little, which makes accurate positioning all the easier.
It's a great-sounding microphone, too, with decent bass response and an overall clarity that should help you cut through background noise to be clearly heard. It must be said, however, that it is a little prone to plosives, or "puh" sounds, and that's a bit of a shame. Still, overall it's a good unit and doesn't feel like an afterthought.
If you're foremost looking for high-quality audio, but you're on a tighter budget than most of the audiophile headphones in this guide ask of your bank account, my budget recommendation is absolutely the PC38X.
Read our full Drop + Epos PC38X review.
Best mid-range audiophile headphones
✅ If you want a balanced sound: Excellent highs, superb mid-range definition, and reasonable bass. Clarity is the order of the day here, not over-boosted thump.
❌ If you want a lot of bass: While the sound profile is balanced, those looking to feel the push of heavy low-end are probably better off looking elsewhere.
Sennheiser has made a mighty name for itself in the audio equipment game. That's primarily built on headphones like these: the Sennheiser HD 650. This quality pair of cans set the standard for high-end home audio thanks to highly detailed drivers and a gorgeous open sound, and it's why we recommend them as the best mid-range audiophile headphones for gaming.
Jacob uses this exact pair of audiophile headphones at home. They're his pride and joy, so, yeah, he's been raving about them. But they really are very good for the money. He landed on the HD 650, as the tried and tested audiophile option.
The HD 650 is a prime advocate of the so-called "Sennheiser sound". That means it excels at the high-end and delivers superb clarity and definition right the way through the frequency range. I've found it is definitely lighter on the bass response compared to most gaming headsets and planar magnetics, though, and whether that flatter sound works will have to be up to you.
But you could say that lighter bass is because this pair of headphones isn't trying to augment your audio—only delivering something close to the real digital deal. For that reason, we think this is a great headset if you want to chase spotless audio delivered impeccably through a wide soundstage. That's also why it's a shoo-in for every aural experience, be that gaming or listening to music. For us, it's a great fit for pretty much everything.
Those of you looking for some punchy bass, mind, may well be better served by our budget options, the Drop + Sennheiser PC38X, or perhaps the weighty yet defined low-end of the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X.
These also aren't cheap, but if you baulk at the price, the Sennheiser HD 650 are very well built and the second-hand market is a great place to find a slightly cheaper pair. We wouldn't pay the full price as listed on the Sennheiser Hearing website today ($400!), as you will find a new pair for cheaper elsewhere. But don't expect any massive discounts (unless you're lucky); these headphones tend to hold their value.
One thing to note: Sennheiser recently sold off its audiophile headphone business to hearing aid company, Sonova. There's not been much of a change in how things are run since the acquisition has gone through, and you'll still find the same headphones as described under the Sennheiser brand. There's just been a corporate change-over in the background.
The best wireless headphones for audiophiles
✅ If you want exceptional sound, yet wireless: The planar magnetic drivers here are some of the best we've heard, proving that audiophile level sound is possible in a wireless set.
✅ If you want great battery life: 80 hours is substantially more than even some of the best standard gaming headsets, meaning you can go longer between charges than most.
❌ If you want something light: They're overbuilt in a good way, the Maxwells, but at a cost, and that cost is weight. They're comfy, but that weight can become tiresome over long periods.
Audiophile headphones are not supposed to be wireless and yet the Audeze Maxwells are the best wireless headphones for audiophiles. They are ridiculously good and it's all thanks to a pair of truly stunning 90 mm planar magnetic drivers.
If you're unfamiliar, these differ from the usual dynamic driver design found in most headphones by utilising a pair of magnets on either side of a flat, rather than cone-shaped diaphragm.
Long story short, this method of sound reproduction is much broader and more natural to your ears, and the level of detail and punch these cans are capable of delivering, as a result, is genuinely astonishing.
Beyond the way they wrap themselves around your music and deliver it in a wider and more detailed way than you've likely ever heard before, those fancy drivers and that super-wide soundstage mean that the immersive nature of your favourite game worlds is delivered better than ever before, which makes them a superb way to lose yourself inside the experience.
This is all delivered via closed-back earcups, which (although there's no active noise-cancelling like the excellent Nuraphone) deliver excellent passive sound isolation that further adds to the immersion of the experience. They are all-encompassing in a very pleasing way, and you shouldn't have any problems hearing your music or your games in a noisy background environment.
Battery life? 80 hours. The included detachable microphone? Clear, defined, and well thought out (there's also a set of beamforming mics if you don't fancy the capsule being in your face while you're gaming).
It's not all roses, of course. They're really rather heavy, which (while adding to the overall feeling of quality) can get a little tiring after wearing them for long periods of time. The included software is fiddly, clunky even, and could definitely do with more tweakable options.
But beyond that, the Maxwells are about as brilliant a pair of wireless headphones as you're going to find, and at a retail price of roughly $300/AU$549, you could almost call them good value given the level of audio experience they deliver for the money.
Aural nirvana, without the wires. Doesn't get a whole lot better than that.
Read our full Audeze Maxwell review.
The best studio headphones for gaming
✅ You want a relatively flat, reference sound: These headphones are great for studio work, which requires a very neutral sound. While not perfectly flat, it's much more so than many other headphones.
✅ You want an amazing headset mic: Seriously, we've not found a better mic on a headset. This is a proper podcast-quality mic shrunken down to flip-mic size.
❌ You want top-tier studio quality: Although these are our pick for the best studio headphones, they're specifically the best studio headphones for gaming, not the absolute best studio headphones overall. On that front, there are better options that are also much more expensive.
If you're looking for a pair studio cans, you can't go wrong with a decent pair of Audio-Technica headphones, and if you want these headphones to double as a gaming headset, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is where it's at. These are without a doubt the best studio headphones for gaming.
The precursor to these headphones, the ATH-M50x, is renowned for its studio-grade audio quality, and for good reason. Studio headphones are supposed to pick up sounds very clearly across as many frequency ranges as possible, and the ATH-M50x does just that. The closed-back headphones' 45 mm drivers pour out crisp audio between 15 and 28 kHz. Crisp enough, that is, that any music producer could appreciate for purposes of mixing and mastering.
The ATH-M50x is a precursor to the ATH-M50xSTS, but they're basically the same headphones on the audio front, with the main changes being in design and microphone (the former doesn't have one). And those main changes just happen to be ones that PC gamers are likely to appreciate.
The drivers aren't the absolute best studio ones, to be sure—the ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is a veritable set of audiophile cans, but you could pay a lot more for top-end professional studio headphones. However, if you did that, you wouldn't be getting something that can double as a cracking gaming headset.
You see, these headphones also come with a gaming mic (this is what separates them from the all but identical ATH-M50x), and it's a stunning one at that. It's not your average gaming mic but a fully-fledged cardioid mic, the likes of which (albeit in a larger mic format) adorn the tabletops of many podcasters and influencers, not to mention vocalists and other musicians.
In fact, its mic is so good that we just had to name the ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet the best gaming headset for streaming. Throw in some conveniences like folding ear pieces, swappable ear pads, a flip-to-mute mic, and the fact that it's very much "plug and play", and you have a pair of studio headphones that gamers will absolutely enjoy. And they're not even priced outrageously—what's not to love?
Read our full Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet review.
Best gaming laptop | Best gaming monitor
Best PC controller | Best capture card | Best SSD for gaming
Also tested
Best audiophile headphones FAQ
Are audiophile headphones good for gaming?
If you want the best sound in your games, then picking a pair of headphones designed to deliver perfect aural clarity and defined, accurate audio is going to deliver a great gaming experience. Throw in an open-back pair design, and you'll hear the most natural reproduction of your chosen gameworld that you can possibly achieve.
The downside is that audiophile headphones are expensive and really only benefit from good sound hardware inside your PC—yes, there are still soundcards out there, people. The open operating principle means there can be a fair bit of sound leakage and there's no passive noise cancelling.
You also don't get a microphone on most audiophile headphones, but such is the wealth of great budget gaming mics, that's not an issue.
Are open back headphones good for gaming?
An open-back headphone design will give you the most natural soundscape for your games, which is especially immersive in large, open-world games. It's also less fatiguing on the ears for a long gaming session, too, because the sound waves don't just bounce around your lugholes.
Closed-back headphones, however, are good for noise isolation and if you game in a room where other people might be affected by the sounds leaking from your cans. However, the closed design can affect the sound itself, as it interacts with the ear cups.
