Buying guide · Headphones

Best headphones for listening to vinyl

Six wired pairs for six situations, picked from the makers’ own spec sheets and independent measurements. Plus how to get a turntable into headphones.

By Max · Updated 27 Oct 2026 · Specs checked against the makers’ pages 27 Oct 2026

No scores, no lab claims. Shop links are plain links; they may earn us a commission later. How we pick

Best overall for home vinyl listeningSennheiser HD 600 Open · Over-ear · 300 Ω
≈1.4 V for 100 dB (est.) · Receiver or headphone amp See it at Thomann

Best closed-back for a shared roombeyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω) Closed · Over-ear · 80 Ω
0.45–1.6 V for 100 dB (est.) · Receiver or headphone amp See it at Thomann

3 Easiest to drive without a headphone ampAudio-Technica ATH-M50x Closed · Over-ear · 38 Ω
≈0.22 V for 100 dB (est.) · A phone is enough See it at Thomann

Best budgetKoss Porta Pro On-ear · 60 Ω
≈0.22 V for 100 dB (est.) · A phone is enough See it at the maker

Best first open-back without an ampGrado SR80 Open · 38 Ω
≈0.25 V for 100 dB (est.) · A phone is enough See it at the maker

6 Best open-back upgradeSennheiser HD 660S2 Open · Over-ear · 300 Ω
≈0.63 V for 100 dB (est.) · Receiver or amp; a phone may fall short See it at Thomann

First: how a turntable reaches your headphones

Most turntables have no headphone jack. The stylus puts out a tiny signal that also needs the RIAA equalisation curve applied before it sounds right. That is the job of a phono preamp. After it, something has to drive the headphones.

TurntableCartridge and stylus read the groove.
Phono preampBuilt into many turntables and receivers, or a separate box.
Amp with headphone outA receiver or amplifier, or a dedicated headphone amp.
HeadphonesInto the 6.3 mm or 3.5 mm jack.

Which of these do you already have?

A receiver or amplifier with a “Phono” input and a headphone jack. Plug the turntable into Phono, the headphones into the jack. Nothing else to buy.
A turntable with a built-in preamp (often a “Phono/Line” switch on the back). Set it to Line and connect it to any amplifier input; use the amplifier’s headphone jack. If your amplifier has no headphone jack, a headphone amp takes the turntable’s line signal directly.
Neither. Turntable → separate phono preamp → headphone amp → headphones. Some boxes combine the preamp and the headphone amp.

Don’t plug headphones into the turntable’s RCA outputs: they are meant to feed an amplifier input, not a pair of headphones. Some turntables also send Bluetooth to wireless headphones, which skips all of this; our picks here are wired.

Will your gear drive them? A loudness estimate

The makers publish how loud each headphone plays for a given input. From that we work out how many volts each pair needs to reach 100 dB, which we take as loud peaks at a normal listening level. Fewer volts means easier to drive.

Headphone	Impedance	Sensitivity, as published	Volts for 100 dB	What it needs	Jack under
Sennheiser HD 600	300 Ω	97 dB SPL at 1 V	about 1.4 V	Receiver or headphone amp	37.5 Ω
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω)	80 Ω	96 dB (1 mW or 1 V not stated)	0.45–1.6 V	Receiver or headphone amp	10.0 Ω
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x	38 Ω	99 dB SPL at 1 mW	about 0.22 V	A phone is enough	4.8 Ω
Koss Porta Pro	60 Ω	101 dB SPL at 1 mW	about 0.22 V	A phone is enough	7.5 Ω
Grado SR80	38 Ω	98 dB SPL at 1 mW	about 0.25 V	A phone is enough	4.8 Ω
Sennheiser HD 660S2	300 Ω	104 dB SPL at 1 V	about 0.63 V	Receiver or amp; a phone may fall short	37.5 Ω

The formula. Makers state sensitivity either per volt or per milliwatt:

per 1 V: volts = 10^((100 − S) / 20) per 1 mW: mW = 10^((100 − S) / 10) volts = √(mW ÷ 1000 × ohms)

S is the published sensitivity in dB; ohms is the impedance.

Our assumptions, not measurements. 100 dB as the loudest peaks you want. A phone or USB-C dongle gives roughly 0.5 V; a receiver or headphone amp gives 1 V or more. Your device may differ: look for “output voltage” or “output power into 32 Ω” in its spec sheet. The estimate ignores the jack’s own output impedance, which lowers the voltage that reaches the headphones. beyerdynamic doesn’t say whether its 96 dB is per milliwatt or per volt, so the DT 770 PRO gets a range.

Why impedance matters on a receiver

Every headphone jack has its own output impedance, and makers rarely publish it. A widely used rule of thumb is that the jack’s output impedance should be under one eighth of the headphone’s impedance; above that, the bass can loosen and the tonal balance can shift (NwAvGuy, “Headphone & amp impedance”). The “Jack under” column gives that limit for each pick. This is why 300 Ω headphones are the safe bet on an unknown receiver jack, and why the 38 Ω pairs want a modern, low-impedance output.

The picks in detail

Each pick says what it suits and what to watch for, using only the published specs below it. Where a maker doesn’t publish a spec, we say so rather than fill it in.

Pick 1 · Best overall for home vinyl listening

Sennheiser HD 600

Open-back reference headphone with a 3 m detachable cable and a 300 Ω load that suits receiver headphone jacks. Wants a receiver or amp, not a phone.

See it at Thomann See it at the maker

Sennheiser HD 600 headphones in the older speckled grey finish, close up on one earcup — An earlier HD 600 in the old speckled finish. Photo: Benutzer123 (German Wikipedia), brightened by Ulfbastel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped).

Why it suits vinyl

Open-back, so it suits a quiet room where you sit down and play a whole side.
At 300 Ω it is, with the HD 660S2, the least fussy of our picks about the headphone jack it plugs into. Receiver jacks rarely publish their output impedance, and a high one changes the sound of low-impedance headphones much more (see the 1/8 rule in the loudness section).
The 3 m cable reaches from a receiver on a shelf to a chair. It is detachable, and Sennheiser sells a 3 m replacement and says most parts are modular.

Watch out for

Our estimate is about 1.4 V for 100 dB, the most of any pick whose maker states the reference. Plan on a receiver or a headphone amp, not a phone.
Open-back sound leaks both ways. Others in the room hear your record, and you hear the room.

Published specs

Open or closed: Open
Fit: Over-ear
Driver: Dynamic, 42 mm
Impedance: 300 Ω
Sensitivity: 97 dB SPL at 1 V
Weight: 260 g
Cable: 3 m; detachable
Plug: 3.5 mm plug, 6.3 mm adapter included
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): about 1.4 V how
Jack should be under: 37.5 Ω output impedance why

Sennheiser product page: open/closed, fit, driver, impedance, sensitivity, weight, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Sennheiser support: HD 600 specifications: Same spec table: 300 Ω, 97 dB (1 V), 260 g, 3 m cable.
Note: Driver: The same page also mentions a 38 mm diaphragm; the 42 mm figure is the driver.
Note: Connector: Sennheiser's product text describes it the other way round (a 6.3 mm plug with a 3.5 mm adapter). Either way an adapter is in the box.
Frequency-response measurements: oratory1990 · crinacle (GRAS 43AG-7) (via the AutoEq project).

Pick 2 · Best closed-back for a shared room

beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω)

Closed studio headphone with velour pads, a 3 m cable and spare parts for nearly everything. Keeps your record to yourself.

See it at Thomann See it at the maker

beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm headphones with grey velour pads lying on a wooden desk — beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, 80 Ω version. Photo: Mike Russell, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped).

Why it suits vinyl

Closed-back: it keeps most of your record in and some of the room out. beyerdynamic's data sheet gives about 18 dBA of ambient noise isolation for the 80 Ω version.
The 3 m cable reaches a receiver across the room.
beyerdynamic sells ear pads, headbands, cables, driver systems and housings as spare parts, so one worn part doesn't retire the pair.

Watch out for

The cable is fixed, not plug-in. A damaged cable means a repair, not a quick swap.
beyerdynamic gives the sensitivity as "96 dB" without saying per 1 mW or per 1 V, so our loudness estimate is a range: 0.45 to 1.6 V for 100 dB.
It comes in 32, 80 and 250 Ω versions. Make sure the one you order is the 80 Ω.
beyerdynamic itself describes the fit as "firm fit for professional use, approx. 3.5–5.5 N".

Published specs

Open or closed: Closed
Fit: Over-ear
Driver: Dynamic, size not published
Impedance: 80 Ω
Sensitivity: 96 dB (1 mW or 1 V not stated)
Weight: 345 g
Cable: 3 m straight; fixed
Plug: 3.5 mm plug, 6.35 mm adapter included
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): 0.45–1.6 V how
Jack should be under: 10.0 Ω output impedance why

beyerdynamic product page: open/closed, fit, impedance, sensitivity, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
beyerdynamic data sheet DAT_DT-770-PRO_EN_A2.pdf: driver, weight. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO data sheet (PDF): Ambient noise isolation approx. 18 dBA (80/250 Ω); headband pressure approx. 3.5 N; all specs to EN 60268-7.
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (Europe page): Spare parts listed: ear pads, headbands, cables, systems, housing.
Note: Weight: The product page says "375 grams, including the cable".
Frequency-response measurements: crinacle (GRAS 43AG-7), 80 Ω · oratory1990 (impedance version not stated) (via the AutoEq project).

Pick 3 · Easiest to drive without a headphone amp

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Closed, sensitive and low impedance: loud from a phone or laptop, with three plug-in cables for a receiver across the room or a phone in your hand.

See it at Thomann See it at the maker

Drawing, not a photo: we found no photo of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x with a license that allows reuse.

Why it suits vinyl

Our estimate is about 0.22 V for 100 dB, so a phone, laptop or modest receiver jack has plenty in hand.
Closed-back, so it also works when someone else is in the room.
Three plug-in cables come in the box: a 3 m straight one for a receiver on a shelf, a coiled one, and a 1.2 m one for a phone.

Watch out for

At 38 Ω it shares the lowest impedance here with the Grado SR80, so it is among the most affected by a headphone jack with a high output impedance (the 1/8 rule says under about 4.75 Ω). On such a jack the bass and tonal balance can shift.
The cables lock into the earcup with a bayonet fitting (per Audio-Technica Japan). Buy replacements made for it.

Published specs

Open or closed: Closed
Fit: Over-ear
Driver: Dynamic, 45 mm
Impedance: 38 Ω
Sensitivity: 99 dB SPL at 1 mW
Weight: 285 g without cable
Cable: 3 cables: 1.2–3.0 m coiled, 3.0 m straight, 1.2 m straight; detachable
Plug: 3.5 mm plug, 6.3 mm screw-on adapter included
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): about 0.22 V how
Jack should be under: 4.8 Ω output impedance why

Audio-Technica product page: open/closed, fit, driver, impedance, weight, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Audio-Technica Japan product page: sensitivity. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Audio-Technica Japan: ATH-M50x: Gives sensitivity as 99dB/mW; detachable cables use a bayonet lock (バヨネット式ロック機構).
Frequency-response measurements: oratory1990 · crinacle (GRAS 43AG-7) (via the AutoEq project).

Pick 4 · Best budget

Koss Porta Pro

On-ear classic from 1984 that folds into a pocket and plays loud from anything. Koss publishes only a handful of specs for it.

See it at the maker

Koss Porta Pro on-ear headphones in black, side view on a white background — Koss Porta Pro. Photo: Creative Tools (Halmstad, Sweden), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped (photographer's mark kept), resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped).

Why it suits vinyl

Our estimate is about 0.22 V for 100 dB: the easiest load here along with the ATH-M50x, so any phone, laptop or receiver jack will do.
Folds small (Koss: "they fold up neatly into a compact size"), so it can live next to the turntable and still go out with you.
Koss lists a limited lifetime warranty on the product page.

Watch out for

The cable is 4 ft (about 1.2 m). From a receiver on a shelf you will likely need an extension cable.
Koss doesn't publish whether it is open or closed, its weight, or its driver size.
On-ear, not over-ear: the pads sit on your ears rather than around them.

Published specs

Open or closed: not published
Fit: On-ear
Driver: Dynamic, size not published
Impedance: 60 Ω
Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL at 1 mW
Weight: not published
Cable: 4 ft (about 1.2 m), dual entry; detachable: not published
Plug: 3.5 mm plug
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): about 0.22 V how
Jack should be under: 7.5 Ω output impedance why

Koss product page: open/closed, fit, driver, impedance, sensitivity, weight, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Frequency-response measurements: oratory1990 · crinacle (GRAS 43AG-7) (via the AutoEq project).

Pick 5 · Best first open-back without an amp

Grado SR80

Grado's best-selling open-back, now on a 44 mm X2 driver. Easy to drive at 38 Ω, but Grado publishes few physical specs.

See it at the maker

Grado SR80 Prestige series headphones lying flat, round open earcups with metal grilles — An earlier Prestige-series SR80. The current model looks similar but has a new driver. Photo: Bizzarle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped).

Why it suits vinyl

Open-back sound without buying an amp: our estimate is about 0.25 V for 100 dB at 38 Ω.
Grado calls it "the most recognized headphone in the history of Grado" and its best-selling model.
Grado tunes with ear cushions and sells alternatives, so you can change the presentation without changing headphones.

Watch out for

Grado doesn't publish the weight, cable length or plug type. Check the cable reaches your receiver before you buy.
The cable is fixed.
The model was updated with the X2 driver. The public measurement is of the older SR80e, so the current SR80 may differ.
Open-back: it leaks sound both ways.

Published specs

Open or closed: Open
Fit: not published
Driver: Dynamic, 44 mm
Impedance: 38 Ω
Sensitivity: 98 dB SPL at 1 mW
Weight: not published
Cable: length not published; fixed
Plug: not published
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): about 0.25 V how
Jack should be under: 4.8 Ω output impedance why

Grado product page: open/closed, fit, driver, impedance, sensitivity, weight, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Frequency-response measurements: crinacle (GRAS 43AG-7), earlier SR80e model (via the AutoEq project).

Pick 6 · Best open-back upgrade

Sennheiser HD 660S2

Same 300 Ω family as the HD 600 but about 7 dB more sensitive by Sennheiser's figures, with a balanced cable in the box.

See it at Thomann See it at the maker

Drawing, not a photo: we found no photo of the Sennheiser HD 660S2 with a license that allows reuse.

Why it suits vinyl

Same 300 Ω load as the HD 600, so it is just as relaxed about receiver headphone jacks.
Sennheiser's figure is 104 dB at 1 V against the HD 600's 97 dB. Our estimate is about 0.63 V for 100 dB, so it gets loud on more receivers.
A 6.3 mm cable and a 4.4 mm balanced cable come in the box, so a balanced headphone amp later needs no new cable.

Watch out for

The cables are 1.8 m, against 3 m on the HD 600. From a shelf to a chair you may need an extension.
Open-back: it leaks sound both ways.
Sennheiser's page lists two cables but never says "detachable" in so many words, so we mark that field as not published.

Published specs

Open or closed: Open
Fit: Over-ear
Driver: Dynamic, 38 mm
Impedance: 300 Ω
Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL at 1 V
Weight: 260 g
Cable: 2 cables, 1.8 m each; detachable: not published
Plug: 6.3 mm plug and 4.4 mm balanced plug; 6.3 to 3.5 mm adapter
Volts for 100 dB (our estimate): about 0.63 V how
Jack should be under: 37.5 Ω output impedance why

Sennheiser product page: open/closed, fit, driver, impedance, sensitivity, weight, cable, connector. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
Frequency-response measurements: oratory1990 (via the AutoEq project).

Side by side

Swipe the table sideways to see all six.

Spec	Sennheiser HD 600	beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω)	Audio-Technica ATH-M50x	Koss Porta Pro	Grado SR80	Sennheiser HD 660S2
Pick	Best overall	Closed-back, shared room	Easiest to drive	Budget	First open-back	Open-back upgrade
Open or closed	Open	Closed	Closed	not published	Open	Open
Fit	Over-ear	Over-ear	Over-ear	On-ear	not published	Over-ear
Driver	Dynamic, 42 mm	Dynamic, size not published	Dynamic, 45 mm	Dynamic, size not published	Dynamic, 44 mm	Dynamic, 38 mm
Impedance	300 Ω	80 Ω	38 Ω	60 Ω	38 Ω	300 Ω
Sensitivity	97 dB SPL at 1 V	96 dB (1 mW or 1 V not stated)	99 dB SPL at 1 mW	101 dB SPL at 1 mW	98 dB SPL at 1 mW	104 dB SPL at 1 V
Volts for 100 dB (estimate)	≈1.4 V	0.45–1.6 V	≈0.22 V	≈0.22 V	≈0.25 V	≈0.63 V
Weight	260 g	345 g	285 g without cable	not published	not published	260 g
Cable length	3 m	3 m	1.2 m, 3 m, coiled	4 ft (~1.2 m)	not published	1.8 m ×2
Detachable cable	Yes	No, fixed	Yes	not published	No, fixed	not published
Plug	3.5 mm + 6.3 mm adapter	3.5 mm + 6.35 mm adapter	3.5 mm + 6.3 mm adapter	3.5 mm	not published	6.3 mm, 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm adapter

Volts for 100 dB is our estimate from the published sensitivity and impedance (formula). Everything else is as the maker publishes it, checked 27 Oct 2026.

How we picked

One clear situation per pick: a quiet room, a shared room, no amplifier, a small budget, a first open-back, a step up.
Specs from the maker. Every number on this page comes from the maker’s product page or data sheet, checked on 27 Oct 2026 and linked under each pick. Gaps are marked “not published”.
Measured by someone independent. Every pick has at least one public frequency-response measurement (for the Grado, of its predecessor, the SR80e), linked via the AutoEq project.
Drivable from a typical setup, judged by the loudness estimate above, and a cable that reaches from a shelf to a chair or a clear warning when it doesn’t.

We have not run listening tests for this guide, and we don’t give scores. Where Max has used a pair himself, his notes will appear under that pick. The full method is on How we pick.

Not published by the maker:

beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω): driver size, sensitivity reference (1 mW or 1 V)
Koss Porta Pro: open or closed, driver size, weight, whether the cable detaches
Grado SR80: fit, weight, cable length, plug
Sennheiser HD 660S2: whether the cable detaches

Considered but left out: HIFIMAN Arya Stealth (HIFIMAN's product page returned 404 when we fetched it, so we could not check its specs at the source.)

Questions

Do I need a headphone amp for vinyl?

Not if your receiver or amplifier has a headphone jack and your headphones are on the easy side of the loudness table. You need one if nothing in your chain has a headphone jack, or for the HD 600, which wants about 1.4 V for loud peaks.

Open-back or closed-back for records?

Open-back headphones let sound out and in, so they suit a quiet room where you listen alone. Closed-back headphones keep the sound to yourself and block some room noise, which matters if someone else is in the room or the TV is on.

Can I use the headphones I already have?

Yes. Look up their impedance and sensitivity, put them through the formula, and compare with what your receiver or amp can deliver.

Photo credits and sources

Sennheiser HD 600: photo by Benutzer123 (German Wikipedia), brightened by Ulfbastel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source on Wikimedia Commons; converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped.
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 Ω): photo by Mike Russell, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons; resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: our own drawing (no reuse-licensed photo found).
Koss Porta Pro: photo by Creative Tools (Halmstad, Sweden), CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons; cropped (photographer's mark kept), resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped.
Grado SR80: photo by Bizzarle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons; resized, converted to WebP; thumbnail cropped.
Sennheiser HD 660S2: our own drawing (no reuse-licensed photo found).
Sources for every spec are linked under each pick. Impedance rule of thumb: NwAvGuy. Measurements: AutoEq project, results by oratory1990 and crinacle.