Headphones are a DJ’s main tool besides the decks and mixer themselves. DJ headphones are essentially an extension of your ears – they provide the main connection between you and the music.

DJ headphones can set you back a fair bit but they don’t need to. There are loads of fantastic pairs of headphones available for slimmer prices and many provide specs above and beyond what you might expect. Manufacturers are pushing prices down and with cheaper and more plentiful materials and components, we’re able to access better and better tech for cheaper prices.

Whether you’re looking for a pair of primary headphones for home or touring use, or a backup pair, or simply another pair to add to a collection, then we’ve compiled a list here of some of these DJ headphones for under $50.

Product	Features
Behringer HPX2000	Over-Ear, Closed-Back Design; 40mm Dynamic Drivers; 20 Hz to 20 kHz Frequency Response;	PRICING
Sony MDR V55	Large 40mm Drivers; 1000mW Power Handling; 5Hz -25,000Hz;	PRICING
Sony MDR 7506	40mm Neodymium Drivers; Closed Design; Swiveling Earcups;	PRICING
AKG K67 TIESTO	On-ear, Closed Back Design; 1.6" Drivers;Gold Plated 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter;	PRICING
OneOdio DJ Headphones	Foldable Design; Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz; 50mm Drivers;	PRICING
Audio-Technica ATH-M20X	40mm Neodymium Drivers; Tuned for Low-Frequency Performance; 3m Attached Cable;	PRICING
LyxPro HAS-10	Pro-Grade Closed-Back Over-Ear Headphones for Live Monitoring & Mixing;	PRICING
Edifier H840 Audiophile	20 Hz to 20 kHz Frequency Response; Large 40mm Drivers; Sensitivity: 90db;	PRICING
Tascam TH-02	Closed-Back Design; 50mm Drivers; Collapsible Folding Mechanism;	PRICING

A good pair of headphones will playback your music in the depth and detail you need to execute the best mix possible. This requires several key features:

1) Sound Quality

Obviously, at top of the list is audio quality. DJ headphones need to show you the music properly, presenting an accurate picture of the track and its various components. Hi-hats need to come out crisp and clear, basslines need to be neither too dominating nor too muddy and synth melodies ought to be clearly audible over the mix. Most DJ headphones are built to a pretty decent spec even at lower prices now but this list does focus on headphones with larger diameter speaker drivers, typically 40mm or above. This will help produce the volume and depth required to effectively hear your tracks in a loud environment.

2) Sound Isolation

Partnering with sound quality is sound isolation. DJ environments are loud! Even if you’re not mixing with a towering sound system you’ll likely have a loud room or loud monitor speakers to contend with. Sound isolation is very important but most DJ headphones still use passive sound isolation in the form of large earpads and padding. This lends advantages over in-ear headphones or other headphones with active sound isolation. Large cup over-ear headphones combine dynamic range with frequency response and they’re more comfortable for longer, not to mention my hygienic than in-ear monitors if you’re sharing headphones between DJs.

3) Comfort

Thirdly is comfort. We’ve just mentioned how over-ear headphones are by far the most popular choice of DJ headphones. Big pads with soft headbands lead the way – your set might be hours long, it’s not nice if your headphones are grazing your ears the whole way through!

Behringer HPX2000

Behringer are a well-known manufacturer of cheap DJ products. This pair is very cheap but they really pack some great components and features for the money. They feature a great dynamic range and with 40mm drivers – they can pack volume and bass despite the small frame and price-tag. They also use a cobalt capsule which supposedly increases bass efficiency, presenting another price-busting feature for this silly price. These headphones are light in the weight and they’re durable enough to survive life in the DJ bag and on stage.

Summary: An excellent super-low cost choice for primary or backup headphones.

Sony MDR V55

Sony are a huge and competent company and this is one of their best pairs of budget headphones. The MDR V55s combine quality 40mm neodymium drivers with awesome dynamic range to provide excellent bass, mids and treble. They’re pretty juicy in the low-end so you’ll be able to hear your basslines clearly. With nice closed ear cups and a foldable DJ-style design, these headphones are adaptable and easily transportable.

Summary: An attractive and loud pair of DJ headphones with particularly good bass response.

Sony MDR 7506

These creep over the $50 mark at some places but they can be picked up for around that price if you look around and buy at the right time. The Sony MDR 7506 PRO headphones combine an excellent design with quality drivers to defeat their budget tag. They extend deep below the 20Hz mark to ensure you can hear the lowest bass notes and with large neodymium drivers, they provide plenty of detail across the entire spectrum. They also have an extra long cord with a gold-plated connector. A closed-ear design provides good sound isolation from background noise.

Summary: An extremely good pair of budget DJ headphones.

AKG K67 TIESTO

AKG are a world-renowned brand and manufacturer of audio products. These headphones are excellent and they provide a medium-pro level of features and tech for a slim price tag. They’ve been designed to isolate background noise really well, and thus they’re perfect for use in noisy venues. They feature 40mm drivers for crisp highs and booming lows. They look amazing and fold up beautifully – these are outstanding headphones for the price.

Summary: With ultra-sleek good looks and quality components, this pair of DJ headphones is a real price-breaker at under $50.

OneOdio Adapter-free Closed-Back DJ Studio Headphones

OneOdio have packed extreme levels of features into this staggeringly well-priced set of headphones. First off, these contain 50mm large neodymium drivers which pack serious dynamic range, audio quality and volume. They’ll easily cut through the noise and combined with large closed earpads, these headphones deliver excellent sound-isolation. Another key feature is the adapter-free design. These headphones have a cable with one mini AUX jack and one-quarter-inch TRS-sized jack, so you can simply reverse the cable when you want to plug into different equipment.

Summary: These pack better features than most pairs of headphones below $100, let alone $50. They combine fantastic design, features and components.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20X

Audio-Technica deliver this excellent set of headphones at the budget. They combine superb design and styling with 40mm drives and copper-aluminum voice coils to augment sound quality and dynamic range. These headphones use a very large closed-ear design which is super-comfy and will allow you to block out more ambient noise on average when compared to other headphones in the list.

Summary: Audio-Technica always deliver and this pair of headphones succeeds in providing a rather special pair of headphones for the budget bracket.

LyxPro HAS-10

With distinctive retro styling and awesome components, these DJ headphones provide terrific quality for an awesome price. This pair of no-nonsense DJ headphones is slick and versatile with swivelling mid-sized cups and strong ABS plastic. They also contain highly tuned 45mm neodymium drivers capable of delivering awesome frequency response across the entire wide dynamic range.

Summary: With a more minimal design and excellent 45mm drivers, this pair of headphones combines comfort and quality.

Edifier H840 Audiophile

This lovely pair of headphones delivers extreme quality for the price. An awesome super-flexible build with extra-soft earpads combines with great 40mm drivers to deliver a finely-tuned audiophile-level listening experience. Though strictly designed as hi-fi headphones, these easily deliver the quality required for DJing and with high volume levels and a good deal of sound isolation, they’re well optimised for use in the club.

Summary: This lesser-known company delivers audiophile level spec in a pair of hi-fi headphones which are also well suited to DJing.

Tascam TH-02

Tascam are an industry veteran and these headphones deliver on their experience at a truly awesome price. Foldable, super-comfortable and well made specifically for DJ and studio use, these headphones combine style with specs. They also feature large 50mm driver and excellent frequency response to boot, meaning you can expect to hear your tracks in full detail and clarity.

Summary: Tascam have created an extraordinary pair of headphones for the price here with a standout feature of 50mm drivers.

Summary

Some excellent headphones here that prove you don’t always get what you pay for – you can actually get something better than you expect when buying in the budget range. Manufacturers are going the extra mile to bring awesome products to everyone. The choice of budget headphones is pretty astounding but this list provides a great starting point!

Headphones are simple pieces of equipment but they’re difficult to get right, you do need to pay something more than a few dollars for a pair of DJ headphones but these pairs prove that spending hundreds isn’t necessary. Many of these pairs feature drivers of at least 40mm and most are made from neodymium – they probably provide audio quality comparable to more expensive pairs.

The best pair? Extremely hard to say! The Tascam TH-02s are a silly low price. The Sony MDR V55s have an extremely good bass response. The AKG K67 Tiestos pack awesome style and comfort. The Audio-Technica ATH-M20X are awesome in every respect for the price. Overall, though, you have to say that the OneOdio provides the most extraordinary set of features for the price.

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