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So you’re looking for the best headphones for electronic drums? Well, you’ve come to the right place. A high-quality pair of headphones is almost worth its weight in gold. You’ll be able to practice for hours on end without annoying neighbors and housemates.
We’ve selected a range of some of the best-selling, most affordable and high-end headphones out there today, and constructed the ultimate list guide to help you choose your preferred pair. We’ll be looking at a number of factors such as comfort, sound quality, look, weight, sound isolation and value for money.
Headphones range in price from the most affordable (under $50) to the most expensive (over $300). You’ll find something suitable on this list no matter what size your budget is.
Here are the best headphones for electronic drums 2024:
- Direct Sound EX-29
- Sennheiser HD 280 PRO
- Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
- Blue Satellite
- AmazonBasics MHP-1190-01A
- Sony WH-1000XM3
1. Direct Sound EX-29
The Direct Sound EX-29s are one of the most popular sets of headphones among drummers today. They are a great set of headphones for a number of reasons. They’re durable, comfortable, offer great sound and superior isolation, and most of all, they’ve been specifically designed for drummers.
The fact that they’ve been designed for drumming with is evident all the way down to the extra-long cable which is supplied with them. Drummers know the importance of having a long connecting cable as this means you can easily position drum modules and headphone amps at a greater distance. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself tied up in short cables when trying to play the drums.
There’s a nice rich sound from the EX-29 drivers. These headphones can be used with a headphone amp for best results. The drivers are large at 40 mm and work with an impedance of 32 Ohms. The frequency response is quite broad too with a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Image credit: Direct Sound
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This is a versatile set of headphones and they are especially good for using along with both acoustic and electronic drums. The ’29’ in the model name refers to the 29 dB of sound attenuation that they provide.
This is truly one of the best pairs of headphones when it comes to eliminating outside noise. You needn’t worry about any annoying stick and drum pad noise when you play with these on.
2. Sennheiser HD 280 PRO
The Sennheiser HD 280 PROs are a relatively inexpensive pair of headphones. They’re just around the $100 and for that you get dynamic, closed-ear headphones. These headphones are robust and built to sustain day-to-day wear and tear. They have a nominal impedance of 64 Ohms and a sound pressure level of 113 dB.
When it comes to the sound, the HD 280 PRO’s perform well with an extended frequency range of 8 Hz to 25 kHz. They function as a decent set of headphones for electronic drums as they’re quite shaped and tend to boost the low end bass and crisp trebles.
They also have the benefit of having replaceable parts such as the ear cups, headband and audio cord, so should you ever need to do some repair work, you can.
Image credit: Sennheiser
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This pair from Sennheiser is a great option if you’re looking for suitable headphones for playing electronic drums. Their price makes them accessible to most consumers and they should last with proper care and attention.
That said, if you are considering traveling a lot with this pair of headphones, do make sure to use an adequate hard case. They may be prone to excessive wear and tear. They are light in weight but this is at the expense of robustness. All in all, a good set of headphones for the price.
3. Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
This set of headphones by Beyerdynamic is available in a multitude of specifications. You can choose from different impedance and even different colors. Just looking at this pair of headphones you can see that they are certainly stunning and their sleek design gives them the appearance of a far more expensive set.
They retail for around the $150 mark online and in stores. Depending on your setup requirements you can pick from either 32 Ohms, 80 Ohms or 250 Ohms. The smaller the Ohms, the more power you can send into these headphones.
If you think you’re going to want to use these headphones on both the electronic drum kit and also on the go with a smartphone or similar, then opt for a larger Ohms model. If, on the other hand, you plan on using these around the recording studio and with a lot of professional grade equipment, then chances are the 32 Ohms model will suit you best.
Image credit: Beyerdynamic
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The DT 770 PROs from Beyerdynamic are very comfortable to wear for long periods. It’s no surprise that this pair is one of the most highly-rated pairs of studio headphones around. They are durable and offer great sound with slick aesthetics too. They are highly recommended for use with electronic drum kits.
4. Blue Satellite
Now we move onto one of the most expensive pair of headphones on our list. This stunning pair of headphones may set you back a few dollars, but there is a reason why. They ooze class and elegance, are functional, durable and have the additional benefit of being wireless – so no more tangled wires.
These headphones have twice as many drivers as a regular pair. Yes, there are two drivers in each ear cup. Along with this, they also have on board ANC amplification for use with any wireless system. ANC is noise cancelling technology which cancels any outside noise by using sound phasing. You can opt to listen with Bluetooth with or without the built-in amp.
They are fully rechargeable and a typical charge will get you up to 24 hours of usage on Bluetooth alone, and 8 hours when using ANC.
Bluetooth is a godsend when it comes to electronic drumming. That’s one less cable you need to worry about when playing your electronic drums. Obviously you will need a Bluetooth compatible drum module, or a Bluetooth transmitter, in order to play wirelessly with these headphones, so do bear that in mind. For example, many modern drum modules, such as the Roland TD-17 come complete with such Bluetooth features.
Image credit: Blue
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The 44 mm dynamic drivers on board these headphones from Blue deliver a rich and warm sound. There’s frequency coverage of 16 Hz all the way up to 22 kHz. Being wireless and Bluetooth compatible means you can easily switch from your electronic drum set to your phone or other Bluetooth device.
The headphones themselves have a cool retro look and appear to be heavily influenced style-wise by earlier 1960’s models of headphones. They’re available in two colors, white and black, and are easily folded down for easy transportation.
This set of headphones is definitely one for the audiophiles, although do make sure you are fully equipped for a Bluetooth wireless setup before you purchase.
5. AmazonBasics MHP-1190-01A
And now, from one of the most expensive sets to one of the cheapest set of headphones on our list. These AmazonBasics headphones are produced by online retail giant, Amazon, and are indeed basic in nature.
The good thing about basic is that it doesn’t cost a lot. For just over $40 you are getting a pretty good set of headphones and certainly a pair that will suit anyone on a low budget.
The design, like pretty much everything else, is quite basic. These are 40 mm drivers housed in all black cups which swivel for comfort and also allow for one-ear mixing. The adjustable ear cups are attached to a padded and flexible headband. The headband can be extended on either side to suit different sized heads.
Included in the AmazonBasics package is a detachable cable for connecting to sound systems and electronic drum sets. This cable is almost 10 feet in length and has a 6.3 mm plug.
Image credit: Amazon
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AmazonBasics specialize in selling cheap products to consumers on a low budget. These headphones are good value, come with a 1-year guarantee and are perfectly suited to electronic drums.
6. Sony WH-1000XM3
When it comes to luxury consumer headphones, they don’t come much more prestigious than these Sony WH1000XM3s. These headphones are built for audiophiles who love quality crystal-clear listening.
These headphones are not your typical studio pair. Sony have designed them with their own sound characteristics, such as enhanced bass, which makes listening to music through them a very pleasurable experience. If you’re looking for a set of headphones to make your electronic drum kit sound big and impressive, then this is one such pair.
On the other hand, if you’re planning on doubling up with the use of your headphones and also plan on mixing in the studio with them, then this set may not be for you. WH-1000XM3s make many albums sound ‘better’ and ‘bigger’, and so are not the most true sounding pair out there.
They do have excellent noise cancelling built into them though, which eliminates outside noise from your mix. The onboard mic can sense outside noise, such as electronic pad noise, and remove it from your ears.
The wireless feature makes them, like the Blue Satellite’s, a pleasure to work with around the house. You can easily switch from monitoring your electronic drums, to listening to audio tracks with the handy touch controls.
Image credit: Sony
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The battery on these Sony noise cancelling headphones lasts up to 30 hours, which is a hell of a feat, for such a high-quality product. They can be easily recharged in a couple of hours and you’re good to go again. There’s even a quick charge function which takes only ten minutes and can give up to 5 hours of listening.
Also included is Alexa voice assistance, which means you can connect the headphones to the official Sony app and access Alexa by cupping the right ear for 3 seconds.
Soundwise these headphones have a frequency response of no less than 4 Hz to 40 kHz, which is staggeringly impressive. There’s no doubt that these headphones will make your electronic drum set sing – that’s if your pockets allow them.
Conclusion
We’ve looked at some of the best headphones for electronic drum sets and it’s clear that there is a wide range on offer.
With drumming it’s important that you find a pair of headphones that is comfortable. Drumming is quite a physical activity and drummers can be prone to working up a sweat. Wearing a pair of headphones and drumming can become uncomfortable if the headphones are poorly designed and constructed.
A good tip is to make sure that the headphone cups will entirely cover your ears as this makes it easier to wear them for long periods on the drum set.
Another thing to look out for is the length of the cable. Aim to get a pair of headphones which comes with at least an 8 foot cable. This will save you headaches in the long term.
Of course, when it comes to wireless Bluetooth headphones, cables are not an issue. The only thing you need to be sure of there is that you can connect your module to the headphones. Remember, if your module has no Bluetooth functionality, you can purchase a small and cheap Bluetooth transmitter and plug that into your module output.
Keep an eye out for online special offers as in many cases, as newer products are released, you can get perfectly good older models of headphones with considerable discounts on the price.