We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want to blend your own mic, instrument and stereo mix into one headphone feed you control on stage, choose ART MyMONITORII Personal Headphone; if you need actual headphones with big drivers for tracking, mixing and long listening sessions, choose JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones.
• ART MyMONITORII biggest strength: it's a personal monitor mixer, not just a headphone — it blends a microphone, an instrument/line source and a stereo monitor feed, passes phantom power through to a condenser mic, and runs on a 9V battery or the supplied 12V supply.
• ART MyMONITORII biggest trade-off: it's a wired, XLR/TRS-based box with no drivers of its own — you still need your own headphones, and you need a source to feed it.
• JOYO Studio Monitor biggest strength: two pairs of 50mm neodymium-driver monitor headphones with 55-ohm impedance, 99 dB sensitivity, 15Hz–28kHz response and dual-sided detachable cables with a 6.35mm adapter.
• JOYO Studio Monitor biggest trade-off: it's headphones only — no mic input, no blending, no phantom power, nothing that changes your monitor mix at the source.
• Buy the ART MyMONITORII if you're a performer who needs to hear yourself and the band on your own terms.
• Buy the JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones if you need reliable, comfortable headphones for recording, mixing, podcasting or streaming.
The MyMONITORII solves a specific, very real stage problem: hearing yourself. It's a personal monitoring mixer that lets you blend any microphone source with any stereo source, then listen on your own headphones at the volume you want. Instead of begging the monitor engineer for "more me" all night, you take the mic, the stereo monitor send and your instrument, and you dial in your own balance.
The feature set is built around that job. There's a microphone input with a thru jack and a pop-less on/off mute switch — the thru passes your signal straight to the mixer, and it carries phantom power from the board so condenser mics work without a separate supply. There's also an instrument/line input with its own thru jacks, plus a stereo monitor input with a blend control. Connectivity is wired, the mic input is XLR, and the output connector is TRS. Power comes either from the supplied 12V DC supply or from an internal 9V battery, which matters if you're on a stage where a wall outlet isn't where you're standing.
Who should buy it: gigging singers and players who want consistent, self-controlled monitoring night after night, anyone using a condenser mic live who needs phantom power passed through, and home recordists who want a simple way to blend a mic with a backing track in their ears. Who should skip it: anyone who just wants headphones, and anyone who doesn't already own a pair — this unit feeds your headphones, it doesn't replace them. It also isn't for someone who wants a wireless, cable-free setup; everything here is wired by design.
The JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones are exactly what the name says — headphones, and this bundle gives you two pairs (JMH-02 and JMH-03), which JOYO notes may ship separately. The heart of them is a custom-tuned 50mm neodymium driver with a PET diaphragm, rated for a 15Hz–28kHz frequency response. That's a wide range aimed at balanced, studio-grade accuracy rather than a bass-heavy consumer tuning, which is what you want when you're checking a mix or tracking a vocal.
The electrical numbers back up the "high-thrust" claim: 55-ohm impedance, 99 dB sensitivity and 1,600 mW max power handling. In plain terms, 55 ohms is easy enough for a phone or laptop to drive, but the 1,600 mW ceiling means they can also take a loud headphone amp without falling apart — JOYO frames this as distortion-free reproduction even at peak volumes. The cables are dual-sided and detachable, with gold-plated threaded 3.5mm jacks and a stereo 6.35mm adapter, so you can plug into a phone, an interface or a mixer's quarter-inch output without hunting for an adapter.
Comfort gets real attention too: a lightweight ABS housing, memory-foam artificial-leather earpads and an adjustable headband that spreads pressure evenly. JOYO claims 4+ hours of fatigue-free use, which lines up with podcasting, streaming or a long studio session. Who should buy it: home studio users, podcasters, streamers, and anyone who needs two pairs of dependable monitor headphones at once. Who should skip it: performers who need to blend a mic with a monitor feed on stage — that's the ART's job, not this one's.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for controlling your own stage mix → ART MyMONITORII. Mic, instrument and stereo blending with a dedicated blend control is something the JOYO simply doesn't do.
• Best for battery-powered, outlet-free use → ART MyMONITORII. A 9V battery option means you're not tied to a wall wart mid-set.
• Best for actual listening right out of the box → JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones. The ART gives you no drivers; the JOYO gives you two complete pairs.
• Best for mixing and critical listening → JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones. The 50mm drivers and 15Hz–28kHz response are built for accuracy, not just cue monitoring.
• Best for long sessions → JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones. Memory-foam pads, an adjustable headband and a lightweight ABS housing are designed for 4+ hours of wear.
• Best for plugging into anything → JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones. Detachable dual-sided cables, threaded 3.5mm jacks and a 6.35mm adapter cover phones, interfaces and mixers.
• Best for a two-person setup → JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones. The bundle includes two pairs, so a host and guest, or two bandmates, are both covered.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the ART MyMONITORII Personal Headphone — but only if my problem is hearing myself on stage. In my opinion, no pair of headphones, however good, fixes a bad monitor mix; the ART lets you solve that yourself with mic, instrument and stereo blending plus phantom power pass-through. If you don't perform and just need headphones for recording, mixing or streaming, I'd take the JOYO Studio Monitor Headphones instead — two pairs, big drivers, comfortable pads and cables that fit everything. Different jobs, both done well. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
Yes. At 55-ohm impedance and 99 dB sensitivity they're easy to drive from everyday devices, and the threaded 3.5mm jacks plus the included 6.35mm adapter cover interfaces and mixers too.
For the headphone side, the JOYO — 50mm drivers and a 15Hz–28kHz response are made for accurate monitoring. If you also need to blend a mic with a backing track in your ears and pass phantom power, the ART MyMONITORII is the tool for that.
Yes. It runs from the supplied 12V DC supply or from an internal 9V battery, so you can use it where mains power isn't practical.
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