We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-06 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a lightweight, closed-back studio headphone you can wear for long shifts, choose Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA; if you need a hands-on DAW control surface with a bundled MIDI cable and monitor headphones, choose Kellards Novation Launch Control. These two barely compete for the same buyer, and the "for nurses" angle makes that clearer than anything else — a nurse charting at a station or winding down after a twelve-hour shift wants quiet, comfortable, closed-back listening, not a bank of faders.
• Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA — biggest strength: low-profile, closed-back, on-ear design with strong isolation, a low-impedance 38-ohm build that gets loud from basically any headphone jack, and memory foam padding meant for hours of wear.
• Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA — biggest trade-off: it's a wired headphone with no noise cancelling and no wireless mode, so you're tethered and still hearing the room around you.
• Kellards Novation Launch Control — biggest strength: a real control surface with eight 60mm faders, 24 endless encoders, 16 assignable buttons, transport controls, an OLED display and 5-pin MIDI plus USB-C, bundled with a MIDI cable and closed-back monitor headphones.
• Kellards Novation Launch Control — biggest trade-off: it does nothing on its own. No computer or MIDI hardware, no music-making. It's a studio tool, not a listening device.
• Who each pick is for: the ATH-M60XA is for anyone who mainly needs private, comfortable, wired listening — including nurses who want a dependable pair for breaks, commutes and off-shift downtime. The Launch Control is for producers, beatmakers and anyone driving a DAW or MIDI rig who wants physical knobs under their fingers.
The ATH-M60XA is a closed-back, on-ear headphone built around isolation and durability. The low-profile cups sit close to your head, which is exactly the point of a closed-back design: the ear cups seal against your ears so your audio stays in and the outside noise stays out. That's the same principle behind the closed-back studio monitor headphones bundled in the other product here, but the M60XA is the one designed to be worn on a person rather than hung on a desk.
The spec sheet tells a practical story. A 45mm dynamic driver, 15 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency response, 102 dB sensitivity and 38-ohm impedance. That low impedance matters more than people realize — it means you get a healthy output level from a phone, a laptop, a tablet or a basic in-flight jack without needing an amp. Metal components in the build back up the durability claim, and the memory foam earpads and headband are there so you can keep them on for a full shift or a long flight without your ears aching. At 200 g, they're light enough to forget you're wearing them.
The detachable cable setup is the detail I'd point a nurse to first. You get three cables in the box: a 1.2 m–3.0 m coiled cable, a 3.0 m straight cable and a 1.2 m straight cable. Short cable for the phone in your pocket, long cable for a desk or a charting station, coiled cable when you don't want slack everywhere. If a cable snags and dies, you replace the cable, not the headphone.
Kellards Novation Launch Control: Who It's For
This bundle is a different animal entirely. At its core is the Novation Launch Control XL 3, a control surface for DAWs and MIDI gear. Eight 60mm faders, 24 endless encoders, 16 assignable buttons split across two banks, dedicated transport controls and a crisp OLED display. If you've ever tried to mix a session with a mouse and a trackpad, you already understand why faders and encoders matter — you get physical, simultaneous control of level, pan, sends and plugin parameters instead of clicking one knob at a time.
The connectivity is the part that makes it flexible. USB-C for your computer, plus 5-pin DIN MIDI In, Out and Out2/Thru for hardware synths, drum machines and other MIDI-equipped gear. With the Components software you can map controls automatically and store up to 15 user-defined custom modes, which is genuinely useful if you bounce between a DAW setup and a hardware-only rig. It works with PC and Mac, takes app, push-button and touch input, and the box includes a USB-C cable, a 10-foot Kellards MIDI-to-MIDI cable and a pair of Polsen HPC-A30 closed-back studio monitor headphones.
That last item is the bridge between these two products. The Polsen headphones in this bundle are closed-back studio monitors — the same category as the ATH-M60XA — designed for tracking and monitoring where you don't want sound bleeding into a microphone or leaking out to the neighbors. So if you're weighing these two, part of what you're really asking is: do I need a listening tool, or do I need a control tool that happens to include a listening tool?
Who should buy it: producers, beatmakers, bedroom studio owners and anyone sequencing hardware who wants tactile control and a spare pair of closed-back monitors in one box. Who should skip it: anyone who just wants to listen to music or take calls. Without a computer or MIDI hardware attached, this surface has nothing to control. And a limited 3-year manufacturer warranty covers the bundle, which is worth knowing before you commit.
• Best for private, long-session listening → Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA. Memory foam pads, 200 g, closed-back seal, three cable lengths.
• Best for music production and mixing → Kellards Novation Launch Control. Faders, encoders and transport buttons beat a mouse every time.
• Best for plug-and-play with any phone or laptop → Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA. 38-ohm impedance means it works from a plain 3.5 mm jack with no amp.
• Best for hybrid DAW-plus-hardware setups → Kellards Novation Launch Control. USB-C plus 5-pin MIDI In/Out/Out2/Thru, and 15 storable custom modes.
• Best for cable flexibility → Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA. Detachable, with coiled and straight options in the box.
• Best for a single-box studio starter kit → Kellards Novation Launch Control. You get the surface, a MIDI cable and closed-back monitor headphones together.
• Best for nurses and shift workers → Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA. Light, wired, isolating and comfortable enough to wear through a break and a commute.
• Best if you want wireless or active noise cancelling → neither. Both are wired; the M60XA has no noise control, and the Launch Control isn't a listening device at all.
In my opinion, most people landing on this comparison should buy the Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA. It's the one that works the moment you unbox it, with any device, for hours at a time, and the detachable cable plus metal components make it the lower-risk long-term pick. For nurses specifically, that combination of light weight, memory foam comfort and closed-back isolation is exactly what headphones for nurses should deliver — quiet on your break, easy on your ears at the end of a shift. I'd only steer you to the Kellards Novation Launch Control if you actually make music and want faders and encoders under your hands; the bundled closed-back monitor headphones are a nice bonus, but the surface is the reason to buy it. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one thing that can tip a close call.
what are closed back studio headphones
Closed-back studio headphones have sealed ear cups that block outside sound from getting in and keep your audio from leaking out. That makes them the usual choice for recording, monitoring and private listening. The Audio-Technica(オーディオテクニカ） ATH-M60XA is a closed-back, on-ear example, and the Polsen HPC-A30 included in the Kellards bundle is a closed-back monitor pair.
what is closed back studio headphones
It's the same idea stated another way: a headphone whose cups form a closed shell around your ears rather than leaving them open to the room. The practical payoff is isolation and less bleed. The M60XA leans on that sealed, low-profile fit, and its 38-ohm impedance means it still plays loud from an ordinary 3.5 mm jack.
what are the best closed back studio headphones
In my opinion the "best" one depends on whether you want to listen or to produce. For pure listening, I'd pick the ATH-M60XA for its 45mm drivers, memory foam padding, 200 g weight and three detachable cables. For production work, the Kellards Novation Launch Control bundle makes more sense because it adds a real control surface plus a closed-back monitor pair.
what is open back studio headphones
Open-back studio headphones have cups that let air and sound pass through, which typically trades isolation for a more spacious presentation. Neither product here is open-back — the ATH-M60XA is explicitly closed-back, and the bundled Polsen HPC-A30 is a closed-back monitor headphone. If isolation is your priority, closed-back is the right category.
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