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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want wired, over-ear monitoring headphones built for loud, accurate, distortion-free listening, choose Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH; if you need a complete plug-and-play USB recording kit with a microphone and a pair of monitoring headphones included, choose MAONO AU-A04H. I'm framing this whole comparison around one real-world scenario — packing for a flight, or just wanting a dependable listening setup for airplane trips and quiet hotel rooms — because that's where these two products pull in completely different directions.
• Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH — biggest strength: Newly developed 40 mm dynamic drivers with a 1,500 mW maximum input power rating, so the sound stays clean even when you push the volume. Closed-back over-ear cups with soft, durable earpads give strong sound isolation.
• Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH — biggest trade-off: It's strictly wired (3.5 mm jack, with a screw-on 6.3 mm adapter) and it does nothing but play audio. No microphone, no USB, no software.
• MAONO AU-A04H — biggest strength: It's a bundle. A 192kHz/24Bit USB condenser mic with a full accessory kit (stand, shock mount, pop filter, windscreen, table clamp, USB cable) plus a pair of 50 mm studio monitoring headphones with 90-degree swiveling earcups.
• MAONO AU-A04H — biggest trade-off: It's a desktop recording system first. The headphones are monitoring headphones for a mic setup, not a focused music-listening product, and the whole kit is heavier and more desk-bound.
• Pick the Audio Technica if you mainly want one reliable pair of headphones for music on the move. Pick the MAONO if you're building a home recording, streaming or podcast desk and want mic and monitoring in one box.
This is a purpose-built DJ monitor headphone, and the spec sheet reads that way. The core of it is a pair of newly developed 40 mm dynamic drivers with a frequency range of 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz and an impedance of 87 ohm. The number that really matters here is the 1,500 mW maximum input power — that's the figure Audio-Technica uses to argue the PRO5X stays distortion-free across a wide range even at genuinely loud volumes. If you've ever turned headphones up on a noisy plane and heard the bass turn to mush, that's the exact problem this rating is aimed at.
The physical design supports the same story. These are closed-back, over-ear headphones with soft, durable earpads that fit over the ears and provide excellent sound isolation — which is what you want when you're trying to hear your music over engine drone. The control type is listed as media control via remote, and noise control is handled by sound isolation rather than any active processing. In my opinion, "best with microphone headphones for airplane" is the wrong search for this product — it has no mic. It's the headphone half of that equation, done well.
Who should buy it: DJs, anyone who monitors audio for a living, and travelers who want one sturdy wired pair of over-ear headphones with real isolation and volume headroom. Who should skip it: anyone who needs a microphone, wireless freedom, or a low latency bluetooth headset for airplane use — none of that exists here. Also skip it if folding and stuffing into a small bag is a priority; nothing in the spec sheet describes a foldable hinge.
MAONO AU-A04H: Who It's For
The MAONO AU-A04H is a different animal entirely: a USB microphone kit that happens to include headphones. The mic is a 16 mm electret condenser with a cardioid (unidirectional) polar pattern, a frequency response of 30 Hz – 16 kHz, and a 192kHz/24Bit sampling rate driven by a pro sound chipset. Signal-to-noise ratio is listed at 96 dB. The whole thing is plug-and-play over USB 2.0 or USB Type-C — no driver software, no external sound card — and MAONO notes a double-shielded USB cable plus a magnet ring on the cable for interference rejection.
The headphones in the box are the part that overlaps with our music-headphones angle. They use proprietary 50 mm large-aperture drivers, and MAONO describes a deep, accurate bass response plus active noise reduction technology. The design is circumaural, with soft earmuffs and a PC + ABS headband, and the brand claims good breathability and comfort over long sessions. The genuinely useful feature for recording is the swiveling: 90-degree earcups for one-ear monitoring, with a foldable and stretchable headband for fit and storage. A 9.8 ft coiled retractable cable gives you room to move at the desk.
The kit is the real story. You get the mic, a mic stand, a metal shock mount, a pop filter, a foam windscreen, a table clamp, and a USB cable — essentially a starter studio in one purchase. It's built for podcasting, streaming, gaming, voice-over and content creation on a computer, though the connectivity list also names PS4, PS5 and mobile phones.
Who should buy it: new podcasters, streamers, gamers and anyone doing voice-over who wants mic and monitoring headphones together without buying separate pieces. Who should skip it: anyone who just wants headphones for music. If your goal is a great listening experience on a flight, this kit's headphones are a bonus, not the point, and you'd be paying for a microphone you won't use.
• Best for pure music listening → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH. 40 mm dynamic drivers, 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz, tuned for accurate, loud, distortion-free playback.
• Best for loud-volume headroom → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH. The 1,500 mW maximum input power is the standout number in either data sheet for this.
• Best for sound isolation on a plane → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH. Closed-back over-ear earpads and sound isolation are exactly what a noisy cabin demands.
• Best for recording, streaming or podcasting → MAONO AU-A04H. The 192kHz/24Bit cardioid condenser and full accessory kit are the whole reason to buy it.
• Best for one-ear monitoring while recording → MAONO AU-A04H. The 90-degree swiveling earcups are built for this.
• Best for travel durability and cable security → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH. Detachable locking cables, a rigid package and a 2-year limited warranty.
• Best rotatable ear cups open ear earbuds for airplane → neither, strictly speaking. Neither product is an open-ear earbud; the MAONO's swiveling cups are the closest thing to rotatable, but they're for studio monitoring, not cabin use.
• Best all-in-one starter bundle → MAONO AU-A04H. Mic, stand, shock mount, pop filter, windscreen, clamp and headphones in a single kit.
For the music-headphones use case I set out at the top — and especially for airplane trips — I'd buy the Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH. It does one job, and the specs say it does it with real authority: 40 mm drivers, 1,500 mW of input headroom, closed-back isolation, locking cables and a 2-year limited warranty. I recommend the MAONO AU-A04H only if your actual project is recording or streaming, in which case the mic-and-monitoring bundle is genuinely smart value. But if you're shopping for headphones to listen to music, the MAONO's headphones are a side dish, not the meal. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit either way.
FAQ
how to make headphones music louder
how to fix stereo headphones
Most stereo headphone faults trace back to the cable or jack, not the drivers. That's one quiet advantage of the ATH-PRO5XWH: its cables are detachable and locking, so a damaged cable is a swap rather than a soldering job. Check the 3.5 mm connection and the screw-on 6.3 mm adapter first, since a loose adapter is a common cause of one-sided sound.
how to test stereo headphones
Play a track with clearly separated left and right channels and confirm each ear cup produces sound independently, then check for crackle at higher volume. The ATH-PRO5XWH's 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range and 1,500 mW rating make it a reasonable candidate for a volume sweep, since the drivers are rated to stay clean when pushed.
how to make stereo headphones
You don't build them — you choose the right pair for the job. If you need monitoring while recording, the MAONO AU-A04H's 50 mm drivers and 90-degree swiveling earcups are designed for one-ear studio work. If you need stereo music playback with isolation and volume headroom, the Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XWH is the more direct fit.
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