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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a purpose-built, wired-only studio headphone that plugs straight into an interface and stays out of your way while you track and mix, choose Audio Technica ATH-M20x; if you need wireless Bluetooth listening with touch controls and a renewed premium Beats build, choose Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro.
• Audio Technica ATH-M20x — biggest strength: a genuinely wired, closed-back studio monitor design with 40 mm dynamic drivers, 15 Hz–20 kHz response, and a single-side 9.8' cable that ends in a 3.5 mm plug plus a 1/4" snap-on adapter for interfaces, mixers and receivers.
• Audio Technica ATH-M20x — biggest trade-off: it’s wired only, so there’s no Bluetooth, no touch controls and no app — you’re tethered by design.
• Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro — biggest strength: wireless Bluetooth convenience with touch-based media controls and Beats’s custom acoustic platform in a renewed premium over-ear package, backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty description.
• Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro — biggest trade-off: it’s a renewed unit, the data sheet lists plastic as the enclosure material, and the spec sheet is light compared to the M20x — no driver size or frequency range is given.
• Who each pick is for: the Audio Technica ATH-M20x is for the home recordist, podcaster or mixer who wants a dependable wired tool; the Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro is for the listener who wants wireless everyday headphones and is comfortable buying renewed.
The ATH-M20x is a closed-back, over-ear monitor headphone built around a simple idea: get audio in and out of your ears without fuss. Audio-Technica specs it with 40 mm dynamic drivers using rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils, tuned for enhanced low-frequency performance. The frequency range runs 15 Hz to 20 kHz, which covers the full musical spectrum you’d realistically work with when recording or mixing at home.
The design details matter more than they look on paper. The circumaural (around-the-ear) cups contour around your ears to isolate you from outside sound, which is exactly what you want in a loud room or a shared apartment. The earcups swivel 15°, the headband and earpads are generously cushioned, and the cable exits from a single side — the left — at 9.8 feet. That length is deliberate: it reaches from your head to a desk interface without yanking. The cable terminates in a 3.5 mm mini plug for phones and computer soundcards, and a 1/4" snap-on adapter is included for audio interfaces, mixers and stereo receivers. The bundle also adds a headphones holder and a protective case, so the kit covers storage and desk setup out of the box.
Who should buy it: singer-songwriters tracking vocals and guitar at home, podcasters, and anyone mixing on a computer who wants one wired pair that just works with their interface. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to walk around the house, take calls wirelessly, or control playback with taps. The M20x has no Bluetooth and no touch controls — its connectivity is wired, full stop. If wireless freedom is non-negotiable, this is the wrong tool.
The Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro is a different animal. It’s a wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphone sold through Amazon Renewed, which means it’s a previously owned unit that’s been through Amazon’s renewal process rather than a brand-new retail box. The finish here is navy, and the enclosure is listed as plastic. It ships with a cable in the box and carries a 1-year manufacturer warranty description — a meaningful detail for a renewed purchase.
Functionally, the Studio Pro leans on Beats’s custom acoustic platform, which the data sheet says delivers rich, immersive sound for both music and calls. Controls are touch-based media controls, so you tap the earcup rather than hunt for buttons, and noise control is listed as sound isolation. Connectivity is wireless via Bluetooth. That combination — Bluetooth, touch controls, calls — is the whole point of this headphone. It’s designed for movement: commuting, working out, walking the dog, taking a call while your hands are full.
Who should buy it: the listener who wants premium-brand over-ear headphones for daily wireless use and is comfortable buying renewed to get there. It’s also a reasonable pick if you want touch controls and don’t want to deal with a cable. Who should skip it: anyone who needs a reference monitor for critical mixing, or anyone who wants a wired-only, plug-and-play studio tool. The sheet lists it as wireless Bluetooth with touch control — there’s no mention of a 1/4" adapter or studio-oriented tuning, and the spec sheet doesn’t give a driver size or frequency range to compare against. Buy it for wireless listening, not for studio reference work.
• Best for wired studio work → Audio Technica ATH-M20x. Wired 3.5 mm connection, 1/4" snap-on adapter, closed-back isolation and 40 mm drivers tuned for low end.
• Best for wireless everyday listening → Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro. Bluetooth connectivity and touch media controls mean no cable at all.
• Best for tracking and mixing at a desk → Audio Technica ATH-M20x. The 9.8' single-side cable reaches your interface, and the circumaural cups block room noise.
• Best for travel and commuting → Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro. Wireless plus touch controls and call handling suit life on the move.
• Best for a complete studio starter kit → Audio Technica ATH-M20x. It bundles a headphones holder and a protective case alongside the headphones.
• Best for buyers who value a factory warranty trail → Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro. The renewed listing carries a 1-year manufacturer warranty description.
• Best for buyers wary of renewed goods → Audio Technica ATH-M20x. It’s a straightforward new-product bundle with no renewal caveats in the data sheet.
• Best for critical listening without a cable tether → neither, honestly. The M20x is wired only, and the Studio Pro’s sheet doesn’t publish the driver or frequency specs a mixing engineer would want to compare.
In my opinion, if your goal is wired studio work — recording, tracking, mixing at a desk — I’d buy the Audio Technica ATH-M20x. It tells you exactly what it is in the specs: 40 mm drivers, 15 Hz–20 kHz, closed-back isolation, a long single-side cable and the adapter you need for an interface. That’s the tool for the job. I’d only steer you to the Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro if wireless Bluetooth listening and touch controls matter more to you than a wired signal path, and if you’re comfortable with a renewed unit. For the wired studio brief, the M20x is the cleaner fit.
what are the best wired studio headphones
There’s no single answer, but for a wired, closed-back monitor at an accessible level, the Audio Technica ATH-M20x fits the description well: 40 mm dynamic drivers, 15 Hz–20 kHz response, over-ear isolation and a 3.5 mm cable with a 1/4" adapter for studio gear. The Beats Studio Pro, by contrast, is a wireless Bluetooth headphone, so it isn’t really a wired studio headphone at all.
what are wired headphones
Wired headphones connect to your device through a physical cable rather than Bluetooth. The Audio Technica ATH-M20x is a clear example — its cable is attached and exits the left earcup, ending in a 3.5 mm plug with a 1/4" snap-on adapter included. The Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro is the opposite: its connectivity is wireless Bluetooth, with a cable included in the box but touch controls driving playback.
what headphones do professional studios use
Studios tend to favor closed-back, wired monitor headphones for tracking because they isolate the performer from outside sound and don’t introduce wireless latency. The ATH-M20x fits that mold with its circumaural, closed-back design and wired 3.5 mm connection. The Beats Studio Pro is built around Bluetooth and touch media controls, which points it at everyday listening and calls rather than a studio tracking chain.
are all studio headphones wired
No, but the classic studio monitor formula is wired, and the ATH-M20x follows it — wired connectivity, a single-side 9.8' cable, and a 1/4" adapter for interfaces and mixers. Wireless headphones like the Amazon Renewed Beats Studio Pro exist for portability and convenience, and their spec sheets emphasize Bluetooth and touch control rather than studio monitoring specs like driver size or frequency range.
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