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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 single pair of wired closed-back headphones you can trust for tracking, mixing and everyday critical listening, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50x; if you need a multi-person personal monitoring system that lets each performer build their own 16-channel headphone mix, choose Behringer P16-HQ.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest strength: 45mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils in a closed-back, over-ear design rated 15 Hz to 28 kHz, so you get controlled low end and detailed mids for mixing decisions.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest trade-off: Wired only, with a 3.5mm jack and a screw-on 1/4-inch adapter, so there is no wireless option and no per-performer mixing — one pair, one listener.
• Behringer P16-HQ — biggest strength: A 16-channel personal monitoring mixer with a 114 dB D/A converter and premium headphone amp, giving each musician their own channel buttons, level and pan controls without touching the front-of-house mix.
• Behringer P16-HQ — biggest trade-off: This is a rack-and-stage system, not a portable listening device — the bundle ships as a 3-pack with mounting brackets and weighs 17.33 pounds, so it stays where it is installed.
• Pick the ATH-M50x if you are one person mixing, editing, DJing or monitoring on your own.
• Pick the P16-HQ if you are running a band, worship team or studio with several performers who all need separate monitor mixes.
The ATH-M50x is a closed-back studio monitor headphone built around proprietary 45mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils. Audio-Technica tunes that combination for a wide frequency range — 15 Hz to 28 kHz on the spec sheet — with deep but controlled bass and mids detailed enough to hear balance and separation. For mixing, that matters more than anything else: you want to hear what is actually in the track, not a flattering version of it.
The over-ear, closed-back shell contours around the ear to cut outside noise and limit bleed. That makes it useful in loud rooms and during recording, where an open-back design would leak into the mic. The swiveling earcups let you flip one side off for single-ear monitoring, which is exactly what vocalists, DJs and engineers working in active environments tend to do. The reinforced headband and cushioned pads are aimed at long sessions, and the foldable, rotating structure makes it easy to throw in a bag for mobile setups and travel. Three detachable single-sided cables are included, and the 3.5mm jack with a screw-on 1/4-inch adapter connects straight to an audio interface or a laptop.
The ENSO bundle adds practical extras: a headphone stand, a case, a 4 fl oz cleaner, a 15 ft balanced 1/4-inch TRS interconnect, touch fastener straps and a microfiber cloth. None of that changes the sound, but it does mean you are set up for a desk workflow on day one.
Who should buy it? Anyone mixing, editing audio, cueing tracks or doing content creation who wants one reliable, isolating pair. Who should skip it? If you need wireless listening, look elsewhere — this is a wired headphone. And if your problem is that four band members all want different monitor mixes, one pair of headphones cannot solve that.
The Behringer P16-HQ POWERPLAY is a 16-channel personal monitoring mixer — a different category of product entirely. Each performer gets access to 16 channels and builds their own headphone mix with dedicated channel select buttons, level and pan/balance controls, all backlit with LED indicators so you can work in a dark stage environment. Presets let you recall a preferred monitor setting instantly between songs or services.
The audio side is the real upgrade over the older P16-M approach: a high-performance 114 dB D/A converter paired with premium headphone amplification. Behringer specifically points to that combination delivering more volume and clarity with low-impedance headphones and in-ear monitors — the exact gear most performers actually use. Low noise and good headroom matter here, because monitor mixes are usually quiet in the room and loud in the ears.
This bundle is a 3-pack: three P16-HQ units, three mounting brackets and three pairs of Turnstile Audio TAPH100 closed-back studio monitor headphones. It measures 15.25 x 7.5 x 4.25 inches and weighs 17.33 pounds in total. That tells you what it is — installed gear. Mounting brackets mean it lives on a mic stand, a rack or a drum riser, not in your backpack.
Who should buy it? Bands, houses of worship, recording studios and live sound engineers running multi-musician setups who want lower stage volume and performers who can hear themselves properly. Who should skip it? A solo producer or a single listener. If you just need one pair of headphones for mixing at your desk, a three-unit monitor mixer system is the wrong tool, no matter how good the converter is.
• Best for mixing and critical listening → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Closed-back isolation, 45mm drivers and a 15 Hz–28 kHz range are aimed squarely at hearing balance and separation.
• Best for multiple performers at once → Behringer P16-HQ. The 3-pack and 16-channel access are built for bands, worship teams and studio ensembles.
• Best for portable, everyday use → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Foldable, rotating earcups and a 14.56-ounce weight make it a travel-friendly wired headphone.
• Best for installed stage or studio monitoring → Behringer P16-HQ. Mounting brackets and a 17.33-pound package say permanent setup, not carry-on.
• Best for single-ear monitoring while recording → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Swiveling earcups let you slip one side off without removing the headphone.
• Best output quality for low-impedance IEMs → Behringer P16-HQ. The 114 dB D/A converter and upgraded headphone amp are explicitly designed for that job.
• Best for controlling your own monitor mix without touching FOH → Behringer P16-HQ. Performer-adjustable channel, level and pan controls are the whole point.
• Best for a one-person home setup → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. You get the headphones, cables and accessories in one bundle and nothing you cannot use alone.
In my opinion, most people searching these two names together are actually mixing, editing or listening on their own — and for that, I would buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. It is the one product here that does the job you probably opened this page for: a closed-back, wired, isolating monitor headphone with drivers and a frequency range chosen for accurate, repeatable sound. The P16-HQ is excellent at what it does, but what it does is give several performers separate monitor mixes on a stage or in a studio. If that is genuinely your situation — a band, a worship team, a multi-musician recording room — then the P16-HQ is the correct buy and the M50x is not even in the conversation. Match the tool to the job, and you will not regret either one.
how to connect studio headphones
The ATH-M50x terminates in a 3.5mm jack and ships with a screw-on 1/4-inch adapter, so it plugs directly into a laptop, phone or the headphone output of an audio interface; for a balanced connection to gear with 1/4-inch TRS outputs, the bundle includes a 15 ft balanced interconnect. Three detachable single-sided cables are supplied, so you can swap length without swapping headphones. The P16-HQ is different — it is a monitor mixer that feeds headphones from its own amplified output, so performers plug in there rather than into a computer.
how to test studio headphones
Start with material you know intimately and listen for whether the low end stays controlled and the mids stay separated — that is what the ATH-M50x's 45mm dynamic drivers and 15 Hz to 28 kHz range are designed to reveal. Sweep a mix you have heard on many systems and check whether what you hear matches what you expect. On the P16-HQ side, testing means checking each performer's channel buttons, level and pan controls and confirming the 114 dB D/A converter and headphone amp drive your IEMs cleanly at usable volume.
how to bluetooth studio headphones
Neither product here is wireless. The ATH-M50x is a wired headphone with a 3.5mm jack and a screw-on 1/4-inch adapter, and the P16-HQ is a wired monitoring mixer with its own headphone outputs. If Bluetooth is a requirement, you would need a separate Bluetooth transmitter or receiver to feed a wired headphone — but note that adding wireless adds latency, which is exactly why studio monitoring gear like this stays wired.
can you mix with just headphones
Yes, and the ATH-M50x is built for it: closed-back isolation, swiveling earcups for single-ear checks and drivers tuned for controlled bass and detailed mids make it a practical mixing tool. The honest caveat is that headphones cannot reproduce how a room interacts with speakers, so it is wise to check a mix on more than one system. The P16-HQ is not a mixing tool in that sense — it is for monitoring your own mix on stage, not for building the final record.
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