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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Audio-Technica ATH-M70x — biggest strength: Proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers tuned for an extremely wide 5 Hz to 40 kHz range, with a closed-back circumaural design that isolates well and 90° swiveling earcups for one-ear monitoring. Built with metal components for durability.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M70x — biggest trade-off: It is purely a listening device. Wired only, no USB audio interface, no speaker switching, and no control over external monitor speakers — it just plugs into whatever you already have.
• Behringer MONITOR2USB — biggest strength: A dedicated speaker and headphone monitoring controller with VCA control plus a built-in USB audio interface, so it becomes the central switching and routing point of a desktop studio.
• Behringer MONITOR2USB — biggest trade-off: It makes no sound on its own. You still need to supply your own headphones and monitor speakers, and its USB interface tops out at 48 kHz, so it is not aimed at high-resolution recording work.
• Who each pick is for: Pick the ATH-M70x if what you actually want is a set of headphones for mixing, tracking, DJing, mastering, post-production or plain listening. Pick the MONITOR2USB if you already own headphones and speakers and want a clean way to switch between them and feed your DAW over USB.
The ATH-M70x is a closed-back dynamic headphone built around 45 mm large-aperture drivers. Audio-Technica tunes those drivers to reproduce extreme low and high frequencies — the spec sheet lists a 5 Hz to 40 kHz range — while keeping the overall balance even. Impedance is 35 ohm and sensitivity is 97 dB, which tells you this is a reasonably easy load to drive, the kind of headphone that behaves on a wide range of studio and consumer gear rather than demanding a dedicated high-gain amplifier.
The practical features matter as much as the numbers. The circumaural design contours around the ear, which is what gives it the sound isolation Audio-Technica advertises for loud environments. The 90° swiveling earcups let you flip one side off your ear for one-ear monitoring — genuinely useful when you're tracking a vocalist, cueing a record as a DJ, or checking a mix against a live room. The enclosure mixes faux leather, metal and plastic, and the metal components are there for durability rather than looks. It ships as a wired headphone with a 3.5 mm jack and includes a case.
So who should buy it? Anyone whose job is listening: studio mixing and tracking, front-of-house work, DJing, mastering, post-production, audio forensics, or just critical personal listening. If you want one pair of closed-back headphones that can double as a work tool and an everyday pair, this is squarely in that lane.
Who should skip it? If your real problem is that you have two sets of monitor speakers and a pair of headphones and no sane way to switch between them, this headphone does not solve that. There is no USB interface here, no speaker output, no monitor switching. It is a listener, not a controller.
The MONITOR2USB is a different species entirely. Behringer describes it as a high-end speaker and headphone monitoring controller with VCA control and a built-in USB audio interface. In plain terms, it is the box that sits between your computer and your speakers and headphones, letting you manage what you hear without crawling behind your desk to replug cables.
The USB connection is the input — audio comes in over USB, and the unit supports generic DAW software on Windows. It carries 12 channels and a maximum sample rate of 48 kHz. It is a desktop-sized unit at roughly 5.47 inches deep, 9.57 inches wide and 5.47 inches tall, weighing 3.3 pounds, and the boxed shipping weight is heavier. The included component is the monitoring center itself.
Who should buy it? The home or project studio owner who wants a physical control surface for monitoring: switching between speakers and headphones, managing levels with VCA control, and feeding the whole rig from a computer over USB. If your desk has become a tangle of cables and you keep unplugging things to hear a different source, this is the kind of device that fixes that specific frustration.
Who should skip it? Anyone who just needs headphones. The MONITOR2USB produces no sound by itself — you must already own monitor speakers and headphones to use it. And if you record or mix at sample rates above 48 kHz, its ceiling is a real limitation worth weighing before you commit.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for actual listening and mixing on headphones → Audio-Technica ATH-M70x. It is the only one of the two that makes sound.
• Best for managing speakers and headphones from one desk controller → Behringer MONITOR2USB. That is literally its job.
• Best for sound isolation in loud rooms → Audio-Technica ATH-M70x, because of the circumaural closed-back design.
• Best for feeding a DAW over USB → Behringer MONITOR2USB, which has a USB audio input and works with generic Windows DAW software.
• Best for high-resolution work above 48 kHz → neither, strictly speaking. The MONITOR2USB caps at 48 kHz, so check your workflow before buying.
• Best for durability on the move → Audio-Technica ATH-M70x, which uses key metal components and ships with a case.
• Best for a full monitoring chain on a desk → Behringer MONITOR2USB, paired with your own speakers and headphones.
If I had to buy one of these for myself, I would buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M70x. In my opinion, it is the more universally useful purchase: it is a complete, self-contained tool that works the moment you plug it in, and its 5 Hz to 40 kHz tuning, closed-back isolation and swiveling earcups cover mixing, tracking, DJing and everyday listening. The MONITOR2USB is a genuinely smart piece of gear, but only for a specific setup — one where you already own speakers and headphones and want a USB-fed controller to switch between them. If that describes your desk, it is the better answer. If it does not, the headphones are the safer, more rewarding pick. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since these sit in very different budget brackets.
FAQ
what is studio monitor headphones
Studio monitor headphones are closed- or open-back headphones designed to reproduce audio as accurately as possible rather than to flatter it, so you hear problems in a mix instead of pleasant coloration. The ATH-M70x fits this definition with its 45 mm drivers tuned across a 5 Hz to 40 kHz range.
"Best" depends on your job, but in my opinion the ATH-M70x is a strong pick for closed-back studio work because it combines wide-range drivers, a circumaural isolating design and 90° swiveling earcups. If you need a controller rather than headphones, the Behringer MONITOR2USB serves a different role entirely.
do i need studio monitors if i have headphones
Not necessarily — plenty of people mix on headphones alone, and the ATH-M70x is built for exactly that. But if you do own monitor speakers, the MONITOR2USB becomes genuinely useful, because it lets you switch between speakers and headphones without replugging cables.
what are studio monitor headphones
To repeat it plainly: they are headphones built for accurate, neutral playback for mixing, tracking, mastering and critical listening. The ATH-M70x is one; the MONITOR2USB is not a headphone at all, but the monitoring controller you would pair with one.
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