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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 hands-on production controller that also gets you a pair of closed-back monitoring headphones in the same box, choose Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49; if you need a dedicated closed-back studio headphone setup with a stand and an extension cable for long mixing sessions, choose Kellards HD 480.
• Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49 — biggest strength: it's a full FL Studio control surface (49 keys, 16 RGB pads, 9 faders, 8 pots) bundled with the PRO-M50 closed-back monitor headphones, a hard case, and a spare ear pad.
• Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49 — biggest trade-off: the bundle is built around the keyboard, so the headphones are a supporting piece rather than the main event, and the whole kit weighs 11.8 pounds.
• Kellards HD 480 — biggest strength: it goes all-in on the headphone experience — angled closed-back earcups, neodymium magnets, passive shielding, a vibration attenuation system, and a cable-coil structure that cuts cable noise.
• Kellards HD 480 — biggest trade-off: it's headphones only. There's no keyboard, no software, no pads — nothing to make music with until you already own an instrument or a DAW rig.
• Pick the Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49 if you're building a beat-making setup and want the controller and monitoring headphones handled in one purchase.
• Pick the Kellards HD 480 if you already have your instrument or interface and your real priority is a comfortable closed-back headphone rig for mixing, tracking, or DJ work.
The Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49 bundle is, first and foremost, a music-production tool. The FLkey 49 is a 49-key velocity-sensitive controller with 16 RGB backlit velocity-sensitive pads, 9 faders, 9 fader buttons, 8 customizable pots, and pitch and modulation wheels. It's built specifically around FL Studio: the Sequencer, Channel Rack, Mixer, and transport controls are all reachable from the hardware, which means beat making, pattern editing, automation, preset browsing, quantise, metronome, undo, redo, and score log functions don't have to run through a mouse. A 16 x 2 character screen shows you what's going on, and Scale mode, Note Repeat, and the chord modes (including Fixed Chord and one-finger chord options) make it easier to sketch melodies and harmonies when inspiration is moving faster than your keyboard skills.
Then there's the headphone half of the box. The included PRO-M50 is a closed-back circumaural design with 40 mm neodymium drivers, 32 ohms impedance, 97±3dB sensitivity, and a 10Hz–25kHz frequency response, weighing 290 g. You get a detachable 100% OFC coiled cable, gold-plated connectors, interchangeable leather and suede ear cushions, and a hard travel case. At 32 ohms it's easy to drive from a laptop or interface, and the closed-back design keeps sound in and room noise out — useful when you're tracking with a microphone in the same room.
Who should buy it: producers working in FL Studio, beat makers who want pads and faders under their fingers, and anyone starting from scratch who needs a controller and a monitoring pair without shopping twice. Who should skip it: keyboardists who don't use FL Studio and just want a generic MIDI controller, and anyone whose only real need is headphones — half of this bundle would sit unused.
Kellards HD 480: Who It's For
The Kellards HD 480 is a closed-back, over-ear studio headphone built for comfort and signal integrity over long sessions. The design brief is clear from the spec list: angled earcups to optimize sound focus, a comfort-focused closed-back structure that eliminates pressure points, and a plastic enclosure that keeps the weight down. Neodymium magnets and ultra-light voice coils are what give it a dynamic, efficient performance — light coils move faster, which is part of why transients feel quick and detailed on this kind of driver.
The engineering story goes further than the drivers. Multistage passive shielding plus a Vibration Attenuation System is aimed squarely at maximum signal integrity and exceptionally low distortion, and the patented cable-coil structure is designed to block cable noise. If you've ever heard a cable rustle or thump through a pair of headphones while tracking or editing, you know exactly what problem that solves. The cable is removable and can be connected on either the left or right side — a genuinely practical touch when your interface or mixer sits off to one side of your chair.
Who should buy it: mixing and mastering engineers, DJs, podcasters, and home-studio owners who already have their instrument or interface and want a comfortable closed-back headphone with a stand and a spare cable. Who should skip it: anyone who still needs a keyboard or pads to actually make music — this product assumes you already have the rest of the chain.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for making music from scratch → Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49. The controller, pads, faders, and bundled software are the whole point.
• Best for FL Studio users → Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49. Native control of the Sequencer, Channel Rack, Mixer, and transport is baked in.
• Best for long mixing and mastering sessions → Kellards HD 480. Angled closed-back earcups, pressure-point-free comfort, and cable-noise blocking are designed exactly for that.
• Best for tracking in a room with a microphone → Kellards HD 480. The closed-back design plus multistage passive shielding and low distortion suit critical listening.
• Best for DJ and club monitoring → Kellards HD 480. It's explicitly built for live DJ and club use, with a 3-meter coiled cable and swappable left/right cable connection.
• Best all-in-one starter kit → Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49. You get a controller, monitoring headphones, a hard case, an extra ear pad, and a software trial in one purchase.
• Best for buyers who already own a keyboard → Kellards HD 480. You're not paying for hardware you'd never touch.
• Best for portability of the headphone itself → Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49. The PRO-M50 folds into a hard travel case with interchangeable leather and suede cushions.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison are trying to make music, not just listen to it — and for that person I'd buy the Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49. It's the more complete purchase: you can produce on day one, and the PRO-M50 covers monitoring well enough that you don't need a second order. I'd only point you to the Kellards HD 480 if you already own your instrument and interface and your bottleneck is the headphone itself — comfort, isolation, and low-distortion critical listening. That's a narrower, more specialized need, and the HD 480 serves it well. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit, since bundles and single products rarely land in the same spending bracket.
Closed-back studio headphones have sealed earcups that enclose your ears, so sound stays in and room noise stays out. Both products here use that design — the PRO-M50 in the Audiosavings bundle and the Kellards HD 480.
Open-back headphones have vents or grilles in the earcups that let air and sound pass through, which typically gives a wider, more spacious sound but leaks audio outward. Neither product in this comparison is open-back; both are closed-back designs.
I can't name a universal winner — it depends on your use case. For mixing, mastering, and DJ work, I'd lean toward the Kellards HD 480 thanks to its angled earcups and low-distortion design; if you need headphones as part of a production starter kit, the PRO-M50 in the Audiosavings bundle is the more practical pick.
Yes, if you plan to produce. The HD 480 is headphones only — no keys, pads, or software. The Audiosavings Novation FLkey 49 bundle includes the 49-key controller, so it's the one to choose if you don't already own an instrument.
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