We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, on-belt personal monitor amp that turns your existing earbuds or IEMs into a proper stage monitoring rig, choose Behringer P2; if you need a lightweight wireless on-ear headphone for everyday listening, calls and travel, choose Sony WH-CH520. These two look like they belong in the same conversation because of the "studio monitor headphones" keyword, but they are built for genuinely different jobs. One is a piece of stage and studio gear. The other is a daily-driver Bluetooth headphone. Here's how to tell which one actually fits you.
• Behringer P2 — biggest strength: It's a dedicated in-ear monitor amplifier with a locking XLR/TRS combo input, a Mono/Stereo switch and a detented level control, so you can drive your own IEMs or earbuds from a mixer feed with real control.
• Behringer P2 — biggest trade-off: It is not a headphone. There's no driver, no Bluetooth and no battery-powered playback of its own — it only works when you feed it a signal and plug your own monitors into it.
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest strength: Up to 50 hours of battery life, quick charging, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, a built-in mic and app-based EQ in a light on-ear design.
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest trade-off: No wired jack and no wired monitoring path, no noise cancelling, and a 30 mm on-ear driver design that isn't aimed at critical monitoring work.
• Who the P2 is for: Performers, worship musicians, drummers and studio players who need personal in-ear monitoring they can control on their belt.
• Who the WH-CH520 is for: Commuters, students, remote workers and casual listeners who want one comfortable wireless headphone for music, podcasts and calls.
The Behringer P2 is best understood as a small problem-solver for anyone who monitors through in-ears. It's an ultra-compact personal in-ear monitor amplifier. You plug your own headphones, earbuds or custom-molded IEMs into the top-mounted 3.5 mm stereo output, and you feed the P2 from your mixer or monitor send through the bottom-mounted XLR/TRS combo input. That input has a locking mechanism, so a stray tug on the cable won't disconnect you mid-song — you press the release tab when you're done.
Who should buy it: anyone running personal in-ear monitoring on stage or in a studio, especially players who move around and need their monitor level under their own thumb. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to listen to music from a phone. The P2 has no wireless playback, no drivers of its own and no standalone audio source — it's corded and needs a 12V battery plus a feed to do anything at all. It's a tool, not a pair of headphones.
Sony WH-CH520: Who It's For
The Sony WH-CH520 is the opposite kind of product: a self-contained wireless on-ear headphone. Its headline feature is battery life — up to 50 hours, with quick charging that gives you playback from just a few minutes on the cable. It charges over USB-C, and the included cable is a short USB-A to USB-C. Bluetooth 5 with a 10-meter range handles the connection, and multipoint lets you stay paired to two devices at once, so you can jump from a song on your laptop to a call on your phone without re-pairing.
On the comfort side, the design is deliberately light, with swivel earcups, an adjustable headband, a head cushion and soft ear pads — the kind of build you can wear through a long workday or a full travel day. There's a built-in microphone for hands-free calls, voice control support for assistants, and the Sony Headphones Connect app gives you EQ Custom so you can tune the sound to your taste. DSEE is there to help lift compressed streaming files. The 30 mm dynamic drivers run at 32 ohms, and you get six color options if aesthetics matter to you.
Who should buy it: commuters, students, office and remote workers, and anyone who wants one comfortable headphone for music, podcasts and calls. Who should skip it: anyone who needs a wired monitoring path or noise cancelling. There's no headphone jack here, and noise control is listed as none — so if you're monitoring a mix or playing live, this isn't the tool.
• Best for live in-ear monitoring → Behringer P2. The locking XLR/TRS input, Mono/Stereo switch and belt clip exist for exactly this.
• Best for everyday wireless listening → Sony WH-CH520. Bluetooth 5, multipoint and a built-in mic cover music, calls and switching between devices.
• Best for battery life → Sony WH-CH520. Up to 50 hours with quick charging, versus the P2's single 12V battery that only powers the amp.
• Best for controlling your own monitor level on stage → Behringer P2. The detented level control with on/off switch is the whole point.
• Best for comfort over long sessions → Sony WH-CH520. Lightweight build, swivel earcups, adjustable headband and soft pads.
• Best for using your own IEMs or earbuds → Behringer P2. The 3.5 mm output lets you bring whatever monitors you already trust.
• Best for phone calls and voice assistants → Sony WH-CH520. Hands-free calling and voice control are built in; the P2 has neither.
• Best for critical, wired signal paths → Behringer P2. No latency concerns from Bluetooth, just a direct line from your mixer.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: are you monitoring a performance, or listening for yourself? If you play live or track in a studio and want your in-ears fed and controlled from your belt, I'd buy the Behringer P2 — nothing about the WH-CH520 replaces a locking monitor feed and a detented level control. If you want one lightweight headphone for music, podcasts and calls all day, I'd buy the Sony WH-CH520 instead. They're not rivals so much as two different jobs — so pick the job you actually have.
FAQ
what is studio monitor headphones
what are the best studio monitor headphones
"Best" depends entirely on your job. For personal in-ear monitoring on stage, a dedicated amp like the Behringer P2 paired with your own IEMs is the practical route, since it gives you a locking input, Mono/Stereo switching and level control. For casual daily listening, the Sony WH-CH520 covers wireless playback, calls and long battery life instead.
do i need studio monitors if i have headphones
Not necessarily. If your goal is monitoring through in-ears on stage, the Behringer P2 lets you use headphones or IEMs you already own and control the level yourself, so you may not need separate monitors for that. If your goal is mixing at a desk, that's a different decision entirely — and the Sony WH-CH520, with its wireless design and no headphone jack, isn't aimed at that critical-listening role.
what are studio monitor headphones
They're headphones built for monitoring rather than casual listening — prioritizing an honest, uncolored signal you can trust while you play or mix. Between these two, the Behringer P2 is the monitoring-oriented product, since it's a personal in-ear monitor amplifier; the Sony WH-CH520 is a comfort-and-convenience wireless headphone for everyday use.
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See also: SONY WH-CH520 vs Botesty Sound USB C Headphones, studio monitor headphones, Marantz Professional Monitor Headphones vs Tone weal H77AIF