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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 semi-open, high-impedance studio headphone built for critical mixing and mastering, choose beyerdynamic DT 880; if you need a wired streaming headset that combines closed-back monitoring with a boom microphone, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS.
• beyerdynamic DT 880 — biggest strength: semi-open-back design with a 5 Hz–35 kHz frequency range and 250-ohm impedance, built for precision listening on a mixer, interface, or amplifier.
• beyerdynamic DT 880 — biggest trade-off: wired only, no microphone, and the 250-ohm load means a phone or basic laptop jack won't drive it well.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS — biggest strength: a complete streaming headset with 45 mm drivers and a cardioid condenser boom mic, plus XLR mic output for an interface or mixer.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS — biggest trade-off: it's a closed-back headset with a permanently attached cable and a mic you don't need if you're only mixing music.
• Who each pick is for: DT 880 → mixing, mastering, and editing engineers; ATH-M50xSTS → streamers, podcasters, and voice work that needs monitoring plus a mic.
The DT 880 PRO is a semi-open-back, over-ear wired headphone. That semi-open design is the whole point: beyerdynamic describes it as merging the strengths of open-back and closed-back designs to create a more spacious soundstage. In practice, that's the quality mixing and mastering engineers chase — you want to hear the acoustic detail in a track, not a boxed-in version of it. The stated frequency range runs from 5 Hz to 35,000 Hz, which is an unusually wide window at both ends. For critical listening, that means the low end and the fine high-frequency detail are both meant to be audible.
The 250-ohm impedance is the detail that decides whether this headphone fits you. It's designed to pair with a mixer, interface, or amplifier — not to be plugged straight into a phone. If your workflow already runs through an audio interface or a dedicated headphone amp, that's exactly the setup this headphone was built around. Sensitivity is listed at 96, and the driver is a dynamic type. The build is spring steel with an adjustable headband, and the velour ear pads are replaceable — a real advantage for anyone doing long sessions, since hygiene and pad wear are the two things that age a headphone fastest. It's made in Germany, comes with a 3 m coiled cable, ships with both a 1/8" plug and a threaded 1/4" adapter, and includes a nylon carrying case. Weight is around 10 ounces.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS: Who It's For
The ATH-M50xSTS XLR StreamSet is a different animal entirely — a streaming headset, not a bare monitoring headphone. It pairs the studio sound of the ATH-M50x headphones with a cardioid condenser microphone based on Audio-Technica's 20 Series mics. The result is one device that handles both listening and talking, which is the entire reason this product exists. The boom arm is flexible and flips up to mute the mic quickly and silently — a genuinely useful detail for live streaming, where reaching for a mute button mid-sentence is awkward.
The headphone side uses proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers with rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils. The stated frequency range is 15 Hz to 28 kHz, with Audio-Technica emphasizing deep, accurate bass and clarity across that range. Impedance is a much friendlier 38 ohms, so this headset is far easier to drive than the DT 880 — it doesn't demand a high-output amp the way a 250-ohm headphone does. The enclosure is aluminum, it's over-ear, and it's closed-back with sound isolation, which makes it the better choice when you don't want your environment leaking in (or your audio leaking out).
Audio-Technica includes two sets of earpads: the M50x pads, which prioritize audio quality and sound isolation, and mesh/leatherette pads that prioritize breathability and comfort. That's a smart touch for long streams — you can trade a little isolation for a cooler feel on marathon sessions. The cable is 2 m (6.6') and permanently attached, ending in a 3.5 mm headphone input plus a 6.3 mm adapter, with a separate XLR microphone output for an audio interface or mixer. Weight is 454 g. It's covered by a two-year limited end-user warranty.
Who should buy it: streamers, podcasters, and anyone doing voice work who wants studio-grade monitoring and a studio-grade mic in one wired package, with XLR output for a proper interface. Who should skip it: pure mixing and mastering engineers who don't need a mic, and anyone who wants the open, spacious presentation that only a semi-open-back design like the DT 880 delivers.
• Best for critical mixing and mastering → beyerdynamic DT 880. Its semi-open-back design and 5 Hz–35 kHz range are aimed squarely at detailed, spacious listening.
• Best for streaming and voice work → Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS. The cardioid condenser boom mic and XLR output make it a complete broadcast tool.
• Best for easy driveability → Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS. At 38 ohms it runs from far more sources than the DT 880's 250-ohm load.
• Best for isolation → Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS. Closed-back with sound isolation; the DT 880 is semi-open and will leak both ways.
• Best for a headphone amp or interface setup → beyerdynamic DT 880. The 250-ohm impedance is designed to pair with a mixer, interface, or amplifier.
• Best for long-session hygiene and maintenance → beyerdynamic DT 880. Replaceable velour pads make upkeep straightforward.
• Best for pad comfort tuning → Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS. Two included pad sets let you choose between isolation and breathability.
• Best for a single-cable, all-in-one rig → Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS. Headphone audio plus mic output in one headset, no separate mic needed.
If your work is mixing and mastering, I'd buy the beyerdynamic DT 880. In my opinion, the semi-open-back design and its 5 Hz–35 kHz range make it the more honest tool for judging a mix, and the 250-ohm load is a feature, not a flaw, provided you're running it from an interface or amp. If your work is streaming, podcasting, or voiceover, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS instead — the integrated cardioid condenser mic, flip-to-mute boom, and XLR output simply do a job the DT 880 was never designed to do. They solve different problems. Pick the one that matches the problem you actually have, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
How to connect studio headphones
It depends on the headphone's plug and impedance. The DT 880 ships with a 1/8" mini-jack and a threaded 1/4" adapter, and its 250-ohm impedance is meant to pair with a mixer, interface, or amplifier. The ATH-M50xSTS uses a 3.5 mm headphone input plus a 6.3 mm adapter, with a separate XLR output for its microphone to an audio interface or mixer.
How to test studio headphones
Start by checking that your source can actually drive them. The DT 880's 250-ohm impedance and 96 sensitivity mean a weak headphone jack won't do it justice, while the ATH-M50xSTS's 38-ohm impedance is far easier to drive. Then listen across the frequency range each one claims — 5 Hz–35 kHz on the DT 880, 15 Hz–28 kHz on the M50xSTS — to judge low-end extension and high-frequency detail.
How to bluetooth studio headphones
Neither of these is a Bluetooth headphone. The DT 880 is a wired model with a 3 m coiled cable and no wireless technology listed. The ATH-M50xSTS is also wired, using a permanently attached 2 m cable, and is intended for interface or mixer connection rather than wireless use. For wireless listening you'd need a separate Bluetooth adapter or a different headphone entirely.
How to pair beats studio headphones
That's a different brand and product line, so the steps don't apply here. For reference, pairing any Bluetooth headphone generally means putting it into pairing mode and selecting it in your device's Bluetooth menu — but neither the DT 880 nor the ATH-M50xSTS supports Bluetooth, so there's nothing to pair on these two.
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