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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 complete recording front end that gets a microphone, guitar, or keyboard into your computer with clean 48kHz audio and phantom power, choose M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB; if you need closed-back studio reference headphones that isolate you while you track or compose, choose Behringer Studio Headphones BH60.
• M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB — biggest strength: a full input stage in one box, with a combo XLR/Line input plus phantom power, a separate instrument input, and zero-latency direct monitoring.
• M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB — biggest trade-off: it tops out at 48kHz audio resolution and it's an interface, not a listening device, so you still need your own headphones or speakers to hear anything.
• Behringer Studio Headphones BH60 — biggest strength: closed-back noise isolation with large 51 mm Neodymium drivers and an ultra-wide 10 Hz – 35 kHz frequency range.
• Behringer Studio Headphones BH60 — biggest trade-off: it's purely a listening tool — wired only, no inputs, no phantom power, no recording capability at all.
• Who each pick is for: the M-Track Solo suits singers, guitarists, podcasters and streamers building a first recording setup; the BH60 suits musicians and composers who need to monitor or practice without bleeding sound in or out.
The M-Track Solo is a small USB audio interface — roughly 6.4 inches wide, 4.5 inches deep and just over 2 inches tall, weighing in at 10.6 ounces. That footprint matters. It sits on a desk next to a laptop and disappears. But the feature set packed into that little chassis is what earns it a place in a first studio: one combo XLR/Line input with phantom power for condenser mics, plus one Line/Instrument input for a guitar, bass or keyboard. Two channels, one box, no separate preamp needed.
The Crystal Preamp is the piece I'd point a new buyer toward. It's designed to keep microphone signal clean and transparent, which is exactly what you want when your condenser mic is doing the heavy lifting. Rounding it out: a 1/8" headphone output, stereo RCA outputs for speakers, a USB/Direct switch for zero-latency monitoring while you track, and a bundled software suite that includes MPC Beats and Ableton Live Lite. It runs on Windows, macOS and iOS, and connects over USB Type B with the included cable. The 20 kHz frequency response covers the audible range you're actually recording.
Buy it if you're a podcaster, streamer, singer-songwriter or guitarist who needs to get real audio into a computer — and you want microphone, line and instrument options without buying three separate boxes.
Skip it if you already own an interface, or if your actual need is to listen rather than record. The M-Track Solo won't isolate you from room noise, and it won't help you hear a mix in detail. That's a headphone job.
The BH60 is a closed-back, over-ear studio reference headphone built for monitoring. That closed-back design is the whole point: it seals around your ears so the outside world gets quieter and your mix doesn't leak out into a live mic. If you've ever tried to record vocals with open-back headphones, you know why this matters.
Inside sit 51 mm Neodymium drivers — large by headphone standards — with a stated frequency range of 10 Hz to 35 kHz. That's an unusually wide spread, and it's aimed at giving you fullness in the low end plus detail up top, so you can hear what's actually in your track rather than a smoothed-over version of it. The ear cushions are ultra-soft and thick, and the headband is self-adjusting, which Behringer frames around long sessions: keep them on for hours without feeling weight on your head. The cable is detachable and stretches up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft), and a gold-plated 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm threaded adapter is included, so they'll plug into a laptop jack or a proper 1/4" output.
Buy it if you're a musician or composer who needs to practice, track or monitor in a room that isn't perfectly quiet, and you want one pair that isolates and stays comfortable.
Skip it if you need to capture audio. The BH60 has no inputs, no preamp, no phantom power — it's wired, it's headphones, and that's it. It only becomes useful once something else is feeding it signal.
• Best for recording vocals or instruments → M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB. It's the only one of the two with XLR, line and instrument inputs.
• Best for condenser microphones → M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB. Phantom power and the Crystal Preamp are built in.
• Best for zero-latency monitoring while tracking → M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB. The USB/Direct switch exists for exactly this.
• Best for isolating yourself from room noise → Behringer Studio Headphones BH60. Closed-back design, sound isolation, no bleed into a mic.
• Best for long practice or mixing sessions → Behringer Studio Headphones BH60. Ultra-soft cushions and a self-adjusting headband are built for marathon use.
• Best for hearing low-end detail → Behringer Studio Headphones BH60. The 51 mm drivers and 10 Hz – 35 kHz range target extended bass and transparent highs.
• Best for portability between devices → Behringer Studio Headphones BH60. Detachable 2.5 m cable plus the included 3.5 mm to 1/4" adapter covers laptops, interfaces and mixers.
• Best for a starter setup that records and monitors → both together. In my opinion, these two are complements, not rivals — the interface captures, the headphones listen.
If I could only buy one, I'd buy the M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB — because without an interface, the headphones have nothing to monitor and you still can't record anything. It's the piece that actually gets your voice, guitar or keyboard into the computer, and it covers mic, line and instrument needs in one small box. That said, I'd pair it with the Behringer BH60 the moment recording started. The Solo's 1/8" headphone output and the BH60's included adapter line up neatly, and the closed-back isolation is what keeps your mic from picking up your own backing track. Buy the interface first; add the headphones when you're ready to track seriously.
what is the use of headphones in recording studio
In a studio, headphones like the BH60 are used for monitoring — hearing your mix, your click track or your backing audio while you record. The closed-back design matters here because it keeps that audio from leaking into a live microphone. It's a listening job, not a recording job.
what are the best recording studio headphones
"Best" depends on the job. For tracking and practice in a noisy room, I'd point to closed-back reference headphones with strong isolation and large drivers — the BH60's 51 mm Neodymium drivers and 10 Hz – 35 kHz range fit that brief, and the detachable 2.5 m cable plus included adapter make them easy to move between gear.
what are good studio recording headphones
Good studio headphones isolate, stay comfortable for long sessions, and reproduce a wide frequency range without coloring what you hear. The BH60 checks those boxes with closed-back isolation, ultra-soft cushions, a self-adjusting headband and a 10 Hz – 35 kHz response. If you also need to capture audio, that's an interface's job — not a headphone's.
what are the best home studio headphones
For a home studio, I'd look for closed-back isolation (rooms at home are rarely quiet) and comfort for long sessions. The BH60 delivers both, and its 3.5 mm jack with the gold-plated 1/4" adapter means it works with a laptop, an interface or a mixer. Pair it with an interface like the M-Track Solo and you've got a complete home recording chain. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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See also: JLab Studio on-Ear vs M-AUDIO M-Track Solo USB: Studio Over, Behringer P2 vs Befuoiu UHF: Studio Monitor Headphones, Audio-Technica ATH-M30x vs ARTIX Headphones: Studio Monitor