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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• ROLLS PM351 — biggest strength: It's a personal monitoring hub, not just a pair of cans. XLR mic input, 1/4" line and instrument inputs, three independent volume controls, plus 1/4" phone out and XLR thru to feed the main mixer.
• ROLLS PM351 — biggest trade-off: It's corded, wall-mountable hardware with an XLR-based signal path. You need a real monitoring setup to make it useful, and it's not something you'll toss in a bag for casual listening.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M40x — biggest strength: A proper closed-back monitor headphone: 40mm dynamic drivers, circumaural fit, 90° swiveling earcups, detachable single-sided cable, and a bundle with coiled and straight cables plus a pouch.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M40x — biggest trade-off: It's headphones only. No built-in mic preamp, no instrument input, no thru output — it reproduces what you feed it and nothing more.
• Who each is for: The ROLLS PM351 is for vocalists, drummers and players who need to hear themselves against a full mix. The ATH-M40x is for anyone who needs reliable, isolating monitor headphones for tracking, DJing or daily listening.
The PM351 is best understood as a personal monitor center. You feed it a microphone through the 3-pin XLR input, an instrument through the 1/4" phone jack, and a line-level signal through the single 1/4" TRS input. Then you take independent level control over each of those three sources and blend them yourself. That's the whole point: instead of asking the engineer for "more me" in your wedge, you dial in your own balance and leave the rest of the mix alone.
The output side matters just as much. A 1/4" phone out feeds your headphones, and an XLR thru passes signal on to the main mixer or recorder. So the device sits between you and the rest of the rig rather than replacing it. For a drummer chasing a click track, or a vocalist who keeps losing themselves under a loud band, that's a genuinely useful piece of kit — which is exactly the scenario the design leans into.
Who should buy it? Players in recording and sound reinforcement situations who want hands-on control of their own monitor mix, and anyone who prefers hardware knobs over tapping an app mid-song. It's built in a metal and plastic enclosure and can be wall mounted, so it tolerates being bolted to a stand or a wall in a live room.
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x: Who It's For
The ATH-M40x is a closed-back, over-ear monitor headphone built around 40mm dynamic drivers. The circumaural design contours around your ears rather than pressing on them, which is what gives it the sound isolation the design is known for — less bleed out, less room noise in. That makes it a sensible choice for tracking vocals in the same room as a loud amp, for DJ work, and for location recording where the environment is not on your side.
The practical details are where this headphone earns its keep. The earcups swivel 90 degrees, so you can pull one ear off for cueing without taking the whole thing off — a real benefit for DJs and singers. They also fold up to meet the headband, which makes storage and transport far less annoying than a fixed-frame design. The cable is detachable and exits from the left side, so you can swap between the included coiled and straight cables depending on whether you're at a desk or moving around.
Connectivity is deliberately everyday-friendly. The attached cable terminates in a 3.5mm TRS mini plug, so it plugs straight into a phone, an MP3 player or a computer headphone jack, and a screw-on adapter is included for larger jacks. The bundle adds a carrying pouch, sanitizer spray and a cleaning cloth — small things, but they matter if the headphones get shared or travel.
Who should buy it? Producers, engineers, DJs and players who need one honest, isolating headphone that works in the studio and off the clock. The 2.2-pound shipping weight and the foldable, cabled design signal a headphone meant to be handled, not babied.
Who should skip it? Anyone hoping for a built-in mic input, instrument input or a monitor-mix thru — none of that exists here. It's headphones with a volume control and sound isolation, nothing more. And if you specifically need to hear your own voice against a live band's mix without touching a console, the M40x won't solve that on its own.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for pure headphone monitoring → Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. Closed-back, over-ear isolation with 40mm drivers and no extra hardware required.
• Best for drummers and click tracks → ROLLS PM351. The thru output and separate line input are built for feeding a mix and a click while keeping control in your hands.
• Best for DJs and one-ear cueing → Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. The 90° swiveling earcups exist precisely for that move.
• Best for portability → Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. It folds to the headband, ships with a pouch and two cables, and runs off a 3.5mm jack.
• Best for a fixed install → ROLLS PM351. Metal-and-plastic housing with wall-mount capability suits a booth or stage position that never moves.
• Best for casual listening on a phone → Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. The 3.5mm TRS mini plug and screw-on adapter make it plug-and-play almost anywhere.
• Best bundle completeness → Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. Two cables, an adapter, a pouch and a cleaning kit cover most situations out of the box.
In my opinion, these two products barely compete — they solve different problems, and you should pick based on which problem is yours. If I were tracking vocals or playing drums and needed to hear myself against a full mix, I'd buy the ROLLS PM351, because the mic, instrument and line inputs with independent level control are the entire point and nothing else here does that job. If I needed one dependable closed-back headphone for mixing, DJing and everyday listening, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x — the 40mm drivers, swiveling earcups, detachable cable and foldable frame make it the more flexible daily tool. Only one of these goes in your bag. Only one of these goes on your stand. Know which you need before you check the current price on Amazon.
what is studio monitor headphones
Studio monitor headphones are closed- or open-back headphones designed to reproduce audio accurately for monitoring rather than to flatter it. The Audio-Technica ATH-M40x fits that description directly: 40mm dynamic drivers, an over-ear closed-back design, and sound isolation to keep outside noise out and bleed in. The ROLLS PM351 package is different in kind — it's a personal monitor station with headphones included, not a headphone you'd describe as a monitor on its own.
what are the best studio monitor headphones
"Best" depends entirely on what you're monitoring. For isolating, foldable, cable-swappable monitor headphones you can also use with a phone, the ATH-M40x is the stronger fit here, with its 90° swiveling earcups, detachable left-side cable and 3.5mm plug. If what you actually need is control over your own mic and instrument levels against a mix, the ROLLS PM351 is the better answer — it's a monitor station, and that's a different job.
do i need studio monitors if i have headphones
Not necessarily. Closed-back headphones like the ATH-M40x handle tracking, isolation and late-night work where speakers would disturb everyone. But headphones can't do everything a monitor station does — if you need to blend your own mic, instrument and line signals with separate level controls and pass signal through to a main mixer, you need something like the ROLLS PM351, not another pair of headphones.
what are studio monitor headphones
They're headphones built for accurate, uncolored reproduction so you can hear what's actually in a recording. The ATH-M40x uses 40mm dynamic drivers in a circumaural, closed-back design for isolation and reduced bleed. The Polsen HPC-A30 included with the ROLLS PM351 package takes a similar approach with 50mm dynamic drivers and a closed-back build — but in that bundle the headphones are the accessory, and the PM351 monitor station is the main event.
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See also: Audio Technica ATH-M40x vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, WC PadZ Studio 2 vs Audio Technica ATH-M20x: Wired Studio, Austrian Audio Hi-X65 vs Audio-Technica ATH-R70Xa