Guide

Which Headphones Should You Choose? A Beginner's Guide

Headphones are the part of recording people think least about, and the part that quietly causes the most trouble. The right pair lets you hear exactly what your listener will hear — breaths, hums, music sitting too loud — before you send it. The wrong pair hides all of it, or leaks it straight back into your microphone. Here's how to choose simply, in plain words.

Two things that matter more than anything else

• They plug in with a wire. Bluetooth headphones add a small delay, so your own voice comes back to you a moment late. That makes people slow down, stumble, or speak louder than usual. A cable keeps what you hear and what you say in step.
• They close around your ears. Open or leaky earphones let the music drift out and into the microphone, where it lands as a faint echo you can't remove later. Cups that seal over the ear, or in-ear tips that seal the canal, keep the sound going one way: in.

Wired, wireless, or both?

A pair that does both is the practical answer for most people: wireless for the rest of the day, cable plugged in while you record. Many everyday noise-cancelling headphones include a cable in the box for exactly this. If you buy one pair purely for recording, buy wired — it's cheaper and there's nothing to charge.

Closed-back or open-back?

Closed-back headphones have solid outer cups that keep sound in. That matters when you record: music and your own voice stay inside the headphones instead of leaking out and being picked up again by the microphone. Open-back headphones have vented cups. They sound spacious and are lovely for listening, but they let sound escape — so they're best kept for checking a finished mix, not for recording.

Wired or Bluetooth: the delay problem

Bluetooth sends sound in small packets, which adds a short delay — often a fifth of a second or more. For music that doesn't matter, but when you hear your own voice coming back late it's surprisingly distracting. A wire removes the delay completely. Many wireless headphones include a cable in the box; plug it in while you record.

Recording versus checking the finished piece

While you record, you want sealed, wired headphones so nothing leaks and nothing lags. When you check the finished piece, listen once on headphones and once on a phone speaker — that's how most listeners will hear it. If your words are easy to follow on both, the balance between voice and music is right.

What doesn't matter (much)

• Bass and punch. Headphones tuned for pop music flatter a voice and hide the hiss and clicks you actually need to catch. A plain, honest pair is better for this job.
• Technical numbers. Ohms, driver sizes and frequency ranges mean very little when you're checking a spoken recording on a phone or laptop.
• A built-in microphone. Handy for calls, useless here — and sometimes confusing, because your device may start listening through the earphone wire instead of your real microphone.

Comfort is worth paying for

If you record meditations, reflections or lessons, you'll wear them for a while. Tight clamps and hard cushions pull your attention to your ears and away from your words. Soft cups, a light headband, and enough lead to sit comfortably all matter more than a slightly better sound.

Friendly picks, and why we like them

These are pairs we see people use happily with Relaxifi, at honest prices. Tap one to see what makes it suitable — starting points, not strict rules.

These are friendly suggestions, not endorsements — we're not linked to any of these makers. Prices change, so shop around and pick what feels right for you.

One habit worth forming

Record a short test, then listen back on your headphones before you save anything. This is where you'll notice the things a phone speaker hides: a fridge humming, a keyboard nearby, music sitting louder than your voice, a breath too close to the microphone. Hearing it early means fixing it once, at the source.

Headphones are half of a good setup; the other half is the microphone — see our beginner's guide to choosing a microphone. When you're ready to record, follow how to record your voice with background music or how to record a guided meditation.

The honest summary

You don't need expensive headphones to make a lovely recording — you need ones that plug in, seal your ears, and stay comfortable. A £20 pair that does those three things will serve you far better than a luxury pair you keep taking off. Choose once, set them up, and then stop thinking about them.