Headphones

Headphones are a very useful thing for us pianists to own, mainly because they allow us to play and practice whenever we like without annoying anyone else! There’s actually quite a few other reasons they’re a really beneficial thing to use and I have have a full post on that you can read HERE.

To quickly summarize what features you need though:

• Over the ear headphones (Not in ear headphones) as they’re far more practical for playing and in general, sound better for this purpose
• A Decent length chord – Coiled cables are best, practically speaking to give you some flex
• Not a ‘really’ cheap pair because it’s much better to hear your instrument properly and clearly as well as actually enjoy the sound you’re making

• Comfortable padding for those longer practice sessions

The Best Headphones For Playing Piano – My Picks

There are so many headphones on the market to choose from so here’s a few solid options to narrow it down. Commercial headphones (like beats for example) are designed to enhance the sound of listening to music, but for playing piano and using headphones to help hear things clearly to figure them out, it’s better to have a pair that replicates a clear, true sound.

Best Budget Options

These offer decent sound quality and comfort from well know audio brands at a more affordable price point. They look great too but do not feature the coiled cable.

Best under $100

These are excellent quality, professional and comfortable headphones that come with coiled cables. (The Audio-Technica ATH M40x includes both types)

Pro Option (My Headphones)

I love these headphones, they are superb professional studio quality monitoring headphones. I was recommended these by a professional ADR recordist over 10 years ago and they’ve lasted ever since!

You May Need A Jack Adapter Too

Many headphones use an 1/8″ jack connection whilst a lot of keyboards use a 1/4″ jack input. Basically the headphone connection is too small for the input so you may need to buy a stereo jack adapter like the one pictured below. Check if your headphones come with one first though.