Regardless of whether you’re someone that likes to listen to music or would rather spend their time playing a video game, choosing the right headphones can be important. But if you’re in the market, trying to select one to purchase, it can be quite difficult to differentiate between a Gaming headphone or a Studio headphone.
So we’ll help you understand precisely what the difference is between these two very common types of headphones available on the market right now.
Gaming headphones are optimized for enhancing the experiences of playing video games, they tend to have more features specific to this purpose. Studio headphones are far more advanced in terms of sound quality, build, and audio output. Their primary purpose is to optimize audio listening capacity.
However, you might want to understand a greater depth of differences between these two types of headphones, and that’s completely understandable especially if you’re making a purchase soon. Within this article we’ll discuss the fundamental aspects of each type of headphone and highlight their contrast.
Moreover, we will also include various aspects regarding each of the headphones that make them particularly good at what their primary function is whether gaming or audio listening. And finally, we’ll discuss our Top 5 picks of Gaming headphones and Top 5 picks of Studio headphones.
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Differences Between Gaming VS Studio Headphones
Within this section of the article, we’ll be going over the direct comparisons between Gaming headphones and Studio headphones. With this information, we’re not trying to say that one type of headphone is better than the other. Rather we think they’ll help you make a more informed decision.
There are several categories that we will thus be comparing each of the headphones on against each other. These can range between things like the cost of buying these products, their sound quality, their features, and how comfortable they are to use.
So, let us do this, shall we?
1. Sound Quality
One of the most important factors when it comes to headphones is the overall sound quality of the audio they can produce. This conversation is the same for both Gaming headphones and Studio headphones. Which one comes on top within this facet, and what factors differentiate their sound production?
After all, everybody cares about the sound quality that a headphone can provide because that’ll be the factor that will convince them of buying them in the first place. So lets dive into the major difference when it comes to this factor between Gaming headphones and Studio headphones.
Gaming Headphones
Gaming headphones are extremely well refined when it comes to producing sound for gaming in general and specifically for aspects associated with gaming that impact performance and immersion. One factor that gaming headphones do exceptionally well is audio separation.
Audio separation is when the individual sounds and noises in the environment can be differentiated and isolated by the sound system that you’re using. Within this ambit the Gaming headphones are excellent. You’re able to hear individual footsteps, music, and dialogue seamlessly.
The second facet that differentiates is the boosted bass. Gaming headphones have a higher bass potential simply because they want the hard-hitting boss music and combat music pop as much as possible. This is to make you enthralled at the moment and give the moment a sense of reverence.
Finally, virtual surround sound technology also adds much to the spatial sound effects that one would be able to listen to more clearly with the help of a Gaming headphone. You can find a large selection of Gaming headphones in the market nowadays.
Studio Headphones
However, these facets are not the most appealing if you’re an audiophile who’s looking for the most audio fidelity that they can obtain from their sound system. A lot of people find these additional facets not very useful in the long run in their audio and music experience.
Instead, the more audio-inclined Studio headphones are far superior in comparison to Gaming headphones. This has largely to do with the better and more mature sound quality that these headphones types can produce. Allowing an individual to feel the entering range of sound of audio.
You can often tell that the sound quality that is produced by Studio headphones has a higher amount of brightness to them. Moreover, there is more detail in music, sound, and its generation when using Studio headphones. More consumer-oriented headphones simply are not able to produce headphones of this quality.
This is why in terms of general sound quality Studio headphones, for many, come out on top.
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2. Design & Build Quality
Another extremely important factor that a lot of people consider when they are attempting to purchase a headphone is the design of the headphones and the quality of the build. Afterall, whether the headphone matches your aesthetic is important to a lot of people. And wanting a durable device is just a plain necessity.
This, however, does not mean that you will personally value the same things as other people do, so rather than discuss this topic from the subjective perspective of someone enjoying these two types of devices. We will rather discuss the options or variety offered by each and how much you can customize it to your liking.
Gaming Headphones
It is without a doubt that Gaming Headphones are far more stylish and design-oriented. They are flashy and have various accents and flairs associated with them that add to the level of customizability that you might find enjoyable in your pair of headphones. Gamers, after all, love to be flashy.
The headphones become an extension of the gamer’s persona and this is used largely as a method to express themselves as much as they can within the gaming landscape. Moreover, you can find some incredibly good-looking gaming headphones on the market right now.
The customization also extends to the type of fabric used in making the covers, the RGB lighting, and various other headphone-related factors that you can change depending on your personal preference. In terms of build quality, we will say that gaming headphones are variable if the price is a factor that is analyzed.
Studio Headphones
When looking at the variants of Studio headphones that are available on the market right now, you will notice that they usually look far more professional. This often means that the headphones themselves do not have a wide variety of customizable features within them to change according to your desires.
Instead, a lot of Studio headphones have plain, but solid designs. These designs give an industrial look and are built with a purpose in mind. Every aspect of the headphones is there to increase their performance in their primary objective and that is to produce music and audio of high quality.
The Studio headphones have a variety of subdued designs and the language of their construction is not overly flashy. Their attempt is to make headphones that look good being worn by anyone regardless of their occupation or how they might initially look.
You will find in the build quality department, however, that Studio headphones are more consistently made from higher quality materials. Often their headphones are far more durable, even when you buy cheaper variants, and can compete with the highest-priced Gaming headphones.
Many of them often have replaceable parts. So, in case some breaks down, you don’t have to buy a new headphones. Just replace the faulty part and you are good to go. Every individual is different in terms of personality and preferences.
Some might like flashy looks while others won’t. And because of that, there are no clear winners between these two headphone types when it comes to design. However, studio headphones will almost always edge out gaming ones in terms of build quality.
But that’s not the case all the time. Because there are some high-quality gaming headphones out there nowadays.
3. Features
When the discussion comes down to the features that are available on both Gaming Headphones and Studio headphones then it is tricky to compare, but easy to highlight the difference because both types of headphones have a multitude of different features.
Gaming Headphones
The major difference when analyzing the two types, however, is that Gaming headphones, far more than Studio headphones, come with customization and accessibility options. The RGB lighting discussed above is one of those facets, but additional features like a built-in mic are also important when considering this.
Moreover, features like wireless Bluetooth 2.4GHz connections are often missing in Studio headphones that rely more on direct connections with wires than that method. Thirdly, the surround sound ability, which increases the immersive nature of the Gaming headphones is a major aspect missing in Studio headphones.
Studio Headphones
Studio headphones when looked at in comparison can be identified as being far less complex and having far fewer features. perhaps the major reason why this is so, is because these type of headphones aim to facilitate the audio production as much as possible.
Studio headphones have facilities that allow for a crispier, richer, and deeper sound. All of that is only possible if the excess systems and functionality are removed from these headphones, so 100% of power can be devoted to the execution o complex audio signals.
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4. Comfort
Regardless of whether you are someone who enjoys listening to music or playing video games all night long, you cannot overlook the impact that comfort has on your choice of headphones. After all, you do not want to wear anything that after a little while might start hurting you, or will feel irritating.
In this regard, many people believe that Studio headphones are superior to Gaming headphones. This is because of a variety of features that allow individuals, especially professionals, to sit in their chairs for longer and listen to their required audios for longer as well.
Most Studio headphones are engineered with longer sessions in mind. This is because when editing and rechecking audios, professionals know that the process will take quite a bit of time, several hours, and more sometimes, so the devices need to be able to handle that aspect.
Headphone companies then pay extra attention when it comes to designing headphones that will be comfortable for their customers to both find, as well as be able to wear for longer periods. This, however, does not mean that gaming headphones are terrible when it comes to the comfort of their products.
Rather, it means that they simply fall behind in this category when comparing the average performance of both types of headphones. There has been a shift lately thought, wherein, manufacturers are thinking more about comfort for the gamer, however, the final effects of this might still yet be wholly felt.
Nowadays, a vast majority of good-quality gaming headphones come with enough cushioning and breathable fabric that offers excellent comfort. You will have a great experience with this type of headphones as far as the comfort level is concerned.
5. Surround Sound
Something that was discussed in passing in earlier sections, but requires an entire section of its own we believe is the difference in the Surround Sound function between Studio headphones and Gaming headphones.
It is quite a well-known fact that the best Studio headphones on the market right now have the best audio fidelity and sound quality available. Moreover, these headphones have a wide range of frequencies upon which they can function.
There is also the ability to sound off from a neutral sound signature that is perfect for sound recording and mixing, and Studio headphones excel at all of this. But, sadly, this doesn’t mean that they are in any way shape, or form good at specifically functioning as gaming headphone substitutes.
This mostly has to do with the fact that gaming headphones are required to have more diverse audio functions, unlike a raw audio recording track. There is a lot of activity that is required of the gaming headphones, and thus you need headphones specifically designed to be able to handle just that.
There are numerous aspects of video game audio that require specific effects for you to have an immersive experience, this includes things such as tun for dramatic effect, highlighting footsteps, boosting explosions, resonating dialogue, and making the gunshots feel as impactful as possible. All of which are achieved by a variety of audio functions.
Surround sound of course adds these diverse functions into the gaming headphones that are sorely missing in Studio headphones. Being able to experience the vast array of sound as you play a game, and from all directions is pivotal for the complete gaming experience.
6. Price
There is quite a gulf between Gaming headphones and Studio headphones when it comes to how they are valued within the market, and what price is associated with them by most retailers. This might become an important aspect of the equation if you’re hoping to purchase either of these types.
Gaming Headphones
When it comes to gaming headphones, yes, they can be quite expensive. However, there does exist an upper limit to gaming headphones in terms of the maximum possible price. This maximum price caps somewhere around $300. However, the same cannot be said for Studio headphones.
Studio Headphones
Since Studio headphones are valued in a variety of different fields they are usually more generally valued for quality and audio fidelity. With that said, you can quite often see top-tier Studio headphones cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars.
To many, this price gulf might seem insane, but remember that many good Studio headphones in the market cost just about as much as an average pair of headphones as well. So the price is quite variable in this regard.
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7. Frequency Response
When it comes to Frequency Response gaming headphones and Studio headphones are quite different from each other. Frequency response can be understood as the device’s capacity to handle or perceive a range of frequencies.
When it comes to this aspect Studio Headphones offer, for many audiophiles, offer a more comprehensive frequency response. Most average humans are only able to perceive frequencies in the range of 20Hz and 20k Hz.
Low-frequency ranges, if you don’t know anything about them, are where the bass sits, then there are mid-range frequencies that typically engage with instruments such as guitars, cello, voice, etc., and finally, high-frequencies cater to electronic instruments. These include drum cymbals ad pipe organs.
Studio headphones are designed to have the widest possible frequency range, and this allows your ears to be able to recognize even the most subtle changes in sound. This is especially true for any changes that you might experience in the bass frequencies of the sound.
Although some gaming headphone manufacturers have tried to incorporate this feature into their headsets as well, many gaming headphones to this day do not have the widest frequency response. And thus there is quite a difference between the frequency response capacity of a gaming headphone and a Studio headphone.
8. Impedance In Headphones For Better Audio
Many headphones come with their amplifiers nowadays. This is because modern headphones come with varying levels of impedance. This is a critical factor if you’re looking for an immersive experience with the audio that you are listening to, and are hoping for the best possible sound quality.
Studio headphones when it comes to this aspect require more power. This is because more power is needed to drive them sufficiently due to a high impedance rating. Impedance can be understood as the capacity of resistance that the circuit has to electrical currents, often this is measured in ohms.
Gaming headphones on the other hand often have lower impedance levels in comparison to Studio headphones, and this can be a significant factor of difference between the two types. High impedance allows headphones to be built in such a way that the overall sound quality is better.
And that’s about it folks. These were 8 key differences that we could find between Gaming Headphones and Studio Headphones. We hope this was informative for you, and that it gave you a new perspective when it comes to these types of headphones.
Hopefully, you can make more informed purchases with this knowledge. Till next time! Ciao.