When it comes to professional studio work, you will need a completely different setup for your audio peripherals. Among all of them, the most important one has to be the headphone. In a professional studio, you will need a headphone that suits the professional studio needs.
As an audiophile, I always work with these things. This eventually led me to the Samson SR850 professional studio headphone that I tried myself. And in my years of working with audio equipment, this was truly a surprise.
Why am I saying all this? Well, you are about to find that out in a bit. So, without wasting any time, let’s get right into it.
Contents
Samson SR850 Specs
Here are the technical specs of the headphone if you are looking for something particular in it- Driver type: Dynamic Driver
- Headphone type: Semi-open-back
- Sensitivity: 98dB
- Impedance: 32ohms
- Frequency response: 10hz-30000hz
- Cable length: 8 ft
- Weight: 276gm
- Dimension: 8 x 8 x 4.8 inches
Related: Best Bass Earbuds
The benefits & drawbacks of the product
Knowing about the benefits and drawbacks is a huge factor for that buying decision when you are buying something. So, here are the benefits and drawbacks you get from the Samson SR850 headphone-
Benefits of Samson SR850
- This is a high-quality headphone at an affordable price
- You get great details on the sound that help in editing music, especially vocals
- With the velour earpad, comfort is never questionable on this one
- The soundstage of this headphone is pretty wide because of the semi-open-back
- You can get a decent amount of bass presence on this headphone
- The cable is long enough for you to move around your studio
Drawbacks of Samson SR850
- It’s a semi-open-back headphone, so there is almost no noise isolation from the headphone.
- The build quality of the headphone isn’t the greatest
When you consider the price of these headphones, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks a lot. That’s why it’s still worth giving a shot. But if you are not convinced enough, we can dive into details to see how good this headphone is. Let’s get going.
Samson SR850 Overview
Here, I will share my experience and the user experience of others that I found in my research. This will help you understand the value of these headphones from a user's perspective.
What is the headphone like physically?
I will be very honest here; I wouldn’t say I liked how the headphone looks. The build material feels and looks a bit cheap and doesn’t have a smooth finish to it. I mean, if I take a look at the price, then it’s fine. But I use many premium headphones as an audiophile, so it didn’t satisfy me with the looks.
As for the build quality, I would say it isn't very unusual. You can’t expect to throw it everywhere, and it will still. Also, the headphone size is a bit small, so if you have a large head, then this isn’t the thing you are looking for.
Aside from all these, the semi-open-back adds a texture to it, which looks good. And the black color is always a good thing to have in your headphones. All in all, it’s not a headphone that you will buy for aesthetics; that’s pretty much my experience with it.
How is the headphone used?
Well, this is a professional studio headphone, so it’s a bit different from headphones for music. In these headphones, you are not looking for the loud basses or feel of the music. You will look for the most detailed sound, which I got from it without any issues. You can use these headphones for editing music without any trouble.
It comes with a 3.5mm jack connection and also a 6.3mm adapter. So, you can use it in both scenarios, whether you are directly using it on your PC or using an audio interface. You connect the headphone and get started with your editing. There is nothing complicated about all that stuff.
What sets this one apart from the competition?
The sound quality you get within this price range is the biggest selling factor of this headphone. It creates a unique identity and sets it apart from the competitors, as you may already know that quality studio headphones usually come at a high price tag. But this one provides you quality at a very reasonable price.
As for the features have got enough to get you started with the audio editing or mixing and mastering work. So, this is a great headphone for any beginner out there who is trying to make it as an audio engineer or music producer.
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Key features and rating of the headphone
Let’s take a look at the key features of the headphone; I also rated them so you can get a distinct idea of where they stand.
Sound quality
I loved the sound quality of these headphones more than anything else. If you look at this from a musical point of view, you might not love it because the bass on this one isn’t as good as you would want in a music headphone. But for editing music, this thing is perfect.
In a professional studio headphone, you would want to have detailed sound. This is what you get from the headphone without fail. It has got great clarity and distinction of the sounds so you can hear everything properly. It helps a lot when you are editing a song or a piece of music.
What helps a lot is the semi-open back of the headphone. This gives the headphone a wider soundstage to separate all the different frequencies for a better and easier editing experience. All in all, the sound quality will surely exceed all your expectations for a professional studio headphone.
Rating: 4.5/5
Comfort
As someone who works long hours wearing headphones, comfort is something I look for in every headphone. And I can say, I am very happy with the comfortability aspect of this one. First of all, it's made of plastic which gives it superlight construction. You will not feel any stress on your head or your ears when you are wearing this.
Next up are the velour earpads that provide extreme comfort to the ears. So, even if you have to wear your headphones all day long, you won't have any issues with them at all. Aside from that, it also comes with a design that fits into your ear flawlessly, adding to the comfort level even more.
Rating: 4/5
Cable and connections
The connectivity is very simple; you get a 3.5mm jack, the standard input for any audio device. It comes with a large table, so you don't have to sit in one place the whole time. You can walk around your desk a little while listening to audio without removing the headphone.
Also, if you use an audio interface, you can swap the 3.5mm jack with a 6.3mm adapter. All in all, it's just the perfect connectivity option for any professional studio headphone.
Rating: 3.5/5
Value for money
Undeniably the most important factor of this headphone is the value you get. This headphone comes at a very affordable price which is something you can’t expect on a professional studio headphone. Does it sacrifice quality?
The build quality may not be satisfying, but considering the price, it's fine. However, the sound quality makes up big for that. The kind of sound quality you get from these headphones is simply a dream within this price range.
All in all, you get excellent value for money on these headphones, and you will not regret your decision one bit.
Rating: 5/5
Samson SR850 Alternatives
Well, now you know every bit of detail about the headphones. Still not a fan? No need to worry, I have got an alternative to this one that you can look at.
AKG K240
When you search for quality headphones, you come across AKG. This one is a variant that’s pretty close to SR850. The sound quality is pretty much the same on both of them. But the build quality of AKG is much better, and it’s also priced higher.
So, if you are looking for a sturdy built and don’t mind spending a little more money, AKG K240 can be your pick.
Related: FiiO A3 Review, A Headphone Amplifier
Verdict
To sum up, Samson SR850 is a great headphone for your professional studio needs. It gives you the perfect neutral sound quality that you desire from a studio headphone. And the best part is you don’t have to pay a whole lot to enjoy that quality.
So, if you are starting as an audio engineer or looking to start your career, then this is the best thing for you. Yes, you can get better headphones than this one, but they come at a high price. At an affordable price range, Samson SR850 is the absolute best you can get for yourself.
HI, John Andrew here. I’ve been an audiophile since I was a little kid. I’m an original member of myaudiolover . It emerged as a way for me to share my passion and knowledge for audio technology. If you’re looking for tips, techniques, and insights about audio-tech, that can enable your productions that professional edge, then MyAudioLover is the place for you!