THE TOP 9 BEST HEADPHONES FOR HIP HOP – BUYING GUIDE 2021

Last updated on April 11th, 2021

For many music is a huge part of their life. Hip hop and rap has become common among many people. But having such a huge variety of headphones for hip hop makes it impossible to know what exactly to buy. Also narrowing down the top headphones for hip hop music is hard.

When deciding to buy headphones it is almost impossible to test every single model. Let alone figuring out which ones are the best headphones for hip hop music. It could take in-depth research and testing to figure out the best headphones for music, but we have compiled a buying guide for you. Just so when you do buy your new headphones you get just the right product. Our list not only includes the best headphones for rap music and hip hop but also includes a few headphones for general use.

However before we talk about the best headphones for rap and hip hop. There are some things you should look into.

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Things to consider when buying the best headphones for hip hop music

Sound
The best hip hop headphones provide a high definition crisp sound. It’s important to know what the frequency range of the headphones should be 20 to 20,000Hz. This is a great range!

However some expensive headphones might even offer 5 to 33,000Hz. It’s important to note that the high frequency does not always mean better, well balanced sound quality. Essentially the frequency response is the range of bass, treble, and mids that you can hear. So the top headphones for base needs to have a good range.

Usage
Different headphones are built for different purposes. Some are meant for travel while other headphones might be meant for indoor use. If you’re working out in the gym you might need headphones that offer the best grip and stability. However If you’re traveling then you might need headphones that offer excellent noise cancelation. So when buying headphones do keep your requirements in mind.

Design
Again different headphone designs offer different experiences. Some headphones are geared towards providing the best experience for bass boosted hip hop songs. While other headphones are geared towards providing the ultimate comfortable experience.

 

Consideration Before Buying Best Headphones for Music

Are they comfortable

Music is suppose to be fun. It is important to make sure your headphones have enough padding and offer the right size to snugly cover your ears.

Are they portable

A major aspect of buying headphones is their portability. No one wants to buy headphones that don’t fold down and end up taking a major part of space in your bag. Another problem with some headphones is that they are not portable and don’t fold. This means that there is a higher chance of them breaking even if the slightest pressure is applied on them. If you’re more of a traveler you definitely need to consider buying headphones that fold and easily pack into your bags.

Are they durable

The selection of headphones is highly dependent on your needs. If you’re purchasing headphones for traveling then you need extremely robust and sturdy headphones, on the other hand for indoor use, as long as you are careful, any headphones will do the job.

 LIST OF BEST HEADPHONES FOR HIP HOP MUSIC

 

1. Beyer dynamic Custom One Pro plus

The Beyer dynamic custom is one of the best headphones for really well balanced sound quality. These German made headphones are known for their bass. They also come with customizable bass levels and are an excellent choice if you want to listen to rap with bass. Due to a good range of frequency response these headphones are well suited for listening to rap with good bass. These are premium headphones that are highly customizable. They offer up to 16 changeable cover designs. With design they also offer custom headset and accessories. Great for music, gaming, phone calls, etc. Although they might be slightly on the pricey end, but still in terms of quality the price is very reasonable.

These earphones have a rigid structure with ear cups and plush padding. The headbands are adjustable with metal dots on both sides to help you evenly extend to the desired length. At the bottom ear cup of these headphones there is a bass slice switch. These headphones also come with two detachable cables. One cable is for the audio while the other cable is for the mic. Overall these headphones offer an excellent, well balanced sound quality and are extremely comfortable to wear.

2. Sony WH-CH700N Wireless with Alexa voice Control

 

This headphone comes from a well-known brand that builds some of the best products. Because of this the Sony WH-CH700N is an excellent product. It has multiple features such as noise cancellation, great bass, and a sturdy build which makes this product an excellent choice. The total battery life is 35 hours and has a 60 minute playing time from just 10 minute of charging.

The Sony WH-CH700N wireless headphones is lightweight and comes with aesthetic rotating cups. The ear pads are very comfortable and snugly cover your ears. They aren’t exactly open back, but they are just as comfortable – rivaling the kind of high price choices like Sennheiser HD type headsets.

This headsets also deliver an excellent quality and clarity of sound. That makes these a great choice for bass boosted hip hop songs. The bass of these headphones really brings out the hip hop . These headphones might be on the costly end as far as price alone is concerned, but offer great quality on par with Sennheiser HD type headsets and a lot of value.

It’s easy to see why these are considered amongst the best headphones for rap and hip hop. The included carrying case is a nice little bonus, too!

3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

 

This is another great choice that offers crisp sound quality. This company offers the best sound quality headphones out there. This can be seen from the fact that the Audio Technica ATH-M50x id used in many professional studios for music production. Matter of fact, these headphones were built for critical studio mixing. This is why these are considered the best headphones for mixing hip hop.

These offer a very high clear and well balanced sound, precise bass, and great sound isolation. The ear cups are comfortable and offer 90 degree rotation for one-ear use. The ear pads are plushy and comfortable. This is a really well built and an all-rounder head phones when it comes to hip hop.

This is the best headphone for music in the M-series. It is widely praised by many sound specialist as the best headphones for listening to music which it comes to musical production. Therefore these headsets practically live on the heads of producers and sound engineers and are almost never found in their carrying case.

The price can get a little stiff for this type of headset, but again the value you get is unreal.

4. Skullcandy Crusher Wireless headset

If you want the best headphones for rap and hip hop, then the Skullcandy is an excellent choice for you. The Skullcandy are loved by many people not only for music but are also considers the best headphones for gaming. These headsets offer wireless connectivity, strong build, aesthetic design and a really good bass.

These offer an excellent battery life of up to 40 hours. With just 10 minutes of charge this headset can last you 3 hours. So forgetting to charge your headset is not an issue now as long as you can wait 10 minutes. After that you’ll have plenty of playing time.

These wireless headphones come with two extra subwoofers built in. Therefore it is an excellent choice if you want to listen to rap with good bass. It also comes with a built in microphone. Being able to make phone calls whenever you like – even phone calls without having your phone in your hand! – is a super cool feature on these wireless noise neutralizing options.

Add in solid Bluetooth connectivity, protection against ambient noise, and solid bass response (not to mention a slick industrial design and solid price point) and it’s not hard to love these Skullcandy options.

They might not be quite as nice as something from Sennheiser HD or a top of the line pair of Bose noise cancelling headsets, but they are still really solid performers all the same.

The Skullcandy open back Crusher is great for bass boosted hip hop songs, gaming, and general use. Many fans of the Skullcandy legacy just love these open back headsets – especially for longer listening sessions or marathon gaming runs.

5. Best Budget Friendly Headphones: Mpow H7 Bluetooth Headphones

If you want the best head phones for hip hop and you want something that is budget friendly. Mpow H7 is an excellent choice. These are affordable over the ear headphones.

They offer large ear cups and really soft padding. The sound is crisp and the bass is also good given the fact that this is a budget headphone. This is a wireless head set and offers up to 20 hours of battery life. Although it’s a wireless headset but it also comes with wire connectivity if you are low on battery.

The listening experience however with these won’t match Bose noise cancelling technology or what you’d expect from the Sony WH 1000XM4 or Sennheiser HD units, but it’s still really solid and enjoyable all the same.

Ambient noise won’t leak in, the bass response is solid, and the overall design is comfortable (feels like memory foam) and slick. These are the type of headphones Sony used to make – not the highest possible quality, but right at a good price tag.

Overall this is a good choice that has a price that is budget friendly. It offers a good performance of hip hop with good quality and a decent battery life.

6. Overall best headset for music: Bose SoundLink II

The Bose SoundLink II is another type of ergonomically designed ear headphones with a good control scheme and sleek design.

These are headsets are light weight and wireless, fitting a lot like open back headphones without being open back, but it also comes with an attachable wire cable if need. These are excellent choice if you want to go for something casual like watching a movie or something you can take on you day to day errands. However these may not be the best headphones for rap and hip hop, or even EDM music. This is because these headphone are not considered to have the best base.

The good thing about these over the ear headsets is that they offer really good sound equalization technology which makes any music sound great even on low volume. Although these over the ear headphones don’t offer noise-cancellation but they offer a decent battery life.

The Bose Sound Link is great for most genre of music but it may not be best for hip hop audio tracks. They are very comfortable with extra padding and offer a great isolation experience. Overall this is a decent headset with a price point that won’t ever make you cry!

7. Sennheiser HD800S

Among the best hip hop headphones is the Sennheiser HD 800S. These Sennheiser headsets are for those that are serious about music. Either they are an extreme music lover or someone that heavily works in the music industry.

These Sennheiser over the ear headphones are comfortable and offer excellent sound quality, too. The frequency response is just mind blowing: 4Hz to 51000Hz. This means that this is also the top headphones for base.

These Sennheiser closed back over the ear headphones are meant for indoor uses although outdoor is also possible. These are one of the most expensive head phones. So this might not be suitable for everyone, but the amazing crisp sound and intense frequency response the Sennheiser HD800S offer is simply unmatched.

8. Sony WH 1000XM3

Far and away some of the best headphones for music money can buy, you’d have to be at least a little bit crazy not to seriously consider these studio headphones if you have the budget.

Sony dethroned Bose as the “king of the ring” when it comes to top quality studio headphones in 2008 and haven’t given up the title, consistently putting out some of the best top-tier headsets ever since.

These might be the best ever headphones for music they’ve ever made!

Super lightweight, very comfortable, and comparable to what you’d expect from other ultra premium brands (like Sennheiser HD headsets , for example), the audio quality on these closed back units is off the charts.

You’re going to be able to enjoy and audio experience quite unlike anything else you’ll find with another pair outside of those that cost at least $1000 or more (like some of the Sennheiser HD options can run you).

When we say that this might be the best piece of hardware to listen to music with balanced sound design we really mean it!

Sony has also found a way to shoehorn in some impressive features that you won’t find anywhere else, including the ability for these headsets to automatically pause themselves the moment that you take them off your head. Combine that with active noise cancellation and you’re going to love the listening experience on these.

This is a really cool innovation and unlike anything else you’ll find on other wireless noise canceling headphones, but it’s a feature that you’re going to miss if you try any other over the ear headphones after this!

The ergonomics on the Sony WH 1000XM3 are solid, the Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection is stable and crystal clear, and the battery life pushes north of 30 hours on a single charge – and has quick charge capabilities included, too.

Everyone seems to like the open back design of these well balanced headphones.

These are far and away amongst the very best headphones for music listening, that’s for sure.

9. Sony WH 1000XM4

 

Not quite as feature-rich as some of the other top-tier closed or closed back devices you can buy today, the sound quality of these Sony noise cancelling headphones helps to put them over the top all the same.

Sure, the audio quality on most sound canceling headsets will be considerably better than what you get from open back headphones – but Sony engineers found a way to make the sound experience here almost transformative.

Sony proves once again that their engineers will come up with really innovative solutions, creating closed back headphones that rival the performance you would usually get from active noise cancellation wireless headphones.

The difference between these and open back Sony WH 1000XM4 headsets is something you will notice right away. The Sony WH 1000XM4 are world class, don’t get us wrong, but you’ll hear the difference between these two wireless headphones almost immediately.

You are not just going to get a decent set of noise neutralizing headsets with this purchase, but you are going to get a portable “sound theater” that feels like you are listening live in a studio or set down in front of a surround sound system as opposed to wearing shut back headphones.

To say that these are a high-end piece of sound hardware would be the understatement of the century.

This is a set of over the ear headphones that can go toe to toe (sound quality wise, anyway) with any other wireless headphone options available while producing some of the most balanced sound you’ve ever heard.

The ear design is also quite exceptional, reflecting a careful attention to detail and build quality that Sony has always been known for.

These aren’t the most expensive over the ear headphones money can buy (more in the mid range than anything else) but they feel a lot more premium and definitely sound more expensive than they actually are.

Bluetooth 4.2 is on full display here, providing that wireless connectivity you are after. Though you’ll also be able to plug-in via a 3.5 mm auxiliary connection if the battery dies (30 hours of battery life though, so that shouldn’t be a big deal) to keep you listening all the same.

All in all, this is an exceptional piece of hardware you’ll want to check out for sure!

HEADPHONE BUYING GUIDE

Finding a high quality pair of over the ear headphones can be a lot more challenging than most people expect, especially if you are looking for a halfway decent pair that go far beyond what Apple includes with iPhone and iPod purchases.

Truly high end headsets – like the ones that we highlighted above – specifically designed for premium listening experiences are going to include all kinds of features, bells and whistles, and other components that can be overwhelming to navigate.

With the help of the inside information below, though, you should be able to quickly move through all of the top options in this list to find the best headphones with high quality, balanced sound and a price point that won’t blow holes in your bank account at the same time.

Let’s dig right in!

Sound Quality

The most important thing to look for when buying high quality headsets is the caliber of the sound that they produce.

Sure, you can find decent over the ear headphones that fit comfortably (like a second skin, the total opposite of on or in ear headphones), with a wireless connection that is incredibly stable and a battery life that pushes beyond 30 hours without much trouble.

If the sound quality is off what would be the point of listening to them in the first place?

You want something with incredibly balanced sound for a certain type of long listening sessions – something that has perfectly tuned mids, effortlessly executed high frequencies and just the right amount bass to hit without drowning things out.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is another huge piece of the puzzle, as you’ll want to find a set of headsets that you can wear for hours and hours on end without them feeling like they are squeezing your skull or melting your ears.

A lot of companies try “one-size-fits-all” ergonomics only to find that it’s a poor approach, one that inevitably leads most people unhappy more often than not.

Look for a pair of headsets that allow you a little more control over the ergonomics, giving you an opportunity to change the way they fit and feel when they sit on your head.

The more control you have and the more customization options they make available the happier you are going to be in the long haul.

Transducer Type

There are going to be a bunch of different transducer types to pick and choose from when you are looking at new headsets , ranging from Dynamic to Balanced Armature to Planar transducers – with a couple of other options available as well.

Finding the right choice is going to boil down to finding a transducer option that helps you really hear each note of the sound your over the ear headphones are producing.

Dynamic transducers are far and away the most popular options available today, but Balanced Armature options and Planar options are sometimes included in quality over the ear headphones, too.

Smaller, more compact transducers are usually going to have less range of frequency – though modern Dynamic choices aren’t necessarily limited in that way any longer.

Connectivity

Connectivity options abound when you’re looking for a top-tier set of new head phones, regardless of whether or not you are looking for truly wireless options or are willing to spend a little more for something that includes hardwired connectivity.

Truly wireless options should take advantage of Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity protocols at minimum, though a backup wireless protocol that includes Wi-Fi or NFC isn’t a bad thing, either.

Obviously, the newer the Bluetooth protocol (including Bluetooth 5.0, the most current and cutting edge signal available) the more stable and higher-quality audio signals you are going to get.

If you are going to invest in over the ear headphones that include a backup wired system look for something that has USB connectivity as well as 3.5 mm auxiliary jack connections.

This practically guarantees that you will always be able to listen to your head phones no matter what!

Other Important Headphone Specs to Consider

Noise Cancelling
Whether you choose noise cancelling headphones that include active noise cancelling capabilities or passive noise cancelling capabilities makes little difference, so long as you settle on head phones that have some kind of noise cancellation built right in.

Killing ambient and outside noise is a huge piece of the puzzle to making sure that your noise cancelling head phones sound crystal clear, that your listening experience isn’t tainted by the noise outside of your head phones, and that you are really able to concentrate on what you are listening to.

Active noise cancellation is a little more “aggressive” in this department (and more popular for that reason), but passive cancellation produces a quality listening experience as well.

Either way, it’s a good idea that your new set of head phones are noise cancelling headphones.

Volume Control
Volume control options built into the head phones (usually located somewhere on the ear cups) is a cool little feature that makes using your new head phones a little easier than it might have been otherwise.

Nobody wants to have to fish through their pocket or their backpack to get their phone or tablet out just to control the volume of their head phones.

Being able to reach a hand up, press a button, and change the volume dramatically improves the listening experience in a big way.

Conclusion

Finding best audio quality head phones is not easy. However we hope that our buying guide will point you in the right direction. Now you can buy your hip hop headphones with confidence. Make sure to keep all requirements in mind. Best of luck on buying the best headphones for hip hop music!

FAQ’s