Jazz also known as soul music requires a different type of headphone to fully enjoy what they have to offer.
In this article, we list the best headphone for jazz.
Audiophile sound quality and superb comfort.
The best looking headphones with superb sound.
The Sony MDR7506 is an affordable headphone that delivers great sound quality and comfort.
Audiophile sound quality and superb comfort.
The best looking headphones with superb sound.
The Sony MDR7506 is an affordable headphone that delivers great sound quality and comfort.
Last update on 2024-04-25 at 05:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How To Find The Best Headphones For Jazz? Buyer’s Guide
Here are a few things to know when getting the best headphones for jazz.
Sound Quality and Profile
Balanced sound profiles are highly recommended when looking to listen to jazz. That means no bass-heavy headphones or headphones that have skewed sound profiles.
You should be looking for headphones that have neutral, detailed and well-balanced profiles.
Soundstage
The soundstage is what allows you to differentiate and pinpoint the location of musical instruments in music.
A headphone with a great soundstage makes you think and feel as if the musician is next to you.
Soundstage differs between headphones and earbuds. If you are into this kind of thing which, to be honest, is not a major deal-breaker. Then a headphone with a good soundstage will suffice.
Portability
Most headphones that are great for jazz are not portable. Also, it’s not recommended to plug them straight into your smartphone.
Earbuds have great portability but their sound quality and profile are not well-balanced. The only exception is the in-ear monitor earbuds.
These are highly recommended if you want to listen on the go.
Comfort
You can’t just listen to jazz for 5 minutes and be done with it. These music genres are the type that you listen to for long periods.
For this reason, you need comfortable headphones that don’t cause discomfort. Over-ear headphones are highly recommended because they are the most comfortable.
Budget
Finally, the budget. Headphones with great sound quality and comfort can get really expensive, so you need a substantial budget to be able to afford them.
Best Jazz Headphones Reviewed
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Audiophile Sound Quality & Good Soundstage
- Solid Build Quality
- Super Comfy & Lightweight
➖ Cons
- Pricey
- Tight Fit Out Of Box
Acoustic design: Over-ear | Connectivity: Wired | Frequency response: 9Hz – 41.5kHz | Drivers: N/F | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 104 dB | Impedance: 150 Ohms
The Sennheiser HD 660 S is a high-end headphone that has audiophile sound quality. The best headphones for listening to Jazz.
The sound profile is well-balanced and it’s not muddled with bass. It’s kind of relaxed and laid back something jazz musicians seem to convey in their music.
The soundstage feels natural and intimate making you feel like you are right there in the moment.
Combine that with its super-soft headphone pads and lightweight, you can wear this for hours and never want to take them off.
The catch is that the headphones are tight out of the box because of the clamping fox, so you have to loosen it up a bit by putting books in between it. This might differ between people though.
When it comes to build quality, the Sennheiser HD 660 S is sturdy – highly quality plastic that is very strong. It’s also one of the reasons why the HD 660 S is lightweight.
Overall, the Sennheiser HD 660 S are the best headphones for jazz. High-end headphones that have superb sound quality and comfort.
This makes it the perfect choice for music lovers who prefer unadulterated music.
However, these are pricey headphones because of the benefits it provides.
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Astounding sound quality and detail
- Beautiful design
- Wide soundstage
Comfortable
➖ Cons
- Pricey
- Needs a lot of power to drive it
Acoustic Design: Over-ear | Connectivity: Wired | Frequency Response: 10 – 39.8kHz | Drivers: N/F | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 105 dB/W/m | Impedance: 62 Ohms
The AKG K 701 is one of the most beautiful headphones you will lay your eyes on. A plastic build with a silver metallic finish. It looks shiny and premium-like how it should be.
Furthermore, the plastic build makes it lightweight. In short, design and build quality are top-notch. When it comes to sound quality. It is astounding which it should be given the price it’s available for.
The AKG K 701 sound profile is well-balanced and detailed making it easy to differentiate between the notes.
The soundstage is wide which makes you feel as in you are at a concert or theatre. Because of these benefits, it’s one of the best choices for a wide range of music genres including blues and jazz.
The comfort is also one of the best. These have super large headphone pads that are very soft. You can wear these for a long time without pain.
Overall, AKG made sound quality and comfort the top-notch qualities of the AKG K 701. These headphones will get the job done and more.
However, one thing you should know is that you need an amp to drive a lot of power without it. The AKG K 701 won’t work at its full potential.
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Great Construction Quality & Beautiful Design
- Large, Lightweight & Comfortable
- Great Sound Quality
➖ Cons
- Non-detachable Cable
- Amp required
- Not meant for bass-heavy music
Acoustic design: Over-ear | Connectivity: Wired | Frequency response: 5 Hz to 35 kHz | Drivers: N/F | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 96 dB | Impedance: 250 Ohms
The Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium Edition has three available versions – 32, 250 and 600 Ohms. 32 Ohms is highly recommended if you want to plug it into your smartphone, iPad, PC, TV or laptop.
Anything higher and you need a headphone amp to sufficiently drive it.
These are not your average-sized headphones. It is a large on-ear headphone. The headband is large and the earpads will completely cover your ears no matter how large they are.
And they are comfortable. Because aside from the earpads being large, it doesn’t apply a lot of pressure.
And the clamping force is good enough to make it not fall off or cause discomfort. This allows you to wear it for long periods. Plus, the headphones are lightweight.
When it comes to build quality and finish, the Beyerdynamic is well-made and beautiful. Made from a mix of plastic and metal.
One striking feature of the cans is the mesh grill on the side of the earcups.
When it comes to sound quality, these are superb. They sound great and have a good soundstage. It is more of neutral sound quality making it solid headphones for jazz.
Overall, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium are high-end headphones that have amazing soundstage, well-balanced sound profile, and comfort.
Highly recommended if you are looking for one of the best headphones for jazz.
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Great build quality
- Beautiful design
- Comes with 3 detachable cables
➖ Cons
- Doesn’t use the standard headphone jack
- Bulky
Acoustic design: Over-ear | Connectivity: Wired | Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz | Drivers: Neodymium | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 99 dB | Impedance: 38 Ohms
Another superb headphone for listening to jazz. The Audio Technica gets a lot of things right with only a few downsides.
Let’s go over the downsides first.
This headphone doesn’t use the standard headphone jack. It uses a 2.5mm jack that connects to the headphone. The other end is a 3.5mm jack.
But, the bottom line is that if the cable gets damaged. You have to replace it with a proprietary cable.
Next, is the bulky design. The headphones are huge and using this in public will attract a lot of attention. It’s also not recommended to use with smartphones due to the design and lack of a mic.
Now for the benefits.
The Audio Technica M50x is one of the most affordable headphones that have great sound quality. It’s for this reason that the headphones are very popular and well-liked amongst music lovers.
Studio headphones that have well-balanced sound profiles with a lot more detail in them. This makes it a superb choice if you want to listen to every high, medium or low note.
Secondly, these are comfortable headphones. An over-ear design that has super-soft pads, so comfort is not an issue here.
The build quality is also great – a mix of leather, plastic, and metal. This makes the Audio Technica a robust headphone. It’s also foldable and comes with a bag.
To sum it all up, the Audio Technica M50x is highly recommended. If you are looking for the best value headphones for Jazz.
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Crystal clear sound
- Comfortable
- Noise isolation
- Long cord
- Affordable
➖ Cons
- The long cord can be annoying and difficult to replace
- Heavy cord
Acoustic Design: Closed over-ear | Connectivity: Wired | Frequency Response: 10-20kHz | Drivers: 40mm | Driver type: Neodymium | Sensitivity: 106 dB/W/m | Impedance: 63 ohms
Sony is known to make great-sounding headphones, earbuds and music devices. And the Sony MDR7506 is one of the best-sounding headphones on their list. A headphone with a retro design.
The Sony MDR7506 doesn’t only sound great but also very comfortable. One of the largest headphone pads around.
It’s soft, made of leather and can be worn for long periods listening to jazz.
The sound quality, as mentioned before, is superb. These are studio headphones and so the music will truly sound like how they were recorded. It doesn’t muddle the notes but reproduces them as they are.
It also has a long cord allowing you to freely move around when plugged in. However, it’s thick, heavy and difficult to replace when something happens to it.
When it comes to build quality, the Sony MDR7506 is made entirely of plastic. Rugged and sturdy plastic to be specific.
This makes it strong enough to withstand the occasional falls and bumps.
Overall, the Sony MDR7506 has a lot of upside with almost non-existent downsides. Superb balanced sound profile, sturdy build quality, and comfort.
Easily the best budget headphone for jazz.
Where To Buy
➕ Pros
- Great battery life
- Great sound
- Comfortable for an earbud
- Quick charge
➖ Cons
- Might take some time to get used to design
- Poor soundstage
Acoustic design: In-ear | Connectivity: Wired & Wireless | Frequency response: 22 Hz to 17.5 kHz | Drivers: Dynamic | Driver type: Dynamic MicroDriver | Sensitivity: 107 dB | Impedance: 17 Ohms
If headphones are not your thing, the Shure SE215 are the best earbuds for jazz. Especially if you like to listen on the go or play from your smartphone.
An excellent product that ticks all the boxes when it comes to earbuds. Plus, it has fast-charging capabilities that allow you to get more power out of it, even if you charge it for 15mins.
Also, included in the package are 5 extra pairs of ear tips. not every wireless earphone comes with such packaging. It is also super-easy to pair with your devices.
Ever had clouds in your ears before? That’s how comfortable the Shure E215 feels likes. It just fits perfectly into your ears.
No need to force it and almost no ear fatigue when worn over long periods. It is the shape that might confuse you a bit, but you will get used to it after a few uses.
The battery life is also long enough to last the whole day when used wirelessly.
One of the best earbuds when it comes to sound. The Shure SE215 doesn’t disappoint and delivers a warm and detailed sound with a touch of bass.
The soundstage though is poor which is understandable because these are earbuds and earbuds don’t have great soundstage.
To sum it all up, the Shure E215 is a high-end wireless headphone and doesn’t fall short in the big three – comfort, sound, and battery life. One of the best earbuds for jazz.
Final Thoughts
Jazz is something that you can listen to for hours on end.
Moreover, this type of music genre requires headphones or earbuds that sound neutral or have well-balanced sound profiles. Fortunately, the headphones listed in this article fit the requirements.
That’s it for the best headphones and earbuds for jazz.
