Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80 Ω)

The DT 770 Pro is the closed-back over-ear monitor that's been a studio standard since the 1980s, and the 80-ohm version is the desk-friendly pick — drives properly off an interface like the Scarlett 2i2 without needing a dedicated headphone amp, but with enough impedance to keep the dynamic range that the 32-ohm version sacrifices for phone compatibility.

Owned since 2017, originally bought for music listening. The monitoring use came later, when the SM58 and the Scarlett joined the desk and a closed-back reference suddenly became useful for editing the audio it recorded. The same headphones turn out to do both jobs well — music with a slightly elevated bass response and a clean treble, monitoring with isolation good enough to track over a microphone without bleed.

The velour pads wear out. Comfortable, warm in summer, and after a few years they need replacing — they're cheap to swap and the rest of the headphone outlasts the pads several times over, which is the kind of repairability the price is partly buying.