The New Standard in Studio Closed Backs? — SonicScoop

ADAM Audio H200

ADAM Audio’s new H200 headphones aim to become the new standard in closed back headphones for recording and producing.

How do they sound, and how do they stand up to the other options out there? That’s what we’ll look at today.

I’ve tried these headphones at length, and compared them extensively to the competition. I can now safely say they are currently my top recommendation for closed back models for the recording studio between $100 and $200.

With that said, there may be some listeners who prefer other models, and I’ll give detailed notes on who might be better served by other choices.

For my full video version of this post, click here.

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ADAM H200 – The Pros

There are 4 major standout features in the H200 relative to the competition:

1. Low frequency extension
2. Neutrality of frequency response
3. Included correction software
4. Easy repairability

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

1. The Lows

The first big selling point for me is that these headphones go down to a whopping 2Hz.

Yes, you read that right. Not “twenty” Hertz. TWO. Two Hertz. 2Hz. And they do this +/- 3dB.

…Closer to the center of their frequency range, they are even flatter still.

Due to an ingenious venting system that acts a bit like a port, these headphones have some of the most reliable sub frequency reproduction than I’ve heard in any closed back headphones on the market today. (And they do this without compromising on isolation.)

Honestly, it’s hard to find anything else that comes close in this regard. The now-discontinued Blue Lola and Mix-Fi (which were my top pick for affordable closed back headphones in the past), had subs that were perhaps ever so slightly more reliable, but they were much heavier, cost almost twice as much, and looked awful!

With the Blue headphones off the market, I just don’t know of any other closed back headphones that can compete with the H200 in the subs anywhere near this price range. And to their credit, the ADAM H200 do it at a lower cost, at a lighter weight and with a more pleasing aesthetic than the Blue headphones ever had.

If you want to be able to make meaningful decisions about sub frequencies, the H200 are simply the best option currently going for closed back headphones under $200.

Adding to the brilliance of this vented design is the fact that these vents do not contribute meaningfully to headphone bleed, since they vents through a very small and well-damped hole at the back of each transducer.

Playing music at a similar level to other headphones in this category, the isolation was comparable across the board, and to my surprise, even beat out the Beyerdynamic DT 770 substantially in isolation—most likely due to the difference in earpad materials.

2. The Frequency Response

One of the other main selling points for me on the H200 is that they are far more neutral and useful than most closed backs in this price range.

The most popular model at this price up until now has been the Audio-Technica ATH M50X. They have succeeded either in spite or possibly because of their decidedly hyped and “scooped” tone.

The M50X are a potentially great choice for hyping up recording studio clients with extra bombastic lows and highs, which cam sometimes be welcome on raw, un-EQ’d tracks. And the M50X are notoriously built like tanks! But they are probably not the best option for making effective critical listening decisions as a producer or engineer.

Better than the M50X in this regard would be the Audio-Technica ATH M40X, which are more neutral and less scooped and hyped than the M50X. However, the 40X lack the robustness of build found in the M50X or ADAM H200, and don’t have anywhere near the low frequency extension of the H200. (The 40X do however, have a substantially brighter voicing than the H200, which may suit some listeners’ tastes, depending on their biases.)

The H200 also easily outperforms popular less expensive models such as the Sennheiser HD280, which feels midrangey and pinched by comparison, and the Sony MDR 7506 which comes across as bright and brash in listening comparisons.

The only headphones in this price bracket that were a close contender for me were the Beyerdynamic DT 770, which have a completely different sonic profile, but were also nicely balanced and avoided feeling excessively scooped.

The 770 are a little bit more “pleasant” sounding than the H200, with a little more upper midrange presence and high frequency detail, without being overly scooped or hyped, or sacrificing lows. The H200 however, brought the lows even more into focus, and feel like they extend deeper into the subs.

The top end on the H200 is a little less emphasized than the DT 770, so they have a slightly darker feel, that encourages you to add more detail to your sounds relative to the 770s. This is usually welcome in the production stage, as many of us tend to record and mix a bit darker than we want our tracks to wind up. Brighter headphones do nothing to help with this issue.

If you want more focus on the subs, the ADAMs have it, if you want more focus on the highs and upper midrange, the Beyerdynamics have that.

So, if your mixes are generally too bright on top, the Beyerdynamics are less likely to encourage you to push the brightness too much. While if your mixes are generally a little too dark, or have excessive lows or mudniness, I’d steer you toward the ADAMs, which will help you choose sounds that are a bit brighter and tighter with a bit more detail, and can allow you to hear enough low end so that you don’t overdo it on the bottom end.

Another closer contender here the Austrian Audio hi-x20, but the H200 beat these for me in feeling less scooped and more useful overall.

The only closed back dynamic headphones I had on hand that I had a clear preference for over the H200 were the Neumann NDH 20, which cost more like $550 to $600. If you don’t mind spending 3.5x as much, they are also a great choice.

For me, the H200 were hands down my personal top pick below $200 in frequency balance, with the DT 770 close behind, followed by the M40X and Hi-X20. But I could imagine some users preferring slightly less low end energy or a slightly brighter top. For these listeners, I could still imagine the H200 being an optimal choice with a very gentle touch of corrective EQ to de-emphasize the lift in the lows slightly, while still taking advantage of the extreme depth of low end available. And this leads us to the next feature:

3. The Included Correction Software

The H200 have another trick up their sleeve. Unlike any other headphones in this category, they come with headphone correction and speaker emulation software, which is usually adds another $50 – $100 to the price of headphones for those who want such a solution.

The ADAM Headphone Correction plugin is extremely simple, but does everything it needs to: It can further flatten the frequency response of the headphones, AND emulate the frequency response and stereo imaging of a high end set of ADAM monitors in an ideally tuned room.

Rather than emulate dozens of spaces and speakers, it does one neutral reference environment without fuss or excessive DSP load, and allows you to further correct frequency response, with or without stereo speaker emulation for better sense of how your panning choices will translate.

4. The Servicibility

One last feature here is the easy replacement and swapping of the most likely components to fail on any set of headphones: The earpads, headband and cable.

More and more companies have started including replaceable cables, but too few are making it truly easy to replace earpads and headbands. Most headphones sadly still outlive these components to this day. But the H200 are designed to be very promising in this regard.

The Cons

The only potential criticism I can think of with the H200 is that the aesthetic design of these headphones is somewhat utilitarian.

It doesn’t win any particular points for style, though isn’t bad looking either. Unlike some of the headphones in this category, it isn’t collapsible, making it a bit more cumbersome to throw into a small backpack. But for studio use, this isn’t much of a concern.

Though comfortable, quite lightweight and easy to wear, it doesn’t go above and beyond in this area like the similarly priced DT 700, and lacks some of the sleek look and feel of the ATH-M50X.

As far as sound, there are some listeners who may prefer a headphone that is voiced a bit brighter.  And, in highlighting the subs, I found the H200 are ever so slightly softened in the upper bass, so getting used to how these two areas sit next to one another may take some learning to make ideal balance decisions.

But taking time to learn your headphones is to be expected, especially in this price range, and these potential quibbles are quicky softened with the bundled headphone correction software. issue is lessened.

Summing it Up

The bottom line is that at $179, the ADAM H200 are easily one of the best choices for closed back headphones available today, and are arguably THE top choice for closed back headphones under $200. This is especially the case for users who want clear insights into the lows and subs, and don’t want headphones that are excessively scooped or tilt too far toward brightness.

Ultimately, headphones are a deeply personal choice, and you should ideally hear the headphones you’d like to choose between. But with or without the bundled EQ correction, it would be hard to go wrong with the H200 as a recording producer, engineer or sound savvy musician.

Justin Colletti is a platinum mastering engineer and creator of the Breakthroughs series of mixing courses. He runs SonicScoop.

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