Description
The Behringer BH470 is a pair of compact, closed-back headphones designed for studio monitoring, mixing, and general multimedia use. It’s positioned as a highly affordable option, offering a compelling feature set for its price point. It aims to provide a reliable, no-frills tool for those on a tight budget.
Key Features and Highlights:
- Closed-Back, Over-Ear (Circumaural) Design: The BH470 features a closed-back design where the earcup fully encloses the ear. This is a crucial feature for monitoring as it provides passive noise isolation, which helps to:
- Block out ambient noise from your surroundings, allowing you to focus on the audio.
- Prevent audio from “leaking” out of the headphones and being picked up by a microphone during a recording session.
- 40 mm Dynamic Drivers: It is equipped with 40 mm dynamic drivers, a standard size for many studio headphones. These drivers are engineered to deliver a wide frequency response and a good dynamic range.
- Foldable Design: The headphones have a foldable design, making them highly portable and easy to transport in a bag or case. The earcups can also swivel, which contributes to a comfortable fit and makes them practical for single-ear monitoring (e.g., for DJs).
- Wide Frequency Response: The BH470 offers a wide frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. While this is a standard range for human hearing, it indicates the headphones can reproduce a good spectrum of sound from deep bass to detailed highs.
- Low Impedance (32 Ohms): With a low impedance of 32 ohms, these headphones are very easy to drive. This means they can produce a high-quality, loud signal from low-power devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets without needing a dedicated headphone amplifier.
- Comfortable Padded Ear Cups and Headband: The BH470 is built with padded, adjustable earcups and a padded headband. This design aims to provide comfort for extended listening sessions, a key consideration for studio work.
- 3m (9.8 ft) Coiled Cable: The headphones come with a long, coiled, non-detachable cable. The coiled design is practical for studio use as it provides freedom of movement without a long, straight cable getting in the way, while still allowing you to stretch a significant distance from your audio source.
- 3.5 mm Plug with 6.3 mm Adapter: It has a standard 3.5mm stereo plug for compatibility with consumer devices. A gold-plated 6.3mm (1/4″) adapter is also included, allowing for connection to professional audio interfaces and mixing consoles.
- Versatile Use: The BH470 is marketed for a variety of uses, including music production, broadcast editing, DJing, and general listening.
Who is the Behringer BH470 for?
- Beginners in Music Production: It’s a great entry-point for anyone starting a home studio on a very limited budget.
- Casual Users: For those who want a comfortable and affordable pair of headphones for listening to music at home.
- Podcasters and Live Streamers: The closed-back design helps prevent audio bleed during recording.
- Backup or Guest Headphones: Because of their low cost, they are a practical choice to have as a spare pair in a professional or home studio.
Considerations:
- “Studio” Expectations: As with all budget headphones, it is essential to manage expectations. While marketed for “studio monitoring,” they will not have the completely flat, neutral frequency response of professional-grade headphones. Reviews often describe the sound as having a slightly boosted low-end and a less-detailed midrange.
- Build Quality: The construction is mostly plastic, which helps keep the weight and cost down but may not be as durable as higher-end models. The non-detachable cable is also a potential point of failure.
- Sound Quality for Critical Work: While they are a significant step up from consumer headphones, they are not ideal for critical mixing and mastering where a perfectly neutral frequency response is crucial. They are best suited for tracking and general listening.
