Price: $34.94
(as of Nov 11, 2025 09:19:15 UTC – Details)
Elevate Your Sound: The SAMSON SR850 Professional Studio Headphones
Introduction
If you’re searching for studio-quality headphones that don’t break the bank, the SAMSON SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones could be your perfect match. Designed for musicians, sound engineers, and audiophiles, these headphones promise an immersive listening experience without sacrificing comfort or affordability.
Features & Specifications
- Semi-Open Back Design: Enhances ambient listening for a natural soundstage.
- 50mm Rare Earth Magnet Drivers: Deliver exceptional sound reproduction and a wide dynamic range.
- Frequency Response: 10Hz – 30kHz for detailed audio clarity.
- Impedance: 32 ohms, compatible with various audio devices.
- Self-Adjusting Headband: Ensures a comfortable, secure fit during prolonged use.
- 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch Gold-Plated Adapter: For easy connection to various audio equipment.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Exceptional sound quality and accurate audio reproduction.
- Comfortable design with plush velour ear cushions.
- Affordable price point for studio-grade headphones.
- Versatile connectivity with included adapter.
Cons:
- Semi-open design may not suit those seeking complete isolation.
- They may feel bulky to some users during extended wear.
Review: Performance, Quality, Ease of Use, and Value for Money
The SAMSON SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones excel in performance, offering a superb audio experience that rivals more expensive models. The semi-open back design creates a rich soundstage that enhances clarity and depth—ideal for both mixing in the studio and casual listening at home. The large 50mm drivers ensure every frequency, from the deepest lows to the sparkling highs, is reproduced with precision.
Quality is evident in the craftsmanship of the headphones. The velour ear cushions make long listening sessions a breeze, while the self-adjusting headband provides a secure fit that accommodates various head sizes comfortably.
These headphones are also incredibly easy to use. The included gold-plated adapter ensures compatibility with a wide range of equipment, whether you’re plugging into a mixing board or a personal hi-fi system.
When it comes to value for money, the SAMSON SR850 stands out. They offer high-end features and sound quality at a price point that makes them accessible to everyone—from aspiring musicians to seasoned professionals.
Who Should Buy This?
The SAMSON SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones are ideal for:
- Musicians and sound engineers looking for reliable monitoring tools.
- Audiophiles wanting a premium listening experience without investing heavily.
- Casual listeners seeking comfort and clarity for everyday use.
- Anyone needing a budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on performance.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, the SAMSON SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones deliver exceptional sound quality and comfort, making them a fantastic choice for anyone passionate about music. Whether you’re mixing tracks in the studio or enjoying your favorite albums at home, the SR850s provide a clear, natural listening experience at an unbeatable price.
Don’t miss out on enhancing your audio experience—check the SAMSON SR850 on Amazon today!
nml –
Wait but like how?
TLDRIf you just want great sound for an absurdly low price, everything else about these headphones will be totally fine. Any complaint I have about these is purely to demonstrate that there are reasons to buy more expensive headphones if they fall within your budget. But for what these go for, I whole-heartedly recommend these for anyone who doesn’t know if the advantages of open backs are worth it, aren’t sure how much they want to spend but still want something that sounds good right now, is a just starting audiophile, is a creator on a budget, and/or wants a second/backup pair with little to no compromise on sound.SOUNDPurely based on sound, these punch so far above their weight that I really don’t care much about any of the other features. There’s not a ton of presence in the low end, but it is clear enough for anyone buying/expecting open backs. Absolutely fantastic for instruments and vocals, some of the clearest sounding mids/highs I have enjoyed for <$200. The overall stage is impressively wide and rich. I genuinely got confused listening to these at first because I kept hearing things from different parts of the room or my house, but it was actually just parts of songs I had never heard before. There is something magical about being able to hear things from far away clearly without that clarity crushing it into the vocals/instruments. There’s a good amount of sparkle in the top end can be harsh to some. I would recommend running these for 20-40 hours, either while listening or even just running off your phone overnight for a week, and then reevaluating. It’s not magic, but it can take a little edge off the top. If it still sounds harsh up in the stratosphere, I actually recommend lowering the volume before EQing these. When I was first burning these in, I found these harsh. But I realized that the high sparkle was giving a shimmer to percussion and synths that I had flatly not heard with other headphones before. I strongly recommend being open to what these do in the highs even if feels like too much at first. Synths and bass are okay, but don’t suffer in these areas any more than my more expensive headphones. Where I will say the bass excels here ties back into hearing things from far away with clarity with losing distance/space. Echos sound incredible on these, so real percussion resonates more than I’m used to hearing. It gives the bass more density without being louder or punchier. At <$40, I am genuinely shocked with how much I gravitate towards these for sound.BUILD/DESIGNThe entire build is plastic and doesn’t feel amazing, but somehow still feels and looks better than <$50 headphones from big companies (e.g. Sony, skullcandy jbl, etc). Granted, the design is completely derivative of a much more reputable brand, but for two Andrew Jacksons I couldn’t care less. The plastic headband isn’t the most rigid in the world, but the design makes the auto-adjusting faux-leather headband work easily and securely. By using a wired design instead of a solid headband, the unit is remarkably light. The earcups swivel in 360 degrees, albeit not very far. The 3.5 jack is very sturdy, but the side leading into the headphones is just okay, given it’s not replaceable. The earcups don’t feel great to the touch and have a crunchy sound when compressed, which can be annoying when adjusting or putting them on. This did get better over time after being worn in however.COMFORTAll these factors considered, the headphones are just okay in terms of comfort. For how light these are, I’m a little surprised that these create a slight amount of pressure on the top of my head. Obviously everyone’s fit will be slightly different, but the trade off with an auto adjusting headband is that the pressure on the faux-leather that pulls the band up is applied directly to the user. I thought the band was uncomfortable at first, but if I adjust the headphones, I actually find the cheap part resting against my head almost imperceptible. It’s only when the pressure has been applied long enough that I begin to notice. It’s not enough to stop wearing necessarily after short-medium listening sessions, but certainly worth adjusting every once in awhile. While I’m lukewarm on the pads in terms of build, they do a great job of keeping the headphones in place while in use. Despite feeling/sounding crunchy, I actually didn’t mind them for comfort. I thought I would feel the cheapness pressed right against my head, but just like the faux-leather band, it’s not the material itself that gets comfortable. In this case, the semi-on ear and tendency to sweat are more uncomfortable than the cushions themselves. The size of the cups belies that depending on your ear size, part of the cup may rest on your ear. While this is more preference, I think more people will notice sweating in these. It’s by no means horrible, but pretty much unavoidable.THE RESTThe cable is more of a studio length, but not a big deal. These run at 32 ohms, which is important because at this price, you can’t be recommending headphones that require a dac that costs more than the headphones themselves (that being said you can use a better dac, and yes, they sound even better). That coupled with the autoadjusting headband means anyone can pick these up and they will sound/feel great. You don’t need extra equipment or to fiddle with the fit, they just work. They sound great with content, Spotify, flacs, with or without a dac, with everything and in every way. I use these for two main cases: going for walks and listening to music with other people. For $35 i don’t worry about damaging my more expensive headphones while I’m out and about plus I can hear my surroundings clearly and walk safely. When I’m listening to music with other people, I can talk to them about the music without hearing my own voice in my headphones. While these are two very specific cases, I hope they demonstrate that these don’t need a perfectly quiet room to sound amazing, even though that’s obviously where they sound the best. I’ve been learning that hearing music in all its spaciousness interacting with the literal world around me often sounds better than a perfectly isolated, but relatively stuffy closed back. I used to think I preferred balanced sound across the board, but these have a bass roll off and sparkle in the highs that bring out a side to many instruments I didn’t realize I care about. These headphones add a shape and quality to different sounds that have broadened the way I think about and appreciate listening to music.
Victor M. Baca –
Samson SR850 Reference Studio Headphones-Great Bang for the Buck!
Wow. Gotta write these babies up! These ‘phones are outstanding for the money. Mind you, I am an old ambulance driver/EMT and my hearing is shot from siren noise over the years. I need the best headphones I can afford to get the most from my stereo listening to overcome the constant high-pitched tone in my ears from tinnitus. The sound definition from the Samson SR850 is unbelievable. I wasn’t expecting much from a thirty-something dollar headset, but the reviews were pretty good, so, why not try a pair?The connection hardware is a light weight but sturdy cord with a combination 1/8″ (3.5mm) and 1/4″ (6.3mm) gold plated plug. The 1/4″ plug can be unscrewed from the inner 1/8″ standard plug, giving you plug-in versatility. The connecting cord to the ‘phones is long enough to allow you to have good separation between the computer or amplifier and your head, without any limiting constriction between the sound source and your head. They cord is much lighter than most quality headsets that feature heavier coiled cords.The SR850 is lightweight, comfortable, and the fidelity of the sound is as perfect as my old ears are capable of hearing. I would describe the sound as crisp and well defined in clarity. I began the initial test with the tank battle game World of Tanks Blitz. The echo of the gun could be heard booming across the valley and the sound is realistic, down to the thump-boom of the shell hitting home. The engine sounds of the tank were rumbly and the muffling when the hatch was closed made you feel like you were surrounded by the low rumble of the engine and the crunching of the tracks outside the armor shell. Very realistic.Next up was music. The lovely harmonies and sweet instrumentals of the bluegrass band, The Cox Family. Outstanding clarity and very well balanced with these headphones. The lyrics were crisp and not muddled at all, even better than my $200+ studio headphones. And, because the head cups are semi-open, I can still hear the sounds in the room around me. Voices come through very clearly compared to my closed ear studio set. You get very good situational awareness with these ‘phones.The cans are lightweight and comfortable as well; the velour padding helps a lot. The only drawback is entirely personal. On my head, I need just a little bit of padding so the headband does not fit too low and I am sure I can find stick-on padding to add just a bit of vertical crown support. One thing that helps are the spring-loaded over-the-head wires that allow the headphones to fit securely to the sides of your ear. The padded earcups are rounded so they fit well over the ear and you can adjust the earphones so they sit “just right” on your head and the circular form does not impinge on your ear like some of the rounded-rectangular inner profile cups do if you need a little forward or backward “swing” to find that “just right” sweet spot for the headband on your head. The headband is a separate piece from the support rod/wires and is wide enough to be pretty comfortable and secure, but a little bit of padding atop the crown would help.All-in-all, if you purchase the Samson SR850 it will be money well spent. I am going to get another pair as a spare, they are that good, and that affordable. They definitely won’t break the bank!
chris –
great drivers
The large drivers and semi-open back design are the real stars here. I wouldn’t call them purely reference headphones, they have some V shape response. So they’re a bit more fun with more bass and treble. high-mids can distort at higher volumes though. i’m having fun hearing all the great details in my music and games. Sound stage can be great with the right kinds of music. The build is a pretty plastic-y but i think they’ll take a few drops or a smash or two in a bag. probably the thing i like the least is that the earcups have the most pressure on the top and presses on my glasses earpieces pretty hard after a while. but that won’t be an issue for everyone.
Manuel Esparza –
Después de 6 mese de uso puedo dar fe de su durabilidad; se me han caído varias veces, mis sobrinas los tomaron una vez y los traían de helicóptero y siguen en excelente estado.Son grandes (mucho 12.5 cm de diámetro aprox). El sonido es mi favorito, bajos presentes que no sobresalen pero profundos, medios increíbles ( para mi son su punto mas fuerte), y agudos algo brillantes, pero solo un poco, al principio los ecualizaba y les bajaba un poco a las altas frecuencias pero termine por acostumbrarme, y me di cuenta de que solo brillan en ciertas pistas donde abusan de los platillos en la batería o en pistas con mala calidad.El sonido casi no distorsiona, lo subo a full en mi celular (lanix 510) y la distorsión de las frecuencias es casi inperceptible.Para Gaming yo les doy un 9, tienen una excelente distribución de las frecuencias que puedes tener una experiencia de juego increíble, en juegos que están bien optimizados en sonido 7.1 percibes perfectamente las direcciones de los enemigos, los pasos o la dirección de disparos.En fin una excelente opción Calidad/Precio, los recomienda do ampliamente,PD: un punto negativito es que si te quedas dormido con ellos puestos no son muy cómodos xDActualización, a ya dos años y me siguen prcionedo la mejor compra por su precio y su calidad. Siguen funcionando completamente.
raffaele –
Sono arrivate (in anticipo) nella loro scatola leggermente rovinata dalla consegna, ma le cuffie non sono danneggiate. Sul jack e’ pre inserito l’adattatore da 4.4, basta svitarlo per avere il piccoletto. Il cavo e’ di ottima fattura, resistera’ un paio di passate sotto la sedia d’ufficio sicuramente.Il suono puo’ essere descritto come “vasto” e ricco. Le ho provate per musica e per videogiocare e posso dire che tutto suona dettagliatissimo, praticamente un vr per le orecchie. Cansodi di artisti come Michael Jackson, Radiohead o i Fall Out Boy si risvegliano. Anche generi come elettronica o breakcore che non sono decisamente il loro gioco (data la presenza minore di bassi) suonano divinamente. Per 50 euro.Non si prestano, pero’, all’utilizzo in stanze o luoghi rumorosi, sono open back, quindi tutto il suono fuori entra e vice versa.Ne ho provate molte a questo prezzo ma queste le asfalta tutte.Consigliatissime.
Jazzy –
These semi open backs are a steal for the price! Very comfortable ear pads and headband. It makes anything you watch or listen to sound clearer and more open.
Shrikant P. –
Looked cheap and ears get hot.. so I returned it. But its good for its price of $50ish
NoName123456 –
Ich habe mir dieses Modell nochmal bestellen müssen. Das Alte gibt leider langsam den Geist auf nach 5 Jahren täglichen stundenlangen Tragen. Die Treiber laufen noch wie am ersten Tag, aber das fest installierte Polster und der Tüll lösen sich ab. Damals im Doppelpack für knapp 50€ beim Musicstore gekauft und den 2. verschenkt. hier nun 50€ für einen Kopfhörer. Naja, so ist das!Unterschiede zum alten Modell: Stoff statt dünnem Kunstleder als Polster. Dazu ist es kein dünnes Tüll mehr was vor dem Treiber sitzt, sondern etwas dickerer Filzstoff.Die Dinger sind ihren Preis trotzdem wert. Es ist alles klar, nicht matschig, Bass und mitten lassen sich dadurch präzise abmischen. Ich hab zwar auch die DT770 Pro 250Ohm hier liegen, die nutze ich aber wirklich nur für den letzten Feinschliff im Pegel und was Hall, Phaser, Stereobreite und leise Instrumente angeht. Und das sind dann vllt 1,5db oder max. 5%, die ich die Regler nochmal nachjustieren muss.Mit den Dingern lässt sich somit zu 95% des Songs durchproduzieren. Gerne und immer wieder!