I tested studio headphones with 120 hours of battery life, but I wouldn’t recommend them for everyone — here’s why

The One Odio Studio Max 2 headphones promise zero lag over wireless listening, boast an impressive 120-hour battery life and offer a wide range of connectivity options, but fail to deliver in the most important department: sound quality.

While testing them, I noticed instances where the pitch of a song was changed — which is not what you went looking for when looking for production quality headphones — and the size of the earcups is very bulky, making them feel uncomfortable after long periods of wear.

For all those reasons, I wouldn’t say these are the best headphones for musicians or for everyday use, but if you’re looking for something with diverse connectivity options and a secure hard case, you can keep reading this full OneOdia Studio Max 2 review.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Specs

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Price & availability

The OneOdio Studio Max 2 headphones are available at Amazon for $189 in the U.S. and at £179 at Amazon U.K.. These headphones are created with musicians in mind for production and, as such, are more focused on the details behind the music. But you can get better studio headphones for the money.

The Beyerdynamics DT 270 Pro headphones are $159, for instance, and provide a crystal-clear sound across a wide range of genres and instruments. They are also incredibly lightweight compared to the OneOdio cans, which I think makes them more accessible when moving from instrument to instrument.

Moving into an even cheaper realm, the Rode NTH-50 headphones are just $109 and have an impressive audio performance for their price point. The drawback there is that they’re uncomfortable because of their on-ear design.

Overall, I’d stick with the Beyerdynamic for better sound at a lower price point.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Design

The OneOdio Studio Max 2s are closed-back, over-ear headphones with a sleek look. They feel sturdy and are pretty flexible, with 180-degree swivel earcups that fold in for easy storage and a headband that can be widened and flexed back into place. The length of the headband is also adjustable, and the red stitching on the leather makes it pop.

The headphones come with a protective hard shell case, which securely holds the headphones and wires. But keep in mind that this case is bulky and will take up a lot of space in your bag.

Included with the headphones is a transmitter, a 3.9-foot 3.5mm jack straight cable, a 9.8-foot 3.5 mm to 6.35mm jack coiled cable, and a 3.3-foot USB-C charging cable. Since most studio headphones are wired, running out of juice isn’t really an issue. But if you want to move around, wires are cumbersome, so a wireless solution is nice to have.

Comfort

Unfortunately, the design isn’t flawless: These are some of the bulkiest cans I’ve ever put on my head. In all honesty, I felt a little silly wearing them. They are over-ear headphones, but because of their size, they also cover most of my face. I couldn’t wear them for long periods as they just got a little uncomfortable because of all the thick padding pressing on my face.

Controls

The controls are very easy to get to grips with, however. All of the buttons and switches are housed on the underside of the left earcup and are very easy to reach. You can toggle between Bluetooth mode and ultra-low latency with a switch. The Power button sits in the middle of the volume buttons.

Connectivity

There are a lot of connectivity options with these headphones, which, at first, can seem a little daunting because the carry case is literally filled with wires and adaptors. Admittedly, when using the headphones and switching between wired setups and the Bluetooth mode, I did find this pretty cumbersome.

The headphones can be used wirelessly with Bluetooth 6.0 with a range of 32 feet (the previous version, the OneOdio Studio Max 1, had 65 feet) or 2.4GHz, and wired with 6.35mm and 3.5mm with different length wires.

It’s great to have the freedom of going wireless with the transmitter, it’s just not something I necessarily think is essential — wired is cool and standard for studio musicians anyway.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Sound quality

To test the sound quality of the OneOdio Studio Max 2 headphones, I picked songs that have a lot of detail and clear layers. I also tried out all of the different connectivity options to see if there’s a big difference — and spoiler, there is.

First, I tested the Bluetooth with LDAC by listening to Potion by Djo, a detailed acoustic track. Transitions on the guitar sounded very smooth and clear. However, for studio headphones, I crave a little more detail, like being able to hear breathiness in the vocals and reverb of guitar strings, as I can when listening to this track with the Beyerdynamics DT 270 Pro.

Next, I listened with the standard Bluetooth connection. I chose to listen to Bags by Clairo, but while there was a little extra detail than when listening with commercial headphones, it verged on muddy. The pitch of the track was also higher than it should be.

I then listened via a 3.5mm cable. I listened to I Don’t Care by Icona Pop and Charli XCX. The headphones cope well with bass, and it felt very forceful, but the vocals felt overcrowded and lost.

Finally, I used the headphones with my guitar-and-amplifier setup. This gave me a solid idea of how instruments are replicated before any production. This sounded good, but suffered from some slight fuzz. Overall, it gave me a good replication of the sound.

If you’re a home musician just starting in music production and want a quiet solution when you’re practicing, these headphones will do the job. But for anyone more serious or wanting to double up with normal listening, the Beyerdynamic DT 270 Pros are the way forward.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: App

The OneOdio Studio Max 2 headphones are compatible with the OneOdio mobile app. This app, which can be downloaded for free for iOS and Android devices, is very easy to navigate and offers EQ customization. You can make your own EQ or choose from the following preset options: Music, Monitoring, and Bass.

Having spent time with all three, I felt Music mode was filled with static and sounded very distant. In Bass mode, I still experienced static, but it brought everything a little closer to studio-quality sound. Monitoring mode sounds the best and makes it feel like I was encapsulated by sound, but it’s still not enough to elevate the Studio Max 2 to the level of its competitors.

While the app isn’t my favorite, it’s worth noting that since other studio headphones are wired, they don’t have this kind of connectivity option. Is that reason alone to buy the Studio Max 2? Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt, either.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Battery life

Thankfully, the OneOdio Studio Max 2 headphones have a near-unbeatable battery life of 120 hours. That’s right, we’re talking days of battery life. They take two-and-a-half hours to juice up, but with fast charging, nine hours of playtime takes just five minutes.

I used the headphones for 10 hours over two days, and the battery only decreased by 10%. If we extrapolate that data, they drain a little faster than the rated 120 hours OneOdio claims, but I may have been listening louder than the OneOdio testing team.

OneOdio Studio Max 2 review: Verdict

The OneOdio Studio Max 2 has impressive battery life and offers users a wide range of connectivity options, making them more versatile than analog wired studio headphones. The flexible design also makes them easy to store and carry around.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to recommend these headphones based on sound quality alone. Most genres suffer from static and muddy sound, where more complex tracks completely lose their way. Although they can fold away neatly, the headphones are rather large, and become uncomfortable after long periods of wear.

If you value the quality of your audio, you should look towards options from brands like Beyerdynamic and Rode. You’ll save some money and your ears will thank you for it.