7 Best ASMR Headphones for Deep Relaxation in 2025

In this post today we are dealing with the best ASMR headphones.

Do you love to listen to ASMR recordings?

The relaxing and exciting effects of this exercise cannot be overstated. It has been found to be both mentally and emotionally stimulating.

ASMR audio has its own peculiar features, some of which include a wide dynamic range. The sounds may be quite audible at times, or they may be just bare whispers at other times.

This means you need a capable gear to listen to them with. If you pick the wrong one, you won't feel the ASMR effects.

So, which earphones or headsets do the best job when listening to ASMR recordings? This article brings you our top 7 picks and tells you why we've picked them.

Best ASMR headphones buying guide

When you want to get headphones for ASMR sounds, here are some things you should consider:

Headphone design

The design that would work best for you depends largely on how you listen to ASMR recordings.

1. If you listen while sleeping, or on long flights, over-ear designs will work better for you.
2. If you're listening while doing some demanding physical activity however, like exercising for example, in-ear headsets or tightly fitting on-ear designs would be better suited to your needs.

Noise cancellation/sound isolation

To get the full ASMR effect, you need a headset that blocks out external noise. Depending on your immediate environment, passive noise cancellation or sound isolation by the headphone design may be good enough. Other times, you may need active noise cancellation to keep out those sounds effectively.

Comfortability

When listening to ASMR sounds, you need to be comfortable. A lot of people use these relaxing sounds while meditating.

Therefore, you must pick a headphone that you're very comfortable in. In-ear headphones may work for others, but may not be comfortable for you, because your ear passage is quite large and they keep falling off.

Portability

Will you need to carry your headphones around?

If you move around a lot with your headphones, you should consider the ones with more portable designs.

For over-ear and on-ear designs, you should consider foldable ones for easy packing. In-ear headsets are generally the most portable of all the designs.

Here are our handpicked 7 best ASMR headphones

#1. Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Build and design

Of course, the QuietComfort 35 II is an upgrade on its predecessor; this is quite obvious in the similarity and design.

There's not much that catches the eye in the overall aesthetics. It comes in a single color, and you can either have it in black or silver. If you want your headphones to attract as little attention as possible, then these Bose headphones are good for you.

The body is completely made of plastic, which can also be a plus or not, depending on your preference. A plastic build means the while the headset is lighter, which makes it easier for you to wear them for longer hours.

On the other hand, they may not withstand as much abuse as metal headphones. Having said that, the QuietComfort II is quite solid and can also take some beating.

Sound quality

In addition to that, there's a lot of details in the sound although this is largely because you basically won't hear anything else outside the music you're playing.

This feature is perfect for ASMR because external sound can limit the effect of the audio to a large extent. When you can't hear anything asides from what your headphones are playing, there are no distractions.

This makes it easier for ASMR sounds to have the intended effect. If external sounds make their way through your ears, they change the frequency dynamics that should trigger those sensory responses.

The bass frequencies in these headphones are decent at best, although they're not flat. The mids also have a lot of clarity and detail.

It's important to note here that many headphone makers simply understate the mid frequencies to keep their product "sweet-sounding".

Bose took a bold move and opened up the mid frequencies here. The highs are also clear, but well-tempered such that they don't get too bright.

Bottomline

ASMR sounds really natural on these cans; no extra energy on any frequencies. Hence Bose QuietComfort 35 II is a perfect choice for listening to ASMR.

#2. Sennheiser HD 598

Build and design

If you'll be going out with the HD 598, you may have to wear them on your head or neck all day, because they don't fold into a smaller portable size.

The earcups don't have enough swivel angle to allow it. Even when you can tilt them a bit, it's so that they can hug the shape of your head better.

However, when they do, they feel so comfortable that you won't feel a thing after prolonged use. You can listen to hours of ASMR throughout your sleeping moments till you wake up and you won't feel any irritations.

Also, the HD 598 is not a wireless headphone. You can only use them by connecting to your phone or any other music playing device with a 3.5mm jack output or an adapter that allows you to make the connection. The earcup's design is such that the audio signal is directed straight into your ears.

Sound quality

The HD 598 is an open-back headphone, so there are are some sound properties we expect. First, the bass is good, not something that will excite bass head, but good enough to produce any bass in the music being played.

Also, the mid and high frequencies are quite detailed. In this case, the lower parts of human whispers in ASMR recordings are not only crisp and clear, but the soundstage also seems a bit bigger than what you would otherwise have.

This is great because you get the full range effect just like you were physically present in the middle of the recording.

Bottomline

If you can get a quiet place, use HD 598 to enjoy a wide soundscape of ASMR excitement.

#3. Beats Studio 3

Build and design

Beats Studio 3 wireless headphones are mostly made of plastic, with some touch of metal here and there. The metal parts are around the movable joints and folding hinges.

The plastic has a soft, sleek feel to it because of its matte design. It manages to combine the sleekness of matte without its downside.

Matte equipment easily gets fingerprint stains, but the Studio 3 doesn't get stained if your hands don't have oil or grease.

These headphones are collapsible, and they get quite carriable when you fold them at the hinges.

It's easy to pack them with you anywhere you're going without worrying about the size. The headband is also made of hard plastic, which may begin to have an impact after long hours of use. Some padding would have been nice in this part.

Sound quality

Studio 3 is definitely something for the bass heads. The bass frequencies are punchy and carry a whole lot of energy.

Although ASMR generally thrives on naturally sounding systems, you may prefer more bass. In fact, if you're already very familiar with bassy music, more low frequencies may work for you in ASMR listening.

The mids and high frequencies are quite decent but may feel understated, mostly because of the heavy bass presence.

Also, the active noise canceling feature is very effective, blocking out external sound. This means you can have ASMR effects in less-than-ideal environments.

Bottomline

If your environment is not perfectly quiet, you can still have the full benefits of ASMR with Studio 3.

#4. Sony WH-CH700N

Build and design

It seems plastic is the trend in modern headphones. The Sony WH-CH700Ns are definitely not left out.

Although the earcups have some chrome finishes that look like metal, it is all plastic. It's quite compact when you wear it on your head, and the earcups are not so large.

This is because it has an on-the-ear design which means the earpads sit on your ears for the duration of use. You may need to rest your ears after some hours of use.

The Sony WH-CH700N is a wireless headphone, so you can assume any convenient posture while listening to your ASMR.

Since some people prefer to use ASMR as their meditation music, they will need to be in a very comfortable position. Bluetooth headphones make this much easier for such people.

The on/off switch is on the left earcup. Asides from being the power button, it can also be used to put the headphones in pairing mode or to hear the battery level.

Sound quality

These Sony headphones have punchy bass that drives real nice.

ASMR recordings also sound crisp because of the pronounced high frequencies. The mids are a bit reduced though, giving the classic smile eq feel. If you love your ASMR all flat and natural, you may find the sound "treated", but if you're a bass head, it's a good pick.

Also, the active noise canceling feature works well, but the design of the headphones can be counterproductive since it allows some sound in by being an on-ear style.

Bottomline

If you like your ASMR a bit bassy, the Sony WH-CH700N will be a good choice.

#5. Treblab Z2

Build and design

Treblab is a brand name that may not ring a bell, but their Z2 headphones hold their own among Bluetooth headphones. The design is quite straightforward, with no special aesthetics asides from the giant Treblab logos you would find on the earcups.

The earpads are quite comfortable too, with the same padding style used in the headband to enable you to use the headset for as long as the battery will allow.

Speaking of batteries, when fully charged, you can use these headphones for up to 35 hours before they'll need charging again. When they do, you just need to plug them in for 5 hours, and you're good to go.

Combine the long battery life with its wireless capability and you can listen to ASMR throughout your sleeping moments for a relaxing experience.

Sound quality

These cans give priority to bass heads. There's a lot of emphasis on the low frequencies here. Both bass and sub-bass sounds have lots of energy here. As in most bassy headphones, this energy spills into the mid frequencies and gives them some weight.

However, from the high mids, you begin to experience a lot of clarity that can be exciting. The high frequencies are quite good, and that's it.

It doesn't have that sparkle that you sometimes get with some other headphones. The upside is that you're unlikely to have ear fatigue.

Most people like to listen to ASMR recordings for long periods. If you decide to sleep listening to ASMR sounds, you can be sure that you won't wake up with ear fatigue with these headphones.

Bottomline

Listen to your ASMR all night with this super comfortable design and long-lasting battery life.

#6. Shure SE215

Build and design

The SE215s are in-ear wired headphones. Even though they're not worn over the head, Shure has added some extras to make the headphones stay fit when you wear them.

The ear hook design makes sure that the earphones stay plugged into your ears while you're exercising or doing other stuff that would otherwise cause earbuds to fall out.

Additionally, the cables are quite strong and thick, so the chances of damage are quite slim. Shure took care of another common problem with in-ear headphones here.

Some people find that their ears are not the right fit for most earphones like the SE215. This is why Shure has added different tip sizes to the mix so that you can easily choose which one suits your ears best.

The SE215s cables are detachable, so if they get damaged, you can easily replace them. This prolongs the life of the earphones tangibly. You'll need to source for replacement cables yourself though, as they are not added in the package.

Sound quality

These earbuds sound bass-heavy and pack some low-frequency energy. However, sub-bass is quite tempered and is often overshadowed by the low mids.

The whole frequency response is pretty uneven, but the high frequencies are the most notorious. From 5kHz upwards, there's a very uneven distribution. This sound profile is not ideal for ASMR listening, but it can be a useful choice since the important frequencies are boosted steadily.

Bottomline

The different tip sizes in these Shure SE215 earbuds should give you some good passive noise cancellation needed for ASMR.

#7. Bose QuietComfort 20

Build and design

Like most, if not all in-ear earphones, Bose QC 20 is made of plastic. However, it's the strong cables that make sure the earphones serve you for a long time.

It's the first QuietComfort in-ear noise-canceling headset. Behind the earbuds, you will find some tiny holes that enable the headset to carry out active noise cancellation.

There is a remote part that doubles as the mic. Here, you can control volume, pick calls and control Siri and Google Now.

You can choose to either use the active noise cancellation or not. The switch that enables you to do this is on the battery found along the length of the cable.

The cord is made from rubber which stretches when pulled to protect the internal components. If you want this headset and you're using an iPhone, you should get the QC20i, the version of this headset made for Apple products.

Sound quality

QC20 is bass-heavy. The bass is punchy, which is good if that's how you like your audio.

The low-frequency elements in ASMR recordings will be more pronounced, although you will hear every aspect. The strength of the bass spills over to the low mids and overshadows the warmth just a bit.

The high mids are crisp and have that presence boost, so expect some clarity at this point. The highs are also well pronounced, but not as much as the bass.

The major reason these earphones work for ASMR is the active noise canceling system that blocks out the external noise and allows you to listen to the pure audio. However, things can get so quiet that you begin to hear the earphone amp hiss.

Bottomline

QC20 offers you a lot of details for ASMR listening, even though it's a little biased towards bass.

Recommended read:

7 Best ASMR Mics for Recording Truly Immersive Sounds in 2019

Conclusion

As you must have noticed, if you're choosing the best ASMR headphones to listen to ASMR sounds, you must be quite picky because not all headsets would do a good job.

The good part is that we've done the picking job for you and showed you the best picks across board. All you need to do is make an informed choice and go on to enjoy the goodness of ASMR.