Warm Audio HeadRoom

Technically, the Warm Audio HeadRoom features dynamic 45 mm drivers with neodymium magnets. The rotating and swivelling ear pads and adjustable headband are padded and covered with synthetic leather. The also replaceable cable is single-sided. The package includes a straight cable, a coiled cable, and a case for safe transport.

The Warm Audio HeadRoom in practice

The wired, no-frills design is available in three colour variants – black, orange, and light brown – and is entirely geared towards use in music production. The primary focus of the Warm Audio HeadRoom is recording situations, where the closed-back construction provides the musician with isolation from the surroundings – a quality that can also be an advantage for outdoor recordings. At the same time, the drivers’ sound should not leak out and be picked up by the microphone, unintentionally ending up on the recording.

The Warm Audio HeadRoom should also be suitable for working on mixes. In noise-sensitive environments, I would agree. However, in most cases, I see higher-end open-back headphones as clearly superior for this purpose.

The wearing comfort of the lightweight (250 g) yet robust plastic construction is generally good thanks to the substantial, replaceable padding. However, the ear pads could be a little larger for my taste. The relatively firm clamping force is probably intentional, to achieve better external isolation. This is a trade-off: during long listening sessions, comfort is somewhat reduced, but isolation is excellent. Not to be overlooked: singers, drummers, and guitarists move around in the recording room, so a headphone must remain securely in place.

Sound of the Warm Audio HeadRoom

Naturally, the focus of the Warm Audio HeadRoom is on sound. For its price class, it delivers a punchy, balanced, and fairly detailed sound signature.

On “Celestion Echo” by Boris Blank and Malia, every headphone reveals its strengths and weaknesses in bass performance, definition, spatiality, and detail resolution – all while handling a remarkable vocal performance. The test unit handles this well. “Katsching” by Adel Tawil challenges the deep bass reserves, which are clearly audible but not overly emphasised. The HeadRoom remains composed even at high listening levels – a quality relevant for recording sessions with rock bands. Here too, the HeadRoom makes no mistakes.

On “Toxic” by Britney Spears, playback reveals whether the headphone tends to overemphasise treble. The mix is close to the edge of harshness, and the reproduction reflects this. At high volumes, the HeadRoom can become a little too sharp. For rock and metal, this bite may be welcome; at high levels, however, it can also be fatiguing.

Warm Audio highlights the neutral midrange in its marketing. Here, I can confirm an authentic timbre for acoustic instruments across various recordings, with dynamics conveyed appropriately. Overall, considering its price of around €150, the HeadRoom offers good sonic performance and fulfils its intended monitoring function during recording sessions very well. I would not, however, consider it a “sonic magnifying glass” for mixing or an audiophile solution for music listening – nor was that to be expected.

Conclusion

With the HeadRoom, Warm Audio makes a strong debut in the studio headphone segment. Attractively priced, the closed-back over-ear design offers balanced sound, high maximum SPL, and a robust build. Key components are replaceable. At high volumes, though, the HeadRoom can be a bit too forward in the upper frequencies.