I was looking for a pair of closed back headphones to help me with recording an amped guitar. Closed-back headphones, while giving a more 'natural' sound, tend to have some leakage, which is a trade-off for that clarity. So for recording with a microphone it's best to use closed-back headphones. I find these excellent at blocking out the sound of my amp; this helps me to really hear what's being recorded. As a result, I feel my guitar recordings have improved. However, these Superlux headphones are not particularly comfortable to wear for long periods. So I don't use them for mixing or listening to music; but for short bursts of tracking / recording, I think they're an excellent purchase for the price.