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Yet another headphone recommendation thread

N

nathancipher

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 12, 2008
Messages
322
Hi all,

I'm looking to purchase some headphones in the near future, would love some advice. I have some pretty specific needs so maybe someone here has some ideas. basically i compose and produce electronic music and i do my own pre-mastering work on monitors, but i prefer to do the actual composition work on headphones since it drives my girlfriend nuts to have to listen to half composed loops and synth patches for hours at a time.

i currently own sennheiser hd-280 pro's which are great for my main use i bought them for which is live monitoring at events. thing is they are extremely uncomfortable over time and i find myself only able to spend around an hour or so working on music before listening fatigue sets in. so i am now in the market for some open headphones to use at home and the 280's will stay in the gig bag for when i need them.

budget is up to $300 but i would like to keep it as low as possible to get the results i need. ideally i am looking to spend $100-200, but if there is a set of cans out there that you know i'd just love for over that but under $300 let me know. they need to sound good, but don't need to be extremely accurate. comfort is a huge factor. i don't need something with lots of bass either. main thing i'm looking for here is value related to my needs. if i can get away with <$100 i'm there.

thanks in advance!
 
I still use and recommend the Sony MDR-V6 myself, but the original ones are kinda hard to find nowadays. Sometimes you can catch 'em on fleaBay but you have to pay attention. With one of the flattest response curves ever created (something like less than .5 dB off flat at the worst point) there's just not much out there for audio mastering work that can touch 'em. They're pretty standard stuff in most studios that I've ever been in or worked with, along with some AKG stuff as well (can't stand 'em myself).

What most people find are the newer "updated" version of the original V6, which is the MDR-7506 and they have a less broad frequency response overall. Apparently Sony has some even newer ones out, the MDR-7509-HD with a spec of - get this - 5 Hz to 80,000 Hz... now that's something. :)

But I trust my V6's more than any other headset I've ever had on my head, hands down. Highly recommended when what you really want to hear is just that: what you want to hear, and not much else.
 
oh yeah i used to have a pair of those back in like 97 i think

they were great but got stolen at a show i was playing =(

in this case though i am looking for open cans for extended listening use and mainly comfort

thanks though mang =)
 
Well I am pretty much a total Audio Technica ATH fanboy these days. I used to be big on Sennheiser, but after trying the ATH series, they are my new favourites. Main thing that sells me is the comfort. Most comfortable phones I've ever used. They just kinda float on your head.

So, in your price range you have six choices divided in to two sets of three. First question is open or closed? Open phones have holes in the back. The Sennheiser 580s would be an example. They tend to give more accurate, detailed sound. Downside is they offer no isolation. So if your room is noisy, they won't block that out. Also people around you can hear them. They aren't loud like speakers, but it is certainly audible. So if your GF is sitting next to you, they won't be good.

If you want open phones, then the Air are the ones you want. The closed ones are the Art. Also the closed ones have model numbers in the form of A500 and the open ones AD500.

Once you've chosen that, you pick how good you want them. They come in the 500, 700, and 900 varieties. Basically the higher the number, the higher the quality and thus higher the price. Also the higher quality ones need better supporting hardware. The 500s are very forgiving phones, they sound good on most sources due to things like a middling impedance. The 900s need a bit better source or you can have problems (for example they have audible hiss when hooked to on board sound).

Personally I have ATH-A700 Art phones at work, and ATH-AD900 Air phones at home.

Now the other thing to note is that for some reason, Audio Technica doesn't distribute all the models in the US so you won't find them at all retailers. Best bet is to buy them form an importer. Audio Cubes is a good choice. Do search the web though if you choose a model, since sometimes you find them cheaper.

At any rate, that'd be my recommendation. Choose how much you want to spend, choose open or closed, then get the ATH phones at that level.

As far as prices go the 500s are roughly $100, the 700s roughly $150 and the 900s $200-250.

They also make higher end models (1000 and 2000) but they are outside the specified price range by a good margin.
 
I should add that they are all equally comfortable, having the same design. The structure of the phones is the same, it is just the materials quality that differs. For example my 700s are plastic frame and back, the 900s are magnesium frame and titanium back. Reason is that you get less resonance with the more rigid material, but it costs more. There are also materials differences in the voice coil, driver and so on.
 
I'd recommend Beyerdynamic DT-880 (consumer version, not pro).. insanely comfortable and great for reference sound.
 
i have definitely been looking pretty hard at the AD700's

those look mad comfortable, and are a steal at $87+ship on amazon
 
Their comfort is unmatched in any headphone I've ever owned or tried, and there are a lot of those. Like I said, that's the biggest reason I'm such a fan. You get good sound out of any good headphone. Though different brands offer different flavours, they all sound fine. So for me, the real issue is comfort. The ATH series wins by a large margin. They are great, even over my glasses.
 
hmmm i'm leaning toward those AD700's then

i'm all about getting the comfort i want for that price point

just gotta hope they'll fit well on my big fat head
 
They are huge. I mean seriously, these phones are some of the most massive you've ever encountered. They make the Sennheiser 580s look slight by comparison. I'd say there's a real good chance they fit just fine. I also don't have a small head and they work great.
 
One thing to note about the AD700s is they are somewhat low impedance compared to others in the lineup. Just make sure you have something with a decent headphone amp in it, or you may get some hiss and weak bass due to lack of current.
 
i run off the headphone amp in my mixer anyway which is pretty powerful so i don;t think that would be a problem
 
In that case, probably not. You don't need some audiophile thousand dollar job or anything, just something that can provide adequate current. I use the amp in my X-Fi's breakout box and it works fine.

As for the size if you want a picture of the 700s with something for reference (tape measure? pen? quarter?) can can take one for you.

Oh and I sent you a PM.
 
Joe Average said:
I still use and recommend the Sony MDR-V6 myself, but the original ones are kinda hard to find nowadays. Sometimes you can catch 'em on fleaBay but you have to pay attention. With one of the flattest response curves ever created (something like less than .5 dB off flat at the worst point) there's just not much out there for audio mastering work that can touch 'em. They're pretty standard stuff in most studios that I've ever been in or worked with, along with some AKG stuff as well (can't stand 'em myself).

What most people find are the newer "updated" version of the original V6, which is the MDR-7506 and they have a less broad frequency response overall. Apparently Sony has some even newer ones out, the MDR-7509-HD with a spec of - get this - 5 Hz to 80,000 Hz... now that's something. :)

But I trust my V6's more than any other headset I've ever had on my head, hands down. Highly recommended when what you really want to hear is just that: what you want to hear, and not much else.
Click to expand...
Actually the DT48 is better, but they are a reference monitoring headphone.. The V6 are mainly studio cans.. They are more popular for lab & acoustic research, audiomentry, broadcasting stations, recording & film studios. Retail is around 450.00. Unmatched build quality. Very accurate, balanced, uncolored, neutral, & flat.
 
I believe there are A900's on the FS forums for like... 150 shipped? Pretty good deal, if you ask me.
 
Have you tried a higher-level Sennheiser? I got these for less than $100... in '06. Head-fi FS thread, sometimes people just need the cash.

I am also interested by these other models but can't really justify it. I would like to buy Grado because it supports their NY factory.
 
I'm currently using the Sennheiser 595's and they are extremely comfortable. I can listen for hours straight! The sound is amazing also. I'm only running it through an Audigy 2 so i'm sure they would sound even better if i got a DAC or that new STX soundcard from asus.
 
As someone who used the HD280 Pros and switched to the AD700s, I can tell you the comfort difference is incredible.
Literally feels like creampuffs on your head. FLAC sounds great and I drive my phones right off the pc.
 
AD700's are great comfort. Great soundstage, good detail and clarity.

What people don't say though, is how weak their bass is. "Audiophiles" shed away from bass most of the time and always focus on the highs.

You have to think about what you want. After listening to the RX700 / D2000, the amount of bass I realized I was missing in the AD700 was incredible. Sold my AD700 next day, got it back again to feel that it's the same thing. RX700 sounded much more rich and full due to the bass. AD700 is great everything else though.

If you're going for comfort, go right ahead, they are comfy. The lack of bass is upsetting. They are not good rock/metal/r&b/electronica cans comparatively to ones with some nice bass. My opinion though. I prefer more attack for metal and rock.

They are winners for classical though.
 
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