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Best lightweight, closed headphones ?

jnewmark

jnewmark

Just wanna play the groove.
Supporting Member
Aug 31, 2006
10,120
7,020
NW Ohio
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Third St. Cigar Records staff musician.
#1
If this is in the wrong forum please move. I've been using some Audio-Technica, ATH-M30 headphones for quiet rehearsal, and I really like them, great bass response, and the way they close off all room noises. Problem is, they are kinda heavy, and my ears start to ache after 20 minutes or so, and I need to remove them for a bit. What's a good, but inexpensive ( less than $50 ), lightweight, over the ears headphone with decent bass response ? Just for reference, the ATH-M30 weighs in at 8.1 ounces, or roughly a half of a pound.
 
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#3
katysax said:
Forums That's where the head phone fanatics hang out. Be prepared to empty your wallet.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah, I've already looked at some that are $200+. A little too much for my needs, although the Superlux HD 668B is in my ballpark, as far as price goes. There are some lightweight, over the ears headphones, that are semi-closed, that get great reviews. I might have to go that route.
 
#11
The pain that you feel after wearing your ATH-M30s may not be due to the weight, it may be due to the fit of the ear cup on your head. I had a pair of ATH-M45s that were great phones but they would hurt after a couple of hours. I have both the ATH-M50X and ATH-M70X and I can wear them indefinitely without feeling any pain or discomfort.
 
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#13
lukeCOWBOYrice said:
The Sennheiser HD 380 PRO's are my favorite. Not positive how much they weigh but the ear cups are super comfortable making them super wearable.......I edit, engineer and practice in them, I wear them for hours on end and have still yet to ever say...these are uncomfortable.
Click to expand...


+1

They're not in your price range, and they're not that light, but they are supremely comfortable, they exclude other sounds very well, and they have great bass response.

Raf
 
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#15
I use Superlux HD668B's. They're open back - which I didn't want at first because I'd never used them - but I'm very happy with these. The open back design sounds more, well, open and 3 dimensional. I went through the same thing - didn't want to spend a lot but need something ok for bass. After reading through some reviews at headphone forums I ended up with the Superlux.
 
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#19
My ATH-M40X's are very, very comfortable.

A bunch of generalisations:

The M30's are voiced more for vocals, and the earcups seem to be harder.
The M40's are very, very neutral. Nearly perfect. The earcups are very soft and very comfortable.
I haven't tried the M50's, but they're supposedly bass-heavy so not so good for recording. Apparently the ear cups are much the same.
For me, the M40's are worth the little bit extra just because of the swivelling ear cups and the detachable lead.

Honestly, I don't feel that any other headphone gets close in this price range. Maybe try some foam under the cups? Or order the M50 cups?
 
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#20
Zombie revival: been using Superlux HD 681 at home (cost ~$35). At my drummer's studio he has Beyerdynamic DT 770s. There is no comparison, on any dimension. The Superlux is ok sounding and comfortable enough. But. The BD 770s are a pleasure. They sound so friggin' good - everyone who comes into his studio mentions it. They are so comfy, like 2 little velour pillows for your ears. You can find lightly used ones for about $100. They're high on my wish list.

Curious about Sennheiser HD 558 vs. BD 770 -- anyone made that comparison with a board feed?
 

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