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Headphones for practice. Quick question

gjooro

gjooro

Mar 27, 2006
671
32
Croatia
#1
Ok, I'm not going to ask you about the models and that..
I want a headphones to practice (plug into an amp...). So when buying headphones, should I just buy some good (let's say sony or something like that) or I have to search for something especially for bass (like good lows or something).
I'm planning to spend not over a 100$.
 
#8
I would advise against closed type headphones for long use as they will cause hearing damage.

The sound pressure has nowhere else to go besides your ear canals, even at low volume.

For long duration listening, the open style will treat your ears much better.
 
#10
I have an old set of AKG K 240 headphones that are very smooth and powerful sounding. The only problem with them is that they have a high 600 ohm impedance, which was a nominal value for headphones in the early 1980's, when mine were manufactured and bought. As such, they don't work well with modern portable equipment that have a much lower output impedance. The mismatch results in low volumes.

A co-worker suggested a pair of Sony MDR-V150 headphones as a replacement and I just bought a pair. Well, they are good for a $20 set and are a LOT louder than the old AKG's. However, I find them to be too boomy in the bass. The overly-bassy response is alright for recorded music, but live uncompressed bass doesn't sound good. I use a Korg Pandora as the pre-amp/amp between the bass and headphones. It's very difficult to get a sound that doesn't cause ear fatigue.

I just checked AKG's specifications on the newer version of the K 240 and I see that they have dropped the impedance to 55 ohms. They're a bit over $100, but it's worth it if they still sound like my old ones.
 
#11
PaulMacCnj said:
I have an old set of AKG K 240 headphones that are very smooth and powerful sounding. The only problem with them is that they have a high 600 ohm impedance, which was a nominal value for headphones in the early 1980's, when mine were manufactured and bought. As such, they don't work well with modern portable equipment that have a much lower output impedance. The mismatch results in low volumes.

A co-worker suggested a pair of Sony MDR-V150 headphones as a replacement and I just bought a pair. Well, they are good for a $20 set and are a LOT louder than the old AKG's. However, I find them to be too boomy in the bass. The overly-bassy response is alright for recorded music, but live uncompressed bass doesn't sound good. I use a Korg Pandora as the pre-amp/amp between the bass and headphones. It's very difficult to get a sound that doesn't cause ear fatigue.

I just checked AKG's specifications on the newer version of the K 240 and I see that they have dropped the impedance to 55 ohms. They're a bit over $100, but it's worth it if they still sound like my old ones.
Click to expand...

You should check out the Grado Link Removed You can get them shipped to you for about $60 (from Todd The Vinyl Junkie Link Removed, and a lot of people over at Head-Fi (you think we're nuts about gear and specs :rollno: ) prefer them to the K240.
 
#12
Hmm.. What headphones have the clearest sound?, I hate when headphones pump up bass and I have to eq it. Hate that pumped boomy sound, I want to hear real, unmodified sound, without adding ultra basses or stuff like that.
I'm thinking of Grado SR-60 or AKG K240 Studio version (55 ohm) not monitor version (600 ohm)
I'm planning to use them mostly for bass but maybe also for listening music and pc use
 
#16
csholtmeier said:
I would advise against closed type headphones for long use as they will cause hearing damage.

The sound pressure has nowhere else to go besides your ear canals, even at low volume.

For long duration listening, the open style will treat your ears much better.
Click to expand...

Do you have any references for this claim on closed back headphones? I've never heard it.

As I see it, it's loud noise that causes hearing loss not the design of the headphones. Loud can come from open or closed back. Closed back block out ambient noise so you don't have to turn them up as loud as open back Lower volume levels are better for long listening periods.
 
#17
Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't tried Grado headphones, but back in my turntable days I used a couple of their phono cartridges and they had a great sound. So, I'm familiar with the fine Grado reputation.

GrooveWarrior said:
You should check out the Grado Link Removed You can get them shipped to you for about $60 (from Todd The Vinyl Junkie Link Removed, and a lot of people over at Head-Fi (you think we're nuts about gear and specs :rollno: ) prefer them to the K240.
Click to expand...
 
#18
csholtmeier said:
I would advise against closed type headphones for long use as they will cause hearing damage.

The sound pressure has nowhere else to go besides your ear canals, even at low volume.

For long duration listening, the open style will treat your ears much better.
Click to expand...


This is straight up not true...


Open style headphones do, however, sound better then their closed counterparts (all else being equal that is).
 

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