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Headphones for practicing: Open vs Closed

#61
I have been using Sennheiser for well over a decade now.

Sennheiser HD599 for open headphones (allows your ears to breath) $200
Sennheiser HD569 for closed headphones (natural isolation, no noise cancelling) $150

There is also the HD560S which are relatively new open headphones, I don't know much about them but they look like they might be really good, they are $200.
 
#62
MYLOWFREQ said:
Open for sure. I'd only get closed ones if I'd use it for tracking and when headphone bleeding would be a problem. For listening mixing mastering, I'd always go with open ones.
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^ I second this...

My practice rig for headphones is a zoom B1 four and a spare pair of DT-990's... very comfy and you can blend with ambient room sound... ie playing along while watching TV or learning new material with a aux source.
I have DT-1990's for critical or listening to music for pleasure but overkill for bass practice. If within budget 1990's are exceptional.

I use DT 770 or 1770 for studio tracking.
 
#63
Rabidhamster said:
I use a pair of closed back AT m50x if I have to practice in headphones. Before I found these, if I had to use headphones I just didn't practice.

You lost me at in-ear lubricant :eek::eek::roflmao: I hate earbuds bad enough, but now I need to lube up my earholes for them?
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Actually, you lube the buds as they will insert much easier, plus you get a better seal which greatly increases the amount of bass. It will also make removing them a lot easier. If you buy the molded ear pieces, be either earbuds or ear filters , ear lubricant is recommended.

Hey, I get that this isn’t for everybody. Sorry if I grossed you out. LOL!!!
 
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#64
dbsfgyd1 said:
Actually, you lube the buds as they will insert much easier, plus you get a better seal which greatly increases the amount of bass. It will also make removing them a lot easier. If you buy the molded ear pieces, be either earbuds or ear filters , ear lubricant is recommended.

Hey, I get that this isn’t for everybody. Sorry if I grossed you out. LOL!!!
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LOL No not at all Im glad you mentioned it. I mean, the idea did gross me out quite a bit, but now that I read more about it it seems somewhat reasonable. I'll certainly consider this and custom ear molds if I find myself getting a gig that uses in ears.

Does it leave any noticeable residue in your ear?
 
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#65
glocke1 said:
If you were to drop big money on a set of headphones for both listening to music and practicing/learning bass lines from recordings, would you go with open vs closed headphones? Please explain the rationale for your decision.
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Focal Elex displays an honest representation of your tone. They are open, which some prefer over closed. It's an opinion (open or closed) that I don't consider because I just like they way they don't hype anything, and I can hear details that most phones blur over.
 
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#66
I personally use a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pro, whic is a closed back design, which has served me well for over 10 years by now and are working flawlessly, except I had to exchange the detachable cord recently, and that they seriously need new pads on the ear pieces (which still can be bought separately).

I am extremely satisfied with them, both in terms of comfort and sound, awesome, exceptionally natural/realistic, and very close to completely flat frequency response, audio reproduction, all through the audible sound spectrum, from the lowest to the highest frequencies, and I use them for everything, listening to music, practicing, recording/tracking, as well as for mixing/mastering.

They are no short of absolutely amazing, though unfortunately they have been discontinued.

The HD 300 Pro model seems to be their successor though, at least it is in about the same price range as I bought my HD 380 Pro ones for those more than 10 years ago.
 
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#68
micguy said:
I’ve designed a lot of pro audio gear in my career, including a lot of transducers. I’ve never heard anyone advance the theory you’re putting forth. If you like your open backs, that’s fine, but “more precise reproduction” I’d question.
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Guilty of rumour and opinion here - I have no hard data to back this up with. I stand corrected.
 
#69
smtp4me said:
I use closed-back headphones - Sony MDR 7506 to be exact. I liked the first pair so much that I bought a second. Why closed-back? because I sometimes record with a microphone (acoustic guitar, vocals) and I don't want anything to bleed into the mic from the headphones. I like the Sonys so much because they have a very neutral overall sound, similar to what you have with good reference monitors.
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1bassplayinfool said:
I had been using some earbuds which were OK for learning and practicing. Got a set of Sony MDR 7506 closed back cans for my little home studio. I like them so far.
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I had a pair of HD280s lose one side after ~1 year or so and replaced them with these a few weeks ago and am pleased with the clarity and bass response. Hope I get a bit more time out of these.
 
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#70
Rabidhamster said:
LOL No not at all Im glad you mentioned it. I mean, the idea did gross me out quite a bit, but now that I read more about it it seems somewhat reasonable. I'll certainly consider this and custom ear molds if I find myself getting a gig that uses in ears.

Does it leave any noticeable residue in your ear?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. I should mention you might want to clean the ear wax out of your ears before using.

Re: Molded Ear Buds,

When you get fitted, order a set of ear filters as well. Ear filters are great for playing in bands or other times like mowing the grass, operating a power saw, leaf blower, or anytime you are exposed to continuous sound levels. These can cut as much as 25dB without sounding muffled like ear plugs. Even if you chose not to use earbuds, ear filters are pretty good investment in making sure your hearing is protected. A Ear, Nose &, Throat Doc can refer you to a audiologist for information.
 
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#72
micguy said:
I’ve designed a lot of pro audio gear in my career, including a lot of transducers. I’ve never heard anyone advance the theory you’re putting forth. If you like your open backs, that’s fine, but “more precise reproduction” I’d question.
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It is said from several sources that open backs have more "stagesound" (spatial restitution ?). Maybe that's what @equill meant ?
 
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#74
Important note: when transcribing a particularly detailed bass line, if needed I can boost the upper bass and low mids slightly by placing the palms of my hands over my open back headphones and pressing in slightly. (This may be unique to my current headphones so YMMV).

Covering the backs also reduces bleed from background noise eg. airplane going overhead, someone making noise in the house temporarily, etc. (I rarely need to do this at my new house as I’m not directly under a flight path here now).
 
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#75
glocke1 said:
If you were to drop big money on a set of headphones for both listening to music and practicing/learning bass lines from recordings, would you go with open vs closed headphones? Please explain the rationale for your decision.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter as long as you can hear yourself and the music. I practice on a few different sets. One is a Sennheiser and the other are my Beyerdynamic's (semi-open) which I mainly use for recording. Both work.

OregonMike
 

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