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Headphones
- Thread starter Chacotaco
- Start date
I know you already decided but I have done a lot of headphone shopping this year for exactly the same reason.
You ought to own some 7506s because they do everything well and are easy to power. They are vague in the bass.
The HD650 is supposed to be great for open backs but hard to power. You probably need an amp.
What I want is the Sony 7520. They're supposed to be great in the bass. Sony also makes a CD900, their studio tracking headphone, which can be imported from Japan.
Finally, I will plug the DT150 which I have used for many years for tracking and listening. The bass isn't the tightest but it's there. I'm sure they would sound better with a better amp.
You ought to own some 7506s because they do everything well and are easy to power. They are vague in the bass.
The HD650 is supposed to be great for open backs but hard to power. You probably need an amp.
What I want is the Sony 7520. They're supposed to be great in the bass. Sony also makes a CD900, their studio tracking headphone, which can be imported from Japan.
Finally, I will plug the DT150 which I have used for many years for tracking and listening. The bass isn't the tightest but it's there. I'm sure they would sound better with a better amp.
Based on this post, I ordered a pair (Model 35-5960) for work since my old Sony are buzzing. They were just delivered and I tried them at home and they are great.
Using a few songs and looping parts so I was comparing apples to apples, and messing with EQ in Reaper, I compared them against my Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro headphones which you can't find for much less than $140. Leaving everything the same, the Stellars are "hotter" across the frequency spectrum, not just bass (but bass is definitely more prominent with all things being equal, and just as clean as the Beyers). With no music playing the baseline hiss is louder in the Stellars. They are just "hotter." The hiss is no defect, turn up the volume and the Beyers produce the exact same thing. Using EQ, and volume adjustments, I could get the music to sound the same in both sets of headphones. Punchy and distinct bass. I honestly can't say that the Beyers are any better. I actually want to say that the Stellars would let me pick out the individual bass notes better but I haven't sat down to learn any songs with them yet so I can't be sure. The Stellars are comfortable but not as comfortable as my velour-y Beyers but for $100+ price difference, I don't care.
I would buy them again and they are hands-down better than the $30 headphones you will find at Target or Guitar Center, and better than anything you are going to find for less than $50 or probably even $100.
Thanks for the tip, Robroy.
Thanks for that!
I do have a question: One of their strengths for me is their comfort. How do they compare on that front to the others for you?
BTW, one of the things I truly love about them is my ability to pick out the bass line when trying to learn new covers.
My Beyerdynamics are more comfortable due to the velour type fabric in the cans.
I just remembered another plus of the Stellars.. the straight cord. The Beyers have the coiled stretchy cord which is heavier and it tends to yank on my head. And that reminds me that the tension actually pulled the connection loose after a year or so and my buddy had to open them up and resolder/reconnect them. I now wrap the cord around the can to relive that tension.
After the two days of use I can report that the STELLARS are comfortable all day. The one drawback is that while they make the bass easy to pic out, I have to re Eq my bass w the onboard eq to make it sound good. With the flat Beyers, it sounds awesome flat (Stingray 5HH).
The man has shafted me again!! Based on robroy and ant's comments, I went to order a pair of Stellar 35-5960 from MCM. $25 plus at least $32 shipping to Canada. 
With the exchange, I was looking at $77 plus in my weak Canadian dollars. So I am back to the hunt . . .
With the exchange, I was looking at $77 plus in my weak Canadian dollars. So I am back to the hunt . . .
I have a studio and it's stocked with Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's. Great tracking cans with awesome bass response 
I really like my Sennheiser HD 380 Pro headphones.
Never owned a better pair, both regarding ability to reproduce whatever is fed to them truthfully and in terms of sturdiness.
But then again it is the first and only time I spend that much money on headphones.
Never owned a better pair, both regarding ability to reproduce whatever is fed to them truthfully and in terms of sturdiness.
But then again it is the first and only time I spend that much money on headphones.
If I might trouble you, any idea which model number you are referring to, [HO 5960 by chance?] I notice they have a few from Stellar Labs, BTW you are quite the salesman
I recently purchased a set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones. They sound great and are very comfortable to wear. I use them at work for casual listening, at home for practicing, and for rough mixing home recordings. My drummer uses them at practice for live monitoring. I also own a set of Shure SRH440 headphones. Although they sound good, I find them to be a little heavy and uncomfortable to wear over longer periods.
If you have a Guitar Center near you, go and check out their selection. The GC near me has a new display with about a dozen different models you can demo. My other favorites were the Yamaha MT5.
If you have a Guitar Center near you, go and check out their selection. The GC near me has a new display with about a dozen different models you can demo. My other favorites were the Yamaha MT5.
I try to be precise in my description.
I sold hi-fi between 1976 and 1982. Loved it but needed more money.
BTW, these headphones are the ones with the ugly red trim. The company is now newark.com The phones are these Invalid Link Removed
Yes, they are the 5960's.
And an update. My pair at my desk at work as well as at my computer workstation at home are getting an intermittent break in signal at the 1/8" plug at the end of the wire. To be fair to both, these have seen hard use. Specifically the cord, regarding yanking, running my chair wheels over them, etc. I'm handy with a soldering Iron and will be replacing both ends, though they still both work with a little wiggle.
I liked the Phil Jones cans, but would not recommend them to anybody- the ear cups are attached to the body with a very tiny, thin swivel of plastic. I dropped them, and they snapped, ruining them. Reading reviews of them on various sites, and see that I'm not alone. Careful with the PJ's!
I honestly don't know a lot about headphones, or have really paid attention to what happened in terms of progress in that department, so while probably not the best ones out there, for all it's worth I am 100% satisfied with my Sennheiser HD 380 Pro, which I use from everything to listen to music on my computer, practice bass and producing and mixing music on my computer.
When I bought them at least, they were kind of in the middle/upper price range of what you would consider headphones appropriate for studio use, while still not overly expensive.
When I bought them at least, they were kind of in the middle/upper price range of what you would consider headphones appropriate for studio use, while still not overly expensive.
For mixing I use DT880Pro but bad for tracking since I get mic bleed.
I track with HD280pro.
For practice I just purchased the ATH M50X. Easy to drive, really good full range sound. I add a little room sound on my AUX channel and it feels like I'm cranking cab nice and loud. Definitely an improvement over my HD280's which were really bassy and muddy in comparison.
I track with HD280pro.
For practice I just purchased the ATH M50X. Easy to drive, really good full range sound. I add a little room sound on my AUX channel and it feels like I'm cranking cab nice and loud. Definitely an improvement over my HD280's which were really bassy and muddy in comparison.
I’ve been using the AKG K240mkii for a couple years now, and tomorrow I’m going to buy a gently used set of Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The AKG are good for mixing, but I want closed phones for practice and tracking.
I much prefer the M50's over the HD280. The HD280's are very closed sounding and the bass really builds up..so I tend to get ear fatigue or completely lose perspective over my frequencies (probably what you describe as that scooped feeling) Really loving the M50's so far, better build quality and design. Not as comfy as my DT880's but really solid.
I used K240s for many years. Was looking to replace mine as they are getting a bit long in the tooth. That’s when I found out that they have moved production from Austria to China at some point. The new ones don’t sound the same.
So I’ve gone to the Sony 7506 and V6 like many here. These are great phones but I miss the dead flat response on the 240s. Everything sounds too good on the Sonys. The old K240 let you know when something sounded bad. It would sound really, really bad.
So I’ve gone to the Sony 7506 and V6 like many here. These are great phones but I miss the dead flat response on the 240s. Everything sounds too good on the Sonys. The old K240 let you know when something sounded bad. It would sound really, really bad.
Next headphones I get are going to be sonarworks calibrated
I like over the ear, closed back for isolation.
The ultimate virtual studio
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Nx – Virtual Mix Room over Headphones | Waves
Neutron 2: A Smarter Way to Mix | iZotope Audio Mixing Tools
It's surprising how a little VR head bobble with the Waves NX can let you focus on a track in the virual soundstage. Just like being in the room and moving your head to hear the guitar a little better. VR is really taking this to the next level.
I like over the ear, closed back for isolation.
The ultimate virtual studio
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Nx – Virtual Mix Room over Headphones | Waves
Neutron 2: A Smarter Way to Mix | iZotope Audio Mixing Tools
It's surprising how a little VR head bobble with the Waves NX can let you focus on a track in the virual soundstage. Just like being in the room and moving your head to hear the guitar a little better. VR is really taking this to the next level.
