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High Quality Headphones?

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Darkstrike

Return Of The King!
Sep 14, 2007
18,679
408
#1
I'm looking for some really http://www.talkbass.com/forum/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=43nice headphones, for both listening to music, and for some mix/mastering work with home recordings, I believe this is the best place for the question(if not, mods, would you please move it to the correct forum).

I've looking around the 2-400 dollar pricerange, and something that should hopefully be easy to find in shops in the US.

One I looked at, that seems good, and about right pricewise, is the Sennheiser HD-650's, as I've used Sennheiser stuff in the past and been happy with it, I'm somewhat worried that reviews, while good, seem to say they colour the treble.

So, advice would be greatly appriciated.
 
#2
Save yourself some money for pedals: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I auditioned these along with a lot of other much more expensive headphones, and the SR-60s were excellent. They're what I ended up buying, and I'm awfully picky about audio equipment.
 
#6
if you dont mind open, listen to frettage. Grado's are the most outstanding sounding headphones (though very colorful and warm, not the best "reference" headphones haha)

For flatter response and same quality go for the mid end AKG's


you wont go wrong with ath's, senn's, etc. either.

for closed back look into ultrasones also :P
 
#8
I've been refoaming($5 every few years) the open air/closed foam Koss HV/X-rebrands since the 70's. 1970's promo photo:
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http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&70s^Products

2007 photo at home borrowing some bass lines:
MyWoodshedFx2.jpg


How did I find them?
There were no POD's or micro bass amps then so I took a CASSETTE TAPE(remember those) with bass and full range tracks I knew very well to various places demo-ing phones. The Koss rebrands won. You can do the same thing with an mp3 player today.

Specs:
Frequency Response:............................................15-35,000 Hz
Impedance:.................................90 ohm; designed to operate with
systems having 4, 8 or 16 ohm output
Power Handling Capability:.......................Maximum continuous program
material should not exceed 5 volts
Distortion:..........................THD less than 0.5% at 1kHz, 100 dB-SPL
Weight:..............................................7.7oz (220g) less cord
 
#11
Are you looking for open or closed headphones? For closed, I use the Beyer DT770's. They're my favorite for monitoring and studio work. Open, I'd go with one of the high end Sennheiser pairs - the sound is phenomenal. I can't stand the Grado's, and I don't like the AKG's much either (tinny-sounding and a TON of leakage).
 
#13
Frettage said:
Save yourself some money for pedals: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I auditioned these along with a lot of other much more expensive headphones, and the SR-60s were excellent. They're what I ended up buying, and I'm awfully picky about audio equipment.
Click to expand...

I've got a set of SR-125's that I bought a decade ago when I took a critical listening course in college. They were required equipment, literally on the syllabus. Nowadays I use them when mixing to doublecheck the low end, which my small monitors don't reproduce (maybe one of these days I'll get a sub). They sound nice but my favorite thing about them is how they look -- so basic and clean, almost minimalist.
 
#14
Sorry this is long but please read this whole post because I think i can help you out a lot. First of all you should know that the MDR-V6 is the EXACT same headphone as the 7506s except that you dont get a gold plated plug and they are meant to be sold in different markets. Also, in the Audio world the Sony 7506s are pretty much the standard for high quality, dependable headphones. They last forever and sound amazing. Me and other family members have worked in many professional studios around the Chicago and Syracuse areas and the one headphones that Ive heard recommended the most for listening to music, recording, mastering or really ANYTHING are the sony mdr-7506s.

Anyways, Its funny you posted this because i was in the same position not to long ago. My little brother is an audio engineering major in college and before he started getting into it bought some Sennheiser HD-650's. As soon as he did a little bit of audio work though, he realized that for the money it was a VERY bad purchase. I bought a pair of Sony MDR-V6s and we spent a couple of hours comparing the two side by side. As for sound quality there is absolutely no comparison. The Sony MDR-V6 (i.e. 7506s) were WAAAY better in sound quality. I really do NOT recommend the sennheisers as you can get much better ones for the money.
Also, stay away from the headphones marketed towards people listening on their ipods etc. The main difference between a pair of BOSE headphones or some of the other ones they sell at say, best buy or the apple store, is that certain frequencies (like bass) are boosted and you don't get an accurate representation of the sound you are either producing with your bass, or recording. Its fine to pump the bass or just fiddle with EQ after you have the finished product but I highly reccomend getting STUDIO quality headphones with an accurate response. That way even if you are just listening to music even, you will hear the music as it was meant to be heard...the same exact way the guys in the studio listened to it. If you go with the MDR-7506s actually, there is usually a good chance you will be wearing the same headphones the guys in the studio used to record/master the music. The grados may be nice but hte Sony MDR-7506s have been an industry standard for YEARS and they have only improved them with every new model that has been released.
 
#15
If isolation is important to you, GK Ultraphones:

Question: What do you get when you combine a comfortable 29db hearing protection ear muff with SONY 7506 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones?

Answer: UltraPhones! The ultimate hearing protection stereo headphones for musicians.

"I've tried all the rest, UltraPhones are the best!"
Will Lee
Bassist Late Night w/ David Letterman
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Otherwise, I use my old Sennheiser HD 590 'phones.
 
#18
+1 for Beyerdynamic headphones. I've done a good amount of studio work, both tracking and engineering, and have found nothing else like my DT150 pair. They look and feel like something from a WW2 tank, and are about as durable. They isolate fantastically, have incredible bass response, high end openness and clarity, and they can handle some serious volume before distortion/damage. They are also designed to be flat and neutral, instead of bumping the frequency response. These make Sony MDR7506s sound like cardboard (I ABed them at the same store over about 10 minutes and 3 albums I know well, and the Sonys weren't even a contender).

They're also made in Germany, if that holds any weight with you.
 
#20
I have and am crazy for grado sr60 but for auditioning. If/when I get back to recording I am going to want another type. Grados give you canine hearing or something where you can keep the volume at zero and still bliss out to your tunage; something about this and the open air design I think wouldn't make for useful go to recording cans.
 

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