• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why do headphones sound so different?

Oreomeister365

Oreomeister365

May 26, 2004
1,186
17
State college, PA
#1
Maybe its just me, but when I use headphones as opposed to a cab, everythign sounds so much thicker and...well not bad per se, but sort of artificial. Like, I have a tweeter on my cab at about 10 o clock, but to get a similar sound in my headphones I have to practically crank the treble.... Maybe I just have the wrong headphones, they're just these $25 sony things that you can get anywhere. Do you need specific ones so get the right sound of an instrument?

This could go straight to the argument of DI vs miked cabs. I take it what I hear in the headphones is much closer to the sound the crowd hears through the DI than what I hear through the cab?

Thanks
 
#2
Headphones don't typically have the low end response of good monitors or of a good bass cab for that matter. I run Sennheiser HD-280's in my studio. At $100 a set they are relatively inexpensive, durable, have field replacable cords, and reasonably good low end - they will smoke your Sony's ...

I use them for tracking only though. If you mix on them and make that sound good, your mix will be way too bassy. Generally I mix on my Hafler/paradigm 2.1 setup - not ideal but hey - the sky is the limit with studio stuff ... Genelec's would be over the budget horizon for me (sadly...)

What headphones are is revealing. I use them for practice a lot - if you sound good through the phones - it's only going to get better with a decent amp!
 
#3
There is a difference in frq response of h/phones v bass cab. Most bass cabs are a huge compromise as they are 2 way systems, there is a 10"-15" woofer(s), trying to integrate with a horn tweeter. Most of these woofers wont work that well up to that crossover point. With headphones, the frequency response is usually much flatter, and there will be a much "fuller" midrange, which will make the treble sound less bright.

BTW I haven't any formal grounding here, and I'm sure others more qualified (Bill Fitzmaurice, alexC etc) will give a better explanation.
 
#4
I've got a pair of Sennheiser HD650's and god do they sound different to a bass cab. I imagine it's mainly to do with the "flavour" of the cab and various other factors. I've tried listening to my bass through the apparent "industry standard" studio headphones (according to my music tutor) the Beyerdynamic DT 150 and the sound quality is far inferior to my Sennheisers, but they don't leak noise as much...Wonder if I can get them modded to reduce leak. :p
 
#6
Decent headphones are typically flatter from the low bass to the upper midrange. They don't usually have a midbass hump like typical 2-way bass cabs and can actually reach lower, and there is likely no spikey gap below the tweeter horn, though some designs actually have a response that rises in the upper midrange.

There's a lot of variations on the theme, but for under $100 you can find some pretty impressive cans these days. For bass practice and tracking I prefer ATH-D40hs (cheap at Sweetwater) for their slight bass bump, high sensitivity, and great power handling.
 
#7
Playing through headphones is a lot like playing through good studio monitors. They are designed to be sound reproducers and not sound producers. Most bass cabs color the sound with response peaks and dips at different points to give them their signature sound. Good monitors and headphones are designed to be colorless and to have a ruler flat response.
 
#8
ive got some sennheiser eh's and they make my bass sound mind you im still using the Frontman 15 B LOL. but i honestly like playing wiht the heaphones on, sounds warm, but like i said its becasue my amp is complete bawls.
 
#11
greenboy said:
Decent headphones are typically flatter from the low bass to the upper midrange. They don't usually have a midbass hump like typical 2-way bass cabs and can actually reach lower, and there is likely no spikey gap below the tweeter horn, though some designs actually have a response that rises in the upper midrange.

There's a lot of variations on the theme, but for under $100 you can find some pretty impressive cans these days.
Click to expand...
GreyBeard said:
Playing through headphones is a lot like playing through good studio monitors. They are designed to be sound reproducers and not sound producers. Most bass cabs color the sound with response peaks and dips at different points to give them their signature sound. Good monitors and headphones are designed to be colorless and to have a ruler flat response.
Click to expand...
Pretty much agree, but if you really wanna hear what something sounds like STAX cans with a proper driver are the best I have heard by at least an order or magnitude.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back