Headphone Suggestions?

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Piedpiper

All transducers need break in. Some take longer than others is all.

True - 48 hours on pink noise gives a good start, though.

[amfortas2006]

I have Beyer 770 and Etys 4P. Both very good. I just dont like the cable on the etys (when you listen trough them, try not to touch the cable). But i heard that they fixed that (or will fix it soon). I tried Grado (all makes) and didnt like them as much as my Beyer, but they are good.

If you need headphones for listening to music only, try Bose Around ear, thats fun

[didier.brest]

Originally Posted by BrianHanke

The AKG K 701 and K 702 are really extraordinarily good. They sound stunning and are very comfortable. At only $250 when ordering online they're a no-brainer in my opinion.

Not as comfortable like the Beyerdynamic 990. The 701 is airy sounding with a wide and deep scene. The 990 sounds fuller and is about twice less expensive in Europa. I'm happy with these both ones.

[Highphi]

Well had a chance to demo the Beyer 250, Sennheiser 280, and the Shure 840's. Really liked the imaging on the 840's and the 250's. At half the price the 280's were pretty good, very dry sounding, but perfect for on location "stethoscope" use. I think I will end up going with these for now and upgrade sometime in the future.

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by Highphi

Well had a chance to demo the Beyer 250, Sennheiser 280, and the Shure 840's. Really liked the imaging on the 840's and the 250's. At half the price the 280's were pretty good, very dry sounding, but perfect for on location "stethoscope" use. I think I will end up going with these for now and upgrade sometime in the future.

I'd be curious how you would compare them to the Denon 1001, which is less hyped, for only slightly more.

[hakanai]

Originally Posted by hughesmr

On-site, these are what I use... 7506s with a *twist*:

Posthorn | Remote Audio HN-7506

same here. I have a pair of ultrasone 650's as well and find them a bit bass heavy. They are great for alot of things but when I have to be in the same same room as the music the Remote Audio cans let me know what I'm monitoring versus what I'm hearing in the room.

[Dubai]

Stanton DJ Pro 60

[12st]

Originally Posted by hakanai

same here. I have a pair of ultrasone 650's as well and find them a bit bass heavy. They are great for alot of things but when I have to be in the same same room as the music the Remote Audio cans let me know what I'm monitoring versus what I'm hearing in the room.

how much more isolation will these remote audio cans give than the 7506's?

night and day? i am always in the same room as the monitoring and making a two channel. the sony's are fine for quieter music, but more and more i find myself in loud venues with loud bands. i need more isolation.

anybody have experience with the ety's and the remote audio cans?

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by 12st

how much more isolation will these remote audio cans give than the 7506's?

night and day? i am always in the same room as the monitoring and making a two channel. the sony's are fine for quieter music, but more and more i find myself in loud venues with loud bands. i need more isolation.

anybody have experience with the ety's and the remote audio cans?

The Ety's are great, just a bit lean in the bass. You'll need to get used to compensating for that as well as subjective bass bleed.

[David Spearritt]

I have owned and still have, DT150, DT250, DT770, DT990, HD25Mk1, HD25Mk2, ATH-AD1000, ATH-M50, and finally the Stax SR-404, which are the best phones I have heard.

My friends have K702, HD580, HD600 with which I am familiar.

But I have just bought a pair of Denon AH-D7000. These are quite simply the best phones with a 1/4" jack I have ever heard by a long long way. The deep bass is extraordinary, the top is airy, the tonality is completely neutral, accurate and very exciting. And these are CLOSED phones, they sound like the Stax open phones. So they are going to be wonderful for location recording where ambient SPL is often excessive. I have finally found some phones I am satisfied with.

Do yourselves a favour and find a pair and listen to them, they are simply stunning. You will buy them quickly, once auditioned.

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

I have owned and still have, DT150, DT250, DT770, DT990, HD25Mk1, HD25Mk2, ATH-AD1000, ATH-M50, and finally the Stax SR-404, which are the best phones I have heard.

My friends have K702, HD580, HD600 with which I am familiar.

But I have just bought a pair of Denon AH-D7000. These are quite simply the best phones with a 1/4" jack I have ever heard by a long long way. The deep bass is extraordinary, the top is airy, the tonality is completely neutral, accurate and very exciting. And these are CLOSED phones, they sound like the Stax open phones. So they are going to be wonderful for location recording where ambient SPL is often excessive. I have finally found some phones I am satisfied with.

Do yourselves a favour and find a pair and listen to them, they are simply stunning. You will buy them quickly, once auditioned.

I agree completely, and would add that I also have the Denon 5000, and 2000, which are similarly the best in class. But, Even though they are closed back headphones and have the advantages of those in terms of minimizing bleed from the headphones to the microphone for vocal clients in the studio, etc., they do not isolate very well even though they look like they should. The Etymotics are much better in this regard. The Ety's are also, very transparent, rivaling electrostatics, for a lot less money. They are virtually the only choice IMHO for live recording where isolation is paramount. And whereas the Ety's are bass shy, the Denons are a bit low bass heavy, but appropriately so, in that they are virtually the only headphones that will accurately give you a sense of the kind of low bass information typically only available from good full range speakers in a well treated room, once you calibrate your ears to them.

[Lunatique]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

But I have just bought a pair of Denon AH-D7000. These are quite simply the best phones with a 1/4" jack I have ever heard by a long long way. The deep bass is extraordinary, the top is airy, the tonality is completely neutral, accurate and very exciting. And these are CLOSED phones, they sound like the Stax open phones.

I own the D7000 and I just did a comparison test with the Stax 007MKII (amped by the 717), and I definitely prefer the Stax. As much as I love the lush, deep, and punchy bass of the D7000, I feel its treble is a bit too sharp and can get a little bright at times. For example, listen to the song "William, It's Really Nothing" by The Smiths with the D7000 and you'll hear how the hi-hat and tambourine sound like a splashy and tinny mess, while on other headphones they sound perfectly normal. I also mind the mids a bit recessed on the D7000, losing some of the body of many instruments and voices. The Stax in comparison sounds far more neutral and natural, textured, and just as articulate and lush. While the Stax's sub-bass rolls off a bit at 30Hz (on the D7000 the bass remains flat down to 30Hz easily), the Stax sounds just as full and punchy in the bass as the D7000. Other headphones I've tested where the 30Hz region is rolled off cannot do that.

The Audio-Technica M50 (and the ES-10) are really good for bass extension, also able to reach down to 30Hz without being rolled off, but they do exert themselves doing it, while the D7000 does it effortlessly. The M50 is an amazing pair of cans for such a low price--best bang for the buck ever IMO. For $150 they compare very well to much more expensive headphones like the JVC/Victor DX1000, W1000X, and so on.

[Piedpiper]

The Stax are in a league of their own. The Denons are great but not perfect.

[Teddy Ray]

I have the Stax Omega IIs, the Denon AHD7000, and AKG 701s, and etymotic er-4(which I have modded with an aftermarket cable for less micro-phonics)

Ive just gotten the Denons, but I haven't heard anything that bowls me over *yet*. The 701s are still my favorite. (The Denons(at least with my two headphone amps, a hotrodded MF XCAN VII and my Mytek DAC) I find to be more tubby in the bass, and lacking the air of the 701s) but.. my 701s took a very long time to settle down, so Ill give them another couple months.

The Lawton Audio modifications(ive heard) take the D7000s from being "ok" to something truly special, so I will probably end up going that route. I am not satisfied with them as it stands. On location, it doesn't get any better than the ER-4 due to the superior Isolation. as Piper says, they sound like they are a lot more expensive than they are.. One of my best purchases.

The Stax Omega IIs are phenomenal for classical music, but I find them to be a one-trick pony.

this thread just goes to show you how much opinions are worth . (unreliable, all over the map )

[diapause]

After a lot of research and comparison, I went with Beyerdynamic DT880 and am very happy ($265).

I used my Sony 7506 for 10 years, but I only use those for tracking now. Way to bright for any kind of meaningful monitoring.

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by Teddy Ray

I have the Stax Omega IIs, the Denon AHD7000, and AKG 701s, and etymotic er-4(which I have modded with an aftermarket cable for less micro-phonics)

Ive just gotten the Denons, but I haven't heard anything that bowls me over *yet*. The 701s are still my favorite. (The Denons(at least with my two headphone amps, a hotrodded MF XCAN VII and my Mytek DAC) I find to be more tubby in the bass, and lacking the air of the 701s) but.. my 701s took a very long time to settle down, so Ill give them another couple months.

The Lawton Audio modifications(ive heard) take the D7000s from being "ok" to something truly special, so I will probably end up going that route. I am not satisfied with them as it stands. On location, it doesn't get any better than the ER-4 due to the superior Isolation. as Piper says, they sound like they are a lot more expensive than they are.. One of my best purchases.

The Stax Omega IIs are phenomenal for classical music, but I find them to be a one-trick pony.

this thread just goes to show you how much opinions are worth . (unreliable, all over the map )

A lot of my perspective on the Denons can perhaps be clarified by the angle of them being a better tool in getting a reliable mix. When I was relying on the 701s, the mixes would end up overly mellow and I couldn't tell what the low bass was doing. With the Sennheisers I would end up with more aggressive mixes, covered over by their romantic sweetness. The Denons tell me more of what I need to know. I have to temper my perception of the bass with the Denons but at least the info is there.

Teddy, did you compare the 5000s by chance? The bass is a little fuller and not quite as clean as with the 7000s, but the mids aren't as recessed. Was your problem with the Stax that they weren't punchy enough for non-classical music?

[Lunatique]

Originally Posted by Teddy Ray

I have the Stax Omega IIs, the Denon AHD7000, and AKG 701s, and etymotic er-4(which I have modded with an aftermarket cable for less micro-phonics)

Ive just gotten the Denons, but I haven't heard anything that bowls me over *yet*. The 701s are still my favorite. (The Denons(at least with my two headphone amps, a hotrodded MF XCAN VII and my Mytek DAC) I find to be more tubby in the bass, and lacking the air of the 701s) but.. my 701s took a very long time to settle down, so Ill give them another couple months.

The Lawton Audio modifications(ive heard) take the D7000s from being "ok" to something truly special, so I will probably end up going that route. I am not satisfied with them as it stands. On location, it doesn't get any better than the ER-4 due to the superior Isolation. as Piper says, they sound like they are a lot more expensive than they are.. One of my best purchases.

The Stax Omega IIs are phenomenal for classical music, but I find them to be a one-trick pony.

this thread just goes to show you how much opinions are worth . (unreliable, all over the map )

I've heard all the headphones you mentioned except for the Lawton mod. I find with the K701 that even though the sub-bass is well extended, the overall bass isn't as prominent as need be in order to sound like a full-range speaker system. The ER4 is very nice too, but its bass is also not substantial enough. Basically both of them sound like headphones, while the Omega 2 and D7000 have much more substantial bass and thus sounds more like a full range speaker system. That aspect is very important to me--I just love the full-bodied and lush sound where the bass and sub-bass gets close to what I hear when I listen to my Klein + Hummel O 300D's.

[JBVries]

Without reading the thread I am just posting my support the HD650's. got my pair the other day and I am still getting used to and burning them in they sound fantastic.

[diapause]

I compared the ATH M50's to my Beyerdynamic DT880s.

The M50's have much less midrange resolution than the 880's and are much less flat, esp in the bass area, to my ears.

That said, the 880's are $125 more than the M50's.

At the $100-125 price point, I think you'd be very productive with te
M50's.

[marvin100]

Originally Posted by d_fu

Beyer DT 880 Pro is my personal choice...

Likewise. Open-backed, though, if that's a factor.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Piedpiper

I agree completely, and would add that I also have the Denon 5000, and 2000, which are similarly the best in class. But, Even though they are closed back headphones and have the advantages of those in terms of minimizing bleed from the headphones to the microphone for vocal clients in the studio, etc., they do not isolate very well even though they look like they should. The Etymotics are much better in this regard. The Ety's are also, very transparent, rivaling electrostatics, for a lot less money. They are virtually the only choice IMHO for live recording where isolation is paramount. And whereas the Ety's are bass shy, the Denons are a bit low bass heavy, but appropriately so, in that they are virtually the only headphones that will accurately give you a sense of the kind of low bass information typically only available from good full range speakers in a well treated room, once you calibrate your ears to them.

The Denons sound interesting. I read your earlier post, that void in the upper mids on the AH-D2000 is a deal breaker. No matter what they tell you about reading their graphs, an unweighted response chart is the same anywhere. A 2db wideband dip is fine, with a slope down from 8k, but that one is deep and jagged. I would love to see a plot from the 7000s, I am sure it's better. I am always amazed by other people in these forums who insist that the 7506 is a good headphone to trust. It is a fine workhorse for tracking on a musician (I would never use them on a singer), but for any type of important listening they are useless. I will check out your Denons, if you have any other info on them, please point me to it. Cheers

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by Beyersound

The Denons sound interesting. I read your earlier post, that void in the upper mids on the AH-D2000 is a deal breaker. No matter what they tell you about reading their graphs, an unweighted response chart is the same anywhere. A 2db wideband dip is fine, with a slope down from 8k, but that one is deep and jagged. I would love to see a plot from the 7000s, I am sure it's better.

Don't be so sure. The response of the 2000 and 7000 are remarkably similar. THe 5000 is flatter but there is more to the story than the graphs. Plus, if you compare the graphs of some of the other cans that are touted here, you find out that there ain't no such thing as flat. It's like the first time you measure your speakers in an untreated room. Kinda shocking. You can forget + or - 3dB; more like + or - 12dB.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Piedpiper

Don't be so sure. The response of the 2000 and 7000 are remarkably similar. THe 5000 is flatter but there is more to the story than the graphs. Plus, if you compare the graphs of some of the other cans that are touted here, you find out that there ain't no such thing as flat. It's like the first time you measure your speakers in an untreated room. Kinda shocking. You can forget + or - 3dB; more like + or - 12dB.

Been looking at graphs and analyzers for 31yrs now, but I know headphone measurements tend to be pretty flawed. There is no "perfect" way to simulate the way your ears hear inside the actual environment of cans yet. By the way, flat sounds like ass, everyone should pay attention to an analyzer graph's response when you hear an "accurate" sounding set of speakers in a room. the only place it will be "flat" is from about 250hz to 8k, and there will be bass loading and treble rolloff on that curve. All studio guys would do well to become better "systems" guys, a good study in system analysis along with a lot of hands on will really help you know what you are actually dealing with.

[3rd&4thT]

I think Keith Johnson's XLO CD on Reference Recordings is out of print, but if you can find a copy, there's a burn-in track that does the work of three weeks of pink noise in about 15 minutes.

Makes a huge difference in any set of cans.

Cheers,
3rd&4thT

[Teddy Ray]

There is also the ayre burn in cd... has a 3 minute glide tone that works the hell out of the drivers.

"esoteric but effacious"

the bink audio test cd should be fine, though...and it is free.

Michael Knowles: Extras