Reference quality headphones

Hope209 · 5th February 2006

Can you guys please suggest some good reference-quality headphones

feyshay · 5th February 2006

Grado RS-1 headphones are to be heard to be believed (or believed to be heard). I have a pair, and the money spent has been well worth it.

picksail · 5th February 2006

I swear by my Sennheiser HD 600s. Hell, I've actually mixed on them. (shhhhh, don't let any one of our little audiophile friends know this)

ISedlacek · 5th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by picksail

I swear by my Sennheiser HD 600s. Hell, I've actually mixed on them. (shhhhh, don't let any one of our little audiophile friends know this)

What is the difference between HD 600 and HD 650 ? (I have 650)

Toad · 5th February 2006

600's sound more neutral to me. 650's have a wierd curve!

s-boogie · 6th February 2006

i got used to my stax srs 3030 system.
i mix on those at home for preproduction...
it´s pretty reliable after a short time!
and you can wear it for hours and more hours...

T.RayBullard · 6th February 2006

etymotics er-4s

I also have HD 600s but like the er-4s much better

synthetic · 6th February 2006

I found Grados to be rather harsh. I like my AKG K271s. However, there's a little switch inside that turns them off when you take them off (to prevent bleed in the studio), but it's alreay starting to wear out after 2 years. I guess that's about how long my headphones usually last, though.

They sound nice, though.

SiliconAudioLab · 6th February 2006

Sony MDR series.

Hope209 · 6th February 2006

Oops, forgot to say I need a pair of headphones with good bass response...rock/pop bass, not hip-hop bass

DaveH · 6th February 2006

Sennheiser HD650
Ultrasone PROline 750
Sony MDR-7509
AKG K271 Studio

Of the various headsets in the studio here
of which there are 6 or 7 flavors these are
the top 4 listed in order of preference.

HD650 is first choice for me, bass response very good,.
Did not like PROline 750 at first.

This is said often here. Listen to everything you can
get your hands on. The variation between headsets is unbelievable, more
than you would ever guess. Even when “specs” look similar.

The other thing that made a huge difference was getting
a reference amp we are using the Grace M902. I would have never spent
that much money on a “headset” amp. But after hearing it I was hooked.

GYang · 6th February 2006

AKG 271 will deliver nice bass, IMO better than Sennheiser.
Sennheiser 600 has less high-end and often is preferred over 650, but equally excellent open type. They share same character overall.
Sony is OK, too.
Don't forget amp, it will make more diffrence than cans alone.

picksail · 6th February 2006

The HD 600s sound incredible when paired with a Benchmark DAC-1.

Djun-Djun · 6th February 2006

check out www.ultrasone.com headphones they are great for mixing (as best as they get) and there safer then all other cans. they shielded the magnetic radiation so you not bombarding your brain with EMF's

hrn · 6th February 2006

I once had the old Koss Pro-4AA. I know they manufacture it again but I don't know if they are as great as the old ones. Very detailed sound nice to check mixes through.

Or some of the STAX Electrostatic headphones maybe.

Chucho · 6th February 2006

My new HD600s have just alerted me to the fact that my speakers are shite.
Damn.
Need to find $1000.

aaronsternke · 6th February 2006

I loooooooovvvvvveeeeee my Sony MDR-V900. They can be had for only $129 at http://www.BHphotovideo.com.

Aaron

feyshay · 6th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by synthetic

I found Grados to be rather harsh.

The last thing I would say about Grado RS-1's (recommended above) were that they were harsh. You must have tried a lower end Grado.
For the poster--You have some good recommendations. Problem with headphones is that some places you cannot return them.
I think open headphones are better for tracking, although some will make arguments for canal headphones (like the Etymotics).
The Sennheiser's have an impedance that makes a headphone amp very important, so think about your headphone output. The 600's are hard to beat for the price.
The Ultrasones were nice but I thought had a poor bottom end.

baikonour · 6th February 2006

Sony MDR 7509... great great great...and I mix with them too shhhhh...

genlock · 6th February 2006

For mixing I'd always recommend the AKG K1000 (powered by a suitable amp). IMHO, they're unique in their resolution and flat frequency-response (down to 50 Hz, diffuse-field). Actually they behave more like mini-monitor speakers in front of your ears than a pair of headphones. That said, any bass mixed on these needs some serious double checking in the real world.

GYang · 6th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by genlock

For mixing I'd always recommend the AKG K1000 (powered by a suitable amp). IMHO, they're unique in their resolution and flat frequency-response (down to 50 Hz, diffuse-field). Actually they behave more like mini-monitor speakers in front of your ears than a pair of headphones. That said, any bass mixed on these needs some serious double checking in the real world.

Some engineers don't like them.
I managed to do excellent mixes on them alone, even without studio monitors, but you need to get used to their low end (actually lack of it).
Also, min. 3 Watts of power amp is must to get them sing.
In all other respects by far the most extraordinary offering in headphones world.
I think that K 1000s are not first cans I would recommend for studio, specially considering price + amp + cable in range of mid priced nearfiled monitors.
But if I need to mix in the night they replace monitors easily.

Sam Lord · 6th February 2006

I love my Sennheiser HD580s for mix. That said, nothing I've heard approaches Stax Electrostatic 'phones (http://www.stax.co.jp/index-E.html). I tried a demo of binaural playback through them. I jerked my head around to see who was talking to me. Nobody there...spooky good.

benelli · 6th February 2006

I second the recommendation for the Grado RS-1's. With just decent power they are magnificent. Extremely transparent sound stage, and a very refined bottom end. Not overhyped, just a great representation of what's there. They are fantastic - I'll never switch.

best,

klaukholm · 6th February 2006

I am a very big fan of the K1000. The bass issue is largely due to inferior amplification. We now use a 150W Krell amp for them and it is nowhere near overkill. In the mid and highs they are very true. Sonically they feel a bit like nearfields.

kjetil

Stick · 7th February 2006

I've got the Ultrasone Proline 650s and dig 'em. I've done a sad amount of mixing on them over the past year, as my temporary room blows large wet chunks.

Don S · 7th February 2006

Another

for the HD600!

Rob G · 7th February 2006

HD600/650's are great. Had a set of Grado's. Grado's have a darker sound to me. If I'm referencing a professional recording, or mix I'd say use the Sennheiser HD series.

Rob G..

allaccess · 7th February 2006

HD-580's are the shiznit...

mikesilence · 7th February 2006

Beyerdynamic DT770

Greetz,

Mike

**George Necola** · 7th February 2006

beyerdynamic DT 770 pro or M ( I use the M for trakin drummers.. up to 35dB gainreduction from the outside!! vic firth has only 24dB with a shitty sound).

man, those headphones cured my "I HAVE TO USE THESE AKGs"-sickness.

listen to them.. incredible.

5th February 2006	#1
Hope209 Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 704 Thread Starter	Reference quality headphones Can you guys please suggest some good reference-quality headphones

5th February 2006	#3
picksail Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 3,632	I swear by my Sennheiser HD 600s. Hell, I've actually mixed on them. (shhhhh, don't let any one of our little audiophile friends know this) __________________ Stewart Cararas IMDB Discogs Myspace Facebook Studio Twitter _________________________________ The new is necessarily abstract - Rudolf Borchadt

6th February 2006	#6
s-boogie Gear maniac Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: germany Posts: 195	i got used to my stax srs 3030 system. i mix on those at home for preproduction... it´s pretty reliable after a short time! and you can wear it for hours and more hours... __________________ _______________________________________ "...work through a room's gear — I'd sit there with the gear for hours. I think that helped me become a mixer, and to be able to come up with things that were creative and new." -maserati thumbsup _______________________________________ http://www.myspace.com/sashliq

6th February 2006	#11
DaveH Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Northern California Posts: 288	Sennheiser HD650 Ultrasone PROline 750 Sony MDR-7509 AKG K271 Studio Of the various headsets in the studio here of which there are 6 or 7 flavors these are the top 4 listed in order of preference. HD650 is first choice for me, bass response very good,. Did not like PROline 750 at first. This is said often here. Listen to everything you can get your hands on. The variation between headsets is unbelievable, more than you would ever guess. Even when “specs” look similar. The other thing that made a huge difference was getting a reference amp we are using the Grace M902. I would have never spent that much money on a “headset” amp. But after hearing it I was hooked. __________________ Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung - Voltaire

6th February 2006	#14
Djun-Djun Gear interested Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 8	safe check out www.ultrasone.com headphones they are great for mixing (as best as they get) and there safer then all other cans. they shielded the magnetic radiation so you not bombarding your brain with EMF's

5th February 2006	#2
feyshay Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,359	Grado RS-1 headphones are to be heard to be believed (or believed to be heard). I have a pair, and the money spent has been well worth it.

5th February 2006	#5
Toad Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Great Northwest Posts: 634	600's sound more neutral to me. 650's have a wierd curve!

6th February 2006	#7
T.RayBullard Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Columbus County, North Carolina Posts: 2,431	etymotics er-4s I also have HD 600s but like the er-4s much better

6th February 2006	#8
synthetic Gear addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 348	I found Grados to be rather harsh. I like my AKG K271s. However, there's a little switch inside that turns them off when you take them off (to prevent bleed in the studio), but it's alreay starting to wear out after 2 years. I guess that's about how long my headphones usually last, though. They sound nice, though.

6th February 2006	#9
SiliconAudioLab Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 972	Sony MDR series.

6th February 2006	#12
GYang Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: here Posts: 4,285	AKG 271 will deliver nice bass, IMO better than Sennheiser. Sennheiser 600 has less high-end and often is preferred over 650, but equally excellent open type. They share same character overall. Sony is OK, too. Don't forget amp, it will make more diffrence than cans alone.

6th February 2006	#15
hrn Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Gävle, Sweden Posts: 586	I once had the old Koss Pro-4AA. I know they manufacture it again but I don't know if they are as great as the old ones. Very detailed sound nice to check mixes through. Or some of the STAX Electrostatic headphones maybe.

6th February 2006	#16
Chucho Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 573	My new HD600s have just alerted me to the fact that my speakers are shite. Damn. Need to find $1000.

6th February 2006	#17
aaronsternke Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 262 1 Review written	I loooooooovvvvvveeeeee my Sony MDR-V900. They can be had for only $129 at http://www.BHphotovideo.com. Aaron

6th February 2006	#19
baikonour Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: brighton UK Posts: 1,597	Sony MDR 7509... great great great...and I mix with them too shhhhh...

6th February 2006	#20
genlock Gear interested Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 26	For mixing I'd always recommend the AKG K1000 (powered by a suitable amp). IMHO, they're unique in their resolution and flat frequency-response (down to 50 Hz, diffuse-field). Actually they behave more like mini-monitor speakers in front of your ears than a pair of headphones. That said, any bass mixed on these needs some serious double checking in the real world.

6th February 2006	#22
Sam Lord Gear maniac Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 228	I love my Sennheiser HD580s for mix. That said, nothing I've heard approaches Stax Electrostatic 'phones (http://www.stax.co.jp/index-E.html). I tried a demo of binaural playback through them. I jerked my head around to see who was talking to me. Nobody there...spooky good. __________________ Sam Lord

6th February 2006	#23
benelli Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 130	grado, ultrasone I second the recommendation for the Grado RS-1's. With just decent power they are magnificent. Extremely transparent sound stage, and a very refined bottom end. Not overhyped, just a great representation of what's there. They are fantastic - I'll never switch. best, __________________ _J_ www.telefontelaviv.com

6th February 2006	#24
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Posts: 2,408	I am a very big fan of the K1000. The bass issue is largely due to inferior amplification. We now use a 150W Krell amp for them and it is nowhere near overkill. In the mid and highs they are very true. Sonically they feel a bit like nearfields. kjetil __________________ CK Recording incomplete IMDB credits

7th February 2006	#25
Stick Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Meadow Vista, CA Posts: 677	I've got the Ultrasone Proline 650s and dig 'em. I've done a sad amount of mixing on them over the past year, as my temporary room blows large wet chunks. __________________ Brian Steckler The Stickhouse

7th February 2006	#26
Don S Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,304	Another for the HD600!

7th February 2006	#27
Rob G Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Hampton Roads, VA - U.S.A. Posts: 644	HD600/650's are great. Had a set of Grado's. Grado's have a darker sound to me. If I'm referencing a professional recording, or mix I'd say use the Sennheiser HD series. Rob G..

7th February 2006	#28
allaccess Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 530	HD-580's are the shiznit...

7th February 2006	#29
mikesilence Gear addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Between Cologne and Dusseldorf Posts: 400	Beyerdynamic DT770 Greetz, Mike

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