What headphones do you use / recommand?

  • I have been very happy with the Sennheiser 598s I picked up last September. Bar far the most comfrotable headphone I've tried (although I only tried a few of the more popular models). I can sleep in these things. Can pick them up for under $250.


    They are open so there is sound leakage, but as long as somebody isn't in the same room this is not an issue. Even if they are in the same room and are watching TV or something, I haven't had any complaints...yet...


    BTW - I am a high-gain player myself :thumbup:


    Here's some reviews that helped me make my decision;
    CNET review: http://reviews.cnet.com/headph…4505-7877_7-34335812.html


    http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-598/reviews


    http://www.digitaltrends.com/h…sennheiser-hd-598-review/

  • Beyerdynamic DT990. Guitars sound very good thru them.
    I also have a very cheap headphone from Presonus. It was like 25€ I think and still sounds very good for the price.

    MJT Strats / PRS Guitars / Many DIY Guitars -- Kemper Profiler Rack / Kemper Remote / InEar

  • I went to Guitar Center and they had several models in the $199 range. I tried my best to determine the most natural and flat response of the selection. I happen to have two smart phones with me and used one to inject a sine wave with a frequency generator app and the other to plot response using the built in mic and an anylyzer app. Of course this isn't a very scientific test but it did confirm what I was hearing. Most of the models had a pronounced spike at 5-6khz. This gives a nice strong fizz and bite for certian music types but isn't true to the recorded signal. The Beyerdynamics DT770 Pro had the most neutral reproduction to my ear listening to familiar tracks. It also had very flat mids and highs according to the anylizer app.


    If a KPA user is tweaking tones with headphones that are not pretty accurate then the tones won't translate well when recoding or playing live through a properly eq'd system. I've fought this issue since I began using modelers. Accurate monitoring is a must when running PA direct or recording. I suggest trying several before buying. The DT770 Pro's reach a usable volume with a smartphone or kpa but a headphone amp makes them come alive. The models that had the high freq spikes where way louder but less accurate.


    Everyone's ears are different. YMMV.


    bd

  • If a KPA user is tweaking tones with headphones that are not pretty accurate then the tones won't translate well when recoding or playing live through a properly eq'd system. I've fought this issue since I began using modelers. Accurate monitoring is a must when running PA direct or recording. I suggest trying several before buying. The DT770 Pro's reach a usable volume with a smartphone or kpa but a headphone amp makes them come alive. The models that had the high freq spikes where way louder but less accurate.


    I have noticed when tweaking a tone with the Grado's getting it "just right" sounds soft around the edges going through the PA. I have to turn up the presence and treble about 2 LED's to make it right.

  • Sony MDR-7506 for me... I find their brightness as being beneficial in tweaking rigs, and my profiles end up being slightly warmer as a result. They don't provide super long-term comfort (about an hour, and then I rest for ten minutes), but they are very common in pro studios even though there are higher priced choices... I mix with them also for their Yamaha NS10-like slightly hyped top-end. A very good real-world reference.

  • Sennheiser HD 280 Pro are pretty good and cheap. $100


    But if you don't want to go as deaf, BeyerDynamics DT 770 Pro are easier on the ears for almost $200


    The problem with the 770's are if you can't amplify the signal enough for some sources. The HD 280 get PLENTY loud. Fatally loud.


    I totally recommend buying a Sound Level Meter to ensure you are not blowing your hearing on 85+ decibels, which with the Kemper is easy as pie to do.


    It doesn't take long to create irreversible hearing damage in headphones.

  • The problem with the 770's are if you can't amplify the signal enough for some sources.


    There are 4 different versions of DT-770 headphones, from low impedance to high impedance (32 Ohms, 80 Ohms, 250 Ohms) and one pair of "very closed" DT-770 for drummers.
    You've probably tried the high impedance model with 250 Ohms which need some extra power indeed.


    The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is 64 Ohms, so it is a pretty loud one. This is probably the #1 requirement for DJ headphones. ;)
    But I wouldn't even think about using them to actually listen to music or even mixing or mastering stuff.


    Cheers,
    Martin

  • I do have the HD 280 at 64 Ohms and use it for tracking mostly, so I was also using for the Kemper. As opposed to listening to classical music.
    Guitarists love the HD 280 that have tried all mine.


    I have the 80 Ohms for the 770's and the difference between them is huge still.


    BTW, the Kemper puts out plenty of volume, I'm talking about other sources.
    For example, my Motif Rack XS never seems to get the piano loud enough for the 770's at 80 Ohms, but other patches are fine.
    But then again, I'm used to playing a grand, so I might just be expecting that huge sound that I don't from a violin synth!


    If I have Patch A-Orange TS1 on and the Main out at 10, the 280 at 64 Ohms is 92 decibels and the 770 is 82 decibels at 80 ohms.


    That's the difference between hearing damage and just loud music if you play for hours. The Orange patch is not the loudest patch either.

    Edited once, last by db9091 ().

  • There is more to finding a good headphone match then ohm's, efficiency of drivers and diaphragm design ect.


    It 's actually quite complicated. Even the lower Ohm Beyers will require better amplification then the KPA can deliver for optimal results. They are usable but the diaphragm is designed for a flatter response, purposely less efficient. See the below link.


    Wiki

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

  • Wait, it's 330 Ohms? I thought it was 33. In the manual, the O in Ohm looks almost like it could be a 0.


    Sorry, 33 Ohm, honestly don't know whether it was a brain fart or a typo

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff


  • Perhaps resurrecting such a dated thread isn't cool, but I figure there are other folks like me still wrestling with this question.


    The basic criteria I used was: to find a "neutral" type headphone in the $100 range.
    Since the sounds coming from speakers is more important to me, I kept my budget lean. ;)



    Doing a fair amount of research, I narrowed my selections between: (In order of preference)
    Audio Technica ATH-M50, Sony MDR V6 and the Koss Porta Pro. Several runner up's too, but I'll keep it brief


    Doing scientific comparisons using tools like the below link does help narrow the field of choices, but that's only the first step.
    http://www.headphone.com/learn…chnical/build-a-graph.php



    You gotta go and hear and compare in person!


    I was very surprised how well the Koss Porta Pro's performed, but in the end, a closed headphone happened to be what I was in the market for.


    The Sony MDR V6 (to me) can be described as studio brutal.
    Meaning: Capable of exposing + / - nuances above the others compared.
    I suspect it's probably for this reason the V6's are so widely used in so many studio's.


    I did finally settle in on a pair of the Audio Technica ATH-M50's.


    For me, it had great features, and is commonly regarded as the typical benchmark comparison headphone.
    Yeah, the M50's might color the sound a bit, but I wanted something with easier overall listening values, thereby edging out the Sony V6.


    There were also some other notable choices out there to consider, which is where the headphone sites can really help someone narrow their particular selections.


    The last point to share is to get them from an authorized/qualified resource and beware of the fake reproductions out there. X(

    Happy Kemper

    Edited once, last by carsnguitars58: grammer ().

  • I finally settled in a pair of the standard Audio Technica ATH-M50's.


    Great features, and commonly regarded as the typical benchmark headphone for comparison.
    Yeah, the M50's might color the sound a bit, but I wanted something with an easier listening edging out the Sony V6 for me.


    X(


    +1 for the ATH-M50.