All About Headphones

[notsocoolguy]

Well as the title says, this will be the thread dedicated to headphones...
Just discuss, argue, debate all your favourites for live, studio, mixing, and mastering uses... I'm looking at getting some good ones for my studio so I need some help choosing also!

[Butnutz]

just to get it out of the way....headphones for making important tracking, mixing, and mastering decisions are a bad idea. You probably wont understand why until you sit in a properly designed and built control room. Trust me, no matter how well you know the headphones, you will always miss something.

[Sumyoungguy]

Fostex T20RP Headphones...the most accurate headphones on the market. I agree with Butnutz, but if you don't have high-end monitors, witch is what any serious engineer needs, these will save you a lot of money and make your mixes better until you get real monitors like Mackie HR824s or whatever you decide on.

[trickg]

When it comes to isolation headphones, my preference is for the Shure E3 in ears monitor headphones.

As for mixing, from the things I have heard and read, I'd have to agree with Butnutz and say that what you really need is just what he said - a well designed control room with a good set of studio monitors, which unfortunately can be quite expensive.

[notsocoolguy]

just to get it out of the way....headphones for making important tracking, mixing, and mastering decisions are a bad idea. You probably wont understand why until you sit in a properly designed and built control room. Trust me, no matter how well you know the headphones, you will always miss something.

Mate I have been in a proper control room, and I have worked in one before... But all studios need a good pair of headphones for getting the stereo image just right in my opinion.

[surftex363]

extreme isolation headphones are the best for drumming. awesome sound quality, and good sound reduction

[dubsnack]

I use these AKG K270s that I picked up used for about $50. They are super accurate, but they require a headphone amp because they have such a high ohm rating. I pretty much use them only at night time when I can't run my M-Audio BX8a studio monitors at a decent volume plus my headphone amp is noisy as hell.

[JrummerJ]

I've got Shure E2s and E3s, as well as a set of Sennheiser HD280s. The Sennheisers definitely sound the best of those, but I question their durability as the band on top has covers on each side that have broken on both pairs I have owned.

[NStarr]

I use these Bose headphones. They're great. I havent used them in a recording setting though...

http://www.krunker.com/wp-content/photos/2005/12/Bose_TriPort_review_at_DesignTechnica.jpg

[notsocoolguy]

I use these Bose headphones. They're great. I havent used them in a recording setting though...


Those are great phones right there!!!
Pricey, but fantastic!!

[Tju85]

My dad has the BOSE QuiteCore 3 headphones and there fabulous.

[drumgame47]

Never used any of the above...but the Vic Firth Drumming Headphones are really great for the price and reduce SOOO much outside noise...only downfall is that they don't produce much bass.

[NStarr]

Those are great phones right there!!!
Pricey, but fantastic!!


Yeah, its sweet though because some how my Dad has connections with Bose, so he gets stuff like 50%-75% off! We have a ton of Bose gear in my house...

[notsocoolguy]

Yeah, its sweet though because some how my Dad has connections with Bose, so he gets stuff like 50%-75% off! We have a ton of Bose gear in my house...

Wicked! I want to go there!

[notsocoolguy]

Never used any of the above...but the Vic Firth Drumming Headphones are really great for the price and reduce SOOO much outside noise...only downfall is that they don't produce much bass.

Yeah... When I'm drumming I use in-ears with ear muffs so it blocks pretty much everything besides drums. Works well...

But for my studio I'm looking for somthing which is really nice to wear I guess.

[jacobthetongue]

I have some Fostex, Sony, Audio Technica headphones, and each are decent for their own reasons, but NONE of them have as nice a sound or as effective isolation as my Sennheiser HD280's. I love them. I love them so much. If they were warmer and wetter, I would make love to them.

[Tju85]

Thats good to know that you would make love to your headphones..

[cadconversions]

I'm using headphones right now for live. Been planning to upgrade soon to something better than the Vic Firth's iso phones. Really leaning towards IEM - westone labs probably but like hearing all of the pro's and con's so count me in on this discussion!

[Sumyoungguy]

Remember... for MIXING your not looking for the BEST sound your looking for the most ACCURATE sound.

[notsocoolguy]

Remember... for MIXING your not looking for the BEST sound your looking for the most ACCURATE sound.

Yeah but if your just using them for panning and getting a good stereo image you want somthing that you can wear for ages also!

[Butnutz]

Yeah but if your just using them for panning and getting a good stereo image you want somthing that you can wear for ages also!

headphones actually exagerate the stereo field and dont have a true center image like a well positioned pair of accurate monitors do. they also dampen the vibrations of your outer ear, cause rapid ear fatigure, and damage your ears far quicker than monitors do.

but, alas, my argument is in vain because 90% of people who listen to music listen from MP3 players using ear buds or crappy openback headphones.

[notsocoolguy]

headphones actually exagerate the stereo field and dont have a true center image like a well positioned pair of accurate monitors do. they also dampen the vibrations of your outer ear, cause rapid ear fatigure, and damage your ears far quicker than monitors do.

but, alas, my argument is in vain because 90% of people who listen to music listen from MP3 players using ear buds or crappy openback headphones.

Yeah, good point...

I guess I just want somthing I can use to mix very roughly at home with when I'm not at the studio. :)

[Eivind]

Beyer Dynamic DT770 / DT770M

Definetly.

http://www.houseofsound.ch/webshop/shop_images/articles/dt770pro.jpg

[notsocoolguy]

^^ Yeah I have heard they are pretty nice... I have been meaning to go and try some :)

[bighairbigdrums]

I just picked up a pair of older Pioneer SE405's off ebay for $4. They are older but sound great.

[drummersgroove]

I use these for mixing. I don't have enough room for monitors, so I have to use headphones instead. http://www.music123.com/Sony-MDR7506-i78998.music

http://images.music123.com/products/original/Sony/78998.jpg

[shutyomouth30]

I use isolation headphones with a built-in digital metronome. They're called metrophones. They sound good and if you play to a click, it's very convienient...

[Snatch]

Ultrasones are the best headphones around IMO...

[TuoKaerf]

I like some of the AKG ones, they are fairly cheap, durable, and hold your rough mix up well for tracking.

I'll pull out some crappy headphones right before I'm ready to print a mix to see how it sounds. I do one pass, then they go off.

There are better ways to check your mix over using headphones. Most good monitor control stations and boards with monitor sections will have options to collapse the mix down to mono and to solo the left or right channel. I use that to check my stereo field, or expand the mix into a Mid Side recording to check the center and side channels for imaging.

[notsocoolguy]

Ultrasones are the best headphones around IMO...


Yeah, I have heard they are really nice, but I'm yet to try some myself...

[TittoBluni]

I have Sennheiser eH 150.
Yay or nay?

[Tju85]

I have Sennheiser HD 280's and they are pretty good.

[DWplayaAPCtool]

i personally hate bose...they are overpriced and sound decent at best

the fostex are nice cans, but dont say they are accurate...they are mid heavy

my shure e-5's are nice, and are always a great second opinion on mixes.

[DrmBug]

I bought recently the AKG k171 Studio phones. I think these are great. The sound is very clear, a little dry but warm enough. Not too boomy... Great for mixing! They are closed, and therefore a little unpleasent for long periods of time.