Headphone Recommendations?

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KyRo
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2011/04/26 22:37:09 (permalink)

Headphone Recommendations?

Thank you to everyone helping me out in the microphone department, but now I need to turn some attention to a good set of headphones.

Once again, I want something of respectable quality, but within budget. I'd like to keep my price below $100 for headphones.

Needed for recording vocals with rock/metal music, as well as for monitoring recording of spoken dialogue.

I know Sony's can be pretty good, and I was looking at this pair of Samson's:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RH600

Thoughts?
#1

17 Replies Related Threads

    cecelius2
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/04/26 23:55:05 (permalink)
    For under $100 I would suggest the Sennheiser HD280 Pro.  They are closed back and have good reviews.  There are much better headphones for much more, but for the $100 price point I would suggest going to your local store and auditioning the Sennheiser HD280 pro.  For comparison, try them against the AT-ATH-M50, which usually run around $160, but sometimes you can find them on the net for around the $120's, sometimes even slightly less.  Both are closed back design and both are respectable. Hope this helps.

    Cecelius2




    #2
    gustabo
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/04/27 07:10:44 (permalink)
    I'd recommend Sony V6 at that price point.


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    #3
    Guitarhacker
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/04/27 09:10:20 (permalink)
    I picked up a cheap set of Yamaha's at guitar center a few years back when they had them on sale for $30. RH-5ma is the model.

    I just went looking ( a few weeks ago) to possibly upgrade them. I auditioned some $100 cans and some $300 cans. The sound quality in them was not noticeably better than my $20 ear buds. ( Creative EP-630) Nor did I hear much difference between the $100 pair vs the $300 pair. So, after comparing them, I decided not to buy new cans.

    BTW: those EP-630's are some sweet buds. Nice fit, very comfortable, the soft rubber cups seal out the noise of the world, and the freq response is amazing.... from the thumping lows to the crystal clear highs. I buy them several sets at a time because I listen a lot while I work and they sometimes get damaged.

    Oh yeah... another thing.... I have used the EP-630's while tracking vocals too. They have close to ZERO bleed even at higher levels, can't say that about headphones working close to a good condenser mic.

    The main thing you should consider is how comfortable they are, since you will be wearing them for extended periods of time in the studio. The sound quality in most cans will be decent. You will not be using them to mix and master (I hope) so get a nice comfortable pair that sound good.
    post edited by Guitarhacker - 2011/04/27 09:16:19

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    #4
    adpost
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/04/30 02:08:53 (permalink)
    For under $100 I would suggest the Sennheiser HD280 Pro.  They are closed back and have good reviews.  There are much better headphones for much more, but for the $100 price point I would suggest going to your local store and auditioning the Sennheiser HD280 pro.  For comparison, try them against the AT-ATH-M50, which usually run around $160, but sometimes you can find them on the net for around the $120's, sometimes even slightly less.  Both are closed back design and both are respectable. Hope this helps.
    #5
    KyRo
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/03 23:05:49 (permalink)
    Anyone else have any more suggestions for good monitor headphones for around $100+-?
    #6
    ohhey
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 00:35:03 (permalink)
    dimelives1


    Anyone else have any more suggestions for good monitor headphones for around $100+-?


    The Beyerdynamic DT 770 are amazing sound wise maybe too good for tracking, might fatigue quickly but one nice thing is the pads are cloth not vinyl and super comfy. When I use vinyl pads they feel greasy and hot after just a little while and the oil in my skin breaks down the vinyl and it starts shedding.... really. I've messed up both of my Audio-Technica headphones.  I use the Sennheiser HD 595 phones for that reason, they have cloth earpads, they also come with a cool hanger and have the cord only on one side. But those are simi-open so they are not good for tracking, the sound will leak into the mic, that's why I suggested the DT-770s.

    #7
    M@ B
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 00:52:23 (permalink)
    http://www.dhl-ems.com/au...hones-athm50-p-82.html


    if your leary of authenticity, try a price match with one of the big guys. as a matter of fact, one of the big guys beat that price buy few % for me. they weren't happy about doing it but in the end they did it. the fact that i bought something else made it easier for them to swallow.

    post edited by M@ B - 2011/05/04 00:58:51

    #8
    KyRo
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 00:55:01 (permalink)
    Eeek, one person saying how his Audio-Technica's have messed up, the next person recommending them >< How conflicting lol.
    #9
    Monkey23
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 01:05:21 (permalink)
    M@ B


    http://www.dhl-ems.com/au...hones-athm50-p-82.html


    if your leary of authenticity, try a price match with one of the big guys. as a matter of fact, one of the big guys beat that price buy few % for me. they weren't happy about doing it but in the end they did it. the fact that i bought something else made it easier for them to swallow.

    I recently got a pair of these. Slightly boomy (and I do mean slightly) but overall I'm very happy. Tried a few others out up to about $100 more but these were the best.
    #10
    M@ B
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 01:13:16 (permalink)
    Monkey23


    M@ B


    http://www.dhl-ems.com/au...hones-athm50-p-82.html


    if your leary of authenticity, try a price match with one of the big guys. as a matter of fact, one of the big guys beat that price buy few % for me. they weren't happy about doing it but in the end they did it. the fact that i bought something else made it easier for them to swallow.

    I recently got a pair of these. Slightly boomy (and I do mean slightly) but overall I'm very happy. Tried a few others out up to about $100 more but these were the best.


    did you get them from that seller?

    #11
    Jim Roseberry
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 02:06:42 (permalink)
    I'd like to keep my price below $100 for headphones.

     
    I'm old school when it comes to headphones...
    Gimme AKG K240s right at the $100 mark.
     
    Easy on the ears and reasonably accurate.
    In a pinch, I can mix using them... and know that things aren't too far off mark.

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
    jim@studiocat.com
    www.studiocat.com
    #12
    cecelius2
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 03:28:20 (permalink)
    Jim Roseberry



    I'd like to keep my price below $100 for headphones.

     
    I'm old school when it comes to headphones...
    Gimme AKG K240s right at the $100 mark.
     
    Easy on the ears and reasonably accurate.
    In a pinch, I can mix using them... and know that things aren't too far off mark.

    What about the bleed through to the vocal mic?  Arn't AKG K240s semi open?

    Cecelius2





    #13
    Monkey23
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 10:04:12 (permalink)
    M@ B


    Monkey23


    M@ B


    http://www.dhl-ems.com/au...hones-athm50-p-82.html


    if your leary of authenticity, try a price match with one of the big guys. as a matter of fact, one of the big guys beat that price buy few % for me. they weren't happy about doing it but in the end they did it. the fact that i bought something else made it easier for them to swallow.

    I recently got a pair of these. Slightly boomy (and I do mean slightly) but overall I'm very happy. Tried a few others out up to about $100 more but these were the best.


    did you get them from that seller?
    No, I didn't. I got them at my work, where they came highly recommended from a co-worker whose opinion I trust.



    #14
    tarsier
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 10:36:59 (permalink)
    The Beyerdynamic DT 770 are amazing sound wise

    Yes, I love the 770s, they sound fantastic. They cost more that $100.  As ohhey said, a big plus is the cloth earpads which are very comfortable and easily replaceable when they get too dirty. And they're sealed and big enough to cover the ears so no bleed.

    I wouldn't say that the ATH-50 are boomy, but they are bass heavy.  They give a good bass thump that sounds good, but is not accurate. Might be perfect for tracking, but not for critical listening. They also don't quite cover the ear, so there's more chance for leakage.
    #15
    Jim Roseberry
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 11:51:59 (permalink)
    What about the bleed through to the vocal mic? Arn't AKG K240s semi open?

     
    You can cup your hands around the font of them to minimize bleed.
    IMO, the K271s (sealed) don't sound as good

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
    jim@studiocat.com
    www.studiocat.com
    #16
    M@ B
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 12:14:18 (permalink)
    tarsier



    The Beyerdynamic DT 770 are amazing sound wise

    Yes, I love the 770s, they sound fantastic. They cost more that $100.  As ohhey said, a big plus is the cloth earpads which are very comfortable and easily replaceable when they get too dirty. And they're sealed and big enough to cover the ears so no bleed.

    I wouldn't say that the ATH-50 are boomy, but they are bass heavy.  They give a good bass thump that sounds good, but is not accurate. Might be perfect for tracking, but not for critical listening. They also don't quite cover the ear, so there's more chance for leakage.


    being a bass player, i tend to naturally favor some extra lows and i like that the a.t. m50's accentuate the lows a bit because it satisfies my ears without me potentially making the mistake of adding excessive lows into the mix. i read in a post somewhere on these boards that "bass is like cowbell, you always want more." that's certainly true in my case. i find these cans help with that.

    #17
    Mesh
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    Re:Headphone Recommendations? 2011/05/04 12:20:15 (permalink)
    Another option you might be interested in is the UltrasonePro750. I have a pair of these and am very happy with them as I use it for similar applications. They're closed backs and have a very flat response IMHO.....after the required (I think) 200 hrs. of breaking them in (titanium drivers), the sound quality is just fantastic. I got mine a few years back for about $200 at nothern sound & light, but don't know what they're going for now.

    Here's some technical descriptions from their website:
  • S-Logic™ Natural Surround Sound
  • Dynamic principle
  • Frequency range 8-35.000 Hz
  • Impedance 40 Ohm
  • Sound pressure level 94 dB
  • MU Metal bufferboard, reduced field emissions in accordance with ULE (=Ultra Low Emission) standard
  • Driver 40 mm titanium-plated
  • Weight 295 g (without cord)
  • S-Logic™ PLUS
  • ULE-technology & PRO design
  • Safer hearing  
     
     
    Good luck!!
    post edited by Mesh - 2011/05/04 12:23:51

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