Headphones ... any favorites?

slinkp · October 01, 2014, 11:43:43 AM

I'm headphone shopping... but it's hard to find places that will actually let you try on a bunch of headphones.
I thought I'd ask if the LBOers have any favorites?

In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they can seem a bit muted at times, I don't feel like I'm getting all the detail.

So before I buy another pair of AKG, I'd like to look around and see if I can go up a step and get a bit more accurate. My ideal headphone is one I can forget I'm wearing because the sound is so "natural".

This is mostly for just listening to music and keeping people from interrupting me at work

But will occasionally be used for home recording.

I've tried a borrowed ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it seems like there's a bit too much of the very highs.
I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there?
They are also at the top of my price range, about $120 is the lowest price I've seen for this discontinued version, the A700x goes for $160 and I don't know what's different about it.

I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch, did not fit me well and hurt my head, the sound was too harsh for me, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue.

A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounds nice but it's definitely not a neutral sound.

Pilgrim · October 01, 2014, 12:38:11 PM

Sorry to hear about the Sony phones. For 30+ years I have used the MDR7506 and MDRV6 headphones - they are essentially the same set with minor differences. They go around my ears (not on them), are the most comfortable I've ever had, and are durable with decent care. I've never run into anyone who had a problem with their comfort. Are we talking about the same phones?

chromium · October 01, 2014, 12:59:31 PM

I've been really happy with my Sennheiser HD280 Pros. Sound-wise, (to me) they're very neutral, and they're comfortable to wear for extended duration. I've owned these about seven years.

clankenstein · October 01, 2014, 03:17:03 PM

if you are looking for accuracy i find the sennheiser hd25 s pretty good.they are a closed ear design so block out outside sounds somewhat(i think i read 40 db somewhere).i have used them for location sound recording and in my studio .very useful if a touch pricey.

amptech · October 01, 2014, 03:49:32 PM

For neutral sounding, comfy studio headphones I am quite happy with the beyerdynamic DT-100 that i bought around 2007. They took some time to get used to.

I also have an ´old pair of comfy shoes ´set that I love, a 1981 senneheiser HD 540 reference. They are far from neutral,
but I´ve had them since my first tape recorder.

slinkp · October 01, 2014, 03:57:09 PM

Quote from: Pilgrim on October 01, 2014, 12:38:11 PM
Sorry to hear about the Sony phones. For 30+ years I have used the MDR7506 and MDRV6 headphones - they are essentially the same set with minor differences. They go around my ears (not on them), are the most comfortable I've ever had, and are durable with decent care. I've never run into anyone who had a problem with their comfort. Are we talking about the same phones?

Probably. Headphone fit is so subjective. I once recorded in a studio that had only Sony headphones available. By the end of day one I wanted to jump out the window. My ears were in extreme pain. They just don't go well on my head. Nobody else at the studio had that problem. On day two I brought whatever crappy headphones I had at home. They didn't sound as good, but I got through the day without pain. It's no fun trying to play bass when you want to cut your ears off...

Long ago I owned some pair of $50 Sonys that were just fine for me until I broke them after many years of use. No fit problem at all. Go figure.

Dave W · October 01, 2014, 10:16:49 PM

Beyerdynamic DT 231 Pro.

gearHed289 · October 02, 2014, 08:37:18 AM

Beats by Dr. Dre. JUST KIDDING! I still like my K240s, but have been using Sony MDR-V6 for a couple of years now.

Grog · October 02, 2014, 05:30:00 PM

I bought a pair of Skullcandy Mix Masters about four months ago. List $299.00 on clearance at Best Buy for $112.99. They have Neodyne speakers & sound great to me. Looked like quite a jump up from what was available for $100.00. Changeable chords & you can plug them into either side, even came with a dorky carrying case. iPhone compatable chord also............

Psycho Bass Guy · October 09, 2014, 01:41:14 PM

Another vote for the Sennheiser HD280 Pro's- They're the same price as Sony MDR7506's but have serious isolation that isn't hard on your head- they don't squeeze the crap out of your skull and are very neutral, even toned and consistent tonally. Their transient response can sometimes feel a little compressed, but that is only being SUPER, super picky. For $100, nothing else I've tried even comes close.

Sony 7506's are great for field work and rough mixes, but they have a very "loud" inherent tone with exaggerated midrange. Audio Technica's headphones, all models, have the same trait but worse, just like their microphones. (Japan must have a thing for overblown upper mids). AKG K240's are great, but ONLY when you have a very good headphone amp pushing them, otherwise you'll get to hear all kinds of nice distortion as they suck the power out of cheap op-amps in lower end (and even some pricey ones) mixers, interfaces and anything else with a 1/4" headphone jack but not enough power.