Howdy -I'm after some closed back 'all purpose' headphones for tracking and mixing for when I'm working abroad -I use my HD650s at the moment which are obviously awesome, but you cant record with them given the open-backness, and they don't go down too well with neighbouring passengers on an airplane! and I only really want to take one pair with me.
These won't be used for final mixes as I send everything back to the studio where they're finished off, but I'd like something reliable that you can get good results with.
HD280pros look good, does anyone use these? but they're a bit light at the bass end of things?
If anyone can suggest or recommend anything that would be jolly great all price brackets welcome
I favour the Sennheiser HD215, but they seem to be getting harder to find. As a closed back headphone they are excellent, with good isolation and the useful ability to lift one ear-cup. They don't sound too bad for mixing either - not that I'd want to rely on them for this task.
Always quite liked the Sennheiser HD-25's, the way I see them is like this...
Pros:
Last forever (really)
Light, compact/small (If that counts for anything but I find that a big plus point)
All Modular
Very good sound attenuation
You don't look like a mong wearing them outside of the studio or home
Decent sound with plenty of low-end
Cons:
Your head can feel like it's been in a vice a bit after a few hours, if you have a big head (no pun intended) you might find them a bit uncomfortable.
Price... They just keep getting more expensive but I guess that's inflation, they used to sell for about £100 if you looked well (DJ Shops) now last time I looked was something like £150 ish
Whilst they sound good I also found the sound a bit top end/mid-range biased
The other popular ones seem to be the Sony MDR-7506's but I've never tried those so can't say.
My HD-25's got nicked ages and I've been using a set of Technics DJ headphones (oh dear god) in their place which actually surprised me a lot as they aren't too bad (RP-DJ1200)
I'd second the DT 770 PRO suggestion, although I find it a lot easier to mix on my AKG K240. I find the DT770 a bit bass heavy or misrepresentative of the bass, but with use you learn how to work it. Otherwise, they are very comfortable for long periods of us.
4TrackMadman wrote:I'd second the DT 770 PRO suggestion, although I find it a lot easier to mix on my AKG K240. I find the DT770 a bit bass heavy or misrepresentative of the bass, but with use you learn how to work it. Otherwise, they are very comfortable for long periods of us.
I haven't tried mixing on the AKG K240 yet but I did start using them recently for general listening and am finding them quite trebly! So there's proof of how subjective this whole area is. A lot of people complain that the DT770 is too bassy, but compared to my Sennheiser HD600 it sounds incredibly bass-light!
awesome thanks all -and thanks for the article mike, a comprehensive read.
Elf -I like the sound of 215s from what i've found -they apparently stopped making them, but have just started again as of last year I think, so they're available again.
I have an irrational fear of Sony, and Audio Technica for that matter -always felt safe with sennheiser -but maybe I should just go try some out...
Does nobody suffer with hot ears using closed back headphones? Also, I developed tinitus soon after purchasing some hi-end Sony ones. They're useful occasionally, but I can actually hear just as much detail through my monitors.
Elephone wrote:Does nobody suffer with hot ears using closed back headphones? Also, I developed tinitus soon after purchasing some hi-end Sony ones. They're useful occasionally, but I can actually hear just as much detail through my monitors.
Yeah I never find closed-back models comfortable for long periods; they have to clamp your head a certain amount just to work! I like the DT770s because of the velour pads, whereas I'm finding the K240's leather pads get sweaty very quickly. But I never forget I'm wearing them, especially with glasses, and infinitely prefer open-backed models for comfort!
As for tinnitus I would recommend models that are less 'shouty' and make a conscious effort to monitor at low levels.
all price brackets welcome
