PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Best Headphones to buy? ($100-$500)

Hi, I'm looking to buy a "really good set of headphones" in the $100 - $500 price range. Would be listening to various styles of music. Any suggestions?

Personal enjoyment or studio work phones?

If you want to "listen" to music and not use it for recording, I suggest open headphones. They`re more comfortable to wear (less sweat) and you hear a bit of the room reverb, so the stereo image is alot more defined.

These are the studio reference Phones (open):
AKG K-702
Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro

Sandra

These are my favorites bar none. AKG 240 Studio

I did not believe how good mine were until I tried them at a colleague's studio: Alessandro One, for $99. It's a modified Grado, open air. I prefer open air for longer listening periods. There is also an upgrade model for $299.

http://www.alessandro-products.com/main.php?p=headphones

Peter,

Here's a pretty good article covering a wide range of headphones ia a whole variety of price ranges and brands. It seems to be pretty in depth.

http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/Reviewss/recommendations.html

Peter, I use a set of Sennheiser HD570 (approx $100a few years back) which have since been discontinued but replaced with the SM555 model. The HD570 got all sorts of bad reviews about being "too trebly" or "too mushy". All I know is that I tried quite a few different brands before I settled on these, and I like'em. "Hearing is in the ear of the beholder" so my suggestion would be to take a recording you are very familiar with and go to a stereo shop and try various ones out listening to that recording. If you find a model you like, see if they will let you listen to the recording using different sets of the same model. It doesn't have to be costly if it fits your need. DennisD

First of all, I have to make a disclaimer. I'm an engineer for Westone Laboratories and one of our product lines are in-ear monitor headphones.

So, with that bit of bias clearly stated up front - let me ask you if you have considered the following questions:

1. Do you track any kind of acoustic instruments into microphones?

2. Do you listen to music on an iPod type of device?

3. Do you travel on airplanes or public transportation very much?

Here's the reasoning behind those questions. If the answer to #1 is yes, then I would immediately rule out open-back phones of any kind because of bleed issues while tracking.

If the answer to #2 is yes, then I would say that in-ear monitors are an ideal solution for you, because they are triple-use. You can use them for tracking in your home studio without any issue of bleed and quite flat response to 'hear what the microphone hears', and go right from there to the best sounding iPod/personal listening device headphones you can imagine and be discreet about it, and pack them into a pocket for a nice quiet experience on the airplane. I like many of the headphone models shown above (personal experience with the AKG 240 models and Sennheiser models), but if you wear those out of the house, you look rather silly.

All of our universal fit models offer 25+ dB of isolation from outside noise.

I would shoot for the UM3X model. http://www.westone.com/catalog/um3x-true-3-way-monitor

-Scott

I vote for the Grado SR80 (or higher) from Goodcans (link above in earlier post).

R

The ATH M50 seems to get good reviews for 'bang for buck' comfort and accuracy.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U

I have the next model down, but with the same design and I like them. They are well padded and don't pinch to bad. Try to find a place where you can try some on if you can.

Later,
Jim

ps. Did you find a guitar? I was looking about the same time and wound up with a Parker P8EN.

ATH M50 is one set I would not recommend. But maybe that's just me. Got them after owning M40;
They are a little more comfortable than the M40, but I don't like the coloring of the sound. Or the coiled cable..

I also use the AKG 240's. Interesting they're mentioned several times in this little thread. Did you send a PM to Harvey Gerst? I'm curious what he has to say about it.
Bob

Sennheiser HD600 is what engineers go for - I have had abouyt a dozen sennheisers and non dissapointed. Clarity, good sound stage very three dimensional, overall frequncey balnce is excellent.

http://www.dv247.com/headphones/sennheis...eadphones--7294

http://www.zzounds.com/item--SENHD251II My husband used these working at the radio station and loves them.

Peter,

I've had the Sennheiser HD600 headphones for over a decade. I began recommending them to musicians (in person and on the internet) from the day I got them. At first it was a hard sell (cost), but the word has gotten around.


I have at least 10,000 hours listening experience with the Sennheiser HD600's.

(This is where you conclude that they are incredibly comfortable.)


The phones go around the ear, but have an open back. Therefore, they are not suitable for a vocalist while recording (lack of isolation).

They are perfect for late-at-night listening. If someone is seated right next to you in a quiet environment, and you have them turned up loud, there will be some tinny sound audible to them.

They are completely neutral.

You will appreciate them the first time you put them on, but you wll appreciate them much more 6 months down the road. (After 6 months, those nagging little response problems will grate on you. In the Sennheiser HD600's there are none.)

The bass response is stunning. It will probably be shocking to you, because it is so clean.


You'll probably never have a burning desire to buy, for either comfort or fidelity, another set of phones, .



The cord is very light, nearer in weight to a mp3 player ear bud cord than the old-timey shielded coaxial cord.

The phones come in a form-fitting cardboard case.

They're really well made, but they're not made for throwing on a table or the floor. I've done this with many other phones, but never with the HD600's. In fact, I put them back in the case each time when I'm through with them.

Sennheiser's support of their headphone products is incredible. Based on past performance, if you need another cord, or ear covers, 20 or 30 years from now, you'll be able to get those things.


DRIVERS:

They will sound great if driven from a (Sony) portable CD player. (But not nearly as great as they can sound.)

I would not drive these with a $200 multichannel receiver (garbage). But if you have a nice receiver you will be ecstatic with the sound.

(You can, of course, spend thousands on the driver electronics. These headphones will actually support you in that expenditure, but (obviously) with diminishing returns.)


.RECOMMENDATIONS:

Currently, the Sennheiser HD800 headphones ($1400) are thought to be the best available.

Previously, the Sennheiser HD650 headphones ($650) got that praise. (2nd in the Sennheiser line)

Prior to that, the Sennheiser HD600 headphones ($520) were universally so acclaimed. (3rd in the Sennheiser line)

The street prices (South American River prices were the only ones I checked) were significantly lower. (The guys at Headroom say they will match any price from an authorized dealer.)

The HD650 and HD600 are both in your (street) price range. Either would be great. I'd get the HD650's. I wouldn't even consider getting a lesser Sennheiser model than the HD600's, based on my listening experience.

USEFUL LINKS:

(BTW, Headroom is a great company; those guys are REALLY serious about headphones (and they carry them all).


http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/top-picks/top-picks-for-audiophiles.php

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-800.php (for edification and comparison, only)

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-650.php

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-600.php



When I got the Sennheiser HD600 headphones, it seemed like so much money, even if they were rated the best commercially available headphones in the world.

Within a year, I thought they were the biggest audiophile bargain of my life.

I still feel that way!


Hope you find the headphones that are right for YOU!

Best advice is to take a couple of CD's you know well and try a couple of pre-selected cans.
This is the only way to select the best headphones for your personal taste.

I highly reccomend that you take the Grado RS2i into your test-selection. Try along with the Sennheiser HD600 and the Beyer Dynamic DT-990 Pro

Try to pre-select no more than 6 models. Take your time when auditioning the headphones. Have them bring you a cup of cofee and leave you alone with the cans. Of course you should use a high-quality CD-player and during the whole listening session you should not change any eq-settings.

Have fun and let us know which ones you selected

Peter,

You're getting a lot of great recommendations. Wish I had time to go try some of them myself.

My vote is for the beyerdynamic DT770 reference headphones. Here are the full specs.

Closed-back circumaural type. Large diaphragms with great power capacity allow you to listen at near-live levels. Response from 5 Hz to 35 kHz but very neutral. Field-replaceable parts. Substantial feel in your hand, yet you nearly forget you are wearing them. I wear glasses and they don't interfere.

I have used the same pair since 1996, when I got them for medical transcription because of their excellent acoustic isolation. Where I began to really appreciate them was when I realized that I was wearing them for 8 hours on shift and going on to use them in the studio after work. They are the most comfortable I have ever found. They are obviously durable as well.

Around $200 USD, a little less if you look around.

Let us know what you decide--I know it'll be great whatever it is.

Richard

ATH-M40fs
I use these for everything from tracking to watching TV.