# Affordable Mixing Headphones



## mbagalacomposer (Jul 30, 2015)

Didn't want to hi-jack the Audeze LCD-2 thread but....it got me thinking.

Haven't had a ton of experience with mixing headphones, as I've always been been pretty happy with my monitoring situation and up until recently had been doing a lot of work at a studio that is not in my apartment. However....as I'm shifting into more working at home I'm realizing when I'm on a deadline working late my fiancee will thank me if I'm mixing on headphones instead of my speakers. On top of that I alway find its nice to have a couple alternatives to my monitoring set up to check mixes on.

so all that said, does anyone have any recommendations for mixing headphones on a budget? Any that I should absolutely steer away from? or that are particularly a great value for the price?

Thanks!!


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## Hannes_F (Jul 30, 2015)

Hi there,
if you read the other thread you've seen my mini review of the Audeze there. Let me add: For me there is a difference between "mixing with headphones" and "checking the mix with headphones". Working with a Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro and a Sennheiser HD 600 until recently I would always have been mixing with monitors (Neumann KH120 in a very well treated room) and checking with the phones, not the other way round. Maybe if I have had the Sennheiser HD650 or 700 or 800 ...

Now with the Audeze it is the first time I could trust the phones for mixing more and check (the instrument positions and room depth) with the monitors. I hope that makes sense.

If I would start over with limited budget I would go to this site and buy an individually calibrated headphone (but calculate shipping, customs and import VAT if you live in EU). They have a good list the usual suspects:
http://store.sonarworks.com/collections/headphone-calibration


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## mbagalacomposer (Jul 30, 2015)

Hannes_F said:


> If I would start over with limited budget I would go to this site and buy an individually calibrated headphone (but calculate shipping, customs and import VAT if you live in EU). They have a good list the usual suspects:
> http://store.sonarworks.com/collections/headphone-calibration



Thanks for the tip! This site looks very promising. 

Agreed with the difference between checking with headphones vs. mixing with headphones. Its pretty impressive to me and says a lot about the Audeze if you feel comfortable mixing on them and then checking with monitors. Maybe I need to start saving my pennies.


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## Hannes_F (Jul 30, 2015)

Yes, I am confident that the Audeze tells me more about the mix than the monitors, at least in the frequency domain. I do a lot of strings work and I feel for that it is the higher mids where it is happening - or not - or too much and the sound breaks up. Unfortunately this is the range of the crossovers of many monitors and this constantly misleads me. Maybe if I invested into 3 way speakers in the 4-5k range it would be a different game again.

EDIT These are the monitors that I really want. They are: 1. 3-way, 2. Co-axial drivers, 3. cardioid bass. But they are EUR 5000 _per piece_ (ouch). So meanwhile ... Audeze.
http://www.me-geithain.de/index.php/en/studio/products/active-loudspeaker/rl944k


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## Leo Badinella (Jul 30, 2015)

FWIW I own a set of Audio Technica ATH-M40's and I like them. When looking for an alternative I was advised to get a set of Sony MDR7509HD's


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## charlieclouser (Jul 30, 2015)

I recently got a set of the Audio Technica M50x (updated version of the M50) and I quite like them. Very revealing of problems in the bass area, like some weird "boofy" resonances I was getting due to overuse of marimba samples tuned down two octaves, that were not fully revealed by my normally amazing Dynaudio AIR 5.1 system with gigantic subs.

I went in to my favorite shop (Westlake Pro in LA) who are VERY much a pro shop, and I was fully prepared to spend a few grand on a Grace headphone amp and some $1,000+ headphones, and my guy Stephen said, "I'll let you spend a few grand on headphones if you want, but first give these (the A-T M-50x) a try. If you don't like them I'll take 'em back, but all my customers are loving these."

$150. 

I may eventually go for some high-end Beyer or Sennheisers, but the M-50x were a great buy at $150.


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## EastWest Lurker (Jul 30, 2015)

charlieclouser said:


> I recently got a set of the Audio Technica M50x (updated version of the M50) and I quite like them. Very revealing of problems in the bass area, like some weird "boofy" resonances I was getting due to overuse of marimba samples tuned down two octaves, that were not fully revealed by my normally amazing Dynaudio AIR 5.1 system with gigantic subs.
> 
> I went in to my favorite shop (Westlake Pro in LA) who are VERY much a pro shop, and I was fully prepared to spend a few grand on a Grace headphone amp and some $1,000+ headphones, and my guy Stephen said, "I'll let you spend a few grand on headphones if you want, but first give these (the A-T M-50x) a try. If you don't like them I'll take 'em back, but all my customers are loving these."
> 
> ...




Me too, Charlie.


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## muk (Jul 30, 2015)

What is your budget? In the lower pricerange there are four contenders that are often mentioned (I'll copy an older post of mine on another forum):

AKG K701*/702*: it's a precision instrument. It has a very detailed sound signature that show everything that's going on. The downside is that it can be fatiguing. And it lacks in bass (eventhough there's a simple mod for that).
Sennheiser HD600: It's neutral, if slightly dark sounding. It's a laid back presentation, so these cans are great for relaxed listening sessions. Not such a microscope as the AKG. Some call this laid back sound signature "Sennheiser veil", but I think it has it's advantages (no fatigue, pleasurable to listen to over long sessions) as well as disatvantages (not showing problems of the mix as clearly as the K701. They are there and can be heard, but they won't be as emphasized as on brighter cans). Caution if you wear glasses, it has quite a clamp ('Sennheiser death-grip'). So check if they are comfortable enough for you.
*Beyerdynamic Dt880*: they are somewhere between the AKG and the Sennheiser. Sturdy design and well built. Neither the detail monster the K701 is, nor as relaxed as the Sennheiser, but a great allrounder (and certainly a better sound signature than either the *DT770 *and the DT990). Don't take the lowest impedance version, as some say the two higher versions sound slightly better. Personally I havent heard the 32 ohm version so can't comment on it. The only thing that is different between the Pro and the Consumer version is the clamping force. Simply choose the one that is more comfy for you and/or cheaper.
ATH M50: it's said to be in the same league as the other three, but I haven't heard one yet.

In any case go to a store and listen to the phones before deciding. Only you can know which sound signature you prefer.

Also, here is quite an extensive thread with lots of information to digest:

http://vi-control.net/community/ind...e-headphone-thread-headphoneamps-added.35400/

These are all around 230$ or so, except the M50x which goes for around 150$. It does pay off to invest that kind of money as all these cans can accompany you for a long time.


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## charlieclouser (Jul 30, 2015)

I forgot to mention my only complaint with the AT M-50x: The ear cups are covered in a leather-like vinyl material, which can cause some acoustic "creaking" noises, not unlike the "fart" sounds you get when moving your butt around on a leather chair. Normally this is not a problem, and I only mention it because I did notice it, and when listening for clicks and pops in a mix at one point I had to sit very still so that the headphones would not move at all, which would have caused these creaks. With fabric-covered ear cups this would not occur. Normally my brain can separate these acoustic creaks from the audio coming out of the headphones, but nonetheless it is a possible drawback, and I would prefer fabric-covered ear pads if given a choice.


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## synthpunk (Jul 30, 2015)

And you will still have your hearing (as long as you keep your volume in check) when you old. 



EastWest Lurker said:


> Me too, Charlie.


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## sleepy hollow (Jul 30, 2015)

charlieclouser said:


> With fabric-covered ear cups this would not occur. Normally my brain can separate these acoustic creaks from the audio coming out of the headphones, but nonetheless it is a possible drawback, and I would prefer fabric-covered ear pads if given a choice


I use the older model, M50, and never had that problem. The material covering the ear cups is pretty rigid (not too stiff though), so I assume they used different material on the M50x. I've seen plenty of threads on different forums where people talk about how they quite successfully exchanged the vinyl-like material for soft fabric. Maybe this is something you want to do?

Here's an example: http://www.head-fi.org/t/553483/ath-m50-removable-cable-mod


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## ed buller (Jul 30, 2015)

Audio Technica ATH-M50.....have to spend a hell of a lot more to beat em !
e


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## mwarsell (Jul 30, 2015)

I'm HD 600 owner and very pleased with them. Bought them for myself as a Christmas present a few years back. Best present ever!


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## Cowtothesky (Jul 30, 2015)

Has anyone tried the Sennheiser HD6? I'm also in the market for a under $200 pair of decent mixing headphones. A salesman at my local music store was giving the HD6 high praises. I was thinking about picking up a pair. Just curious how these hold up to some others mentioned in this thread. 

http://en-us.sennheiser.com/noise-reducing-headphones-over-ear-hd6-mix


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## Vin (Jul 30, 2015)

Tried Audeze (LCD-2), AKG (K701), Sennheiser (HD600, 650, 800) and bought Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro. Love them. Great sound and unparalleled build quality.


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## tokatila (Jul 31, 2015)

Focal Spirit Professionals. Love them.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/conten...sional-and-spirit-classic#fWYMkcXrwsF43J4A.97

_"The Spirit Professional is a headphone designed for audio pros and as such focusses on durability. The finish on painted parts is jet black spackle-paint where the spackle bumps are gloss and the underlying black paint is semi-gloss. The remaining parts are either semi-gloss or matte black."_


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## mbagalacomposer (Jul 31, 2015)

Vin said:


> Tried Audeze (LCD-2), AKG (K701), Sennheiser (HD600, 650, 800) and bought Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro. Love them. Great sound and unparalleled build quality.



Am a fan of how comfortable the beyerdynamic studio headphones are.....might have to check those out.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Jul 31, 2015)

AT M50 for closed-back and Sennheiser HD650 for open. Both great.


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## tokatila (Jul 31, 2015)

wilx said:


> AT M50 for closed-back and Sennheiser HD650 for open. Both great.



I have HD650, and I wouldn't mix with them. Too veiled for my taste, but they are my favorites for listening music for long periods of time. I would go HD600 instead for mixing purposes.

But since every head/ears are different shape I would never buy headphones without listening.


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## mmendez (Jul 31, 2015)

I'm going to add a +1 to the Focal Spirit Pro headphones. Very detailed and very unforgiving of mixing issues. 

Miguel


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## synthpunk (Jul 31, 2015)

Charlie, perhaps these might work better ?
*http://tinyurl.com/prfbkla*





charlieclouser said:


> I forgot to mention my only complaint with the AT M-50x: The ear cups are covered in a leather-like vinyl material, which can cause some acoustic "creaking" noises, not unlike the "fart" sounds you get when moving your butt around on a leather chair. Normally this is not a problem, and I only mention it because I did notice it, and when listening for clicks and pops in a mix at one point I had to sit very still so that the headphones would not move at all, which would have caused these creaks. With fabric-covered ear cups this would not occur. Normally my brain can separate these acoustic creaks from the audio coming out of the headphones, but nonetheless it is a possible drawback, and I would prefer fabric-covered ear pads if given a choice.


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## InLight-Tone (Aug 1, 2015)

Love, love, love my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. I've bought a few different phones over the years and they were pretty disappointing on many levels. The M50's have great bass for headphones and are known to be fairly flat for mixing. Great addition to a good pair of reference monitors for when you can't make lots of noise...


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## kfirpr (Aug 2, 2015)

InLight-Tone said:


> Love, love, love my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. I've bought a few different phones over the years and they were pretty disappointing on many levels. The M50's have great bass for headphones and are known to be fairly flat for mixing. Great addition to a good pair of reference monitors for when you can't make lots of noise...


I just got them, they sound kinda flabby in the bass do they required break in time?


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## Deleted member 8496 (Aug 2, 2015)

My DT880 Pro's are excellent.
I've been through quite a few pairs of headphones, but i've never been as satisfied as with these.


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## synthpunk (Aug 2, 2015)

If you want good and accurate bass listen to your monitors IMHO not headphones.

All headphones and speakers usually need to break in.



kfirpr said:


> I just got them, they sound kinda flabby in the bass do they required break in time?


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## Guffy (Aug 2, 2015)

aesthete said:


> If you want good and accurate bass listen to your monitors IMHO not headphones.


That's not always an option.
If you have the cheapest budget ported monitors you can get your hands on in the corner of a room with terrible modes you might be better off with headphones.
Atleast that's the case for me right now.
Obviously i check the mix on the speakers every now and then, but i can't rely on them alone.


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## Vin (Aug 2, 2015)

Fugdup said:


> If you have the cheapest budget ported monitors you can get your hands on in the corner of a room with terrible modes you might be better off with headphones.



+ a good spectrum analyzer.


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## tokatila (Aug 3, 2015)

aesthete said:


> If you want good and accurate bass listen to your monitors IMHO not headphones.
> 
> All headphones and speakers usually need to break in.



You might want to read this. 
http://www.tested.com/tech/accessories/459117-science-and-myth-burning-headphones/

I personally believe, based on what I have read, that more important than break-in is your ears getting used to the sound.


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## AR (Aug 3, 2015)

Did someone check out the AKG 812? I'm very curious about them.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Aug 3, 2015)

Might be worth looking into this, you can trial it for 30 days. Check out Gearslutz forum for the reviews.
I can only speak for myself but it's helped me. 
They're adding new calibrations all the time. http://sonarworks.com/headphones/overview/


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## Resoded (Aug 3, 2015)

Thanks to this thread, I impulse bought the ATH m50x friday. Very happy with them, love the hyped up bass as that's what I'm used to in general. Was previously using the Beyerdynamics 880 pro, and even though I was very happy with the detailed midrange in those, I had difficulties getting used to the lower bass.


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## muk (Aug 3, 2015)

AR said:


> Did someone check out the AKG 812? I'm very curious about them.


 
Do not buy them. If you can spend that kind of money definitely go with the Sennheiser HD800. If you can spend even more, try the Stax SR-07 and SR-09 (probably the best headphone that is still in production). Check out the measurements and discussions about the AKG 812 on Innerfidelity and on Changstar.


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## mbagalacomposer (Aug 3, 2015)

Anyone have thoughts about closed vs. open? 

My understanding was always that closed for more for studio monitoring and open more for mixing but with so many people saying that the m50x's are great for mixing is shaking that understanding haha


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## Vin (Aug 3, 2015)

muk said:


> If you can spend even more, try the Stax SR-07 and SR-09 (probably the best headphone that is still in production).



Are they really 10 times better than the HD600 or DT880 or K701 (according to their astronomic price tag)?


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## mbagalacomposer (Aug 3, 2015)

Anyone on here use Grado headphones? 

Think its kind of an East Coast thing but they've been recommended to by some engineer folk our here.


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## synthpunk (Aug 3, 2015)

I love Grado's, I have had SR-60's and 80's, but enjoy them for listening to music, I don't think there the right choice for mixing. When I sit down with my ipod, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, a bottle of wine, and an nice breeze, thats when I use mine. YMMV.



mbagalacomposer said:


> Anyone on here use Grado headphones?
> 
> Think its kind of an East Coast thing but they've been recommended to by some engineer folk our here.


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## Jason_D (Aug 3, 2015)

> Anyone have thoughts about closed vs. open?




Closed is for isolation. However, I use IEMs instead.

Check out the difference from the Beyerdynamic 990 and 770. The 990 set is open and the 770 is closed.

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2131&graphID[]=2241&scale=30


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## muk (Aug 4, 2015)

Vin said:


> Are they really 10 times better than the HD600 or DT880 or K701 (according to their astronomic price tag)?



Don't know how you would quantify 10times better. But I know what you mean. As always with high end gear you pay increasingly large sums for ever smaller improvements in detail. I haven't heard the Stax's, only the HD800. Is it three times better than the HD600/Dt880/K701? No way! But is it better in every aspect? You bet it is.


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## Allegro (Aug 4, 2015)

Robert Larsson said:


> My DT880 Pro's are excellent.
> I've been through quite a few pairs of headphones, but i've never been as satisfied as with these.


If you think your stock 880 Pros are excellent, then try calibrating them using Sonarworks Headphone reference trial.
More extension, FLAT as hell!

http://sonarworks.com/headphones/overview/


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## catsass (Aug 7, 2015)

ATH M50x here. Quite a bargain for the quality.


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## Andrew Goodwin (Aug 7, 2015)

I've had the Sennheiser HD 600s for a bit with a custom profile from sonarworks, quite amazing! Under $400 and they don't hurt your ears after long usage


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## Marius Masalar (Aug 10, 2015)

I've relied on a pair of M50s for years now, but I recently made the mistake of offering them to my girlfriend to borrow when her previous monitoring headphones died. I haven't seen them since 

On the bright side, it means I get to buy some new cans and to that end I've been wondering if anyone has had a chance to listen to the new M70x model? I know that I would love the M50x but I'm wondering what the top-of-the-line model is like. Has anyone had a chance to compare the two? Or just listen to the M70x?

For what it's worth I did a lot of exploring before I bought the M50s and like many others found them to be the best value. The quality/price/comfort ratio is just perfect for these. Luckily for me I was able to actually try them on and listen in a store as I went in all set to buy an AKG pair based on the reviews. Turns out those AKGs were not only unpleasant sounding but also extremely uncomfortable...just goes to show how important it can be to try before you buy.


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## ClefferNotes (Aug 11, 2015)

I own a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, I got them as a christmas present. I have to say that they were an amazing gift as I use them every day for producing all kinds of music with (and for reference monitoring through headphones) Unbelievably pleased with these and the price is very decent for a pair of these as well. The best thing I could suggest is to try as many as you can before you make a final decision and invest, you can then decide which is best for you.


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## careyford (Aug 11, 2015)

+1 Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. I've been loving these for 17 years and have had to do minimal repairs to them over the years.


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## synthpunk (Aug 11, 2015)

Hi Marius, I would get the new M50X.



Marius Masalar said:


> I've relied on a pair of M50s for years now, but I recently made the mistake of offering them to my girlfriend to borrow when her previous monitoring headphones died. I haven't seen them since
> 
> On the bright side, it means I get to buy some new cans and to that end I've been wondering if anyone has had a chance to listen to the new M70x model? I know that I would love the M50x but I'm wondering what the top-of-the-line model is like. Has anyone had a chance to compare the two? Or just listen to the M70x?
> 
> For what it's worth I did a lot of exploring before I bought the M50s and like many others found them to be the best value. The quality/price/comfort ratio is just perfect for these. Luckily for me I was able to actually try them on and listen in a store as I went in all set to buy an AKG pair based on the reviews. Turns out those AKGs were not only unpleasant sounding but also extremely uncomfortable...just goes to show how important it can be to try before you buy.


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## Marius Masalar (Aug 11, 2015)

I probably will.

Not a fan of the 70s? What was wrong with them?


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## synthpunk (Aug 11, 2015)

Just a tad bright when I checked them out.



Marius Masalar said:


> I probably will.
> 
> Not a fan of the 70s? What was wrong with them?


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## AR (Aug 12, 2015)

I've replaced my AKG K271 MkII with a Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro in combination with a JDS Labs O2. Amazing clear sound


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## jononotbono (Mar 18, 2016)

charlieclouser said:


> I recently got a set of the Audio Technica M50x (updated version of the M50) and I quite like them. Very revealing of problems in the bass area, like some weird "boofy" resonances I was getting due to overuse of marimba samples tuned down two octaves, that were not fully revealed by my normally amazing Dynaudio AIR 5.1 system with gigantic subs.
> 
> I went in to my favorite shop (Westlake Pro in LA) who are VERY much a pro shop, and I was fully prepared to spend a few grand on a Grace headphone amp and some $1,000+ headphones, and my guy Stephen said, "I'll let you spend a few grand on headphones if you want, but first give these (the A-T M-50x) a try. If you don't like them I'll take 'em back, but all my customers are loving these."
> 
> ...



Loving my ATH-M50s. Great for recording live as well as hardly any sound spills from them. Can't believe the price of them! Although I am looking at buying a pair of Semi-Open back headphones for extended Writing sessions to accompany them (Beyer DT 880 Pros are what I'm being drawn to at the minute). And, I am a mere beginner so I may not know anything but my M50s are in special edition Red so that makes them sound better right? haha.


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## dannymc (Mar 18, 2016)

> I've had the Sennheiser HD 600s for a bit with a custom profile from sonarworks, quite amazing! Under $400 and they don't hurt your ears after long usage



another +1 for the HD600's. great value for money if not going down the monitors route.


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## thedigitalDog (Mar 18, 2016)

Beyerdynamic DT1770 Pro. best headphones i've ever had.


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