# Need advice on Headphones



## polirak (Apr 10, 2013)

Hello everyone 

I use now audio technica ath-m50 headhones and JBL LSR6325P monitors .

The problem is that I can't use all the time monitors because I live with my parents and the m50's great for electronic stuff but I feel a lack of mids in them .

I need monitor headphones to go along with the m50's for more acoustic stuff ( drums guitars etc and also the orchestral instruments ) to work on them . 

I know that I can't get perfect mix on headphones but I still working a lot on headphones and with the m50's I find myself correcting too many things when mixing on the monitors after the work on headphones ( I think it's mainly because they lack of mids )


I was recommended on Beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250-ohm .

There is also the HD650/600 from Sennheiser but the too pricey for me now =\

Any another recommendations welcomed .

Thanks in advanced


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## mark812 (Apr 10, 2013)

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30979


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## Martin K (Apr 10, 2013)

I got Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 Ohm and I'm very happy with them 

- Martin


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## PMortise (Apr 10, 2013)

I remember John Rodd mentioning the http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Earphones/dp/B002DP8IEK (Shure SRH840's). When it was time for me to get new cans the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MTE7EK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1532201582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002DP8IEK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=139G51EDYTKYGNFEFCTF (SRH940's) were available so I grabbed a pair of those. Sonically, those would be a huge step up from your m50's, and a great bang for the buck.

I was holding on to a pair of ATH-M40fs for _far_ too long. After a few weeks with the 940's I listened the M40's again for $h!ts & giggles. I nearly retched. :lol:


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## BenG (Apr 10, 2013)

The Beyerdynamic 880's are less than the 990's and apparently very good (Around 200-250$)

I have actually just ordered a pair the other day, so I'll let you know how they sound when they arrive


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## ghostnote (Apr 10, 2013)

PMortise @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> I remember John Rodd mentioning the http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Earphones/dp/B002DP8IEK (Shure SRH840's). When it was time for me to get new cans the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MTE7EK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1532201582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002DP8IEK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=139G51EDYTKYGNFEFCTF (SRH940's) were available so I grabbed a pair of those. Sonically, those would be a huge step up from your m50's, and a great bang for the buck.



didn't know John Rodd uses them. The SH-840 look incredibly ugly but I hear people saying lots of good things about them. They are on my whishlist.

@ polirak, If you're looking for really good mids, then Sennheiser is the way to go. Alternatively you could have a look at the (much pricier) Bayerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80/250 Ohm or AKG K-701. Look for lower Ohm values if you don't own a headamp.


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## PMortise (Apr 10, 2013)

With the kind of gear John Rodd has, I seriously doubt the SRH-840's are his "go-to" cans. :lol:

More than likely, his expertise and experience suggests them as good for their price point.


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## Allegro (Apr 10, 2013)

Another srh940 user here. The mids are just delicious to say the least. Highs are slighty exaggerated. Vocals sound great. It has a nice soundstage considering they are closed cans. Lows are fully extended but coming from m50 you will find it awkward. You will still be able to hear the bass but in order to provide the best clarity in mids , low mids and highs sometimes, the bass is less than what you would expect. For pop, rock and Orchestral. They sing like there is no tomorrow. Generally they are a no no for 4 on the floor edm stuff. They lack the oomph.


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## germancomponist (Apr 10, 2013)

You have to learn your headphones sound... .

You know what I mean? 

Listen hours and hours with it to the best music (soundwise) what you like best. I think there is not a best headphone... . I use an AKG K 271 Mk2, but only for controlling the mix sometimes.


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## ThomasL (Apr 10, 2013)

I love my AKG K-701.


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## JJP (Apr 10, 2013)

PMortise @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> With the kind of gear John Rodd has, I seriously doubt the SRH-840's are his "go-to" cans. :lol:
> 
> More than likely, his expertise and experience suggests them as good for their price point.



Hey, don't question John Rodd. He might get angry and leave the forum.


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## PMortise (Apr 10, 2013)

Dude, you read that wrong.


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## Dan Mott (Apr 10, 2013)

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HD280Pro/

I've had these for longer than I can remember. They are good and accurate.

I found that if music sounds great in these headphones, then it will be good outside the studio. I trust them.

Only thing about these is that they are a closed headphone. Good for checking frequency balance, but not so good for depth and volume perception. I wouldn't be adjusting volume levels of a mix on these because everything feels like it's up front. However, I think the freq response is really that good. They are great for tone referencing and recording.


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## antoniopandrade (Apr 10, 2013)

Sennheiser HD650. There are no other headphones that deliver the combination of sound and COMFORT that these do. At least to me.


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## JJP (Apr 10, 2013)

PMortise @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Dude, you read that wrong.



Nah, just forgot to add the wink to show I was kidding you. :wink:


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## Vision (Apr 10, 2013)

antoniopandrade @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Sennheiser HD650. There are no other headphones that deliver the combination of sound and COMFORT that these do. At least to me.



I use HD800's (really good), but I might've waited for the HD700's had I known they were coming out last year. The 650's, though really good, seem a bit bassy to me. 800's seem a bit too clean at times.. but you can actually mix in them pretty well. HD700's from what I've read are somewhere in between. Pricy headphones, but worth the investment if you gotta have the best.


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## chimuelo (Apr 10, 2013)

Basically use the same one sized fits all stuff that hasn't been changed for decades.
Even use the same worthless curly cable that handcuffs you.
In a world where everyone uses the same instruments, why not have the same headphone design from 1965. We could even have a 50 year re union where users will argue which model that wasn't even desgined to work with their personal audiogram made for their ears, talk about whose one size for all model works the best.


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## PMortise (Apr 11, 2013)

JJP @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Nah, just forgot to add the wink to show I was kidding you. :wink:







You got me!


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## antoniopandrade (Apr 11, 2013)

Vision @ Thu Apr 11 said:


> antoniopandrade @ Wed Apr 10 said:
> 
> 
> > Sennheiser HD650. There are no other headphones that deliver the combination of sound and COMFORT that these do. At least to me.
> ...



I actually own the HD600s (I think the 650s are the new 600s... couldn't find them on Amazon) and find them to be very balanced. I notice that so many headphones these days have a pronounced bass response, it's very annoying, and these were a breath of fresh air when I first bought them, and continue to be fantastic after 4 years of continued use. I love the fact that they are open-ear. Sure, you can't use them for tracking live musicians, but for late-night monitoring and extended use they are SO comfortable, it's like snuggling your ears in your favorite childhood blanket. I've actually met several people in the industry that swear by these, even some mastering engineers. 

Although I say that having never tried the 800s or 700s, would be interested to see how they compare!


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## fustrun (Apr 18, 2013)

got the Beyerdynamics DT990 pro and they are absolutly amazing.


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## ghostnote (Apr 18, 2013)

antoniopandrade @ Thu Apr 11 said:


> I actually own the HD600s (I think the 650s are the new 600s... couldn't find them on Amazon) and find them to be very balanced. I notice that so many headphones these days have a pronounced bass response, it's very annoying, and these were a breath of fresh air when I first bought them, and continue to be fantastic after 4 years of continued use. I love the fact that they are open-ear. Sure, you can't use them for tracking live musicians, but for late-night monitoring and extended use they are SO comfortable, it's like snuggling your ears in your favorite childhood blanket. I've actually met several people in the industry that swear by these, even some mastering engineers.


+1 the Senn 600 are incredible Headphones for critical listening. The 650 on the other side are more laid back (people say they sound darker: slightly featured bass/lower mids and lowered highs). I did like that for simply listening to music, very comfortable. Too bad I've sold them but they REALLY needed good amplification which was not possible with my budget. I wouldn't use them to mix overnights because they don't respond well to EQ changes (both of them).



PMortise @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> With the kind of gear John Rodd has, I seriously doubt the SRH-840's are his "go-to" cans. :lol:


I wouldn't say so. They are better for tracking than any Senns or Beyerdynamics. I've ordered them 4 days ago and I have to say the response is very flat (you won't get that with the under 200$ Beyers), everything is very dynamic, even the mids (which you don't get with any of the Senns), plus: you won't get ear fatigue with those phones. They are not pricy and good for critical listening, but (and that's why I've returned them) also INCREDIBLY unconfortable. 



ThomasL @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> I love my AKG K-701.


+1


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## muk (Apr 18, 2013)

For critical listening there are three usual suspects in your pricerange:

AKG K701/702/Q701 (all very similar. 701 and 702 sound identical, Q701 has a little more bass). They are often proposed when it's about classical or otherwise intimate music. For rock, electronica etc. they lack in bass. They are loved for their wide soundstage. But some say it's artificial becuase everything comes from either left or right, but very little from the center. Neutral, analytical, but not "fun" sounding.

Sennheiser HD600: Probably the most neutral of the three, but slightly warm. Because of the pronounced mids they are not as analytical as the other two, i. e. it's more difficult to hear everything that's going on. The positive effect of this is that they are less fatiguing because the highs are less prominent. Very musical and great for listening, but maybe fo studio use the analytical qualities of the other two might be prefered.

Beyerdynamic Dt 880: other than the 770 and 990 they have no bass boost, but just the right (neutral) amount of bass. That's their great advantage over the K701s. Downside is a smaller, yet still very accurate soundstage that is deeper than the AKG's. Instrument separation is great. The treble is slightly pronounced, the mids ever so slightly recessed. Because of the prominent treble they are very detailed (you can clearly hear everything that's going on), but it might be fatiguing in longer sessions.


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## mark812 (Apr 18, 2013)

The only cans I liked as much as my DT 880 Pros were these: http://www.musicdirect.com/p-61000-audeze-lcd-2-headphones.aspx (http://www.musicdirect.com/p-61000-aude ... hones.aspx)


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## BenG (Apr 18, 2013)

I was looking to buy a pair ass well and finally took the plunge and got the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pros and..... they sound FANTASTIC! 

Really nice and even sound, translates well, and they super comfortable. Cannot recommend these enough.


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## Benji (Apr 18, 2013)

Shure SRH 840 without a doubt!! Just gorgeous!


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## tmm (Jul 12, 2013)

Sorry for the slight necrobump, but this is relevant to my interests.

I'm 90% a headphone mixer out of necessity; of course I prefer monitors, but at the times I'm able to do my mixing, monitors are rarely, if ever an option.

I've been using a set of Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs for a _long_ time, and I'm very used to them, and think they sound good. I use them both on their own, and in combination with the Focusrite VRM offered from my interface (a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP - VRM was a game changer for me).

I've been reasonably happy with the quality of the mixes I've created with them. The two things that seem to be lacking (to my ears) are 1) depth and 2) instrument separation. These two things are affected by more than the monitoring source (experience, gear / plugins, etc), but I think the headphones are at least a factor.

I've recently been curious about seeing if there's something better out there.

I read through this thread (and a few more like it) to get some ideas, and ended up picking up a set of Beyer DT770 Pros. They were very comfortable (loved this about them), and sounded _amazing_ for listening to music, but were far too bassy and scooped to work well for mixing; my ATH-M40fs mixes were much more balanced and clear.

So, I returned those, and now I've decided to give round 2 a shot. This time, I'm looking for a little advice.

I really liked the comfort of the Beyers, and I see the DT 880 Pros mentioned a few times here. Is it likely I'd run into the same issues with those? Or are they truly a different product from the DT 770 Pro?

I see the SRH 840s mentioned a lot in this thread, but I tried those at the store when I was checking out the DT 770 Pros, and positively hated them. They sounded anemic and less defined than either my ATH-M40fs (which I brought with me for comparison) or the DT 770 Pros. They also were less comfortable than either.

I see the Senn HD650 / HD600 mentioned a lot here, too. Those are $400 & $300, respectively (no, they're not the same headphones, btw). Would those offer me the features I'm looking for (noted above)? What are the main differences between the two (if you've tried both), and how would they compare with the DT 880 Pros?

Thanks in advance for any help!


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## mark812 (Jul 12, 2013)

DT 770s do have more bass and they are closed, while DT 880 Pros and other open and semi-open cans are more suitable for mixing/mastering. 880s are in the same league as HD 600/650s and AKG K701/702s. 

All are great for critical listening and you won't go wrong with any of these. I did compare them all extensively before buying and ended up with DT 880 Pros. K701 were a second choice but their build quality and comfort is quite inferior to Beyerdynamic's.

Great article about studio cans: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/a ... phones.htm


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## tmm (Jul 12, 2013)

Thanks for that! I'm gunning for the DT880s now. Will report back!


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## muk (Jul 13, 2013)

The Dt880 are great and I'm sure you'll be happy with them. However, if you have the chance, check out the Akg K701 too. I have them and I completely love them. They are suited for mixing because they are so revealing. Plus you can't beat them for instrument separation, at least not if you're willing to spend a lot more. Their stage is incredibly wide.
There's an easy to do and completely reversible mod that gives the K701 slightly more impact in the bass. With this they are perfect for me.

On a sidenote: no need to buy the Dt880 pro. They cost more and the only difference to the comsumer version is a higher clamping force. Plus I've read that one should choose the 250 or 600ohm version as the 32ohm version was said to sound slightly inferior.


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## Jdiggity1 (Jul 13, 2013)

Same boat as Mark812. I tried them all, kept the DT880s. HOwever mine are not the 'pro' edition, but rather the 'premium'. The 600Ohm model to be specific, meaning i power them with a dedicated headphone amplifier (valve). Soooo comfy. I hated the k701's build too. Might be my large head, but i never felt comfortable in them.
The dt880s clamp on my head just enough to hold them on when i 'swoosh' my head around, unlike my dt990s which fall off when i look down.
The DT880 Pro is 250Ohms, where-as a standard pair of earphones (such as apple earbuds) are generally between 32 and 80. This means the DT880 Pros will need extra power in order to output noise at the same volumes. ...meaning some sort of amplification will be needed for best results.

In case you were wondering...
DT880 Pro vs DT880 Premium:
Pro only comes in 250Ohm, Premium comes in 32, 250 or 600.
Pro has a tighter 'clamp' and a coiled lead, the Premium has a longer straight lead and is not as tightly clamped.

Drivers and internal hardware are identical.
Good luck!


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## Sebastian (Jul 14, 2013)

DT880 Pro sounds VERY natural ( no bassboost effect ) but on the other hand they are uncomfortable.
I couldn't workin with these more than 2 hours. That's the reason i sold them. 
As someone ment here the 880PRO / 250Ohm need more power. You'll need it.

The K701 are also great ( more bassboost effect ) . Very comfortable but the sound is not so natural as 880PRO.
Don't get me wrong , they sounds really great ...easy for the ears. Great for the listening and a bit less great for producing comparing to the 880PRO.

The Beyerdynamic T1 , well no sense to describe them. All the way fantastic.

Just one thing. Get the headphones and lern them ( sleep with them :D ). 
That's the key !
In the past i made 4- 5 tracks which beacome a Worldwide hit .....and i made those track on 20 $ headphones. I just know them very well.


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## soundtraktechnoid (Jul 18, 2013)

I use the Beyerdynamic 770 Pros and love them! The sound super nice and have great response in all ranges. I do find them to be bassy sometimes, that why when mixing I have a pair of AKG k240s and I go back and fourth, just like you would on a second set of monitors. I am in a similar situation as you and have now found myself using phones 99 percent of the time, which isn't ideal, but it is what it is. I would look at the 770's or 880's, i doubt you will be let down.


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