Headphones For The Budget Home Studio, what should i buy? Options

[snow]

well, the title says it all.
would love to hear any recommendations on pro-sounding phones in a musician's budget. . .

[rickenbacker]

First off, like anything else, you simply cannot get pro-sounding equipment on a budget. You've got to spend at least a decent amount of cash to get something worthwhile - as a rule of thumb, more than you originally planned to spend and more than you'd spend on the same item for recreational use should be your guide.

Secondhand isn't a bad idea, as long as you can really test them before buying. I got a pair of AKG K-400s, which I like, for £50 and they've served me well for some years now. I also have a pair of Audio Technica Pro6s (the camouflage ones), which give a solid sound and are completely closed, so ideal for recording vocals.

Otherwise, the Sennheiser range is well-known. The HD25s are like the Shure SM57 of studio monitoring headphones - a long-running classic that won't let you down. Not cheap, but they sound great. The BBC uses them a lot, apparently.

There is also an important difference between headphones designed for enjoying pre-recorded music and those designed for studio recording. The latter have no colouration, like the difference between having studio monitor speakers and trying to mix on your hi-fi speakers.

There are hundreds of headphones out there - my advice is to hit a music store and try out as many as you can. Or maybe look up a website like www.studiospares.com and read about a selection of pro headphones designed for making music, then go from there.

And remember: never mix while wearing headphones!