Headphones Options

[inadaze]

I'm in the market for some new headphones for recording music on my computer. Could anyone suggest a brand that is good? I would also like some idea of what is good quality. Maybe list somethings to look for in a set of headphones...
I'm also a poor student and i'm looking in the range of 100-150 dollars Canadian (or less if possible).

Thanks
Jay

[Synthetic]

I bought some Sony MDR-v600 headphones from Best Buy for $99 and they have served me well. Nice clean sound, good bass response and comfortable. They even come with nice leather carrying bag. They seem like more expensive models really.

[add9]

I guess I can recommend Beyerdynamic from DT 770 and up. Clean, dry sound.
They cost around 200 CAD



"IIIIIIII'm every woman, it's all in me..."

[boze]

I use Audio Technica ATH-M40fs headphones and i've been happy with them. they're old and wearing out now but once I broke the hinge and the folks at AT were just like 'mail them to us and we'll fix them for free and mail them back to you' the whole thing took about a week and i was amazed.

best thing is to go to a store and listen yourself. not a bestbuy where they get mad if you open things but a music store that sells pro audio. they'll still have phones in your pricerange and you'll get to hear them and feel them on your head. pay attention to comfort as well as sound because wearing phones for a long time can make it harder to stay productive if you're feeling all sweatyheaded =)

and if you move around a lot consider a pair that fold up in like those Sony's synthetic mentioned.

good luck!

[jordanl310]

The Sony 7509's are pretty comfy and sound great as well.

But, as boze said, the Audio technica support is top notch. He's the third person that has said they replaced a broken piece of gear with a new one or at least fixed it with no questions asked.

[Barb]

I have the AKG 240 and they are good. Industry standard in recording studios. I am very happy with Sennheiser products and have ordered the 280 Pro. I am told they have a flater responce than the Sony's which I have. Also, the isolation is going to be better. Neumann/Sennheiser. Can't go wrong.

[dave-g]

I love the Sennheiser HD600's for studio monitoring/mixing and even home audio listening. their sound is about as totally neutral as you can get and they are really comfy to wear for hours on end. They are a little pricey though but you can catch them at bargain prices on newegg.com once in a while. I used to have the Sennheiser HD580's and while not quite as refined they are great for most studio work and are about 90% as good as the HD600's for a lot less money.

a great site to check out is www.headphone.com their reviews of each headphone is so honest it's scary. they will clearly tell you which ones to stay away from and even point you to cheaper ones that sound better, all right on the summary page. It's refreshing to hear someone to tell it like it is.
hope this helps,
Dave-g

[CanadaRAM]

AKG K240 Studio Great sound, comfy, decent isolation but not totally closed (so not a DJ 'phone)

I've had K240s for about 16 years, on my third pair (only because my teenaged son appropriated the first 2 for his studio)

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

[macyu]

Since the AKG 240's were mentioned, I'll also put in my props for the AKG K270 Studio and 271 (which is the new version of the 270). The plus for there are that you can also use it for tracking and live recording (where you can't get a booth) because they have some of the best isolation around. They're pretty comfortable, although since it is a closed design, it could get hot after a while. One neat feature is that the headband acts as a mute switch so when you take the phone's off, the sound cuts off. They seem pretty sturdy, and the new 271's are even better because they have detatchable/replaceable cables. However, as far as mixing and general listening headphones, Sennheiser HD600's seem to be the best in my opinion.

[philsen]

in most studios on the planet, the sony mdr-7506 is some kind of standard. great one. there is a newer version out now, the mdr-v700. doesn´t look as good as the old one, but sounds well too. very loud..

[macyu]

in most studios on the planet, the sony mdr-7506 is some kind of standard. great one. there is a newer version out now, the mdr-v700. doesn´t look as good as the old one, but sounds well too. very loud..

Personally I didn't like the sony headphones because of the harsh, brittle sound, but yeah they are a standard in most studios, and it's great for singers and wind instrument players because it gives you the 'air' feel and the high frequencies to prevent you from going flat.

[eaks]

if you can find some used grado labs, go for it. well try em before... I'm still amazed by my sr-325 pristine sound + had an amazing deal at $170 CAD. A must. A little bit less comfort but so many more sound!!!!

[sebalto]

The best i used and the most isolated:
sennheiser HD25. about 180 euros. The hp are articulated so you can without losing the comfort leave one ear opened. I love too its lightness and his discretion during ENG work. Cables are very resistants and easy too change anyway. The most used for broadcast in France.
I will buy one for home work control and classical recording.

[dave-g]

I've gotta agree with eaks on the sound of the Grado's. they are great 'phones for listening, and really make acoustic music come alive. I've never used them in the studio, mostly at home with an ASL triode headphone amp and CAL CL15 CD player and the combo was really musical.

so to clarify my earlier post here are my headphone preferences:
Senn HD 600 for the studio, super comfortable and about as neutral as you can get (or want)
Etymotic ER4s/p for the road & work, might sound better than the HD600's and block out most noise.
Grado SR80 (or higher if you got them) for kicking back with a good jazz cd and bottle of Grey Goose and just enjoying the music... they aren't anywhere near neutral and that's what makes them so good! I haven't spent a lot of time with the 325's, but from what i can remember they were great.

For the Ety's and the Senn I use a Porta Corda II amp for the road and a ASL MG Head 32 Triode amp for home and studio. the grado headphones seem to be really efficient and operate fine straight from the mixer and even my ipod! (your mileage my vary)