Headphone advice.

IceFjoem

I'm in the market for a decent set of headphones. At the moment I'm doing my mixing with your standard 'recreational-listening' headphones and they're boosting the bass frequencies massively and are therefore pretty inappropriate. It's mostly electronic music that I produce but I also do some sound engineering and recording for performances of classical music.

So basically I've a budget of around €100. I'm not looking for top-of-the range anyway, but I want a set that won't boost frequencies and will give me a true representation of the audio. I'd also like a set that I can wear comfortably for long durations. I'm not too worried about spill or noise cancelling or anything. Thanks!

i57dwun4yb1pt8

ath-m50

/thread

IceFjoem

Ye I've seen a lot of positive reviews for the ATH - M50s alright. After doing a bit of digging, it seems the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro and the Audio Technica ATH-M50 are the most popular in that price range (€140-€150). It also seems I'll have to spend about that to get what I'm looking for anyway. Would you have any idea of which would have the most neutral/flat sound?

i57dwun4yb1pt8

i dont think ive ever heard a headphone with a flat sound , maybe the dt150

the athm50s are not too hyped in any one area so id call em flattish .

i think they the closest to listenig to a set of good room monitors you cam get for a resonable price .

the dt770 no experience with

pinksoir

I tried both the at m50s and m35s and decided to go with the 35s because they were flatter overall. That said, I think there are two models of the 50s, one of which has a more hyped bass. xmusic have both so you might be as well to go try them out. bring your own music to listen on them though, cos the dude there could only offer me metal! Luckily i got him to boot up one of the macs which had some decent stuff on it. Kate Bush was a good litmus tester.

Just to add, the m50s are supposed to be more comfortable. I only use my cans for short periods but I've found them to not be the most comfortable, they tend to give me a bit of an ache around the ears.

IceFjoem

Awesome, thanks a mil for the responses guys! Ye I'll be wearing the headphones for long stretches of time so comfort is a big issue, good to know that about the M50s pinksoir, cheers!

TroutMask

Did you see this recent thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056829081

IceFjoem

Hey Trout, just reading it now, cheers for that! I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go for the Dt 770s, although, the price of the m40s is alluring alright, would they even compare with the 770s though?

TroutMask

yeh - they're pretty good - I'm kinda addicted to my Sonys - only cos I know them so well and have had them so long

IceFjoem

Are you talking about a set of Sony MDR-7508s or the HD - 25s? The HD-25s are probably a bit out of my price range, but how would the 7508s compare with the DT-770s in your opinion?

TroutMask

Well, the HD-25's are Sennheiser - i like 'em but never bother to buy a pair because..... i have the Sony's. Sounds silly, I know, it's just because I've had them so long and know them so well - and know how to judge a mix on them, even the bass. The BeyerDynamic DT0-770's are a well-respected can - and I daresay if I got used to them (or the HD 25) i'd probably not use the Sony's.

Maybe it's because I did a lot of mixing in the US - Sony Professional had more market penetration there so you could pick 'em up for a buck 'n' change.

Anyway, I'm so used to them now I doubt I'll ever change - but I suppose that says something as I do like/use hi-end monitoring like Genelec and Dynaudio, and I don't end up making a face when I A/B between the speakers and the cans. I'd say the Sony's are the NS 10's of cans (without the shrill shizzle or the no-bass) - you can triangulate a mix very fast on 'em - and it translates well to different speakers.

IceFjoem

Ha, my bad! Just had a surf of the interweb there and couldn't find anything on the MDR-7508s actually, was that a typo in the other thread, were you actually referring to the MDR-7506s? http://www.thomann.de/ie/sony_mdr7506_kopfhoerer.htm

Really appreciate the advice anyway, how are the Sonys for comfort?

TroutMask

Sorry, yes they are the MDR-7506 - the numbers are so worn on mine it was hard to read them. They are very comfortable - I replaced the foams once and the cable a couple of times.