Headphones..??

I have some KRK KNS 8400 headphone. I prefer to compose with headphones, more often than not, mix too. I've had some great results with these. The really show lows and low mids off, which are is problem area is film stuff. I would suggest you get these.

I must say though, they are not HIFI headphones. If you get a good mix with these, then it will sound great on more standard headphones and speakers. The same cant be said vice versa.

I must also stress that using these is not a replacement for a decent set of monitors. You will get by with them, but will get a better understanding of space in your mix with some monitors. When I mix on headphones, everything always sounds up
Front.

DOn't be afraid to buy second hand. That way, if they are not to your liking you can likely sell them for the same money that you bought them.
www.head-fi.org is an excellent resource for opinions and comparisons, as well as second-hand classifieds.
I personally don't find the KRKs worth it. They are very comfortable, but lacking in detail and frequency response.
My personal favourites are the Beyerdynamic dt880s, but they might be a little harder to find at that price.
Another common choice is AKG K701 (Q701 if you want green). The AKG K271mkII are also a good pair to suit closer to your budget.

I use the Audio Technica ATH-M50s and really enjoy them. My only complaint is that they are a snug fit for me and cause a little upper jawline pressure when wearing them for hours on end. But I really dig their sound.

Behringer DT 880 pro, you won't be disappointed. One of the best purchases I made, especially considering I write, record and mix on them.

Translates well in terms of mixing and are super comfortable.

I had the Audio-Technica M30's that just died and replaced them with the KRK 6400s. I really like the KRKs. They do not emphasize the bass as much as the M30's, but those were too bass heavy. The KRKs were meant as a temp pair until I could get some better ones, but I like them quite a bit

BenG @ Mon Aug 12 said:

Behringer DT 880 pro...

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Do you mean Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro?

I'd been using a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40fs for somewhere between 8-10 years, and finally decided in the last month to try something different. I tried out the Beyer DT770 Pro, DT880 Pro, Shure 840s, and some Sennheiser HD380s. The 770s were incredibly comfortable, and sounded awesome for listening to music, but were a little too scooped and low end heavy for good monitoring. The 880s were similar, but without the extreme bass hype. The Shures were very flat sounding to me, too much so, and a little harsh in the highs.

I ended up with the Sennheisers, and have been using them now for a week, wearing them hours per day, and I'm still enjoying them. They have great clarity in the high end without being harsh, a decent sense of depth (not quite as much as the Beyers), and clear, but not overpowering low end. I question whether I should have stepped up to the HD650s, but the HD380s seem to be working for me.

tmm @ Mon Aug 12 said:

BenG @ Mon Aug 12 said:

Behringer DT 880 pro...

Click to expand...

Do you mean Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro?

Click to expand...

Yes:/ sorry, brain-freeze.

Commonly, there are three headphones most often recommended in this pricerange. These are:

Beyerdynamic DT 880 (no need to buy the pro. The only thing they differ from the consumer version is clamping force. Just buy the one that is more comfortable for you, or cheaper. However, get the 250ohm or 600ohm version, as the 32ohm is said to sound slightly inferior).

AKG K701 (or Q701. K702 and K712 are shameless ripoffs. They sound the same, but cost a lot more. The Q701 has better bass response than the K701, but the K701 can easily be modded in 10mins to sound exactly the same. So choose the model you can get cheapest).

Sennheiser HD600.

Some characteristics of each:

DT 880: between the HD600 and the K701. Less 'relaxed' than the Senn, not as bright as the AKG. Maybe the most balanced of the three, but definitely less details/less analytical than the AKG.

AKG K701/Q701: linear frequency response. Slightly reserved bass (which can be balanced with an easy to do, reversible mod). Very clear presentation, a 'detail-monster', showing exactly what's going on. Because of this, it can be fatiguing at times, and for listening 'pleasure' others might be better suited. The HD600 is better suited for relaxed listening. Widest stage of the three, so instrument separation is great. Some find the stage to be artificial, though.

HD600: very balanced, maybe a tad on the warm/dark side. Mids are ever so slightly recessed, making it relaxing/comfortable listening to it over long periods of time. The downside of it: they are not as analytical as the AKG's. Some criticize the "Sennheiser death grip" (=high clamping force). Try them to see whether this is uncomfortable for you.

Whichever headphone you choose, you would not go wrong with either of them (or the others mentioned here). Take your time evaluating which one you like best. Bring your own music, sth you know very well, and compare the headphones directly if you can.
I went with the AKG K701, because I appreciate it's analyticity - you can hear every turning of the page, every breath musicians take, every cough in the audience. Some find this strenous, but I like to hear everything.

this forum's info= awesome.

search by subject title only in this forum = FAIL

Oh well, one time poster...

For future reference:

If you don't mind some diy and have to buy on the cheap, the Fostex T50RP would be the choice. Around 100$, an orthodynamic driver (!) and can be modded to sound awesome. If not done too clumsily it can keep up with the other models mentioned here at less than half the price.

I've been using my pair of ATH-M50s for nearly 3 years now and have no complaints. I'd highly recommend them.

tmm @ Mon Aug 12 said:

...The 770s were incredibly comfortable, and sounded awesome for listening to music, but were a little too scooped and low end heavy for good monitoring. The 880s were similar, but without the extreme bass hype...

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I did a lot of reading before deciding on the Beyerdynamic 770s.
Lots of people say good things about them.

I thought I read that the 880s had a more hyped bass than 770s though. :?

k

770s will have more bass due to them being closed cans. 880's have a more open/detailed sound due to them being semi-open cans. 990's are fully open.

I totally agree that getting customized ear monitors that are designed specifically for your ears, and have no wires handcuffing you, is just too advanced for engineers and composers.
Much wiser to use technology with great marketting slogans describing the same 19th Century approach designed so a single design will please aeveryone since all of their ears are exactly the same.
Why on Earth would Justin Timberlake, and every performer out there use such well designed solutions, when blasting your ears with old designs is still viable.
Since these one size fits all headphones are used by the "pros" everywhere, these performers should be wearing these ancient devices and just extend those century old coiled wires since....

"the needs of the consumers, outweigh the needs of the few or the one."

Spock in the Wrath Of Khan
1984 United/MGM

(o) ~o) (o)

"I totally agree that focusing on the design and fit of a device whose primary function is to produce uncollored sound is a very wise decision."

George W. Bush on a horseback

In the past I used the Sennheiser 600s, Sony MDR-7506 and 7509HDs and the Grado RS-2s. Here are the respective strengths/weaknesses of each versus each other as most of them could potentially be in your budget (either new or used).

- Sony 7509HDs: Big, comfortable, closed with great noise isolation for tracking (I know one Grammy winning artist I worked with was happy when I would bring a pair of mine along to her project studio so she could use them instead of her 7506s). They are not very neutral sounding, nor super up-front but they tend to have a rather larger soundscape with a bit of hype and emphasis towards the highs and lows rather than the mids. Great for tracking with. The most comfortable of the group.

- 7506s: Warmer sounding than the 7509s, with a smaller soundscape, more mids, less hype and no real sound isolation by comparison.

- Sennheiser 600: Largely replaced by the 650s, etc, but open ear, deep soundscape and far less up-front and revealing than the Grados in a lot of genres (but great for ones that really need to look at depth and panning out toward the sides). Comfortable - no isolation. I haven't worked with them as much as the others mentioned and do not own a pair.

- Grado RS-2: My favorite headphones out of the group overall. They are the smaller brother of the Grados you'll see George Massenburg using in some of his sessions. Open ear, up-front sound (great for getting a sense of the detail in snares, etc.), not super-comfortable and the cable design has meant that I've needed to replace the cabling more often than I liked (I'm seriously considering having a new cable put on instead of just replacing it this time).

Anyway, it all depends on what you are looking for. But personally I like switching between different pairs depending on what I'm focusing on or doing.