Hi. My headphones just shit the bed. They were OK but not really amazing and I was thinking of an upgrade anyway. Mostly I use them to listen to my modular synth and recording on my computer. I am not a pro engineer. I generally wouldn’t wear them outside. I do want something that I can hear the lowest bass and something that wont hurt my wee lil noggin. Undecided about open vs. closed back. Looking online, I see a huge range of prices and I’m not sure what the ultimate difference is.

Can I get a reasonably decent pair that wont break (or that’s repairable) for like a couple three hundred-ish?

Please help.

I'm terrible with headphone model numbers, but I've had a few different closed back pairs from Sennheiser and Audio Technica in the apx $100 range that all work great.

The big caveat is these are all used for tracking only. You might have higher standards for their performance.

My friend has the typical Beyers that go for a couple hundred bucks. He mixes on them and likes them. I've never tried them but it would be nice to do a side by side with my workhorses as the Beyers are clearly the next price point class up.

turnbullac wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 4:09 pm My headphones just shit the bed.

Which ones shit the bed?

brephophagist wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 6:43 pm

turnbullac wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 4:09 pm My headphones just shit the bed.

Which ones shit the bed?

Sennheiser HD 280s. They sounded OK but i knew i could do better. Then they started glitching out. Had em maybe a year and a half. I’d pay more for a sturdier pair that would last longer.

Just one person's opinion, but with mixing, using headphones for reference, you'll generally want something kind of flat/uncolored, maybe not the ideal thing for recreational use. So as mentioned in this post, something like a pair of Audio-Technica M50s or Beyerdynamic DT770s, neither of which would be super pricey. Have owned pairs of the former for a while and just got a pair of the latter (the 250 ohm ones) today, and think they do the trick.

The Audio Technica M40 are tuned flat for reference mixing purposes. They are cheaper than the M50 but probably not going to double as recreational cans!

The akg k702 open backs are great. Open backs will give you more soundstage, are less fatiguing, and all over gentler to have on one’s head. No isolation obviously.

If you want hyper-detail, the the Audio Technica ATH mrs7 will scan more hyper-dimensional high-end into your brain that you most other cans out there.

If you mix on hd-25 then you will probably get “that sound” as these were the cans of choice for a lot of 90s electronica, from house and techno to ambient and breaks etc.

If you have some reference tracks and are near a good audio/dj/studio store, then they should have a wall setup with fifty-odd pairs that you can try. Always fun and very revealing. If so then take the time to let your ears adjust between each pair

I haven't used the M40 or M50, but I can tell you that you SHOULD NOT get the Audio Technica M30s. I bought 2 pair years ago as they were a step up from the crap I had previously. But they suck. They squeeze my head and are a guaranteed headache after 20 min or so. They only feel mildly uncomfortable when they are on, but after a few hours of tracking or mixing, I take them off my head hurts for the rest of the day. They also creak and squeak when you move your jaw which caused major aggravation during mixing. I finally ditched them for some Ultrasones and they are infinitely better in every way.

DaveA wrote: Beyerdynamic DT770s

Had a pair of these for many years until one side sounded blown out and the muffs were stained from hair grease (eww). Excellent cans for low end, and they've come down a lot in price in recent years. If isolation isn't a concern get the open back version though (990s? I think).

Sony MDR-7506 have been my go-to cans for almost 20 years now. Great for tracking, good for reference when mixing.

For critical listening, I have a pair of Grados.

Tom Wanderer wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:53 am I haven't used the M40 or M50, but I can tell you that you SHOULD NOT get the Audio Technica M30s. I bought 2 pair years ago as they were a step up from the crap I had previously. But they suck. They squeeze my head and are a guaranteed headache after 20 min or so. They only feel mildly uncomfortable when they are on, but after a few hours of tracking or mixing, I take them off my head hurts for the rest of the day. They also creak and squeak when you move your jaw which caused major aggravation during mixing. I finally ditched them for some Ultrasones and they are infinitely better in every way.

I've had a pair of M40x for most of the pandemic that I got because they were the flattest response for the $. I've been wearing them for 4 hours give or take every Sunday without issue and I have a BIG HEAD. I've also used the Sony MDRs everyone loves that Nate mentioned and find them pretty uncomfortable for my head. Because everyone's head is different, I recommend trying headphones on if you can. The M40x are way better for mixing than the ancient cheapo AKGs (K55?) I was using for two decades but I'd still like to upgrade even further eventually.