Decent Production Headphones

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:06 am

Johnny Beat wrote:These aren't pro, are they?

Sexy as hell though!

You referring to the K701/k702? They are professional reference grade headphones yes. Audiophiles like em too.

subindex · Post by **subindex** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:25 am

i got some b dynamic dt100 there fuckin dope

Mad_EP · Post by **Mad_EP** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:50 am

Personally, I like my Sony MDR-V6's.

I've tried the Sennheisers & Beyerdynamics & AKGs... just didn't fly right with me. To be honest, I am still growing into them a bit, as my mainstay for the previous 4-5 years were Sony MDR-V600's... which I also liked and did some really great mixes with. I find the V6s to be even more straightforward, but even after a few months, I am still learning their every nuance.

Which brings up the most important point- regardless headphones or proper monitors... people will always have preferences. There is no silver bullet set of cans that are perfect. There are good ones and bad ones and in-the-middle ones... but at the end of the day, none of that is as important as LEARNING what you have. If you truly know your headphones/monitors in & out, your ears will compensate and do you right. The best thing you can ever do when you buy a new set of headphones is to listen to every record (album, single, etc) you have and start to learn how they sound. Once you've done that, do it again- this time focusing on the records you have had the longest (and know the best because you have heard them on 7 different stereos, in 4 different cars, and on 3 different headphones). Those are your references... you know how they should sound and by listening to them over and over you will learn (consciously or subconsciously) the fingerprint of your headphones/monitors and be able to start to use them effectively as tools.

Each time I get a new set up (whether it be headphones, monitors, or moving my studio into a new room)... I don't do any work for at least a week or two. I just listen. A lot. and I learn.

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:28 pm

mad ep wrote:Personally, I like my Sony MDR-V6's.

I've tried the Sennheisers & Beyerdynamics & AKGs... just didn't fly right with me. To be honest, I am still growing into them a bit, as my mainstay for the previous 4-5 years were Sony MDR-V600's... which I also liked and did some really great mixes with. I find the V6s to be even more straightforward, but even after a few months, I am still learning their every nuance.

Which brings up the most important point- regardless headphones or proper monitors... people will always have preferences. There is no silver bullet set of cans that are perfect. There are good ones and bad ones and in-the-middle ones... but at the end of the day, none of that is as important as LEARNING what you have. If you truly know your headphones/monitors in & out, your ears will compensate and do you right. The best thing you can ever do when you buy a new set of headphones is to listen to every record (album, single, etc) you have and start to learn how they sound. Once you've done that, do it again- this time focusing on the records you have had the longest (and know the best because you have heard them on 7 different stereos, in 4 different cars, and on 3 different headphones). Those are your references... you know how they should sound and by listening to them over and over you will learn (consciously or subconsciously) the fingerprint of your headphones/monitors and be able to start to use them effectively as tools.

Each time I get a new set up (whether it be headphones, monitors, or moving my studio into a new room)... I don't do any work for at least a week or two. I just listen. A lot. and I learn.

I have heard of people using hi-fi speakers and getting good results. No one says you can't but I can't believe you seriously considered those brands and then chose the Sony's over them. I have the Sony's, strictly for djing. I can't listen to them for more then 30 minutes without them hurting my ears and getting uncomfortable in general. They also have a huge bass boost and top end boost, no where near flat and are confusing to listen to IMO. They do make great cans for djing tho.

Mad_EP · Post by **Mad_EP** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:19 am

I know the Sony's aren't flat... but neither are the others. I don't think there is a clear cut winner- at which point it is going to come down to preference. You said the Sony's hurt your ears and are uncomfortable to you. I have never had that problem, but if I did, they certainly wouldn't be a preference of mine either.

All of the headphones I have ever heard were guilty of coloring the sound in one way or another. Its just a matter of how much and in what way(s). Which is why my main point was- regardless what headphones anyone finally decides on, the most important thing to do is to really learn the headphones you get.

silentk · Post by **silentk** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:33 am

I've just got an old pair of Sennheiser HD480 II working and they sound pretty nice to me, though my ears arn't really trained enough to know much more than that . Does anyone else know if they are any good for production/mixing purposes?

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:18 am

abZ wrote:
fiziks wrote:
abZ wrote:I just got these bad boys as a Christmas present to myself

Unfortunately there is what I think is a bad solder in one cup I have to tilt the left ear cup to get sound to come out. So I will be getting a replacement.
Those look dope!! fucker!

Also, for everyone using Sony DJ headphones as production headphones, just don't. Seriously, get yourself some AKG's like above or Ultrasones or something that's semi-open or fully open backs. My 240S's were only $99.00 sound great. Those fucking 702's look proper though!
Don't use ANY dj headphones for production IMO. I agree open or semi open back headphones FTW. I would recommend doing some extensive research and plan on spending some money. You will have them for yonks it's worth the investment.

My next thing is getting a headphone amp. Good ones are more expensive than the cans themselves but if you get the good high impedance jobs you will need an amp. Talked to my audiophile buddy and he told me to build one myself so I have been looking into that. Might make this one...

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/

Doesn't look too difficult if you can solder.

Could someone explain what this means and why it's better than closed back?

I can't afford proper monitors so looking to get some good headphones for mixing down tunes for now, but also ones I can use for dj'ing. This thread's pointing me towards the HD-25 but they're closed back? Cheers.

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:26 am

boyd wrote:
abZ wrote:
fiziks wrote:
abZ wrote:I just got these bad boys as a Christmas present to myself

Unfortunately there is what I think is a bad solder in one cup I have to tilt the left ear cup to get sound to come out. So I will be getting a replacement.
Those look dope!! fucker!

Also, for everyone using Sony DJ headphones as production headphones, just don't. Seriously, get yourself some AKG's like above or Ultrasones or something that's semi-open or fully open backs. My 240S's were only $99.00 sound great. Those fucking 702's look proper though!
Don't use ANY dj headphones for production IMO. I agree open or semi open back headphones FTW. I would recommend doing some extensive research and plan on spending some money. You will have them for yonks it's worth the investment.

My next thing is getting a headphone amp. Good ones are more expensive than the cans themselves but if you get the good high impedance jobs you will need an amp. Talked to my audiophile buddy and he told me to build one myself so I have been looking into that. Might make this one...

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/

Doesn't look too difficult if you can solder.
Could someone explain what this means and why it's better than closed back?

I can't afford proper monitors so looking to get some good headphones for mixing down tunes for now, but also ones I can use for dj'ing. This thread's pointing me towards the HD-25 but they're closed back? Cheers.

You should really go check some out in person. Open backed phones sound more natural, more like listening to speakers in a perfectly treated room and with total separation. They are much easier on the ears too. I wouldn't recommend them for djing tho as sound leaks out the sides and outside sounds also leak in.

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:05 pm

abZ wrote:
boyd wrote:
abZ wrote:
fiziks wrote:
abZ wrote:I just got these bad boys as a Christmas present to myself

[img]http://media.audiojunkies.com/akg-k702- ... -audio.jpg

Unfortunately there is what I think is a bad solder in one cup I have to tilt the left ear cup to get sound to come out. So I will be getting a replacement.
Those look dope!! fucker!

Also, for everyone using Sony DJ headphones as production headphones, just don't. Seriously, get yourself some AKG's like above or Ultrasones or something that's semi-open or fully open backs. My 240S's were only $99.00 sound great. Those fucking 702's look proper though!
Don't use ANY dj headphones for production IMO. I agree open or semi open back headphones FTW. I would recommend doing some extensive research and plan on spending some money. You will have them for yonks it's worth the investment.

My next thing is getting a headphone amp. Good ones are more expensive than the cans themselves but if you get the good high impedance jobs you will need an amp. Talked to my audiophile buddy and he told me to build one myself so I have been looking into that. Might make this one...

[img]http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutor ... utside.jpg

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/

Doesn't look too difficult if you can solder.
Could someone explain what this means and why it's better than closed back?

I can't afford proper monitors so looking to get some good headphones for mixing down tunes for now, but also ones I can use for dj'ing. This thread's pointing me towards the HD-25 but they're closed back? Cheers.
You should really go check some out in person. Open backed phones sound more natural, more like listening to speakers in a perfectly treated room and with total separation. They are much easier on the ears too. I wouldn't recommend them for djing tho as sound leaks out the sides and outside sounds also leak in.

Hmm, so open back would be better for production but closed back necessary for djing.. I can only afford one pair, so closed back (HD25's) probably makes more sense if I need them to cover both untill I can afford proper monitors?

coxy · Post by **coxy** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:06 pm

just started using some Audio-Technica ATH-A500 monitor headphones. sound sweet and comfortable as fuck.

scooterjack · Post by **scooterjack** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:33 pm

it's hard to express in words how much i loathe closed-back headphones.

coxy · Post by **coxy** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:40 pm

nowaysj wrote:I've had some uncomfortable fucks...

true

mr bastard · Post by **mr bastard** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:59 pm

thought this would be helpful....its quite brief but its technically accurate

http://www.headwize.com/articles/hguide_art.htm

oh and i used a pair of sennheiser HD650's on a job the other day, and in my opinion these are one of the best, and in many top flight engineers eyes the best, pairs of mix headphones on the planet.....

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/pr ... id=USHD650

baydestrian · Post by **baydestrian** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:05 pm

280 HD pro's (SENNHEISER) are pretty soli, for $100.

breakbait · Post by **breakbait** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:14 pm

I got a pair of K 701s today

I like them very much

wirez · Post by **wirez** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:30 pm

I'm going to look into these ultrasones everyone is going mad about them!!

brownandgammon · Post by **brownandgammon** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:13 pm

Reading this thread has not made my search for headphones any easier... it has in fact complicated things... quite considerably one might say

I think im swaying towards the ultrasones though...

Decent Production Headphones

Re: Decent Production Headphones

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