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What headphones or monitors (speakers) should I buy?


zircon
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If you want the best of the best for headphones and monitors:

headphones: Sennheiser HD-650: $499.99

Monitors: Yamaha HS50M 5' Powered Monitor: $199.99 each

This stuff is pretty much industry standard nowadays. Especially the yamaha hs50M's they are so crisp and clear you would think they are digital monitors.

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What's the consensus on the analoq-endorsed Grado headphones? Are they too impractical due to being open-eared? Aaron mentioned the sound quality was pretty good.
Wouldn't the most accurate headphones be Grado RS1's? Closed headphones are inherently less "natural" sounding.

Well, yes, but the price range is pretty high on those. Also, the AKG K701 is good at that $500-$600 price range, and is a suitable competitor to the RS1.

If you happen to like the Grado sound but want more neutrality (Grado's aren't neutral, they tend to be bright cans, well, anything below the SR325 models, at least), I suggest to get Alessandro Music Series headphones:

http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

I own the MS1 and, at $99, they are a very good deal. They are pretty much modified a Grado SR125, and sound very pleasant, can handle all genres nicely, and best of all, sound great without a dedicated headphone amp due to the low ohms (32ohms), though they do benefit more with a decent amp. The SR125 are brighter and just cost more than the MS1, so I'd just go for the MS1 (keep in mind that most people get hooked in the Grado lineup with the SR60 or SR80, which are Grado's entry level cans, so the SR125 is higher up in the chain).

I highly recommend these, especially if you are outside the US and want to try the Grado-ish sound (Grado prices outside the US are just too high).

As far as them being "open," well, they do leak a lot, but if you're in a quiet room, it isn't a problem. Also, it lets you hear any outside noise, or if someone happens to call for you, you won't be totally oblivious to them calling out your name, so I like that. However, for commuting on bus and the like, ANY open can, no matter how expensive, just cannot drown out the noise enough for you to enjoy the music, which means you will most likely pump up the volume to compensate for this and feed your ear dangerous volume levels of music.

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Just wanted to toss this in: largely because of recommendations on this site, I picked up a pair of KRK RP5s last week, and am really pleased with them. Listened to a bunch of other monitors in the same $300-400/pair price range at a Guitar Center and these sounded the flattest and clearest. Thanks for the recommendation, OCR. It really is a whole new world of sound through decent monitors. :S

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i use a $40 pair of Maxell NC-II noise canceling headphones with closed cabinet. they perform very well...except on real heavy bass

As far as them being "open' date='" well, they do leak a lot, but if you're in a quiet room, it isn't a problem. Also, it lets you hear any outside noise, or if someone happens to call for you, you won't be totally oblivious to them calling out your name, so I like that. However, for commuting on bus and the like, ANY open can, no matter how expensive, just cannot drown out the noise enough for you to enjoy the music, which means you will most likely pump up the volume to compensate for this and feed your ear dangerous volume levels of music.[/quote']

That is why i like the closed headphones despite the slight quality degradation. besides a good pair of closed headphones shold be able to compensate for that effect anyway.

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I got those same headphones. I've had em for about a month. They are the only monitor headphones I've had so I don't have much to compare to. I really do like them though. The big thing for me is the response from sounds that are near/far/left/right. In all the reviews I've read the only criticism I've heard is that the response is a lil greater for high and low freq. The quality for price they can't be beat IMO. I really like em.

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nobody has posted on this subject in a while, but I just got the sennhieser HD650's and the sound is truelly amazing! I bought these for composing, since most of the time I work on my music late at night and I dont want to wake everyone in the house. some people say these headphones are great for listening but not creating. I highly disagree! I have only read good things about these headphones, and when I saw that it had the most perfect frequency reponse on head room (headphone.com) I was sold. I apgrade from Audio-Technica's ATH-M50's and the upgrade was worth it! these are the only headphone I have ever wore that gave me a sense of depth and feel for where the sound is comming from. I listend to some orchistra tracks and when I closed my eyes I felt almost as if I was listening to a live performance. every other headphones Ive used gave me a sense that the sound is comming from the center of my head rather than around me. rock music sounds as powerfull as it should sound through these headphones.

the most important thing I can say about these headphones is that I can hear things in a song that I have never heard before. that includes problems in my own music.

I highly recomend these headphones for anyone composing music. the only thing I wouldnt recomend the headphones for is recording or anything else that requires noise insolating. obveously sealed back headphones are much better in this case. these headphones are so "open" that you can hear pretty much everything outside of the headphones. for example, Im listening to music right now at a mid volume and I can here the the clicks comming from keyboard. so these wouldnt block out screaming babies on an airline.

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enough people have already mentioned the mid-range sennheisers (HD280's), and they are a good bang for the buck; they and the audio-technica atm40fs are decent starting headphones for those wanting something to mix with

a great mid-range set of mixing headphones would be the audio-technica ath-m50's, and they are standard in mixing booths that do a lot of hiphop work

at the really high end, the sennheiser hd650s are golden; to lithe, these are incredible for mixing work, but the key is using them in an acoustically treated environment...

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  • 2 months later...
audio technica ath-m50's

I have a pair of these too. I absolutely love them! they have a decently level, full range frequency response. probably the best sealed back headphones out there. very well insulated and great for vocals and other types of recording.

I usually use my ath m50's for recording, and final mastering with my sennhieser HD650's. that is until I get my Adam a7 monitors in about two weeks...

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hey,

i'm not trying to mix anything. or make music. i want a pair of great headphones that i can listen to music on.

i've been looking at the A40 by astrogaming which apparently does an amazing job of both a headset and great sound quality but i'd like to hear from you people

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Has anyone here had any experience with the KRK VXT series Monitors? I was thinking of getting one to be used in my room while I work on my tracks and projects. I've saved up a bit already and don't want it to go to waste on my 1st Monitor purchase.

Here is the link for anyone who is interested http://www.krksys.com/product_vxt.php

My budget would be preferably around USD$250, and I'm also open to suggestions if anyone has any other ideas for monitors (even if its out of the budget, I'll look at it). Thanks again

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Hey folks, just ringing in here for anybody looking. I just bought some Alesis M1Active 520 monitors ($200 at Sweetwater). They sound very good to me. They are no JBL's, but for $200 you get an incredible sound and I am impressed enough to keep them. I'm listening to "Human Race" by DHS and the bass is very full! But I think where it shines is its Mids to Highs.

75 Watts per monitor

Bi-Amped

Room Correction settings

Silk Tweeter

Power light doubles as a clip notifier

And more....

Just my 3 cents :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

If you can't use monitors because 1. it'll wake everyone up, and 2. your room is untreated.

Then here are some good recommendations on headphones.

AKG 701/702, Beyerdynamic DT880/770/150/250, Sennheiser HD600/650/280, AKG K240DF, AKG K271 MKII, Sony 7509/7506/v6, Equation RP-21, Fostex T50RP, GMP 8.35, Audio Technica M50, and Ultrasone Pro 750.

Though be aware that some of them require a headphone amp for it to be driven properly.

Below is the estimate street price if you buy used. I copied this from an old thread I created a year ago from another forums. The purpose of the thread was to collect information on what was the most "detailed and revealing" headphones there are. Not all headphones I listed above will show on the list below.

Circumaural / Full-Sized Headphones

Closed

Beyerdynamic DT150 [$200]

Ultrasone Proline 750 [$200-$400]

Beyerdynamic DT 48E [$300-$400]

Audio Technica ATH-W5000[$500-$700]

Stax SR-4070 [$1350-$1500]

Sony MDR-R10 [Discontinued]

Open

Ultrasone Proline 2500 [$190-$275]

AKG K701 [$200-$250]

Sennheiser HD600 [$200-$300]

Sony MDR-SA5000 [$300-$380]

Stax SR-404 [$325-$425]

Ergo AMT 2 [$1100-$1400]

Stax SR-007 Omega II [$1500-$2000]

AKG K1000 [Discontinued]

Sony Qualia Q10 [Discontinued]

Sennheiser H90 "Orpheus" [Discontinued]

Sennheiser HD800 [$1400]

Semi-closed

Beyerdynamic DT 880 2005 250ohms [$200-$300]

Supraural Headphones

Closed

Sennheiser HD 25-1 II [$130-$200]

Ultrasone Edition 9 [$1050-$1500]

In-Ear Monitors (IEM)

Etymotic ER-4S [$140-$180]

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Hey all.

I have a possible $400 to spend on stuff and I'm considering something like monitors. However based on this thread I've heard a few things.

First, my room is definitely untreated. Is this a huge factor? Like, does it basically mean I waste $400 if I put them in an untreated room?

Second, the thread recommends against low-end monitors, like those in the $400 range. I am wondering, with the recent explosion of inexpensive studio monitors, if this still holds true.

Currently I mix on headphones but I'm kind of getting mixed results with them and I am wondering if I can improve my mixing abilities. Perhaps you can recommend if monitors are a good idea, or if I should consider something else (for example, to simply mix more, or read a book) until I can get a stronger setup.

Regards,

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i'll be purchasing a set of grado music series two headphones in a few days. there's a dealer at my school, and he gave me excellent pricing options on it (they're normally 300$ or so, and i'm getting it for 155!). i'll also be purchasing a set of sennheiser HD280 pros for using as a monitor during recording (the MS two headphones are open ear, so i can't use them while i'm recording myself).

i'll post some feedback when i get them in. the guy's on vacation till the 20th, and hopefully they'll be in when he's back in town.

edit: interestingly enough, he's selling the 700$ model for 320. i don't want wood headphones, though :<

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