[Sinocelt]

All-purpose studio headphones are closed (for monitoring) and must translate well to near-field monitors (for mixing/mastering). Ideally, they should also be comfortable and durable. I thought it could be interesting to make a list of the top contenders, regardless of price. I try to list only one item per brand. Moreover, for the sake of consistency and comparability, I only list measurements from the same source: InnerFidelity. Tyll Hertsens, who made the measurements, posted in this thread.

• Adam Audio Studio Pro SP-5 (MSRP US$499.99)
• AKG K872 Pro (MSRP US$1,499)
• Audio Technica ATH-A2000Z (MSRP US$649.00)
• Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro (MSRP US$599.99)
• Brainwavz HM5 (MSRP US$129.50)
• Centrance Cerene dB (MSRP US$199.99)
• Focal Professional Spirit Professional (measurements) (MSRP US$399.00)
• Fostex T50RP Mk3 (measurements) (MSRP US$159.00)
• German Maestro GMP 8.35 D Monitor (MSRP €165.00)
• Harlan Hogan Voice Over Headphones (MSRP US$149.00)
• iSK HD-9999 (MSRP US$79.00)
• Koss Pro4S (MSRP US$149.99)
• KRK KNS 8400 (MSRP US$249.99)
• Marshall Monitor Headphone (MSRP US$200) or Monitor Bluetooth Headphone (MSRP US$249)
• Neumann NDH 20 (MSRP US$619)
• Phonon SMB-02 (MSRP US$349)
• Pioneer HRM7 (MSRP US$329)
• Sennheiser HD 6 Mix (measurements) (MSRP US$279.95) or HD 26 Pro (MSRP US$319.95)
• Shure SHR940 (measurements) (MSRP US$299.00)
• Sony MDR-7520 [/size](measurements) (MSRP US$499.99)
• Status Audio CB-1 (MSRP US$79.00)
• Teac CT-H02 (MSRP US$49.99)
• Ultrasone Signature Pro (MSRP US$1,299.95)
• Yamaha HPH-MT8 (MSRP US$329.00)

Possible top contenders, though not marketed as studio monitors:

• AKG K550 (measurements) (MSRP US$349.95)
• Audeze LCD-XC (MSRP US$1,799)
• Dan Clark Audio ÆON 2c [a.k.a. ÆON Flow 2, closed] (MSRP US$899.99)
  
• Paradox Audio Paradox Headphones (MSRP US$495.00)
• NAD Viso HP50 (measurements) (MSRP US$299.00)
• Oppo PM-3 (measurements) (MSRP US$399.00)

Mixing/mastering only (open headphones):

• AKG K812 (MSRP US$1,499.00)
• Audeze LCD-1 (MSRP US$399.00)
• Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO (MSRP US$599.00)
  
• Sennheiser HD 800 (measurements) (MSRP US$1499.95) or, less detailed but possibly more neutral, HD 600 (measurements) (MSRP US$399.95)
• Shure SRH 1840 (measurements) (MSRP US$699.99)
• Stax SR-009 (measurements) (MSRP US$4,450.00)

Formerly on this page:

• Audeze LCD 3 (measurements) (MSRP US$1,945.00) or LCD-X (measurements) (MSRP US$1,699.00) [Removed in favor of the LCD-1.]
• Audio Technica ATH-M50x (measurements) (MSRP US$239.00) [Removed in favor of the ATH-A2000Z.]
• Audio Technica ATH-M70x (MSRP US$419.00) [Removed in favor of the ATH-A2000Z.]
• AKG K240 DF [Discontinued.]
• AKG K612 Pro (measurements) (MSRP US$199.00) [Open. Removed in favor of the K812.]
  
• Beyerdynamic DT 150 (MSRP US$299.00) [Still worth considering in noisy environments.]
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (179.99) [Removed in favor of the DT 1770 Pro.]
• Beyerdynamic DT 1350 (MSRP US$449.99) [Removed in favor of the DT 1770 Pro.]
• MrSpeakers Æon (measurements) (MSRP US$799.99) [Discontinued.]
• Shure SRH1540 (measurements) (MSRP US$624.00) [Bass north of neutral.]
• Stax 4070 [Discontinued.]
• Yamaha HPH-MT220 (measurements) (MSRP US$399.00) [Discontinued.]

 

[dc5itr329]

Subscribed!  Interested in hearing other opinions!

 

[wolfetan44]

LFF's Paradox.

 

[Sinocelt]

  LFF's Paradox.

 
Didn't you describe them as mid-forward (rather than linear) in your review? 

 

[John Willett]

Closed headphones are not really very good for mixing and mastering - open headphones are better for this.
 
Good tracking headphones are the Sennheiser HD 215 (and HD 215 II) which are affordable, can be worn one-eared and are great for musicians in the studio (and cheap enough as to be not too much of a problem if they get trashed by a frustrated muso.).
 
For monitoring on location the Sennheiser HD 25-1 are the top of my list (and what I have used for almost 25 years), though the new HD 26 Pro should be equally as good.  These are aso great for listening to detail in a mix.
 
For editing and mastering I use the HD 800 which is considerably better than anything else I have heard (at any price).  At a lower price, the HD 700, HD 650 and HD 600 are also good for this as is also the AKG K701 and 702 (and I have heard the 712 is also good).
 
My own set-up is a Grace m903 monitor controller with HD 800, HD 250 and HD 25-1, though I have a bagful of various headphones that can be used for musos.

 

[Sinocelt]

  Closed headphones are not really very good for mixing and mastering - open headphones are better for this.

 
Certainly. But I had to set parameters to the selection (or start two threads). This is an "if you could have only one pair of headphones" kind of thread, but you could also call it a "best monitoring headphones, regardless of price" thread and it would make little difference. Monitoring headphones should be closed, yet as neutral as possible, so the best monitoring headphones would also be the best closed mixing/mastering headphones (even taking into account the fact that spatial clues are much less important when monitoring than when mixing/mastering).
 

  For monitoring on location the Sennheiser HD 25-1 are the top of my list (and what I have used for almost 25 years)

 
They're discontinued, however. The HD 6 Mix seems to be its replacement for monitoring purposes. The HD 6 Mix is also higher on Sennheiser's totem pole than the HD 215 II. (Granted, a higher price tag isn't always a guaranty of sonic superiority, even within a same brand.)

 

[John Willett]

  For monitoring on location the Sennheiser HD 25-1 are the top of my list (and what I have used for almost 25 years), though the new HD 26 Pro should be equally as good.  These are aso great for listening to detail in a mix.

 

  They're discontinued, however. The HD 6 Mix seems to be its replacement for monitoring purposes. The HD 6 Mix is also higher on Sennheiser's totem pole than the HD 215 II. (Granted, a higher price tag isn't always a guaranty of sonic superiority, even within a same brand.)

 
Not according to the Sennheiser website - in fact there is also a new version of the HD 25-1 called the HD 25-1 BASIC.
 
The HD 25-1 II (which was released quite a few years ago) is identical to the original HD 25-1 - the only difference was a longer cable (1.5m instead of 1.2m) and that the new cable had a screw-on ¼" adaptor instead of a push-on one.
 
The HD 26 Pro will eventually replace the HD 25, I think, not the HD Mix series.
 
The HD 215 II are the ideal studio muso headphones because of the price and leaves them in the "trashable" bracket - there there are better ones in the range.
 
My personal wish is that Sennheiser would use the ring driver technology of the HD 800 to make a really great set of closed cans that would be equally as good in the studio as they are for the connoisseur at home wanting to listen to music while his/her partner wants to watch the TV.

 

[Sinocelt]

  The HD 215 II are the ideal studio muso headphones because of the price and leaves them in the "trashable" bracket - there there are better ones in the range.

 
OK, then it doesn't belong in my "price no object" list (but thank you for mentioning it).
 
 

  The HD 26 Pro will eventually replace the HD 25, I think, not the HD Mix series.

 
The HD 7 are inspired by the legendary HD 25.
As for the HD 8, acoustically, they are inspired by the legendary HD 25.
 
You gotta wonder how their new line fits with the old.
 
 

  My personal wish is that Sennheiser would use the ring driver technology of the HD 800 to make a really great set of closed cans that would be equally as good in the studio as they are for the connoisseur at home wanting to listen to music while his/her partner wants to watch the TV.

 
I only auditionned the HD 800 once and the amp wasn't very powerful, but my impressions was that the highs were a little hyped.

 

[John Willett]

  I only auditioned the HD 800 once and the amp wasn't very powerful, but my impressions was that the highs were a little hyped.

 
The HD 800 are the most neutral and revealing headphones I have ever heard.
 
They are *very* revealing of the source - so they will show up the fact that a bright microphone was used in the recording and everything that was used in the chain from the mic. to your ears - so they will reveal all the deficiencies of the amp. you used (which is why I use the Grace m903).
 
I use mine with my own recordings made with top-end microphones, recorded at 24/96 and with no artificial effects added.  Listening like this to a solo piano recording I made the recording through the HD 800 sounds exactly like the real piano sounded in the room when I put out the microphones to make the original recording.  So my opinion of the HD 800 is comparing the sound to the original live instrument.

 

[Sinocelt]

  I use mine with my own recordings made with top-end microphones

 
Which ones? (I actually know microphones better than headphones. The best ones I currently own are a Gefell M930 Art, a Sennheiser MKH416, and a Sennheiser MD441).
 

  So my opinion of the HD 800 is comparing the sound to the original live instrument.

 
Thanks for sharing.

 
But you're right then, we need a closed version. Too bad the laws of physics are against us on that one.

 

[John Willett]

   
Which ones? (I actually know microphones better than headphones.)
 

 
 
The mics I use for piano are Sennheiser MKH 20, Sennheiser MKH 8020, Neumann KM 183-D, Neumann KM 131-D or Gefell M 221.
 
That particular recording was completely digital and made with the Neumann KM 183-D (mounted vertically as they were in the nearfield) - the recording session was originally written up on the Sound On Sound forum HERE.

 

[Sinocelt]

  That particular recording was completely digital and made with the Neumann KM 183-D (mounted vertically as they were in the nearfield)

 
Wow. First time I hear of someone actually using Neumann's digital line. But ... you say that what you hear in the recording is what you heard during the recording. However, the KM 183 has a high-end boost culminating at 10 kHz with 8 dB. Isn't that ... audible??
 
 

  That particular recording was completely digital and made with the Neumann KM 183-D (mounted vertically as they were in the nearfield) - the recording session was originally written up on the Sound On Sound forum HERE.

 
Read it. Very interesting, thanks. So, have you tried the KK 131-D capsule, since then?

 

[John Willett]

   
Wow. First time I hear of someone actually using Neumann's digital line. But ... you say that what you hear in the recording is what you heard during the recording. However, the KM 183 has a high-end boost culminating at 10 kHz with 8 dB. Isn't that ... audible??
 

 
No, the boost is not audible - you must have misread what I wrote.
 
I used the microphones *vertical* so they were facing upwards.
 
They were at 90° to the piano and at that angle they have a flat response (you can see this by looking at the polar-pattern) - the high-end boost is only picking up reverberation from the room which is then diffuse and does not sound overly bright.
 
I explained this in the SOS write-up.
 
 

   
Read it. Very interesting, thanks. So, have you tried the KK 131-D capsule, since then?

 
I only used the KM 183-D because the KK 131-D capsules were not available at the time of the recording.  Now I would use the 131 in preference to the 183, which I have done with later recordings.
 
My next piano recording will be done with the Gefell M 221 and the MKH 8020 are for live stuff where I have to be as unobtrusive as possible.

 

[Sinocelt]

  I explained this in the SOS write-up.

 
So you did. My speed-reading skills are no longer what they were during my years as a student. 

 
Wait, I'm currently drugged to the teeth (with sleep-inducing cold medicine). Would that work as an excuse?
 

The microphones were set up as shown in the photo (just click on the picture to get the large version). As the KM 183-D is a diffuse-field omni, it has a lift in the upper frequency range. But I had the microphones only about a couple of metres from the piano. Anyone who has seen a polar-pattern of an omni microphone knows how the high frequencies are attenuated off-axis due to the physical size of the microphone. We started with having the 183-Ds at about 45°, but found this was still a bit too bright; so we turned them through 90° and had them vertical. At this position the frequency response was ruler flat and the piano sounded great (the MKH 20s didn’t need turning as they have a flat response head on). 

 

[John Willett]

   
Wait, I'm currently drugged to the teeth (with sleep-inducing cold medicine). Would that work as an excuse?
 

 
 
Yes - this time, anyway