CONFUSION!! Help please

[Pfd4]

Here's the deal. I'm no expert on headphones. Been looking for a pair that's accurate enough to do some audio mixing w/ DAW laptop. I was looking at SonyMdr7506 or Akg240DF. Then along came a generous gift-certificate for amazon. They carry a lot of Sennheisers. After getting a response from a very helpful guy on this site, I narrowed my decision down to the HD580's, which I then bought w/the certificate + $20.
However, I looked up the specs for the 580's and found that the impedence is 300 ohm (as opposed to the MDR7506's which are something like 67). So:
Will I need a headphone amplifier unit in order to use the HD580's? If so, I'm screwed, since I'm just working with a laptop and an audio interface.
Also, since the 580's are 'open,' wouldn't that mean that there would be a lot of leakage and external noise while I try to mix? On the other hand, the 580's have circumaural ear coupling, which I thought meant they close around the ears. Very confused.
So What's the deal? Should I cancel this order and look for a closed-ear, low-impedance pair for around the same price? I know that, for instance, they sell the Sony V900's at amazon, which look more like the V6/7506.
Advice? I gotta act quickly!!

 

[Rizumu]

The HD-580's are very open, meaning they let everything both out and in. They do fully encompass your ears, but the enclosure around the drivers is not sealed so they let sound out...

The 580's are sort of hard to drive without and amp, I don't think they're the best for your purposes (isolation & for monitoring using a laptop)

Bleh, I'm not sure if the V900's are bad actually. It's 2 AM and I'm talking out of my ass. Get the V6's for cheap isolation, they'd probably work good for your purposes, but I don't do any mixing so I'll let other comment on that.

 

[00940]

to use your gift coupon on amazon, I could only advice you to have a look on the sennheiser HD280. They are better suited to your utilisation and material. You will find plenty of informations about those with a quick research, they are the big alternative to the V6s.

 

[Pfd4]

Yeah, the HD 280's sound good-low impedance, circumaural, closed-in. Probably better for mixing. But man those HD580's are so cool-to think I'd be theoretically paying $20 for them! Still, gotta consider what I'll be using it for.
Here's what I don't understand: The AKG240DF's have been recommended to me by my sweetwater sales rep as the best for portable mixing-and he knows the ins and outs of my home & portable rigs. The AKG's have a wopping 600ohm impedance and they're semi-open. That's 2x the impedance of the HD580's, and he knows I don't have a headphone amp. So why would he rcommend the AKG's if they would require even MORE power?
thanks,
Peter

 

[00940]

I guess it's because the AKG are a well established value in the pro world. And many people use 600ohms cans out of weak sources, without knowing they loose so much of the sound. You could have a look to the K240studio but they don't seem to sound as good as the big brothers.

The value of the impedance is not all the story, too. The AKG K401-501 are rated at 120ohms and are perhaps as hard to drive than the HD580 or worse.

The HD580 are definitly nice cans but I'm doubtfull about their utilisation as studio cans. They haven't been conceived for this application but for the audiophile listening. That's a bit different.

 

[Pfd4]

Thanks for all your help.
I have a choice now for either of the above-amazon sells both. Any recommendation of one over the other for accuracy, etc.?
Peter

 

[Achilles]

I have the HD280 (have not tried the other) and can testify to its quality of sound. But keep in mind it does have a slight focus toward bass. Nothing that diminishes the highs but if you care little for 'Boom, Boom, Boom' you might wish to look on.

Just a note, something that took a while before I learned, a lower ohm rating DOES NOT mean it reaches a approximate volume with less power.

 

[wallijonn]

pfd4, Quote:

So why would he rcommend the AKG's if they would require even MORE power?

So that you'll buy pro headphone amp equipment which typically (?) uses 600 ohms?

I wonder what the headphone output is out of this Carvin: http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearc...P2=SM162&P1=MX

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pfd4 Thanks for all your help. I have a choice now for either of the above-amazon sells both. Any recommendation of one over the other for accuracy, etc.? Peter

Read KELLY's recent comparative review of closed headphones. It includes the Sony and Senn.

 

[Pfd4]

Quote:

Originally posted by Achilles I have the HD280 (have not tried the other) and can testify to its quality of sound. But keep in mind it does have a slight focus toward bass. Nothing that diminishes the highs but if you care little for 'Boom, Boom, Boom' you might wish to look on. Just a note, something that took a while before I learned, a lower ohm rating DOES NOT mean it reaches a approximate volume with less power.

Ok. Well, here's the thing. I ordered the HD580's, 'cause it would have been ridiculous to not get them for $20. While open with a high impedance, and thus not ideal for isolated mixing, I'll have a great time listening to my stereo through them! I've never owned a set of real pro-quality phones such as these.
For mixing, I resorted to ordering the Sennheiser HD280's for $75. I read a lot about them and compared specs to the other other 2 I was considering buying-the AKG240DF's or the Sony MDR7506's. The 280's look similar to the 7506's, in terms of frequency range, impedance, and ear-coupling.
On the other hand, I'm concerned when you mention the 280's as being bassy. I already made the huge mistake a few years ago of buying the MDRV700DJ for my home studio-way too bass-heavy for me. Are we talking that level of bass? Maybe I'll cancel the 280's and get the Sony7506's for $100 instead?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pfd4 I already made the huge mistake a few years ago of buying the MDRV700DJ for my home studio-way too bass-heavy for me.

That's because the MDR-V700DJ is designed for DJing in a noisy club (Duh!), not for studio recording/mixing/mastering purposes. As such, its midbass must be emphasized over most other frequencies.

 

[Achilles]

I didn't mean to sway you from HD280, as I just meant they were a bit warm (most closed headphones seem to be). The bass focus isn't as pronounced as the HD212 though. Its tough to properly articulate the audible niceties of a headphone.

It should be mentioned that Headroom considers them one of best mid-priced closed cans and, though they generally prefer the Sennheiser sound, I trust their recommendations highly.

 

[Pfd4]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver That's because the MDR-V700DJ is designed for DJing in a noisy club (Duh!), not for studio recording/mixing/mastering purposes. As such, its midbass must be emphasized over most other frequencies.

That's why, if you noticed, I worded my statement by saying "I already made a big mistake" in getting them. I'm not putting the headpones down, I'm simply acknowledging my error.

 

[Sovkiller]

Some of the most common for that purpose are the MDR-7506, 7509, very good for mixing and isolation, and the MDR-V700DJ even when I saw always a sort of crusade against it here, the sound is not bad at all... Yesterday I was looking in the Metallica website some recent videos of the latest recording session, and all what they have in studio was MDR-V700DJ, in the consoles, recording studio etc....but this is just IOM, and maybe me, and them, were wrong...OK? Take it just as a grain of salt.... (Just my two cents)