[rivethead]

Hi there. I've been lurking on this forum quite a while doing some research and would love to get some opinions on which headhone to buy. I engineer and mix, so i need something which a flat frequency response and isolation, but i want something enjoyable to listen to, as first and foremost i am a fan of listening to music. I listen to eveything... a few of my favourite bands are refused, type o negative, alice in chains but i also listen to hip-hop, classic rock like bruce springsteen and paul simon, and even dance music. I am on a fairly limited budget but i want to buy a quality product that i will be happy with. Im think about grado sr-80s or sony mdr-v6... any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jasper994]

I think I'd have to give the nod to the Sennheiser HD25-1. From recollection, they sounded awesome.

The HD280 Pro is also a very good option, but for a different reason. In my opinion, it would seem that the 280 is designed to help you create a mix that will sound good on crappy systems rather than presenting the exact truth. The reason I say this is that they have very strong low bass with their mid and upper bass regions being a bit recessed. They also tend to show off harshness pretty well. Of course, I'm no pro and I've never tried mixing with them, so what do I know...

Either one will provide a very enjoyable listen...

I am also a big fan of canal phones, particularly the new Shure E4. The Shure E5 and the UE Super.Fi 5 Pro are also very nice. The only problem with trying to mix with canal phones is that you won't be able to hear anything that's going on above 16 kHz. Of course, if your ears are as bad as many adults, you can't hear above that anyway...

Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet.

 

[sgrossklass]

First, you should be careful when mixing with cans - not only can stuff mixed for speaker playback sound fairly strange (soundstage wise) on cans, the opposite is also possible. Be sure to do a double check with speakers. Now that we have that cleared up, on to the cans: Grados can hardly be called neutral because of their emphasized upper midrange. The V6 looks like a better bet, judging from the 7506 frequency response in j-curve's old thread (keep in mind stuff has been normalized to the more laid-back HD580 there). Alternatively, look at Sennheiser's eH350, which has a fairly flat frequency response as well.

 

[pbalcer]

I'm not a sound engineer but I think there are different requirements for mixing than when you just listen to the sound for fun. I may be wrong but I think the most important thing for mixing is the balance of the headphones. Am I right? If this is true, you might want to check out AKG K271S or Sennheiser HD600 (not HD650!). These cans are not as detailed as top-of-the-line Grados or Sennheisers but to me they sound a bit more balanced. They are also very comfortable - this can be an important factor if you want or have to wear them for hours.

BTW, I find Grados more enjoyable on rock and acoustic instruments but I'm not sure using them for mixing would be a good idea - they are too colored.

 

[bigshot]

I've found the Sennheiser HD-590s are the closest to the way speakers sound than any other cans I've tried. They aren't closed, but they don't leak much.

See ya
Steve

 

[rivethead]

Thanks everyone! The level of knowledge and courtesy on this board blows my mind.

 

[Jorge]

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATHM40/

Audio Technica ATH-M40

Flat as a pancake and very comfortable for extended sessions. I have owned a pair for my home studio for over 5 years now. When I listen to music with them, I simply boost the bass a bit with an EQ, as these truly are flat. A bargain at that price, but shop around some and you can probably find them even cheaper.

 

[phosfiend]

Hey there, I asked a similar question a while back, and got some great advice from the people here:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=125489

There responses have led me to the AKG K271S - which i will be ordering within a month, once cash actually exists.

good luck