[luispa]

Hi,
 
I'm looking for a pair of headphones for my home studio. The main use I'm going to give them is for monitoring, I also prefer a very plain response because I'd like to use them for mixing/mastering also. I'm a saxophone player so I need a very good isolation in order to avoid the sound of the sax in my ears (I do prefer to hear it from the mic). I was looking for Audio-Technica "M" series, which one is the best suited for my needs? Which one has the best price/performance relation? How do the AT headphones compares with Sennheiser and Sony headphones for this use? What about AKG?
 
I know the headphones are a very important piece in my studio equipment so I want to make the right decision. I think if I hear bad I play worse.
 
Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Mr Joboto]

You probably won't get anywhere as flat as the DT48, but the M50 and DT250 are both good options as well

 

[luispa]

Thank you for your fast answer. What's your opinion about the cheaper AT headsets like M20, M30 and M35? Does the price difference have a similar relation with quality keeping in mind my needs? What's your opinion about AKGs?
 
Thank you very much in advance.

 

[lejaz]

Didn't like the m30 at all! The v6 was a big improvement, IMO. M50 may be a different story, though.

 

[luispa]

What about the AKG K77? How much worse than de M50?

 

[luispa]

Quote:

Didn't like the m30 at all! The v6 was a big improvement, IMO. M50 may be a different story, though.

I'm a newbie here, what's the V6?
 

 

[lejaz]

Sony mdr-V6 aka mdr-7506...a studio standard for a whole lot of years. Haven't heard the m50, but FWIR it's better than the V6 and only a bit more $$. Also consider the shure 440 for under $100.

 

[Dev Avidon]

I'm also a recording musician; I find, especially with longer sessions, the lighter the headphone and the cleaner the reproduction, the better.  I used Shure SRH840s for a while because they have good isolation and sound fantastic, but they will wear you down after a while.  You also want something with reasonably good head pressure so that you're not worried about grooving too much.  Finding a sound that doesn't throw you off can be really difficult; when I have to use stock 7506s or HD202s or what have you at a studio, I usually end up just taking one ear off so I can hear myself.  The ones I just bought are the Fischer Audio FA-003s.  Having tried them in a friend's setup, they sounded fantastic, and gave a very pure, clean, non-fatiguing sound, especially as compared to the kind of muddiness you can get out of close-shells sometimes.  Plus they're extremely light, and the fit is good.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Not sure you gave a price.. The most flat/neutral headphone I heard are the Original NAGRA DT48S 5ohm..They are pretty scarce, so a used DT48e 8ohm makes a good alternative. They can be had used for 125-300.. Very durable.. No glue or plastic anywhere in the design.. The diaphram & magnet are not glued or stuck together, but are separated with their own enclosure. All steel construction with nuts & bolts. These are serious, professional grade monitoring headphones.. If you want emphasis of the highs, treble, bass, then they probably are not for you.. Very plain jane non, fatiguing sound. Very mid range centric IMO, but not forward sounding or offensive..
 
The 240DF is also a good choice.. CD900ST... 7605, which has been in production for over 20 yrs.. 2nd, only to the DT48 I believe.
 
This is what some say about the DT48
 
their medium and high-frequency precision and fidelity remain unparalleled, so much so that some mixers, and not the least, won't use any other models, because their judgment is based on this sound quality.
DCAudiovisuel.com

The truly transparent headphones I've listened to are the HD-800, K-1000, HP-1000, Omega II Mk. 1, DT48, and the K-240DF. That's why I bought them and they won't leave my collection.
Uncle Erik

As for comparison to the K-1000, the DT48 has a similar neutral timbre and excellent range. The DT48 is faster, more transparent and more resolving to me. I can pick out details I haven't noticed before.
Uncle Erik

 

[kwkarth]

The Fostex T50RP is worth giving a listen.  Very clean and neutral, yet full and rich non fatiguing reproduction.  Light weight and comfortable for long sessions.  Easily accurate enough for mix down or tracking.  I used the 7506 for many years, and finally updated to the Beyer 250-80.  The Fostex T50RP is far more desirable than either of the others.  The cord is detachable and replaceable.  Another positive is that they can be had for 75 bux or less.

 

[lejaz]

Can you say what the Fostex does better than the Beyer, which is supposed to be very neutral?
 
Quote:

The Fostex T50RP is worth giving a listen.  Very clean and neutral, yet full and rich non fatiguing reproduction.  Light weight and comfortable for long sessions.  Easily accurate enough for mix down or tracking.  I used the 7506 for many years, and finally updated to the Beyer 250-80.  The Fostex T50RP is far more desirable than either of the others.  The cord is detachable and replaceable.  Another positive is that they can be had for 75 bux or less.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Can you say what the Fostex does better than the Beyer, which is supposed to be very neutral?

Yes, absolutely.  The T50s I have I bought about a month and an half ago from Musician's Friend and they have more accurate response across the spectrum.  The midrange and the treble is much smoother, faster, and more articulate on the T50s than on the Beyer DT250.
 
The bass on the DT250s isn't bad, but it's tighter, more accurate and faster on the Fostex.  The Fostex are a lot more comfortable to wear as well.  Clamping pressure is much higher on the Beyers.  The driver in the Fostex T50RP is planar magnetic (orthodynamic) with inherently lower moving mass and lower distortion.  Make sure you get a new model as they seem to have made sonic improvements in the latest versions from what other's tell me.  I can at least confirm that the pair I have sound remarkably good out of the box for the money, and they are tweakable to sound even better.

 

[winma]

My vote is for the AKG K240 M. 

 

[Acix]

I can recommend the K-271MKll and the K-240MKll, as well the M-50 for budget monitors. For mastering level I use the K701/2.

 

[priest]

 
Quote:

I can recommend the K-271MKll and the K-240MKll, as well the M-50 for budget monitors. For mastering level I use the K701/2.

Acix, can you differentiate between the 271 and 240 please (other than price, obviously)? Thanks.