jessica_fae
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2004
- Posts
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- 17
I am a little unsure to start a thread now while I am still in the auditioning phase. I have listened to new headphones a fair amount over the last couple weeks and yesterday I spent a lot of time auditioning several DJ/monitor headphones in Akihabara and thought I might start a thread. I am certain I will end up buying one of these phones over the next month. In addition to my auditioning, getting some honest feedback (not just "xxx sucks you should buy yyyy") might help my search. I am lucky living in Tokyo where I can really audition headphones before buying and I can be certain of getting genuine items, but I will be paying a bit more for them.
First let me say that I have an extensive headphone collection and I am looking for a specific new headphone. I want a closed DJ/monitor headphone to be used for house/trance/vocal music composition/mixing with live play in the future. It needs to plug into synths, computers, mixers, work well (fit and sound) in one-ear operation. For my first tracks I used my HD580 for voicing and they worked ok, but the final mix really sounds best when played back through the hd580. They seem to add a bit to much character to the sound to be used for general voicing.
Here are my impressions so far.
Monitor-style: more flat curve
HD280pro: I own these, so I can use them for reference. These are very strange headphones. One some material it sounds like they have ZERO bass, on others there is massive bass. Listening to them out of a Korg kaossilator (or minidisc recording of kaossilator) they sounded great with massive bass, but some recording sound horrid. Many times they just sound off. Maybe it is the monitor nature of these phones, but maybe there is a resonance thing happening. Their sound presentation can really lean to the "not detailed" and with narrow/flat soundstaging on many recordings. They also always strike me as too bright (but maybe because so many other headphones are so tipped down in the high end). Glad I own a monitor headphone, but I would not buy another 280pro to replace them if they break.
ATH-M50: on first listen I thought these sounded a lot like the 280Pro, but after more listening I really heard nice things from them. I think they are a big step up from the 280pro. Actually enjoyed listening to music on them more than the 280pro, but they also struck me as having minimal bass on the recording I was using. Maybe it is the flat monitor-like curve again, but they are much better at rendering subtleties in the music, and nice soundstaging. Also much more comfortable. I didn't A/B the M50 and 280pro at that time but I really know the 280pro well from memory. Right now since I own the 280pro, I am not sure I would gain much by adding the M50 to my collection. But if my 280pros ever die I think I would replace them with the ATH-M50.
Sony MDR-7505, MDR-7506: again had that monitor-like sound. I can definitely see why these are well respected and industry standards. I listened to both side by side and can't remember which was which. My impression is that they are between the 280pro and M50. The M50 made a really good impression on me.
Of the studio monitor style the M50 seems to stand out, but I am not sure that is the best way forward since I own the 280pro. Overall the monitor headphones struck me as more similar than different. The ATH-M50 is tempting, but I really have the feeling that they will not really give me that much more than the 280pro. Not so certain how they would work in a live environment.
DJ-style : more bass heavy (or bass punchy) for beat sync, flashy, sturdy, one-ear operation
Sony V700: very bass heavy. I can see these being useful for DJ bass-sync in club environments. One-ear operation was fantastic, bass was really strong and easy to follow. But too specialized, would be horrible for monitoring/mixing.
Sennheiser HD25: still need to audition, but I would really prefer a larger around-the-ear type. I will try to find and listen too them.
Denon DN-HP700: like the looks and feel, but the sound was odd. One ear-operation was really nice, but full head operation they had minimal bass, almost monitor-like. Sound was also really closed in (almost mono-like). I even checked for a stereo/mono switch to see if it was left in mono-mode. Maybe this is one to come to after DJing with V700s or other bass-heavy phones when one is looking for something else. My friend who was with me really liked them a lot. There is something good going on here, but right now they are not for me. Maybe I will audition again just to make sure, but I don't think this will be the one. (edit: on second & third audition these sounded a lot better. On my first audition I listened to them after the Sony V700 -super bass heavy- so I think that colored my impression a bit. These are actually high on my list now for a cheaper gigable DJ headphone).
Pioneer HDJ-1000: on first listen this one sounded nice. Not so much bass bloat, nice midrange and highs, comfortable, one-ear mode worked well. Made a good first impression. But after more listening and comparing I realized that it was not that good, maybe trying to fall between the DJ specialized phones (bass-sync only) and a listening/monitor headphone. Not bad, but I am not going to buy this one especially compared to the one I liked.
Technics RP-DH1200: Really stood out. wow. Strong bass but still detailed. Mids and highs were great where subtle nuances could come through. One ear operation was fantastic in terms of comfort and sound. But they are quite heavy. But the weight might actually be good in terms of keeping them in place with one-ear and they seemed sturdy. Seems to hit a perfect balance between a monitor and DJ headphone in a closed design. I almost bought this one yesterday. The shop person told me that Technics will stop making the RP-DH1200 at the end of this year so this will be the last chance to buy one new.
Pioneer HDJ-2000: wow. This one really stood out, but was also 2x the price of everything else. Subtle nuances of the music completely came through in all areas of the sound from bass to vocals to top end, but the high-end was not as detailed/prominent as the DH1200 (more tipped down). Piano actually sounded like piano. Soundstage was almost stax-like and 3D. one ear operation was excellent. extremely comfortable and light weight. Sounded more like a high-end open back design or high end AudioTechnica not a DJ closed back design. I really loved it, but I don't know if I want to spend 30,000円.
so right now I have narrowed down to the Technics RP-DH1200 and Pioneer HDJ-2000 as giving the right balance I am looking for. I may choose the Technics because they have really very good sound, maybe more of a monitor balanced curve, excellent high end detail, and this will be the last chance to get a pair, or I may choose the HDJ-2000 because they sound so amazing and are so comfortable and still do the closed-back/DJ/monitor job. The HDJ-2000 may be more a listening headphone and less monitor/dj or they may be just that good.
For reference, the HDJ-2000 may not compete sound-for-sound against really high-end headphones which have been tuned for listening pleasure. But I am truly impressed with the HDJ-2000.
First let me say that I have an extensive headphone collection and I am looking for a specific new headphone. I want a closed DJ/monitor headphone to be used for house/trance/vocal music composition/mixing with live play in the future. It needs to plug into synths, computers, mixers, work well (fit and sound) in one-ear operation. For my first tracks I used my HD580 for voicing and they worked ok, but the final mix really sounds best when played back through the hd580. They seem to add a bit to much character to the sound to be used for general voicing.
Here are my impressions so far.
Monitor-style: more flat curve
HD280pro: I own these, so I can use them for reference. These are very strange headphones. One some material it sounds like they have ZERO bass, on others there is massive bass. Listening to them out of a Korg kaossilator (or minidisc recording of kaossilator) they sounded great with massive bass, but some recording sound horrid. Many times they just sound off. Maybe it is the monitor nature of these phones, but maybe there is a resonance thing happening. Their sound presentation can really lean to the "not detailed" and with narrow/flat soundstaging on many recordings. They also always strike me as too bright (but maybe because so many other headphones are so tipped down in the high end). Glad I own a monitor headphone, but I would not buy another 280pro to replace them if they break.
ATH-M50: on first listen I thought these sounded a lot like the 280Pro, but after more listening I really heard nice things from them. I think they are a big step up from the 280pro. Actually enjoyed listening to music on them more than the 280pro, but they also struck me as having minimal bass on the recording I was using. Maybe it is the flat monitor-like curve again, but they are much better at rendering subtleties in the music, and nice soundstaging. Also much more comfortable. I didn't A/B the M50 and 280pro at that time but I really know the 280pro well from memory. Right now since I own the 280pro, I am not sure I would gain much by adding the M50 to my collection. But if my 280pros ever die I think I would replace them with the ATH-M50.
Sony MDR-7505, MDR-7506: again had that monitor-like sound. I can definitely see why these are well respected and industry standards. I listened to both side by side and can't remember which was which. My impression is that they are between the 280pro and M50. The M50 made a really good impression on me.
Of the studio monitor style the M50 seems to stand out, but I am not sure that is the best way forward since I own the 280pro. Overall the monitor headphones struck me as more similar than different. The ATH-M50 is tempting, but I really have the feeling that they will not really give me that much more than the 280pro. Not so certain how they would work in a live environment.
DJ-style : more bass heavy (or bass punchy) for beat sync, flashy, sturdy, one-ear operation
Sony V700: very bass heavy. I can see these being useful for DJ bass-sync in club environments. One-ear operation was fantastic, bass was really strong and easy to follow. But too specialized, would be horrible for monitoring/mixing.
Sennheiser HD25: still need to audition, but I would really prefer a larger around-the-ear type. I will try to find and listen too them.
Denon DN-HP700: like the looks and feel, but the sound was odd. One ear-operation was really nice, but full head operation they had minimal bass, almost monitor-like. Sound was also really closed in (almost mono-like). I even checked for a stereo/mono switch to see if it was left in mono-mode. Maybe this is one to come to after DJing with V700s or other bass-heavy phones when one is looking for something else. My friend who was with me really liked them a lot. There is something good going on here, but right now they are not for me. Maybe I will audition again just to make sure, but I don't think this will be the one. (edit: on second & third audition these sounded a lot better. On my first audition I listened to them after the Sony V700 -super bass heavy- so I think that colored my impression a bit. These are actually high on my list now for a cheaper gigable DJ headphone).
Pioneer HDJ-1000: on first listen this one sounded nice. Not so much bass bloat, nice midrange and highs, comfortable, one-ear mode worked well. Made a good first impression. But after more listening and comparing I realized that it was not that good, maybe trying to fall between the DJ specialized phones (bass-sync only) and a listening/monitor headphone. Not bad, but I am not going to buy this one especially compared to the one I liked.
Technics RP-DH1200: Really stood out. wow. Strong bass but still detailed. Mids and highs were great where subtle nuances could come through. One ear operation was fantastic in terms of comfort and sound. But they are quite heavy. But the weight might actually be good in terms of keeping them in place with one-ear and they seemed sturdy. Seems to hit a perfect balance between a monitor and DJ headphone in a closed design. I almost bought this one yesterday. The shop person told me that Technics will stop making the RP-DH1200 at the end of this year so this will be the last chance to buy one new.
Pioneer HDJ-2000: wow. This one really stood out, but was also 2x the price of everything else. Subtle nuances of the music completely came through in all areas of the sound from bass to vocals to top end, but the high-end was not as detailed/prominent as the DH1200 (more tipped down). Piano actually sounded like piano. Soundstage was almost stax-like and 3D. one ear operation was excellent. extremely comfortable and light weight. Sounded more like a high-end open back design or high end AudioTechnica not a DJ closed back design. I really loved it, but I don't know if I want to spend 30,000円.
so right now I have narrowed down to the Technics RP-DH1200 and Pioneer HDJ-2000 as giving the right balance I am looking for. I may choose the Technics because they have really very good sound, maybe more of a monitor balanced curve, excellent high end detail, and this will be the last chance to get a pair, or I may choose the HDJ-2000 because they sound so amazing and are so comfortable and still do the closed-back/DJ/monitor job. The HDJ-2000 may be more a listening headphone and less monitor/dj or they may be just that good.
For reference, the HDJ-2000 may not compete sound-for-sound against really high-end headphones which have been tuned for listening pleasure. But I am truly impressed with the HDJ-2000.
