What headphones for a electronic genre musician?

[orys]

hi there,

i am making Electronic music and was looking for a pair of headphones to use on my Yamaha AW4416 recorder. I dont mind too much about the price as long as it will not cost a fortune. i am buying the headphones online probably as there not much option where i live. I am in Cyprus and therefore i am limited to the likes of Sony and even less know and cheap Chinese brands. it is a must to use headphones as i live in a flat and it's not possible to play my music on speakers.
i was till very recently using Sony headphones (think it was MDR V500 or V300)but i found out that what i was recording was not actually what was heard when playing my cds on different systems than mine. i think the Sony headphones sound i was hearing while performing and recording my beats was somehow "fake".
i want while i record to hear the closest to what the majority of people will hear when playing my cds.
is that possible? i dont mind buying an amp to drive a certain pair of headphones if i am to achieve that, however i need to know what to buy as i don't know anything about this things.

So i would be grateful to know what would you people recommend.

cheers
Tio

 

[El_Doug]

when it comes to recording, there are two schools of thought:

1) mix using speakers that most closely resemble the average listener's playback equipment, or

2) mix using the flattest response possible, to make a good true mix, which puts any coloration or error solely within the listener's domain

ideally, you want to follow #2, and ignore what it sounds like on other people's cheaper equipment. and indeed, a flat response may sound "fake" when compared to a lush, warm, thick sound from somebody's hi-fi. but when it comes to making music, you really want to work transparently - otherwise, errors WILL compound


that being said, if your mixes are coming out crappy on the playback equipment, perhaps you should try listening for (and adjusting accordingly) different things during the mixing stage? i know many people on studio-central who use monitors that have known coloration, yet they have learned to habitually account for these changes, and mix accordingly - their songs turn out amazing regardless

have you considered MDR-7506's? they are imo not that much "fun" to listen to, but certainly sound very direct and unintrusive, almost a bit too "analytical" - a trait that may be of use to you

 

[orys]

tan k you for your immediate reply.

haven't tried the MDR-7506's as there arent too many types of headphones over here to try out.
i am planning to buy a pair of headphones on the net and will never be able to compare it until i buy a second one. i am not going to sell any records

i just want to listen to my music in the car or at friends house and it being similar to what i was hearing when recording it.
i have tried a pair of sennheiser hd555 and with the volume set to max i was just hearing crackling. with those Mdr V500 at max volume it was normal listening. i guess this means the senns are higher volume?

 

[Jaska]

I would probably go with something from AKG, as certain models really tend to do a great job as "studio reference" headphones. You might, for example, look for a used pair of the discontinued K240 (several variants out there), or a K601 from the current product line.

I don't know what your online ordering options are in Cyprus, as it's so difficult to keep up with this ever-changing EU, but maybe it would be possible to order headphones from Thomann's Greek store?

 

[Jaska]

UPDATE: It looks at though it is possible to order from Thomann and have items shipped directly to Cyprus.

Further information

 

[orys]

AKG K240, which variant though?
i am currently searching on eBay but don't know which one you mean.

 

[Jaska]

There is a lot of information here on Head-Fi about the different K240 models. I don't know which one I would choose, but I would definitely avoid the K240S. You might be able to find some NOS (new old stock) K240M (600 ohm, will require a lot of amplification). I think Amazon.com was actually selling these for about $99 not too long ago.

 

[orys]

and what amplifier would you recommend?

 

[Jaska]

Definitely something designed to deliver both plenty of current and voltage. I've had tremendous success with my Gilmore Lite driving all sorts of different headphones well. I know nothing of tube amps, but surely some would recommend those. An amp like the EC/SS would probably do a fine job with any of the headphones mentioned so far, and it shouldn't be a problem to source a 230v power supply for one of those.

 

[orys]

i must find a cheaper amp that could drive these headphones.
i mean the headphones cost $100 and the amp is like over $400. no other alternatives for an amp that would drive this pair of headphones at an affordable price?

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by orys /img/forum/go_quote.gif no other alternatives for an amp that would drive this pair of headphones at an affordable price?

Which specific model of headphones are you leaning towards?

Your point is well taken, by the way. Depending on the kind of sound you want, and the headphones you prefer, sometimes most of the equipment budget needs to go into an amp our source, and other times it can work out so that the headphones represent the major part of the investment. In my own case, my source and amp cost far more than any of my headphones, but I have owned many "mid-priced" headphones (by my standards anyway) and also listened to them with a good portable amp as well as a more budget-oriented desktop amp, and I don't think the price of the less expensive amps was justified in relation to the listening smiles I got.

 

[orys]

Can you tell me whether the K240 M or DF is better to get?

 

[ph0rk]

I'd avoid the MDR-7506 - tweaking sound on that resulted in far too dark a sound elsewhere.

More important than anything else will be learning the faults with whichever headphone you find. Rather than trying to put together the most neutral system you can, find a pair of somewhat rugged headphones that will be around for awhile and that you can listen to music on for pleasure - if you like them and listen to music with them, you'll be better able to use them as a canvas.

You are a musician, not a mixing engineer, right?

 

[orys]

i am a musician yes.
i was recommended the AKG K240 Monitor. i read good comments about this pair though i need to get an amp for them and i am kinda lost.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

The MDR-7506/MDR-V6 is a fine choice for studio monitoring and recording because they bring out more detail than the V500. I prefer personally the Sennheiser HD25-1 as it sounds flatter and it is very detailed as well. 7506/V6/HD25-1 do not require amping. Nevertheless, the most critical work is monitored through a pair of Alesis near monitors. The ultimate test comes at the club and a ton of adjustments result from listening the material in a big room through large speakers.