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Location: big island | i checked the archives and didn't come up with much on this subject:
do any of you audiophile or home studio buffs have a recommendation for a decent set of studio headphones?
here's the caveat though: they gotta be priced under $50. i don't mind buying a used set through eBay or from any one of you that might have a set available.
mahalo for your input. |
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Location: NJ | Good Idea, Randy.
I've been looking for some insight on this as well, as I've been recording a pair of AKG's that I've used/abused for 30-odd years (tho, I can do better than $50) . . .
Also, any recommendations on an inexpensive pair of monitors suitable for computer recording?? ($200 range) . . .
I've got a pair of old Cellestion Ditton100's (remember those?). Nice bookshelf speakers, but in order to mix with them, I hafta' run everything through the stereo (or just use the headphones, and naturally I don't wanna do that). |
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Location: atlanta | Popcritic's "money-back" guarantee is:
http://www.amazon.com/Grado-60-SR60/dp/B0006DPMU4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?i...
Dave K. |
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Location: closely held secret | Hard to find great phones for under $50, but I've read good things about these Yamaha RH5MA headphones.
AKG and Sennheiser have some decent sets in that range too. Stay away from anything that promises "boom boom bass" or "crystal clear highs" as they will seriously color the sound.
Randy, I better not catch you mixing with phones or I'll have to come over there and have a talk with you. Might be a long one, say a week or two.
Most small monitors (5" to 8") just don't put out the bass, but you don't notice it till you play it on the home stereo or in a car and bass is all you can hear, because you've been overcompensating for what your monitors simply can't produce.
These Mackies look and spec out very nice. I wish they were that cheap ($400) when I bought my Events several years ago.
Cliff, if those Cellestions are home stereo speakers, remember they were designed to produce a pleasing sound from prerecorded material, which means they'll color the sound towards the mids. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Speakers: Used Yamaha MS101's. 10W/30Wpeak. These babies are excellent. New, they'll be over $100 a piece, but you see them regularly on ebay.
Headphones: I too have been using a pair of ancient akg's, though mine are being held together wit paper clips.
Recently, I've used some nice bose noise cancelling headphones, but they are too expensive for me. I will be watching this space, too. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The Audio Technica ATH-M50 Professional Headphones are the ones that most of the current crop of studio heads have been raving about. Run about $150.
I normally use my Sennheiser HD600's that I bought about 7-8 years ago but closed cans would be nice.
I have been thinking seriously about ordering a pair of the M50's for about 3 months now.
Maybe this thread well get me off my can.
Lanika....there is a company out of Texas that runs a studio that custom makes throw away headphones that I have heard nothing but positives about. I say throwaway because they are made with the idea that in a studio someone is going to always inadvertently break them or yank the cabling out. I think they run about $50 for a 3 pack and the reviews have been more than positive.
Let me see if I can find the info. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Randy, I got a set of cheap headphones for Christmas a couple years ago. I think I ended up getting Sonys, but I haven't used them since and can't remember. When I asked Santa for some, my thought was that I could play plugged in without disturbing the rest of the house. That turned out to be a false concern.
I tried a bunch on and went with whatever was most comfortable. Some did not cover my ears well or didn't stay on well. That was more important to me than the accuracy of the sound. I'm not sure that I could tell much difference in the sound in that price range anyway. |
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Location: NJ | ". . Cliff, if those Cellestions are home stereo speakers, remember they were designed to produce a pleasing sound from prerecorded material, which means they'll color the sound towards the mids. . . "
yeah, I know . . . that's wht I don't wanna use 'em . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I posted this site previously, a good while back... lots of good info
HeadRoom |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
Randy, I better not catch you mixing with phones or I'll have to come over there and have a talk with you. Might be a long one, say a week or two.
why? is open air better? don't forget i have noisy toddlers gnawing on my ankles most of the time. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I posted this site previously, a good while back... lots of good info
HeadRoom |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Here they are....Harvey Gerst of Indian Trail Recording Studio. Not sure of the difference between the 2 models but like I said, they have gotten really good reviews.
Standard Cans for $20
Deluxe cans for $30 |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Randy, typically headphones don't give a true representation of the mix.
They are more than ok for putting together something short of a final mix but they are also fatiguing after awhile.
Open cans will give the best mix but you need to be in a quite area since outside sounds will be quite easily heard.
Closed cans will certainly work best if you have small kids making background noise but the mixes tend to not sound as good.
Nice to have both so that you can compare the mix both ways. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | That's weird. I own those More Me headphones. They ain't bad, very good sound. Only complaint would be that they are fragile, (ie don't yank them around otherwise things will start breaking and bending) I got a set of them and they too are being held together with paper clips. Actually, I use them the most, so I guess that's a good review. (I treat my headphones very badly.) |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | an4340,
I think that they are based on the premise that in a studio environment they will break so try to have the best possible sound in the cheapest possible housing.
Under normal use, I would assume they would last quite a while but when you consider you can get 5 pairs of the standard ones for $80 who cares! |
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Location: big island | ain't this an amazing forum?
thanks dave, wabbit, rick, stephen and jeff for all the great input so far. i'm gonna take some time to poke around the provided info.
mahalo nui loa! |
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Location: big island | i'm bad to forget i'm plugged in when one of the kids needs my quick attention... |
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Location: NJ | plus, . . if your operating a commercial studio, you can BET that some asswipe is is gonna' at least TRY t'make off with the cans . . . |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | You folks might laugh at this, but I purchased a set of headphones 43 years ago which continue to be my only set. I've repaired them numerous times, but they still work, if not a bit uncomfortable. Not sure what I paid. My guess is maybe $50 back then. I think the manufacturer is McIntosh. Whatever, I need a new pair as well and appreciate the advice. |
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Location: closely held secret | Ha ha ha ha ha ha... oh, sorry.
Brad! 43 years... and they're uncomfortable??? And I thought I was a procrastinator! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I think McIntosh stopped making headphones about 42 years ago..... |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by stephent28:
I think McIntosh stopped making headphones about 42 years ago..... Too many complaints about discomfort... |
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Location: Canada | I second the suggestion of the Yamaha RH5MA. Excellent for the money. |
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Location: Jet City | For monitors, I use these. They're phenomenal!
I wanted to go digital to eliminate the hiss and other noise I was getting with analog. These have coaxial, optical, and non digital inputs as well.
HIGHLY RATED and only $179 for the pair, pretty much anywhere you go (I wish they were that cheap when I bought them)
CLICK HERE
Edirol MA-15D
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Location: NJ | Yeah, I was looking at those . . . |
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Location: closely held secret | Nice price, but I don't see how they can call them 'reference speakers' when they use bass enhancement... |
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Location: Jet City | Well they've worked good for me. Roland products for the most part have always done well for me, service is good...
blah blah blah. I'll stop now.
Was just trying to help. |
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Location: closely held secret | Oh, no prob, Damon, I wasn't bashing your suggestion. I've got some Edirol products myself. I was just wondering how true the sound was if they're 'enhancing' something to make up for the small speakers.
All input is good. Well, almost all. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | WABBIT : Nice price, but I don't see how they can call them 'reference speakers' when they use bass enhancement...
-------------------------------------------------
Since bass-speakers suffer from roll-off at low freq. , designers of a complete system ( speaker amp. build together ) may compensate the amplifier`s freq. curve..done often , very often..including phase alignment..and , it can be done Passively , I remember ALTEC having made a box , that , when inserted between Woofer Out , ( from X-O filter ) and Bass-Speaker , it would deliver a Boost starting at 150 Hz - Fo ,
6 db slope , could be used on any system , but was primarily intended for the A7 / A7 500 " voice of the theatre " , certainly the standard of Professional Systems in those days..
Back on Topic...
Randi , what will U use `em for..?..
..off the cuff , I would say them GRADO Phones look nice ( Good Reputation ), ..But...?!..
I have SENNHEISER UNIPOLAR Electrostatic phones for intricate Listening , and , DIRECT SOUND X-TREME ISOLATION ( that`s the name ) , for P A use ( for when I`m " going at it ") , neither falls in your price-range..... :)
( have my writing skills improved ? )
Vic |
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Location: Jet City | Ah, I know better than to put too much stock into what a Waskelly Wabbit has to say... I watch my cartoons! You're just lucky it's duck season. :D
Besides, I don't know all the proper terms and didn't really undersatnd the pure meaning of "Reference".
I do know that it sounds a hell of a lot better than my old setup going through the stereo system. There are some good reviews on them, and yeah, the price is awesome. The Edirol folks are also close to home (Bellingham I think), so that's a big plus for me too.
The digital part was the biggest factor for me. Not an easy find within my budget. It makes a WORLD of difference.
I use those, and Edirol UA-700 as my audio/midi input (really cool little box with built in amp and mic modeling). I plug them into my 17" Powerbook and use Logic 8. It's actually a pretty sweet setup for doing portable recording/editing. I can go everywhere with it and be setup in 10 minutes. |
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Location: Jet City | LMAO.... Yeah, I agree with whatever that was that Solid Top said! :confused: |
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Location: big island | vic,
my intention was to use them for mixing (duck! watch out for flying wabbit pellets) or, at least, to listen through them during playback of the instrument and/or vocal tracks i am preparing to record. the grados do sound like a good option and i may be able to get a nice used pair under $50 on the bay. the yamahas wabbit mentions and the models stephen brought to my attention would work fine also, for the price. i'm not yet in the market for some nice monitors but this info ahead of time will be valuable.
and yes, vic, your writing skills have improved but you are punctuating the heck outta me. :D |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | you are punctuating the heck outta me.
....serves U Right.. :) :D ;) |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The problem with Grados and many of the other consumer phones is that they are "voiced" to overemphasize and create a fuller sound. They make great headphones for listening to music but not what you would want to "mix" on.
You really want a set of sterile sounding cans if you want them for the purpose of mixing. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
All input is good. Well, almost all. This is where we must be truly honest with our members. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Hey Jeff...did you know your logo resembles a guitar? :rolleyes: |
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Location: indianapolis | I can second some recemmendations. The little Yamaha monitors were really nice until they blew up.
Sennheiser makes great phones and suprisingly, I have a pair of 50& Sony's that are very clean and clear.
You may also look at Hafler for small, near-field monitors. Good little speakers at a good price and veru honest. I've heard good Behringer too. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | 2 things
Yamaha monitor has been working for 8 years no problem. But I'll be watching for smoke!
Headphones. Now that I think about it I got the More Me headphones from a keyboard player friend, and I think he probably swiped 'em from a studio. Oh well, they work. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by stephent28:
Hey Jeff...did you know your logo resembles a guitar? :rolleyes: and yours like a nose between breasts... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Exactly......whose havin more fun now! |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | For headphones as far as I am concerned there are two choices..
Sony 7502 studio monitor headsets
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7502-Professional-Stereo-Headphone/dp...
For drummers the MDR 7506
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-7506-Pro-MDR-7506-Headphones/dp/B0002H02...
For Studio MIXING REFERENCE Monitors.
Event 20/20 Passive Monitors are what I use and recommend. The active monitors are nice, but I like the flexibility of using my own amps.
For Mixdown (as opposed to the above used for mixing and recording) there are MANY choices.
You can go wrong with a set of NS10M's if you can fend them, but no speaker should be the ONLY speaker when doing a mixdown. You should have a set of stereo speakers also, just an average set, and also a set of 3 or 4" single speaker cubes.
Just a note on the 7502's, 7506's 20/20's and NS10M's... I have a reason for such a focussed answer. I did a TON of research and continue with the research. Almost every recording studio and even TV stations and Radio stations use the MDR 7502's. Many many studio's use the event 20/20's and almost every studio has a pair of NS10m's on tap. Bottom line, there is a reason for it. Now they may not be the BEST OVERALL, but... they are the BEST over the most applications, extremely consistent and reliable and that's what is needed most.
Now the research led me to the pond. But after several years of use in a variety of situations, I found, there was a reason those were the tools that are used by so many. They work when they need to and deliver the results.
Much like for Microphones we can talk days and days on the subject, but nothing beats an SM57 and SM58 when you need something you can trust, and again, you will find them in nearly every recording studio, big and small, for a reason.
A good rule to have... NEVER USE HEADPHONES FOR MIXDOWN. There is an exception if you are listening, trying to id something, but in general... do not mix via headphones. |
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Location: big island | i decided to opt for miles' suggestion on the sony mdr7502 cans. they should be here monday.
mahalo for all of the suggestions y'all. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I opted for my own suggestion :D and finally picked up the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's.
Great sounding set of closed cans that have a nice contrast to my Sennheiser HD600's.
Just ordered the Presonus HP60 for a special deal. That should show up in a week or so and make a nice addition. :cool:
RANDY...looking forward to hear what you think of the Sony cans. |
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Location: big island | for the money, (less than $50!), these cans are incredible. love 'em. mahalo for the tip, miles!
normally, i am one to press headphones to my ears for better sound quality. not necessary with these. they sound excellent with superb fit and quality construction. |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | AKG K55 |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Lanaki, glad you got some that you like.
Personal preference is always the #1 priority. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Slightly off topic - but you'll relate to this, Randy. I have an old pair of fairly expensive Sennheisers that have 'been around the block' a few times but still sound REALLY good, but the right one only worked if I wiggled the wire where it entered the headphone. It eventually stopped working altogether.
Very recently I got around to pulling them apart and resoldering the right speaker connection - the actual wire was only about as thin as a human hair. It was incredibly fiddly and I had to have 2 or 3 attempts to get it right, but was very pleased to have these excellent headphones up and running again.
Not finished yet... :rolleyes:
So, I'm on the computer, scouring YouTube, and I put the headphones on. No sound. I unplug them and plug in the speakers, get sound. OK nothing wrong with the 'poota. I plug the headphones back in, still no sound. So I get up to get my iPod headphones, get to the bedroom and realize I've still got the headphones on... and I then discover the problem.
An inquisitive 5 year old boy and a pair of scissors... :mad: |
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studio headphone recommendations...