Headphones for recording?

I really like my Audio-Technica ATH-M20's. They're very comfortable, have good response and are comfortable enough to wear for a couple hours at at time. For under $50.

If you want to spend a bit more, the best phones I've ever used are the Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000. But I'm not going to drop $800 for headphones anytime soon . . .

The ATH-AD900's are a good compromise in price and quality. You can NOT tell the difference from teh ATH-AD2000 unless you're in a sound-proof room listening to specially recorded sounds that highlight the differences. And they clock in at a respectable, but affordable, $300.

For a bit less, the Sure E3 ear buds are very good quality (amazing for ear buds really) but, well, they're ear buds. I can't stand the feel of them for more than a few minutes at a time.

At right at $100, the AKG-K240s' are very good. Personally I find them to be about the same quality as the aforementioned AHS-M20s, but some people like them better.

AKG K55.

They have those new ones now - the M series I guess. I would like to try the M80. I've been using the 55 for about 3 years now and they're pretty good, don't make your hair 'hurt' and are inexpensive. I use them to track and to mix and they're really okay I think.

Just to be sure: for what are you going to use those headphones? I myself am going to get a set of two small monitors for mixing since mixing with headphones resulted in way too much frustration.

kingpatzer -

The headphones that I am having a problem with now are the Audio-Technica ATH-M2X and yes, they were under $50. I know you said the"20's", so is the 2X series the same as the "20's".

DemoEtc -

Thanks, I'll look into those.

Arjen -

I like headphones for playback, "present time" recordings and mixing. I don't have "monitors", but I do have surround sound for my laptop that kicks a$$. Sometimes it's late at night and I want to mess around and monitors/surround sound just doesn't cut it for me. Overall I prefer headphones anyway. To me, it gives a better grasp on the overall sound.

With surround sound I have too many options with the "post recording" to tweek the sound. I like the raw sound of the headphone to help me "hone" in on the sound I am after.

No. I think the 2X is not a flat headphone, the 20 is, but it's the same basic construction otherwise.

Mike: I use a Sennheiser headphone and a Creative surround set. When presenting one of my songs to a conservatorium teacher I was shocked by the horrendeous quality revealed by a proper set of quality speakers. For late night work it's excellent but here are a few reasons why I am saving up for a set of monitors (and that really doesn't have to cost that much, no need for two huge 100W speakers or anything silly)

-Since headphones basically create two 100% seperare channels your stereo mix will be radically different from a set of monitors.
-Since headphones are so close to your ears (duh) you'll get accoustic compression, whether you want to or not.
-Properly EQ'ing is near impossible, both on a surround set or headphones. With a surround set you'll get the extra problem of having a seperate subwoofer which need to be setup quite accurately to properly mix in the bass.

I already knew that my mixes didn't sound perfect at some people's setup, which is inevitable. But when I heared how they really sounded I was so hugely dissapointed that it made it instantly clear that headphones are not the way to go for mixdown. Not trying to steer you away from getting some good headphones (they have some obvious uses in every studio) but I hope you don't end up with the same dissapointment (and even embarrasment) as I did.

Look at the Grado SRs You should be able to get an amazing set of headphones for less than $100.

try this site

http://www.goodcans.com

Thanks Arjen, yeah I know what you mean, but for the most part the headphones work fine and when I get a shot I do listen with the sorround sound and tweek if needed. My last recording I panned from left to right and the surround sound worked o.k., but the headphones worked better. Then again, I think my surround sound speakers might me to close together.

Thanks Nick, I think I remember you posting that link before. Which set do you have? How long have you had them? How would you describe them (sound/comfort-wise)?

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Mike

Sennheiser px100's are a very good, light, flat response headphone for $50. They drive easily from a low output source like a walkman or a computer. The PX202's will give you some isolation for $25, but with the resultant exageration of the bass, if you want to go cheaper. The HD497's are better and flatter and drier sounding (still with a bass peak, but less so) for $60. The HD280's get rid of the bass peak for $100 but do attenuate the low and high end, which might not be best for mixing. They're comfortable, though.
The Grado SR 60 & SR 80's are excellent (for $70 & $95). The 60's have a great flat response and can be driven by portable equipment. The 80's really need an amp to drive them well and are a bit richer in the bass. They aren't the most comfortable headphones in the world, but can be shaped a bit to make them more so. The 80's can have the earpads changed to a more comfortable foam.
These are about the best headphones for less than $100, but there are a couple Sony and Koss worth checking out. You're not going to find circumaural headphones that don't exagerate bass to some extent at this price. It's a trade off fueled by possible necessity.

Arjen is absolutely correct. Headphones may be a great for recording sessions, but they are not good for mixing or mastering unless the target listening environment is headphones -- and maybe near field monitors. Good headphones provide a far more detailed "listen" than nearly any speaker system unless the listening is done on something like a set of Spendors (or one of the other vernerable BBC monitors) in an acoustically treated room. Near field monitors that have become so popular for small recording studios suffer the same problem: too detailed to provide good guidance in mixing and mastering for the typical listener's sound system. OTOH, both headphones and near fields can be very useful in assessing the integrity of recorded material, and are very good for critical editing.

Recording with headphones is my preferred method as well. Isolating headphones should be the best bet for this. I'm a big fan of Sennheiser, but the line is somewhat uneven in terms of performance. The high end is very very good, but Sennheiser does open air (non-isolating) best. For isolation and a reasonable sound, check out the Sony "professional" line at the $100 to $150 range. The over-the-ear versions will be most comfortable. Grados are good stuff, but probably not for this purpose, as they don't provide enough isolation. Bose ... well, don't spend your money there if you are seeking quality sound -- you can do far better for less. The headphone recommendation is not only my own, but from advice given me by more than one audio industry expert listener and/or codec designer.

Sorry for not getting back to you guys sooner, I was away for an extended weekend.

Thank you everyone for your help! I'll check out the Sennheiser's first then the Sony professional series. I figured @ $100-150 price range for a quality set.

Thank you for the feedback!

Mike

Mike, let us know what you decide on and your experience.

Thanks!

Well, I bought the Sennheiser HD 280's and am very happy with them. I've had them for a little over a week now and I realize I need a good pair of monitors because my surround sound wasn't picking up the things I was hearing with the Sennheiser's. So, I'm sure the monitors will work much better, but I'm really happy with the HD 280's.

I paid 100 USD (10% off put it to $90 :D ).

I've done very little mixing at this point, so I'll give another review when I get more time. The puppy I just bought for the family has me in and out of the house every 1/2 hour, but he is doing VERY well! :D

They seem to really shine when I'm doing real time recordings. I like the sound responce and the comfort level is off the chart! At one point today, I forgot they were on my head until my wife came up to me asking if I heard anything she said! Ummmm, no I didn't honey, sorry! So needless to say, they cancel out a good bit of background noise...... not a ton, but a good amount.

So far, without giving them a real go at mixing...... I'll give them an 8 (only because I'm sure there are way better out there, but for me, they are doing a great job!)

That's it for now,

Mike