All-around studio headphones.

I like the Sennheiser HD 380 pair personally. Runs about $150 I think.


Although, I've had fairly narrow exposure to headphones in this price range, soooooo I'm sure there are better options out there.
 
I don't think anyone has mentioned mine? They are Beyerdynamic DT770's, and I love them. They're not too heavy, and super comfortable. Big cans, and furry around the edge. They sound great when I mix and I have no monitors so they're all I use till I can get on my friends set of monitors, which is just for final tweaking, and I never really have to do very much. Just standard listening is great with them too! Also, according to my friend, Maida Vale uses them, which is a good thing I guess? They cost me around £180?
 
Roozter said:
Im looking to get a new pair of headphones. But I need to know a pair I can use for tracking , mixing, and mastering. Under $200. Comfortable for wearing for hours, and no frills, I just want to hear the music how it is, no coloring to make listening to music more enjoyable.

I switch between headphones and monitors when mixing, and my main focus on a new pair of headphones is to get a pair that help me get my mix just right.

Any suggestions?
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For my ear Sennheiser HD 380 PRO headphones is the best choice of headphones which is under 200$, but mixing and mastering on headphones is a bad bad idea. I use Sennheiser HD800, very high quality audiophile headphones, but still not good for mixing or mastering. You can compose or check details of a mix on headphones, but if you want to "hear" your mix right you should focus on a clear room, very good DAC and a high resolution studio monitors, and of corse don't forgot what's most important - ear :)

I guess to ask this kind of question is not a good choice for you. You should listen as much headphones as you can and your ear should choose which one you want to work with. By posting in the forum you can get lots of information what others are using, but I think that information is not even close what you really need !

Best,
Arturas
 
I have been through a fair few pairs of headphones, Sennheiser, AKG etc... but have finally settled on KRK. The KRK KNS8400's are awesome. Sound great, non-fatiguing, nicely cushioned and dont feel fragile at all...

For me it is the 8400 (about £100) or the 6400, slightly weaker bottom end, but exactly the same design (for about £75)

Don't underestimate comfort!!
 
I have been through a fair few pairs of headphones, Sennheiser, AKG etc... but have finally settled on KRK. The KRK KNS8400's are awesome. Sound great, non-fatiguing, nicely cushioned and dont feel fragile at all...

For me it is the 8400 (about £100) or the 6400, slightly weaker bottom end, but exactly the same design (for about £75)

Don't underestimate comfort!!
 
My only issue with the HD280's is

1. The coil cable. Easy to change but still an issue for me. I have an extension cable but it hangs down and pulls due to the connector on it.

2. They are a little TOO tight. But I think with time they pads will change and be more comfortable.
 
shpaudio said:
I have been through a fair few pairs of headphones, Sennheiser, AKG etc... but have finally settled on KRK. The KRK KNS8400's are awesome. Sound great, non-fatiguing, nicely cushioned and dont feel fragile at all...

For me it is the 8400 (about £100) or the 6400, slightly weaker bottom end, but exactly the same design (for about £75)
Click to expand...

Don't you find the memory-foam earpads make your ears hot?

That's what I'm finding with them.
 
I have alot of headphones. In your price range the new KRK's will be you best bet. I have a pair of Senn 280's and find them uncomfortable for long use and they lack in bass. My favorite "mixing set" is my Senn HD600's. So damn comfortable !!! And the sound is amazing !!! But the KRK's are the best set I have for mixing. What I mix on them is dead nutz on what comes through my KRK monitors. As with any speaker/headphone system, you have to learn how it translates to other consumer gear. But the KRK's, which are a newer item, are fantastic
 
MrWrenchey said:
Honestly, once you hit about the $100 mark, most of the "studio headphones" have a flat enough frequency response to mix on...
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I've actually found that this, in my experience, is not the case. I've purchased a number of different pairs of AKG and Sony headphones, looking for something close to what OP is asking for, and I've found that in the $120-$150 range, AKG headphones can sound very different, based on drivers, headphone casing design, etc.

The AKG K271 mkii headphones linked below reproduce audio pretty close to what I would expect it to sound like when I, say, plug it into an iPod or some such device and listen with no EQ setting enabled:

Amazon.com: AKG K271MKII Closed Back Circumaural Headphones: Electronics

Conversely, these semi-open backed AKG's are very different "sounding" - probably flatter than the closed-backs above, but they are also pretty lifeless-sounding. They work for me for mic placement on acoustic guitars since they seem to more accurately reproduce mid-range without any excess bass or high-end. While that may sound like a great characteristic, they are also crap for even casual headphone-based mixing since you don't get a good feel for the low-end:

Amazon.com: AKG K240MKII - AKG STUDIO STANDARD SEMI OPEN 55OHM HP: Home Audio & Theater

They don't sound "thin" - they just sound like they have a hyped lower mid-range, so you don't feel the bass as much. May be due to the semi-open design, I don't know.

All in all, I'd probably recommend the closed-backs, but I also don't think you're going to find a golden pair that will do everything you need, unfortunately. If you do, let us know - I'm sure plenty of us have been looking for the elusive "perfect pair" for a long time...
 
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