Headphone advice please

P

pavel_shalman

New member
Hi everybody,

I plan to do (at least try) to do some overdubbing at home and I don't have any decent monitors. I need a pair of headphones that I can use for tracking and for monitoring what I am recording, finding the mic spot, quality control etc.. I will not be mixing.

budget between $100 - 200. I'm considering sennheiser hd 280 pro or beyerdynamic dt 770 pro.

Any toughs or suggestions?

Thanks a lot,

Pavel
 
I have the hd280s and get on really well with them.
My only complaint is the fixed/coiled lead. If you stand up it WILL catch on something and rip the headphones clean off your head....Every time....

Other than that - Great pair of cans. :)
They have great isolation for tracking and overdubbing.
 
+1 for the HD 280s. I got mine about a Month ago and love the sound. They have a surprisingly good bass response IMO - which often separates the men from the boys in terms of headphones. Build quality is good. I feel like this was a well-spent $99.
 
Just ordered a pair. Look forward to trying them out.

I just loathe cans. Just a necessity for tracking...
 
You should definitely get some closed-back cans for this purpose. I just got a used pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, and they work well, but could have better isolation. I don't know, it's my first closed-back cans, so..
 
Wow, the Sennheiser HD280's are really making me happy. Thanks Steeno! :)

Also, the Soundtoys 'Micro Shift' is worth purchase price. Just sayin...
 
+1 for the hd280's. I've got the hd380's and they rock. I've also got the KRK KNS 8400's as a secondary pair and they're good too. Like Steen said, the Sennheiser coiled cable can be pretty annoying. I thought it was cool at first, but it really limits your mobility and does catch on stuff. However if all you're planning on doing is dubbing then you shouldn't be moving around much!
 
dainbramage said:
You should definitely get some closed-back cans for this purpose. I just got a used pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, and they work well, but could have better isolation. I don't know, it's my first closed-back cans, so..
Click to expand...

I've used the 770 Pro's for years now. They claim to isolate by about 20dB, and that's great for tracking live. They really do isolate well for me (even with glasses). And they are comfortable and do not have a coiled wire - which I hate cause they get caught on music stands, etc and ruin good takes. The only cans I use that are more comfortable are my Beyerdynamic 880s. I have not used the HD 280. But I would probably replace the ear muffs with a Beyerdynamic if it's available. They are so much more comfortable. I did that with my Sony 7506s.
 
guitaristic said:
I've got the hd380's and they rock.
Click to expand...

I just looked at the HD380 manual.... it states they have 32dB noise reduction. In your experience, is that correct? And are they "accurate," without any funky frequencies popping out?

When I was tracking the associate concert master of the MinOrch, his wife was listening in through the 770's and wasn't too happy about his tone (which I understand since the 770's aren't terribly accurate - a little bit of a honky high-mid, but they're comfortable and block out noise well which is why I brought them to the sessions).

If the hd380's are significantly better, I'll check them out too, especially if I can swap out the ear pads.
 
citizen77 said:
I just looked at the HD380 manual.... it states they have 32dB noise reduction. In your experience, is that correct? And are they "accurate," without any funky frequencies popping out?

When I was tracking the associate concert master of the MinOrch, his wife was listening in through the 770's and wasn't too happy about his tone (which I understand since the 770's aren't terribly accurate - a little bit of a honky high-mid, but they're comfortable and block out noise well which is why I brought them to the sessions).

If the hd380's are significantly better, I'll check them out too, especially if I can swap out the ear pads.
Click to expand...

It might be 32 decibel reduction if it's an airtight seal, but I've got a pretty thick head of hair so I can't tell. They definitely do block out a good bit of noise. I'm usually unable to hear people talking to me from 5-10 feet away at all when I'm listening to something at even a moderate level. Have had quite the jump when people have accidentally snuck up on me before :D
 
No "What Headphone Should I Buy" thread is complete without a recommendation for Audio Technica's M50.
 
guitaristic said:
It might be 32 decibel reduction if it's an airtight seal, but I've got a pretty thick head of hair so I can't tell.
Click to expand...

Well, I have follicular deficiency (I almost wrote phallic) and completely able to stick (clean) plungers on my head and walk around like a unicorn to the amusement of store-shoppers, so I'm usually able to attain that nice "airtight seal." These are relatively inexpensive, and I haven't looked for new cans in years.
 
citizen77 said:
Well, I have follicular deficiency (I almost wrote phallic) and completely able to stick (clean) plungers on my head and walk around like a unicorn to the amusement of store-shoppers, so I'm usually able to attain that nice "airtight seal." These are relatively inexpensive, and I haven't looked for new cans in years.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you can normally find a new pair for under $150 now. Of course the 280s are even cheaper. I prefer the 380s, but really only you could decide if they're worth the money!
 
Been using a pair of Denon digitals for several years. Really love them (including the straight, long cable that never pulls my headset off), but now the left speaker is starting to get that fuzzy that comes from wires being straightened and bent too often so I'm really glad to see a post about this very subject. Thanks Steen! I'll put the 280s on my wish list
 
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