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  • studio grade headphones.

    so I'm looking to build a "beginner" studio, so to speak. i want to get some decent quality headphones. I'm looking to spend around $100. the major differences I'm seeing in the $100 range is the impedance. from a headphone standpoint whats the difference between 64 ohms and 44 ohms. I'm debating between the sennheiser HD280 and the audio-technica ATH-M40X. there both $99.99. the Sennheiser is a 64 ohm and the audio-technica is a 44 ohm. the audio's come with a detachable straight and coiled cable as well as a 1/4" to headphone adapter. where as the sennheiser is a fixed cable. the detachable cable intrigues me but i don't want lower quality headphones just because the cable comes off. the way i always understood impedance was the higher the ohms the tighter the sounds was gonna be. but that's coming more from a big speaker standpoint. ive never dealt with a driver higher than 16 ohms.

  • #2
    Re: studio grade headphones.

    I don't know if impedance has anything to do with how 'tight' a speaker sounds, but given an identical amplifier the one with lower impedance will be louder. Also, the Sennheiser HD280 cable is semi-fixed. It can be replaced by the end user, but you need to open the case to do so. At least they aren't like Sony 7506s which are essentially junk when the cable goes. Both of those sets of cans are good, so you should base your decision on how they are to wear and your perception of the sound.
    Originally posted by crusty philtrum
    And that's probably because most people with electric guitars seem more interested in their own performance rather than the effect on the listener ... in fact i don't think many people who own electric guitars even give a poop about the effect on a listener. Which is why many people play electric guitars but very very few of them are actually musicians.

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    • #3
      Re: studio grade headphones.

      I have a pair of Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone I got for 80 from amazon. They had decent reviews on http://thewirecutter.com/.

      In your price range check out: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the...ar-headphones/

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      • #4
        Re: studio grade headphones.

        AKG k240
        Last edited by SlyFoxx; 02-23-2016, 05:06 PM.

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        • #5
          Re: studio grade headphones.

          The HD280 Pro is regarded as one of the best budget headphones out there. I've not heard them, but I have heard the m40x, which I thought had a very flat response and good isolation, but were a little heavy on the head. I'm bald, so without the cushion of hair up top, I tend to notice headphone fatigue. The cups were fine, but the headband was noticeable after awhile. I wouldn't get too hung up on detachable cords unless that's been an issue for you. I prefer the replaceable cable because I've had cable failures before.

          I don't take much stock in the arguments that there are sonic difference between impedances, all other things being equal. A high imedance headphones would benefit from amplification, but at 44/64 ohms, a bus-powered headphone jack on a recording interface should supply plenty of power.

          I also own a pair of AKG K240 headphones. Good for mixing, but I would not recommend those for tracking due to the semi-open design.
          Duncan Pickups in currently in use: '59 (rewound to PATB-3)/'59, Custom/AP2H, Tapped QP set for Tele, Crazy 8/Cool Rails, Screamin' Demon/Stra-Bro 90, Custom 5/Phat Cat, SP90-1/SP90-2, SMB-5D

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          • #6
            Re: studio grade headphones.

            I used a pair of HD 280's for a couple of years before upgrading to SRH 840's. I will say they are very good headphones, especially for the price. You don't really need anything better, as they take you most of the way in terms of studio headphones (arguably monitors are more important for referencing anyways). A couple things to note, some users say the headphones are overly tight and can cause fatigue on your head, though I didn't find that to be the case with mine. They are very flat, but I find the bass to be slightly more distant than my 840's. I don't think you can go wrong the the HD 280's, though I can't personally speak for the M40X. Hope that helps!

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            • #7
              Re: studio grade headphones.

              Are You using for tracking or mixing primarily?

              Why don't you use what you will find in MANY studios around the world? AKG K240. I have a pair and love em for the price
              TOUQUE ROCK...EH???? I AM CANADIAN

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              • #8
                Re: studio grade headphones.

                I've had a pair of HD280 Pro's I got maybe in 2001 for about a $100 new. Still have them today... Except they're a bit beat up so I upgraded to HD380's that were on site. You can't beat a decent pair of around the ear cans with good ambient noise attenuation...

                Only con is they're a bit big so you might look funny walking around town with them. For home studio or practice, or hell for video games they kick ass.

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                • #9
                  Re: studio grade headphones.

                  i wound up going with the hd280's. they sound amazing. havent been able to find a problem yet.

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                  • #10
                    Re: studio grade headphones.

                    Originally posted by Grizzly_Diesel View Post
                    i wound up going with the hd280's. they sound amazing. havent been able to find a problem yet.
                    HD280's are indeed amazing headphones. I've been using a pair since a long time now. No wonder they still continue to be extremely popular as studio headphones, just like the Sony MDR7506's.

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                    • #11
                      Re: studio grade headphones.

                      I've never heard headphones that were as good as a nice pair of speakers. That said, I've had a pair of Sony MDR-7506 for nearly 20 years now and they sound pretty good for headphones. Beaten all to snot and the foam around the ears is all falling off though.
                      Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                      Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                      This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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                      • #12
                        Re: studio grade headphones.

                        Don't use Sony MDR 7506s for EQing. Used to use them and there's some freq's missing (hi & lo) vs. pair of speakers... forcing you to compensate.

                        In fact, I wouldn't use any headphones for EQing.

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                        • #13
                          Re: studio grade headphones.

                          Headphones are really hard for me to EQ or mix on- most hype bass frequencies, and you wind up overcompensating. I fairly inexpensive AKGs to track with if I need to, and that is almost always just vocals. Everything else goes direct, so I can blast my monitors if I need to.
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                          • #14
                            Re: studio grade headphones.

                            Originally posted by LLL View Post
                            Don't use Sony MDR 7506s for EQing. Used to use them and there's some freq's missing (hi & lo) vs. pair of speakers... forcing you to compensate.

                            In fact, I wouldn't use any headphones for EQing.
                            I agree with Mincer. Don't use any headphones for EQing. They're just the wrong tool for the job.
                            Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                            Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                            This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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                            • #15
                              Re: studio grade headphones.

                              Op - you are speaking my language. I live and breath this **** everyday.

                              First -what are your needs? -Just recording? are you using these for tracking, as mix down references, or for mixing itself? and are these for listening enjoyment elsewhere too -like travel?

                              AKG and Sennheisers

                              Reason I ask, The Sennheisers 280s are very accurate compared to most in that price range-so they are mid range heavy compared to other headphones more voiced for listening enjoyment.

                              AKGs Ks are slightly less accurate in the mids but sweeter in the highs but may sound better to many over the Sennheisers because they have a slightly pronounced bottom - ie -they are lying to you slightly. lol . AKGS were pretty much the standard for recording everywhere you went until the 2000s

                              I find the detachable cable system of AKG to be an advantage in the studio -as I have many lengths of cables for various set ups.

                              Both the Sennheiser and AKGS are really for studio recording application and very accurate in the grand scheme of things. -You cant go wrong.

                              Sony and Audio Technica

                              Sony 7506 are world standard for basic production stuff like live TV shows, Control Rooms, editing etc. and Audio Technicas are right in line with the Sonys in terms of sound and quality, they are great for the money and pretty accurate and sound great. -They are a bit of a middle ground of accurate and listening enjoyment.

                              Also, if you are planning on using any of these from your phone, IPOD, Computer or any other consumer device, the lower impedance rating (25ohms or less) on Headphones is an advantage -as consumer devices don't have the power to drive a professional high impedance headphone driver easily -so the volumes will be lower and less accurate if you pick a headphone with a higher impedance meant for a professional or pro-sumer recording headphone jack.
                              Last edited by NegativeEase; 04-05-2019, 01:51 PM.
                              “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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