Seriously @DoubleTake, these are LL's eartrumpets, take this into consideration please.

 

The Hirtenhorn has been my go to as it has the best audio quality as it has no bend to distort the sound. I can highly recommend it.

 

@Catalyst
glad to see you popping up around here. Time often erodes some of the bad and not necessarily the good. There were times of high tension and I acted about as badly as anyone, but I haven't forgotten that you and many of your friends around here were super accepting and helpful to me when I was an absolutely hapless noob
Hopefully by the time you read this, your operation will have been a success and you'll be on the mend.

As for headphones - I think @Lois Lane has the right idea. The ATH-M50 if they're not too far past the price point. Really great for the price. They were only like $120 when I bought them but it looks like some inflation occurred

Also - if that's too pricey you can look at the AKG k240 mkII. They're a good pair of semi open cans for a flat $100 and are sometimes what I reach for when the ATH-M50s have fatigued my ears a bit

Sometimes you can find the Beyerdynamic DT990s for about $150. They're prob my favorite pair that I own

 

I'd say it depends on what you are using them for and if you want them to have double duties or not.

You have to decide what you need from these main functions,;

1. Monitoring computer generated sounds.
(when making beats, playing VSTis, scoring sample based instruments, applying FX in a musical context such as delay, or spaced out sounds)

If you are only doing #1 then any headphone of the ones mentioned by others will do.
(They dont have to be super flat, they can be closed or open)
I'd recommend an open back headphone though, as they are less fatiguing.


2. Mixing.
(If you are mixing your own stuff and applying FX such as EQ, compression, reverb with the purpose of mixing your tracks)

If you'd like to do mixing then reasonably flat headphones are a must for making EQ decisions.
I'd recommend flat open back headphones. Open backs are generally flatter. Designing flat closed backs is harder to do, and therefore more expensive to make. Open backs have some leakage between Right and Left so are more like speakers then closed backs, this is a good thing for mixing.

Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 are by many considered the best choice for mixing. A lot of pros use them and they are not too expensive. They are higher impedance though so you might need a separate headphone amp to match the impedance. This might add to the cost if your soundcard headphone output is lacking in power.

If the Sennheisers are out of you budget then look at online graphs of them to get a feel for what "flat" headphones look like. Then look at other open back headphone and find a pair that are similarly flat but cheaper.

3. Monitoring live microphones I.e "tracking cans"
(Recording acoustic instruments or vocals, where there is risk of leakage between headphones and microphones)
Here you are best off with closed backs. If they don't need to do double duty as mixing headphones then you don't need to go as flat as possible. In fact a more pleasantly colored headphone such as the ATH-50 would be fine or even preferable. A nice sound could inspire the performer and make for a better take, compared to a flat or dull mixing headphone. You could also just track with earpods or similar cheap in ear headphones as they don't leak that much. This is a cheap option and then you don't have to buy two pairs of headphones. Some performers might even prefer this.


4. Listening through low impedance devices.
(Such as ipod, smartphone, internal computer soundcard 3.5mm headphone output etc.)

If you want to use you headphones to listen to mixes while on the go, or you want to listen through your internal soundcard in your laptop, or if your current soundcard is lacking in power, then you need low impedance headphones.

If you want your headphone to do double duty as entertainment phones for listening to spotify etc then go for low impedance headphone, meaning 30 ohms or something like that.


In short:

If you are only producing computer made sounds, any headphone will do among those mentioned in this thread.
If you are mixing your own stuff, you need flat cans, preferably open backs.
If you are tracking with microphones, you should add closed backs or in ear phones.

If you want one pair that does it all, get flat closed back phones with low impedance.

PS

-You might consider headphone correction software, but you should still get as flat headphone as you can for mixing anyway.
-You might also consider speaker leakage emulating software, that intentionally leaks a bit of sound from right to left and left to right. This way your headphone sound more like speakers. This can be an option if you don't have monitors and proper acoustic treatment or want your closed backs to sound more like open backs.


Good luck with your decision and you heart procedure!

 

Buyer Beware, good to see you again and I hope all is well. Yes, it appears that I'm seeing things from a different vantage point now.
Yeah, everything was a success but it's possible that I might need another operation. I landed in the hospital at the beginning of this year with some pretty serious shit, literally a day away from death. Been fighting my way out of the grave ever since but the experience, coupled with shall we say worldly experiences, tied some things together (like the last 40 years of my life) and who can put a price on that? I just hope that I'll get to put it all this medical stuff behind me soon. Thanks a lot for the advice man, appreciate the info.

Thanks so much for the detailed, incredibly nuanced and useful information. Really cool of you to take the time out and it's very actionable advice which people will, no doubt, appreciate as much as I did. I'm finding it extremely helpful in making a decision. I'm also grateful for the kind words, thanks for thinking of me. Sometimes fighting for your life ceases being a figurative expression and takes on a frighteningly literal meaning.