I'm looking for a new pair of headphones below the bar of 300 euros...and I'm looking for good stuff that I will use for mixing music (and also playing a bit) without disurbing my better half/the baby when doing so in the dead of night!

I checked up some models already and my list boils down to 3 brands and 5 models

AKG K-702 or AKG K-701 (seems the same ...one with a detachable cord, not the other)
SHURE SRH840/940
BEYERDYNAMIC DT-990 PRO or BEYERDYNAMIC DT-880 PRO

i'm leaning towards the 702 or the 880.... I cant try em out before I buy, so any info/opinion to help me make up my mind is welcome

I use this site for those who may be interested
http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/build-a-graph.php?graphID%5B0%5D=703&graphID%5B1%5D=2621&graphID%5B2%5D=573&graphID%5B3%5D=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones

 

Just a suggestion but have you tried www.gearslutz.com because they usually have every kind of review or people that own those brands if the people here don't know. As I said only a suggestion but I find that site to be really reliable for getting information like this and I also have found a lot of it to be pretty accurate reviews and personal accounts. Also thanks for your link to that site it looks like it will be useful to me in the future because I will be doing the same shopping for a headset because I made the mistake of buying a piece of shit set by american audio. I was like you and could not hear them for myself and didn't really look into them before I bought but this time I will definitely be going to a store to try them after I do my research because I don't want to waste my money again. I had a pair of really good Audio-Technica and I made the mistake of using them with my ipod and the cord, which was really long, got stuck in something and they broke a part of the wire and I couldn't figure out how to fix them but they are definitely a brand i will look into again because they had a high quality sound. I know they were not one of your choices but I would check into some of there stuff.

 

I've got a pair of Monitor 10 from Pioneer back from the 70's. Haven't bought any new ones since them. Why don't you check some advertisements on SOund on Sound magazine. Get some brands, find the products that suit your expenditure range and then look for reviews of those products on the internet.

Here's the frequency response table of the Monitor 10:


You can get them at reasonable prices, way below what you are willing to expend. Although they are quite old and not as comfortable as most recent ones.

 

Right On.....Old School.....Educate em. I'm still wearing my, 2 tone Orange and Lime 2 piece suit, and platform shoes (only indoors).

 

sennhieser HD650's

 

Hi, these Senheiser HD25 1 ii have been a professional standard for quite some time now and are used in studios by engineers all over the world and by many top djs, radio staions, broadcasters etc, they are a really good purchase.

http://www.musicmatter.co.uk/sennheiser-hd25-1-ii?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=base&ctype=2&gclid=CIOQsO-Y66sCFYEc4QodJFsApQ

They have the added benefit of being able to buy most of the components individually if something should go wrong. The fact that they have been around for so long is a good thing as you can really get to know them over the years in many environments.

Hope this helps..

Ps Be wary of frequency response graphs as they only tell you how the monitors respond "obviously!" to the signal and tell you nothing about the accuracy or detail of the delivery.

 

Check this one from CharterOak which is a company who made some awesome mics too
------> http://www.head-fi.org/t/477485/review-charteroak-acoustics-sp-1-gmp-450-pro
Don't try it but a friend of mine did and was so happy with, personally i just own a condeser mic from Charteroak (SA 538) and it's really amazing for the price
all CharterOak products are lifetime warranty

 

ath-m50's

save $150 to put towards anything else u may need

 

I use an AKG K271 mkII

 

AKG 270S here. Had them for 8 years now, used almost daily. Numerous cleaning/resoldering/fixing. Still works great, and I know how they sound. Thinking of upgrading to the ones above my post.

 

yep have to verify that - as highly recommended by George Massenburg (amen!).....and myself, of course

 

Of those three I would choose the Shure 840s or the Beyerdynamic 990s. the 880s are semi open and a bit untrue soounding when it comes to bass. The AKGs are the worst pick as they will leak sound and are even more "bright" or lacking in bass and high in treble. You might want to consider the Denon AH D2000 or D5000, but they may be too bass heavy. The Shure 840s, however are a safe choice. They were designed as studio monitors and are closed. Someone above listed the AKG 271, another good choice. If you can find a place to audition some phones, do so. or check out headphone.com (not headphones.com) They wil show you frequency graphs for each model you listed as well as many others. look for the flattest graph or least "colored" headphone. The site also has other info that'll help you choose the best for what you need and in your price range (alrhough its an American site in american dollars.)

Edit: The 990s are fully open. I mean Beyerdynamic 770s. Sorry. so for your list get the Shure 840s.

 

Agreed on the HD 25's

I have had a pair for about a year now and swear by them, relatively flat, not too bright.
little bit bass heavy though, took a bit of getting used to. reference with a good set of monitors and you will learn to mix on them in no time

 

thanks for your replies, ...though only few really answered my question

I already have a pair of cans for those who wish to "educate" me....they are pretty old as I've had them for the past 15 years...an old pair of AKG K240monitor (600 ohms)...but their are rather fragile (though as I knew that when I bought them I've always used them with great care..and yet...had to solder my way out of trouble multiple times!)

from what I read on gearslut or whatever site I could find (as I already trawled and went through a lot of stuff before I asked my question here), the 701 and 702 have a very good stage restitution, the trebles are very clear and the bass is there and very detailed though not as prominent as in other brands...but you hear everything clearly, which is the point...so they are far from the bad description given here

I read a rather good review about the shure..I'll see if I can find more....seems somewhat bass heavy

The Beyerdynamic are apparently a good compromise BUT they have a hole at 80hz (mentioned in most of the reviews I read), and also tend to have a U shaped response curve ...so that sounds kinda annoying when mixing...

as to the other models some of you mentionned...well if I made a list...there is a reason...I'm not lost in the jungle, I have already targeted a few preys of interest to me! *no*

 

a lot of different answers here. I personally own the AKG K-702's, they're top of the line. I've heard good things about the Beyers too. I know this is wishywashy, so I'll give you the advice every1 gives - listen to each one first.
That's not gonna cut it, so I'll tell you that you shouldn't go for the AKG's unless you have a proper headphone amp to drive them. And it's not easy to find an amp that will at your price point (I got one 2nd hand for $200, but only 500 were ever made of that one). Unless you don't care about the benefits of the headphone amp, which is fine it will still work well.

What I would like to know before I give you any more advice is what kind of music are you making with them? If it's bass heavy, try these My link, but I would not use them by themselves. Something to save up for. This site is also the place you go to for headphone reviews, I've found that gearslutz.com is not so good at giving headphone advice...the ones that do barely know headphones and will recommend the pair they use for tracking or go "USE MONITORS". Head-fi.org is full of audiophiles though, so beware, hi-fi is not what you're looking for. There are plenty of engineers (mixing and mastering) on there too, and Acix (the reviewer in the link I wrote) was a mastering engineer, and he owns the AKG K-702's and he swears by them, as well as the German Maestro 8.35D for bass monitoring. You can ask him for advice. He will say you will need a headphone amp for the AKG K-702's. He owns a $2k one. *shrug*, I don't have that kinda money, I'd rather buy monitors and room treatment.

So either K702's with amp, or the Beyers. I'd say Beyer.

 

thanks man, that's helping me to see a bit clearer,
for the record, I intend to mix mainly rock music or heavier genres i.e thrash/death metal ..and sometimes a bit of bass-heavy techno but when I'll know the headphones well, that wont be a problem to adjust...I'm chiefly looking for a pair of cans that will give me results close to what you'd hear on a monitoring system, so that I'll be able to do 90% of the job using the headphones and will only need to make a few minor adjustments afterwards on a real monitoring system (which I dont have and cant use anyway at home)...using my k240M, I'd say I get 70% there

as for a headphone amp, I dont have one as such and dont plan to buy one, but I always take all these audiophile guys with a grain of salt as a lot of them aren't very reliable IMO, they just like to splurge on gear..and that makes em feel better..and safe! lol

as said before I'll use the new headphones for mixing so it'll either be connected onto a mixing desk (which might not always be the same) or to an audio interface.
I remember reading what you said indeed, that the 702 (and 701) need to be pushed a bit to really sound good....overall the AKG I have are OK ...the only things I'd change are a less pronounced bump in the highs, which sometimes makes em sound a bit aggressive, and I'd give em a a bit more high end as well, to add some "air", as after the bump it tends to drop steep!

do you know anything about the shure SHR940?

though after what you said (and everything I read), I think I'll get the beyer DT880 (250 or 600 ohms?)..the only thing that holds me back is this peak in the high frequencies I can see in the response graph...

but whats the difference between beyer DT880 (no ohms = 250?) beyer DT880 PRO and beyer DT880 EDITION?...I cant really find anything, I read 250ohms mentioned here and there but they only appear on a few websites (see here for instance)

also do you think an external audio interface is enough to drive a pair of 701/702? in which case I'll stick to AKG ( I've never had any prob on any interface with the K240M/600ohms)

 

The answers you seek are here

It depends on your audio interface, which one do you have? Some can take you to suitable monitoring levels (and even beyond), some can't. Even if it can, the true potential of the headphones is only revealed with a headphone amp. They are only slight differences though (the K-70x are one of the most difficult to drive headphones, they need a lot of power at a specific impedance below 600 ohms don't quite remember the number). It is really a case of diminishing returns on your money, and if your interface can do it I wouldn't bother. It's not a magical enhancement, but it will bring stereo widening = better instrument seperation and a more pronounced bass = more accurate bass freq response.

Yes I wouldn't take audiophiles too seriously, they're a different breed. However, they actually do get their facts right due to almost half of them being from a sound engineering background. They're just a little enthusiastic ..

I'd also like to say I don't know too much about other headphones, only I went through your picking process myself a while ago, and it was a pain in the arse, and I'd like to reduce that pain somewhat. Headphones are a pain in the arse, but not everyone has the $ for room treatment.

 

silly me, I completely overlooked the manufacturer's website! thanks for putting be back on the track!

well at home I have some very simple gear, the interface is a small UA25EX from Edirol/cakewalk. When I plug my K240, even though they are 600ohms I NEVER go higher than 12 o'clock on the vol knob.
from what I read, the shure seems to accommodate to a lot of different set-ups without too much trouble...
the frequency response of all the models I have selected is pretty close and I reckon it wont make a lot of difference in my case...it's for mixing and once you get to know quality headphones, it's not that difficult to make up for their shortcomings

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare

yep, I wouldnt put it any better!lol

$ are not too much of a problem, as long as it remains "decent", I have no use for a 3000$ pair of headphones ... I'm actually looking at the Sennheiser 650, its a bit above the limit I set to myself but it might be worth it...what do you reckon?
as for room treatment..uuhhh I'll have to talk my wife into it then..not sure she'll be too sold on that one! ah ah ...besides I tend to move often so I'd like something I can bring along and rely on...that's why in the end I decided to go for a good pair of cans..but you ended up with the K702..I suppose you also considered more or less the same models as the ones I did..so why that one?

again thanks a lot for your help!

 

in case some of you here are in the same situation, ...that is looking for a pair of cans being able to somehow replace/reproduce a monitoring system... I share what I found after having read countless reviews and threads, cuz it seems I've finally found what I'm looking for with Ultrasone, not sure about the model yet but the way everyone describes the sound signature of this brand really goes my way...

any owner of a Ultrasone 650 / 750 / 900 willing to share his/her experience?

EDIT: made up my mind...sold on the 750

 

I tried some Ultrasones in a shop, and was fairly dissapointed. I would prefer the AKG 702/701, Beyer 770/880/990 and Shure 440/840 over all which I tried in similar price range from Ultrasone.
Also the manufacturing quality seemed to be higher from all three mentioned brands... but this is just my personal impression.

One word on headphone amps: if you don't want to spend a fortune, but still want to have a decent one, my recommondation is the ART headamp 4. Very low price (50 or 60 Euros), but good quality.
You can connect 4 headphones, for each you have a seperate volume knob. A good feature is (which even many amps ten times the price lack), that each output is available as a jack and mini-jack (consumer) connector = no need for adapters anymore, you can connect any headphone. So actually you can connect even 8 headphones this way.

I bought it for two reasons (I have the same interface as you):
1.) To be able to connect more than one headphone
2.) It went on my nerves big time, that the UA-25EX has no seperate volume knobs for output and headphones... the ART amp solved this problem (and has a much nicer knob, btw).