Topic: Nice Can! What cans are you using?

[newplanet7]

Couple of personal questions:
1) Just wondering what everyone is using these days?
2) Also was wondering if you all have multiple different pairs  for different purposes?
For example if you use a pair at the show (for monitoring) do you have yet another pair to at home (for post work, mixing, general playback
3)  What are the three most important characteristics you check off before you purchase?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

My answers are:
1) Sony MDR-V6  OLD SCHOOL
2) This is the only pair I use regularly, (casual and critical listening)
3) The very first two things that I check off in my head after physically having a pair in my presence are durability.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

[moooose]

1) Audio Technica ATH-PRO700 SV, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
2) ATs are for monitoring during recording, Beyers for playback/listening
3) Audio quality, Comfort, Durability

[page]

1) Denon D7000 (markl-moded and recupped)
2) Just the Denons for home listening. Used to have a set of Westone UM3X w/ custom tips for monitoring or listening in noisy environments, but I sold those.
3) Generally in order starting with most important; Speaker-like tonal balance (bonus points for a flatter response), micro detail reproduction, liquidity of sound (which eliminates most Sennheisers), comfort, meshs well with the rest of my playback gear (impedance hiss, amp requirements, etc).

If I didn't have the Denon's I'd get a pair of Audeze LCD-2 or a set of Stax.

[taperj]

1) BeyerDynamic DT-880 PRO
2) This is the only pair I use (used for some mastering tasks or latenight listening so I don't bug my neighbors)
3) Audio Quality, Comfort, Durability

[Gutbucket]

Senn HD650 (circumaural) -home use, recreational listening, critical listening checks, post work: zero isolation, great sound, high Z.

Etymotic ER4S (in ear, w/foam plug mod for max islolation & bass) -for use requiring isolation and small portability (like location monitoring): excellent passive isolation & very good sound, lean bass, foams makes it a PITA to put them in and out frequently, high Z.

Audio Technica ATH-ANC3 (in-ear) -kept in my office for occasional day use, travel phones: active cancellation isolation, acceptable sound, not particularly flat response, quick easy in-out, low Z. (The active noise cancellation works very well. I was hoping it would work to cancel deep bass for show monitoring when used with foam plugs.  Results were really promising with very flat attenuation, but the cancellation circuit doesn't have enough headroom and clips for situations where it is really needed)

Sony MDR-V6 (circumaural) -home recoridng moitoring when isolation is required, my old go-to phones: 20+ years old with major wear on these, decent isolation, decent sound, workhourse phones.


For the record, I've not been a fan of the Grado or AKG sound as they seem too hot in the midrange or low trebble and not flat enough for my hearing response.  Never tried Denons or Beyers, love to have a set of Stax, my ultimate non-portable would be the Smyth Realizer system which includes entry level Stax.  Was personally HRTF calibrated by the developer and it blew my mind, indistinguishable from speaker sourced music in the calibration room.

Important  considerations: sound quality (flat response for my ears, detail; if open phones then also apparent depth, stage, extension, dynamics, etc), comfort, cost, specific use considerations (best isolation for monitoring, easy in-out if required, best sound quality for home phones).

[jlykos]

1.) Audio-Technica ATH-M50, Westone 2
2.) I don't use anything at the show.  ATs for mastering, Westones for portable listening.  I would never use cans at a show; IEMs all the way (if I were to use anything).
3.) Sound quality, comfort, durability

[Belexes]

1) Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
2) Home use only. Portables are a pair of Koss Portapro used with my MP3 player.
3) Audio quality, Comfort, Durability

I love a good set of cans.

[page]

For the record, I've not been a fan of the Grado or AKG sound as they seem too hot in the midrange or low trebble and not flat enough for my hearing response.  Never tried Denons or Beyers, love to have a set of Stax,

The Denons, Beyers, and Senns are all darker then the AKGs and Grados (which I don't like, not enough stuff under 400hz to be realistic without a dark amp driving them)

There is something in the upper registers with Sennheiser's house sound that does me in. The best I can explain it is in the 5-8khz range when you hear a hi-hat, it's like there is a touch of sand that is rolling around in it. I notice it on both the HD600s and 650s, but it's almost completely gone in the HD800s (which has a peak around 6k or so that I don't like). That's the liquid remark I made.

my ultimate non-portable would be the Smyth Realizer system which includes entry level Stax.  Was personally HRTF calibrated by the developer and it blew my mind, indistinguishable from speaker sourced music in the calibration room.

I remember you posting about that. I lust after that, and baring that, an SPL Phonitor if I weren't going the Stax route.

Btw, if anyone gets a chance and is interested in what a bunch of headphones sound like, I recommend finding the next head-fi meet-up in your area and showing up. It's the easiest way to take a bit of material that you know extremely well and run it through a bunch of headphones in one sitting to make notes about what you prefer and why.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I have 2 sets of cans now.

1) Grado SR80's (need some loving...loose connection in the cable). Love them to death. Couldn't believe a $100 set of headphones could sound sooooo goood. Sometimes it would be nice if they weren't an open air design.
2) Senn. HD280Pro. Don't like the sound quite as much as the Grado's but I can really crank them without pissing anyone off. They are a little uncomfortable for long periods though.

Also have the Etymotic e6i and mc5's for when I'm on the go. Both are really nice. Really nice when you're in a noisy environment like an airplane.

Plan on picking up the Beyer DT 990's soon. Tried them in NYC a few months ago and loved them.

[newplanet7]

What's the deal with open and closed? I have never really researched headphones or anything. Can someone give me a quick what when why with open and closed?

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

With open people will be easily be able to hear what you're listening to. I'm somewhat limited with experience between the two types, but from that limited experience I like open cans better.

[bgalizio]

I have 3 sets that get regular use:

iGrado - for work. Our cubes are far enough away that the open design is OK, and that lets me hear when someone is talking to me.
Etymotic ER6 - for travel. Fitted with my musicians ear plugs for a custom fit.
Sony MDR-V6 - for general home use.

[absnj]

Any suggestions on Beyer DT770 vs. DT880?  If I am driving them with my PC for mastering, do I need the 32 ohm version?

[page]

Grado SR80's Love them to death.

If you liked those, consider the Alessandro MS-1. Same sound signature but most who try both prefer it. A small company in NYC uses the drivers out of the SR80 as their starting point.

I tried a pair once. I can understand why folks like the Grado sound, but it wasn't for me.

Also have the Etymotic e6i and mc5's for when I'm on the go. Both are really nice. Really nice when you're in a noisy environment like an airplane.

I had the ER6 for years, I thought they sounded great behind a tube amp that had slightly dark tubes.

Any suggestions on Beyer DT770 vs. DT880?  If I am driving them with my PC for mastering, do I need the 32 ohm version?

yes, you probably want the lowest ohm you can get if you're not using a headphone amp (depending on the ohm output of your soundcard).

[acidjack]

1) Just wondering what everyone is using these days?

Audio Technica ATH-M50, Westone 3, Shure E3C

2) Also was wondering if you all have multiple different pairs  for different purposes?

AT's for mastering, Westones for on-the-go listening, Shures really as a backup and for monitoring at show (a practice I find useless 90% of the time, other than to just be sure everything is actually working...)
For example if you use a pair at the show (for monitoring) do you have yet another pair to at home (for post work, mixing, general playback

3)  What are the three most important characteristics you check off before you purchase?           

Sound quality, price, recommendations on TS.com(!)