Topic: Best Headphones

[charles]

What is the best reasonable set of headphones to compliment a setup?

[Brian Skalinder]

For what purpose?  Home listening, monitoring/mixing at shows?  Budget?

I don't really use headphones to monitor unless I'm at a festival and have significant down-time between sets.  Even then, not so much unless I suspect I'm having a problem.  There're probably some headphone posts in the Playback Forum, try a Search over there as well.

[John R]

Budget?

grado? senn? sony? etymotic?

[pfife]

I love the sony7506's.  Not as much iso as I would have hoped though.

[mmmatt]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

[Sean Gallemore]

and to point out the obvious, best is subjective

[SPLASTiK]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

I'd second the 280 pros for live settings. They attenuate a lot of outside noise and are pretty flat.

I own a pair of those for monitoring live music when engineering live sound.

[Busman Audio]

AKG 240S   great sound not cheap though.

[DAT grl]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

I'd second the 280 pros for live settings. They attenuate a lot of outside noise and are pretty flat.

I own a pair of those for monitoring live music when engineering live sound.

Add my third vote for the Sennheiser 280 pros.  They were recommended by 2 different friends who're audio professionals.  I still love my Grado SR 80s for just enjoyment listening b/c they're so lightweight.

[Tall Adam]

AKG 240S   great sound not cheap though.

i use the 240s for my playback and editing, but they suck live, semi-open backed. i use $15 koss "the plug" live  they isolate great, sound good enough for my purposes (mostly just checking that im getting signal, setting levels and  making sure there are no major problems) and theyre cheap

[icculus543]

I use the BOSE Quiet Comfort 2 headphones.. They work great but are a little pricey..

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I love my Grado Sr-80's. Best $100 I've spent. I usually listen to them vs. my crappy speakers. They sound fantastic.

Next up is a set of nice in the ear phones (I'm thinking some Shure's). The Grado's aren't good on a airplane. They are open so everyone can hear what you're hearing.

MIKE B

[DAT grl]

Next up is a set of nice in the ear phones (I'm thinking some Shure's).

I haven't listened to the Shures and didn't see them when I was buying.  I ended up with Etymotic ER4-Ps.  In all honesty, I'm loving my
Sony Fontopia earbuds.  They sound great for the price ~$40 (if you can't spend the $100 for the Shures) and I use them all the time with my iPod.

[MattD]

How do you like your ER4-Ps? I have a pair of ER-6s on the way to me ... maybe by this weekend if I'm lucky.

[DAT grl]

How do you like your ER4-Ps? I have a pair of ER-6s on the way to me ... maybe by this weekend if I'm lucky.

The isolation on them is phenomenal, which makes them excellent for stealth monitoring in the field.  You'd never guess that earbuds could sound as good as closed headphones.  However, my ear canals are constructed so I have to jam those suckers in but good to get the isolation.  It's enough to be uncomfortable for extended periods, as noted in this review, which is why I like my Fontopias that look similar to the construction of the ER-6s. 

Plus, at $330 I'm a wuss about the Etymotics.  Even though I know they're rugged, I tend to baby them.  I've been known to accidentally rip out the cord on earbuds so I wouldn't feel as guilty about killing or losing the Sonys.  I'm bass-thirsty and the bass response is great but there's no way to get the isolation you have with the Etymotics.  As soon as the Fontopias meet their end, I may have to get the ER-6s.  They look sweet.

Charles, you may want to read through these threads.  They helped me decide on mine.