Suggestion to replace my headphones

[H-evolve]

Hi guys,

Wanted to ask you what would be a good pair of headphones to replace my Seinheiser HD280. I have seen some old posts, but they are from 2011, so maybe some new stuff is now on the market and is worth mentioning, hence this thread.

The thing is, I have a decent pair of monitors (JBLs) at my friend's place where we do most of our recording. However, at home, I like to do simple recordings when I write music. You know, when I find some riff that I like, I record it in order to not forget about it.

Therefore, I don't want to spend 500$ on a pair of headphones. However, I find that my Seinheiser HD280 have no bass at all. So I always end up having trouble balancing the tone (either too much bass or not enough).

So, anything in the range of 200$ with a good balance between bass, mids, highs, is a welcome suggestion. Is it possible to get something good at that price?

Thanks.

 

[JasinElric]

Not sure if there's anything mind-blowingly new on the market, but I've been using ATH M50's for the past few years for such purposes. IMO they're your best bet for that price range.

 

[Studdy]

Shure 840's

 

[H-evolve]

Could you guys give me a rough idea of "how different" they sound compared to the Seinheiser HD280? I mean, just want to make sure that I'd buy something that doesn't have the same kind of problem.

The thing is, stores close by have a shitty selection and I'll probably have to buy online, without really having the chance to test them. It sucks, but I don't have a lot of options...

Don't get me wrong, I don't want super "bassy" headphones, as it gives you a false idea of how the mix sounds. But then the opposite (no bass at all) is not good either.

 

[Studdy]

First off you are going to get opinions not facts from everyone. People like different headphones. I will tell you my experience. A couple years ago i went headphone searching. I tried at least 8 pairs of popular models (including the ones you mentioned) Of all of the headphones i tried even more expensive, nothing sounded as accurate at the shure 840's they sounded as close to "my perfect" as possible. None of my tests were paying attention to build quality or comfort, strictly what i heard. YMMV

Cheers.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Shure 840's

I have a pair of SRH's...(I think?) But the bottom end ones. Think I paid $60 at GC for them quite a few years ago and they still go strong. I've never tried any other studio headphones so I cannot really compare, but they seem to lack bass and have enhanced highs.

 

[Studdy]

The lacking bass thing i somewhat agree on but only because i find most cans have a hyped bottom end, that is one of the reasons i like the shures, the low end seems very controlled. When testing i tried the 840's and the ones below (440's???) They 840's seemed do be a much more professional sounding pair. Also this discussion has happened a ton of times, you could go back onto some previous threads and get all this same info. Cheers

 

[FarBeyondMetal]

I like my Sony MDR-7506's, I use them to balance the low end on my mixes since my room is less than optimal.

 

[Sloan]

I have a bunch of headphones but the ATM-M50's are still my go-to set. They stay in my backpack for live use. I really want more of them...

 

[nezvers]

I have ATM-M50 and with them I have problem with volume balancing, because of hi-mid weirdness originated from closed-back design. They have really solid sub frequency resolution, although bass might be a little bit louder for what I'm perceiving as flat response.
When I mixed with them I got problems leveling vocals or leads and when I referenced on other sound systems they were too low in mix.
So my suggestion is to check open-back designed headphones, if you are going to mix with them.

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

These are your options:

Sennheiser HD600 (tried and true, also Putney mixed an album on them)
Focal Spirit Professional (I own these, flattest headphone I've ever encountered)
ATH R70X (way better than M50 for mixing)
Sennheiser HD800 (if you got the money, nothing tops these)

 

[crillemannen]

I can't understand why the ATM m50's are that popular they sound horrible, YUCK!!!

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD25-II which i really like. The expensive Focal headphones did sound very nice too!

 

[egan.]

I can't understand why the ATM m50's are that popular they sound horrible, YUCK!!! I have a pair of Sennheiser HD25-II which i really like.

It's funny bc I HATED both pairs of the hd25's I had and I like the m50s. But then we both like focal monitors.

 

[crillemannen]

It's funny bc I HATED both pairs of the hd25's I had and I like the m50s. But then we both like focal monitors.

Well i bought hte Hd25 mainly because of that they are very prominent in the 100-250hz area.

The M50's just are so sharp in the highs it makes my ears bleed. And i felt they where very scooped and had allot of lowend, in a bad way.


The Focal ones felt very balanced and flat. If i where to buy headphones to mix i would go for them.

 

[Heabow]

I still love my Sennheiser DT770's. They're great for me and I find them very comfortable for long sessions. I agree with Christian, I find the ATH M50's horrible.

 

[Plendakor]

I have the Shure SHR440s and I'd say to avoid, not for the sound quality (great), the material is peeling after a while. I know some people buy them then order the ear pads of the 840s but that's not where it's peeling. I'll post a pic later.

 

[atoragon]

i love my beyerdynamics dt880 pro, maybe they cost a bit more than your budget but they are the only ones good to mix with.

 

[tgs]

I'm gonna come with an unorthodox suggestion: Beyerdynamic DT250. Since I got them I've hardly used anything else. Sound great, extremely comfortable. I would never have thought of them if they weren't recommended by a friend of mine.
I also have DT-770Pro; never use them, high-mids/highs are way too shrill for me. I use them only for tracking if the performer likes their sound.
DT-770M; using these since many years while working FOH. Great for that purpose. Also use them as reference now and then since they have a pretty "interesting" bump in the low-mids. Good for keeping an eye/ear on the mud.

 

[CronosBeyond]

Got used "Sennheiser HD650" for about 200€. Best headphones I ever heard, incredible detail and depth.

 

[mickrich]

HD650
Love mine.
If you buy them you will never need to worry about headphones ever again.
Expensive, but the last headphones you will buy.
They are shockingly good. I can switch between them and my Focal Twins and not have to readjust to the sound.