Studio Headphones 2021

[thebeesknees22]

welp, after 8-9 years my Focal Spirit professional headphones finally developed a good sized crack in the right side so it's only a matter of time before the earpiece snaps off. ...sucks. I loved these a lot. The crack must have happened when I accidentally laid something on top of them a while back.

Anyone want to recommend some good headphones for studio work?

I'm thinking of going with another set of Focal's again, but thought I'd check before pulling the trigger on some.

(I'm not looking to spend $1,000 on headphones lol)

 

[noise in my mind]

Massdrop hd6xx which is the Sennheiser hd650 but at a better price.

 

[budda]

Tracking, mixing or both?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I second the Sennheiser HD6xx. Quite neutral sounding but you definitely need a headphone amp or decent audio card/interface to drive them properly. They're super comfortable and I use them for playing/recording music/playing games/just general usage.

 

[thebeesknees22]

@budda - both.

@KnightBrolaire - my interface is an apollo twin x

 

[thebeesknees22]

Hmm weird. I don't see where I can get the 6xx in Canada. boooo. I might have to dig more. I see the 650 though

 

[WarMachine]

I haven't used many or even listened to many studio headphones, but i'm gonna plug my AKG's in here. I bought a pair of K240's about 4 or so years ago and they sound fantastic. Plus the outsides are filled with breather holes so you can actually leave them on for hours upon hours without feeling the head compression lol. Plus i do all my recording/jamming in my kitchen; i can leave these on all day long and can hold conversation with my wife without taking them off where the backs are open haha.

Oh, and they were like 99 bucks btw.

 

[EmaDaCuz]

Roland RH-5 for tracking and AKG 702 for mixing and mastering.
I second the K240 (studio) if you want a decent pair of headphones that can do everything at a decent price

 

[budda]

Hmm weird. I don't see where I can get the 6xx in Canada. boooo. I might have to dig more. I see the 650 though

Beyerdynamic 770's get a good rep for the "both" job as they are closed-back, which you want for tracking.

 

[thebeesknees22]

awesome thanks for the suggestions dudes!

yeah I have to have closed back for when I track my crappy vocals. lol (I'm trying to teach myself to sing since that's all I got to work with haha) ...it's pretty hit and miss.

I forgot to mention I need a pair that's fairly comfy and wouldn't put a lot of pressure on my bald head. Nothing worse than getting a headache and a huge line on my head after wearing headphones for a few hours. lol

 

[budda]

The beryer dt's get a good rep for comfort, and l&m carries them.

 

[thebeesknees22]

sweet, thanks dude!

 

[sighval]

There's always Audio-Technica and their trusty ATH-M50X, I've got a pair and they're quite nice.

 

[DudeManBrother]

Beyerdynamic makes the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. There are a lot of great options nowadays, but dt770’s win in the comfort department.

 

[drgamble]

I have the Sennheiser HD650s and I have to say that they work quite well. I use those and some HS8s for recording and mixing. With the 650s I can get mixes pretty much 90% or more there. I do have a sub for my main monitor setup and that is where the headphones fall short. They seem very neutral to me.

 

[Flappydoodle]

DT770 is the obvious choice IMO

They sound good, and very comfortable

1770 if you want a step up in sound

 

[thebeesknees22]

My canadian dollars weep at the price of the 1770 lol

Those look awesome though

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Hmm weird. I don't see where I can get the 6xx in Canada. boooo. I might have to dig more. I see the 650 though

The 650 isn't quite as neutral. 6xx is flatter overall, 650 has more high mid emphasis iirc. Sonarworks has eq charts of a lot of headphones fyi.

 

[thebeesknees22]

I'm looking at prices, and man.....We're getting gouged out the eyeballs on prices here in Canada. mmm..... if I can get vaccinated by end of summer here, it may be better if I just buy some back home in the US if I can hold out that long.

The 650's are $599 CAD...on sale. (reg $650).

USD those are $399.. lol what the heck....seriously ridiculous how high prices are in Canada right now.

 

[gnoll]

Didn't you want closed back headphones? HD 650 are open back.