I’m looking at getting some new headphones as I can’t always use my monitors - I live in a terraced house and the walls are wafer thin. I currently use a pair of the older Hifiman HE400i which are decent enough but piss me off after longer sessions as they get pretty uncomfortable.
I’ve searched the forum and there is a similar thread from 2015, but wanted to see if anyone had any newer experience of more recent planar models (Audeze etc).
Sound quality and comfort are the the main thing, and price wise, up to 1k, but open to any advice/suggestions!
Yes! If you can afford them, Audeze LCD-X, and if not (like me) get the Audeze LCD-1
Very detailed, never knew transients existed to such an extent when I was listening via DT770 and DT990, bass is just gorgeous, full, never distorts, and the top end isn’t fatiguing in my experience.
It looks like the Audeze LCD-1 aren’t too heavy and cumbersome either. That’s the one big issue I have with the HFIMAN… they get irritating AF after a while.
They’re extremely light. Only minor “issue” (which doesn’t bother me at all) is that the plastic creaks a little if you move around a lot. Otherwise, they’re my perfect headphones. Super comfortable even with glasses on. And the detachable cables have saved my life many a time when accidentally catching on something.
Edit: I’ll let others chip in with opinions on other headphones now. Happy to answer any questions on the LCD thread I linked above
I use DT770’s with Sonarworks Reference. Plenty comfy and budget friendly. The 770s are comparatively flat coming from the Sony MDRs I had - which is desired IMO.
Dt770s AND Sonarworks pairing - worth it in 2022. Although Craig’s comment is giving me a case of FOMO.
This thread is relatively recent and has loads of good info;
It must have been merged with another one, because the dates seem out of whack.
I got the Beyer DT900 Pro X’s not so long ago and really like them. Super comfortable for longer periods, and nicely balanced across the full range. The bass sounds real and not hyped, and they translate well.
They’re open back, so if you’re tracking anything with mics they might not be ideal.
My other headphones I use regularly and really like;
DT 770s (for closed back tracking)
Sennheiser HD-25s… DJing classic, but I really like them for general use too, both mixing and tracking. A good reference if you do any DJing.
Sony WH-1000XM4… not the catchiest name for them, but my wireless noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones… totally hyped sound, but I love them anyway. They sound great, can use them for hours with the ambient sound option on, and they give great isolation in main noise-cancellation mode. I could have these as my only headphones easily I think. Edit- really long battery life too is huge bonus… makes travelling way more bearable.
I purchased the Neumann NDH-20 at a good price a couple of years ago, and I’m really pleased with them. I wanted closed back so I could use them in the living room without annoying my partner.
I’m no expert but they sound great and the stuff I’ve made on them seems to translate well. Nice to listen to stuff on too, with good bass. They’re a bit bulky but comfortable for long periods and I think look nice. Worth keeping in mind if you’re after closed back!
I have tried a lot of expensive headphones and I think I just don’t like headphones, there is always something weird sounding with every pair. So I just settled on the Sony MDR 7506. They are really as good as anything else in my opinion, and they fold up into a nice little bag to travel with if you are ever inclined. But if you are going to be using headphones for an extended period I think open backed are easier on the ears, so maybe look at something like the sennheiser HD 650. Those would be the two pairs I would listen to to check a mix I did on studio monitors.
AIAIAI Wireless with the S02 drivers and Alcantra pads! When you make Club music they translate very well on Club PA but are not the most detailed . the wireless Factor is just wow.
flattest from dt series, have just enough soundstage to not be boring while being precise
can be easily adjusted/bent to fit you perfectly because of steel chassy, very comfortable
earpad/parts availability is great
even though they are semi-open, sound leakage is very minimal.
if someone is in the same room, they would be able to make out what you are listening to only if you use them uncomfortably loud.
They are definitely not “prestige” listening expirience, but because of that i actually use them more.
Sound is clear, easy to navigate the mix, while still having some oomph for casual listening.
I second all of this. They are a step up from the DT 990 even though the naming scheme would suggest otherwise.
I also highly recommend Massdrop’s Sennheisers. I got the HD 58X a couple years ago and they replaced my DT 880s as my primary mixing headphones. The ratio of price to audio quality is pretty much perfect in my opinion.
For planar magnetics, my favorites are the Dan Clark (née MrSpeaker) Aeons. At ~$800 you should audition them first, but I find them revelatory. And super comfortable — on my head shape at least.
@fowlscience reminded me about drop. I think the drop 6xx are exactly the same as the Sennheiser HD 650 only cheaper and a very dark blue instead of black.
