Headphones for mixing that can take a beating as well

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

So I’ve been on the AKG712 for almost a decade now. My second pair, fairly new, just broke down on me, partly because of neglect from my end - I tend to throw my kits around like I treated my school books back then - just shove’m in the backpack and go. Some gear handle that better than others, and the AKG:s do not handle this well.

I could change. But I don’t want to. I like myself too much. So I need a pair of cans that can match the AKG712 in quality, but are also known to handle some heat. I’ve been told Sennheiser are built like tanks. But what do I know?

Do you know, though?

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Recommend some mixing headphones for house/techno with Digitakt/Digitone?
Recommend some mixing headphones for house/techno with Digitakt/Digitone?
#2

Sennheiser HD-25. William Orbit mixes everything on them.
I was always told they are too bass heavy, but Orbit knows more than me…

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#3

My faithfull Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro died on me lately, after more than 15 years (or 20? I can’t even remember when I bought it). Actually it’s just one cup that stopped working, and I was told it was an easy job to solder a new one - that supposedly costs around €30. They are designed to be repaired, to a certain extent at least.
(some time ago I had ‘upgraded’ to an AKG712 but, personally, I’m not a big fan and found them also quite fragile - I had to send back a first pair before getting a replacement).
I wanted to go for something new after 15 years of Beyerdynamic, so I went to a cool shop where the owner was lovely and let me try like 15 different headphones to decide, and even take one at home with me.
After trying and trying, one thing became clear: the DT 770 Pro was, for me, the best (and far from the most expensive). For the sake of change, I took the slightly upgraded model, DT 700 Pro X (a tad more bass, but basically the same sound). I trust this one will last me a quarter century, and even if it breaks, it can be repaired.

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#4

Sony MDR-7506, still on my first pair since 2008. The only thing I’ve replaced are the ear pads, by a third party offering, though you can easily source the original ear pads - the thing I don’t like about the original ear pads is how they slowly flake after 3-4 years. The third party ones hold much longer.

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#5

Big ups for the 7506’s from here as well, original pair from way back when finally disintegrated beyond repair half a year ago or so, and I picked up a pair of new ones the next day. Great piece of kit.

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#6

can’t recommend HD-25’s personally - i love them but both pairs i had, the fragile connecter near the earcup broke and wasn’t repairable because the wires are hair-thin. never understood why they’re regarded as tough when they seem to have this major design flaw. i’m telling the truth! it happened twice!

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#7

To be fair I’ve had a pair of HD25s for 20 years and haven’t yet replaced a bit of them, despite never really looking after them.

@circuitghost - Are we talking DJ mixing or production mixing? HD25s are great for the former but awful for the latter

#8

Sennheiser HD600, legendary and well coveted for their flat response curve. Super durable too, as I’ve dropped them maybe 30+ times over the last decade. And even if you do break something, they are modular and you can still buy replacement parts, you could totally rebuild them from the drivers up if needed.

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#9

I don’t know, Circuit…

I tour with a pair of AKG K240 cans, and they take an unadulterated shit-kicking.

To which end, I’m only on my second pair in 20 years.

What part broke on yours?

Cheers!

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#10

I was listening to William Orbit and he said he mixed the Madonna album using HD-25’s. I would have thought they were too punchy in the bass and lower mids?
I use Beyerdynamic DT 770 for mixing and HD-25’s for vibes (and DJing)…

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#11

I’ve had a pair of DT770s since 2012 that are still going strong - survived plenty of “being shoved in a backpack” trips. Also survived multiple instances of falling asleep with them on before waking up and dropping them on the floor.

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#12

If you’re mixing in a DAW or iOS then IMO it doesn’t matter what cans you choose so long as they have a TB Morphit profile to neutralise their idiosyncrasies. So pick the toughest on this list:

https://www.toneboosters.com/tb_morphit_v1.html#headphones

Putting this plugin on the master buss had a single impact on improving my mixes given my AKG K240 MkIIs aren’t exactly neutral on their own.

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#13

I’ve had a pair of AKG240s for at least 15 years and can vouch for their durability. Mine are kicking around the floor most of the time and they’ve been stepped on several times. I’ve never had a problem with the cables cutting out unlike Sennheisers which tend to crap out after a few years (in my experience anyway).

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#14

DT700 X pro. They are my main headphones for my V Drums TD50X module. I drop them a lot and use them to track my hardware into my DAW. Definitely a heavy hitter.

#15

Hey all, thanks for excellent and thoughtful replies as usual - this place is ful of love, for sure.

@JohntheSavage it’s the connection between the two cans, so I only get audio from the right one. I had the same issue with my last pair, though granted, it took them eight years to get there. I repaired them once, that held for maybe six months, and then they broke down on me again. This time, it took me not even two years for this to happen again.

Granted, I know I’m tossing them around, stashing them into bags, being not perhaps careless but very “You can handle it” about them. Either I had a bad copy this time around or they’re just not built for my kind of road.

@alexleigh83 Mixing. I don’t use my monitors much, I don’t really have a proper space for them, although despite that, they are somewhat useful. But I get most stuff done with my cans and I’ve even made a complete release or two with just them and the regular crap home hifi systems for ref. Not saying that’s a good thing, but I am saying, I got away with it.

Sennheiser keeps coming up as a reference for cans that sound both good and can handle a beating. Maybe that’s the route to take. I was looking at Shure as well, but no one speaks about them. They get great reviews, but I don’t hear anyone actually using them. So I don’t know.

Love their microphones, though.

#16

I have Philips SHP9500. They sound very good for such cheap headphones and have a nice flat response - open backed. They have a standard 3.5mm stereo connection on one side. So any old 3.5mm stereo cable can be used with them.

I don’t really know that they can take a “beating” but they are priced very well and seem robust enough to me.

#17

another vote for DT770.
they are really bomb-proof by design.

#18

I own all three of the more popular choices here. The 770, HD-25, and 7506s. Any one of these will do the trick, but here are my takes.
The HD25s are the smallest of the bunch, and unlike the other two, the ear pad doesn’t completely cover my ear, which for me osnt a total no go, but I can say that djing wise they’re my #2. The 770s are great, and I use them all the time at home, but djing wise I would rather use the other two, simply because they’re bulky. The 7506s have been my go tos for 2 decades now. In that time I’ve own two pairs. The first pair still works, even after a ton of abuse, it’s actually crazy that they still do now that I think on it. They are my favorite Djimg headset as they just fit me well, sound good, and cover my whole ear, which is important when djing in a loud club. But like I already said, any of the 3 will do you well.
For home use, I’d go 770s first and then a toss up between the HD25s and 7506s.
They’re all incredibly durable, except I’ve had to repair the HD25 pads (ear muffs) three times now.

#19

I don’t know how your AKGs are, sound-quality wise compared to the Sony 7506s, but I’ve had my Sonys for years and they seem unbreakable. Plus they are designed to be repaired, have repair manuals and parts available etc.

I just got some new Hifiman Sundaras, which sound amazing, and seem pretty tough. Compared to the folding design of the Sonys, they are simpler, and mostly metal. But I would not recommend them after just a week. Other folks might have opinions on how long they last.

Why not just get another set of AKGs, the same as you have? Sounds like they’re tough enough, and you won’t have to re-learn a new sound.

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#20

I’m very abusive with my stuff in general, I can’t believe what the dt770 survived so far from physical standpoint, they are truly built like a tank, they are by far not the flattest though, when I got the sonarworks last year it really improved the curve and made everything even.

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