What Reference Headphones do you recommend?

[musikmachine]

The HD600s have been revised a few (3?) times and the newer ones are meant to be an improvement. You'll definitely need an amp with them.

[MickGael]

The HD600s have been revised a few (3?) times and the newer ones are meant to be an improvement. You'll definitely need an amp with them.

+1

Definitely true of the 650s, too. I have to run the headphone amplifier on my D-Box at ca. 1-3 o'clock to drive them.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I use M-Audio Fasttrack Pro

hmmm, with your budget i'd probably change up the interface and go for some better priced cans, but i'm m-audio allergic

i feel in good company that there have been 4 recommendations for the krk's but the truth is that any of the ones recommended might work out fine for you as long as you learn them...

if you are lucky enough to be able to go to a place where you can try ome out (or that offer a returns policy) then maybe check a few out

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Ive been using the HD600s direct from a focusrite saffire pro 24 and UA apollo with no Amp... normally have to crank to 3/4 but still plenty of volume for me.

[rob_lee]

DT880 has a flatter freq response curve than DT990, so it's better for reference.

Well i use the DT990's on everything so i wouldn't know..

[EvilDragon]

As long as it works for ya.

[satYatunes]

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 or M45 (if you can find it)

[rob_lee]

As long as it works for ya.

They do mate i have a brand new pair in the box too just in case they get discontinued hehe

[DuX]

I'm not a fan of headphones, and I'd rather kill a neighbour than be forced to use the headphones for mixing, but a pair of AKG-K240DF that I've been using for a couple of centuries feel like a good old friend for me. They're absolutely non fatiguing and comfortable. Not extremely accurate, but when you get used to them... you know, like with every piece of audio gear - you have to get to know them.

I also have HD280s that I use for singing and overdubs, that sound a bit more hyped in highs and lows than 240DFs, but I like them a great deal, too. They get the job done - the bleeding is non existing no matter how deaf the singer or overdubber is, except when I pull out my katana and make the bleeding more prominent. I also sometimes listen to music on these when I want to listen to music undisturbed.

The point being, I use headphones to get the job done, and for checkups. No mixing. I have great respect for the DT-770s, too, and if I needed more headphones, I would probably get these, too. Here, there's really no great difference in price between AKG/Sennheiser/Beyerdynamic, so it all comes down to a preference, basically.

p.s. AKG K240DF is a bit different model than K240 Studio. Less hyped on high end, and low end, too. Very laid back headphones, sounding very natural and non-fatiguing. They used to be "industrial standard" headphones for German radio and TV stations for decades. I think AKG don't produce them any more. Shame.

[musikmachine]

The HD600s have been revised a few (3?) times and the newer ones are meant to be an improvement. You'll definitely need an amp with them.

+1

Definitely true of the 650s, too. I have to run the headphone amplifier on my D-Box at ca. 1-3 o'clock to drive them.

I think mine cost £80.

I know some people use Lavrys etc with them but i'm using a Superlux HA3D which is a sound devices copy but it does add some clarity and gives the low end definition.

@philterino, i mean to get the best out of them.

[DuX]

Oh yes, that reminds me, headphone preamps are so overrated. When I plug in my cans into any preamp they sound the same. Go figure. I suppose a headphone preamp should be really low quality to show any difference, and I seem not to be a happy owner of one like that. Or?

I know tons of people who use cheap Behringer and Presonus preamps for headphones and I think they're perfectly good.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Oh yes, that reminds me, headphone preamps are so overrated

again with the generalisations sure, some headphone amps are overrated but....................

[DuX]

I mean, if you've got a half decent audio interface, then you shouldn't worry about the headphone preamp. But if you have an onboard Realtek audio card, then you should. If you get my drift?

And if you've got M-audio headphones, preamp, audio card, and a mike, the headphone preamp should be the least of your worries kinda thing.

[Igro]

Comfort is not an issue at all

Hmm, why? Believe me, sitting more than 3 hours with headphones will change your point bout that.

[xybre]

Three of the more popular models for mixing:

BeyerDynamic DT880 Pro
AKG K701 or K702
Sennheiser HD600

Some useful articles:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/a ... phones.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan07/a ... phones.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1994_ar ... hones.html

The AKG 701s I have are incredible, I can hear things in tracks that I can't hear with any other setup. The frequency response is impressively flat as well.

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/akg-k-701-white.php

I'll probably pick up the 702s soon, if just because I've had my 701s for 6 years and they're kind of beat up.

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K702-Headphones/dp/B001RCD2DW