Need help choosing new headphones...

[poonna]

I'm currently using a pair of AKG 271 Studio for recording and mixing (out of necessity, I live in a shared flat with friends).

The AKG is great, but I can't wear it for a long time because of the pleather ear pads. It gets hot and sweaty way too easily, especially under the climate where I live. So I'm thinking of getting a new pair. They don't have to be closed, as I would still use the AKG for that, but they have to be comfortable, cloth-pad preferreably, and as revealing and accurate as possible.

The AKG sometimes can get a bit dark and produces a mix that is a bit too bright. I'd love to get a pair that would give me least surprise.

Currently I'm looking at Beyerdynamic DT-880. Not sure whether it would be good for mixing. It definitely sounds brighter than my AKG, but I'm not sure if it's too bright.

What's your recommendation? I'm open to any suggestion that is around the price range of the DT-880 and below. A bit higher would also be considered, I guess.

[morelia]

If you have half a brain, which is more than me you'll steer clear of Sennheiser HD515 or similar. Not that they don't sound good, the ear pieces allow too much sound to escape/enter so they are useless. I guess I should have looked into it more but now I realise that for mixing with headphones you really need a sonically impervious environment around each ear.

[synthfiend18]

I've used the Sony MDR-7506s for many years and loved them. However, I discovered the beyerdynamic DT-770s about a year ago and love them more! The Sonys have more midrange then the 770s. I've read on other sites that other people think that the DT-770s are too heavy on the bass. I was reluctant to buy them at first because of that and was still very stuck on my Sonys. I finally decided to buy the DT-770s about a year ago and haven't regretted it for a minute. In fact, I rarely listen to my old Sonys anymore except when I listen to my walkman. The DT-770s sound like speakers to me. I am often ripping them off my head late at night thinking that I have left my speakers on and I am blasting out the house. LOL They have good clarity and match well with speakers. I like that I can get a very close sound in my mixes when switching from headphones to speakers (KRK RP-6). I often have to use headphones (as I have forever) because I mix late at night when everyone else sleeps.

I originally wanted to get the DT-880s, but the store didn't have them to demo and they had a great deal on the DT-770s. The DT-770s are less expensive then the DT-880s too. The DT-880s are open and the DT770s are closed. So, if you are worried about bothering others the DT-880s will present more sound to the environment then the DT-770s. If you have the chance to A-B them, you should.

I hope this helps in your decision making. Good luck!

[poonna]

I've tried the DT-770 and DT-880 yesterday, and I must say I was impressed. There are also DT-770 Pro in the market, but I don't know what the difference is.

[synthfiend18]

The DT-770 Pro is what I have. The difference is in the date of manufacture and the impedance.

The DT-770 was made first and has a higher impedance which means that it takes more amplification to drive them. You couldn't get much volume from a portable player if using them.

The DT-770 Pro came out later and is a lower impedance so that it takes less to drive them and you can drive them with a portable player.

The DT-770 and DT-880 are both 250 ohm impedance and the DT-770 Pro is 80 ohm impedance. It is easier to drive 80 ohms.

[poonna]

I have A-B'ed between the DT770 and DT880, and the bass on the DT770 is obviously more extended than the DT880. I'm not sure whether the bass is too much or not, but it seems fine to my ears. The treble on both models is more pronounced than on my AKG, something that I have to adjust to, after years of listening on the AKG.

The store doesn't carry the DT-770 Pro. I read on the Beyerdynamic website that the DT-770 Pro is diffuse-field equalized. It doesn't mention that the non-Pro version is equalized, so I assume that it's not. This would probably make the sound between the Pro and non-Pro versions quite different.

I'm leaning towards the DT-770 (Pro or not) now. I'll check out more about the other differences between Pro and non-Pro. The impedance is no problem for me as my interface (PreSonus FireBox) has plenty of power to drive any headphones beyond reasonable volume.

[NER]

If you have half a brain, which is more than me you'll steer clear of Sennheiser HD515 or similar. Not that they don't sound good, the ear pieces allow too much sound to escape/enter so they are useless. I guess I should have looked into it more but now I realise that for mixing with headphones you really need a sonically impervious environment around each ear.

Unfortunately, the open ear design inherently sounds better. In the world of audio, everything is a compromise.
Now, closed headphones might keep enviromental sounds out and your music in, but most have some amount of bass bloat.
The beyer dt-770's are closed, but its heavy on the bass. the dt-880's are the opposite, open and bright,

I use sennheiser hd600's, which are super nutural. But, they are open, so they don't block any noise. I'm sure you realize that headphones aren't great for mixing, unless you plan on listening to it with only headphones.

What ever you do, buy a dedicated headphone amp.

[synthfiend18]

On the closed headphones (at least on my DT-770 Pro pair), there is a bass port right above where the swivel is on either side of the cups so, they are not fully closed but mostly closed. I am not sure if the DT-770's are like that.

Anyway, check out these links for more info: http://www.head-fi.org/ http://www.headphone.com/

I used them when I was looking for a new pair.

As for the dedicated headphone amp. Be prepared for sticker shock! I really want to get one some day but, it can really be hard to decide on it, especially, when you see some of the high prices.