Headphone advice needed

[anne]

Hello everyone! I NEED NEW HEADPHONES - my AKG171 headphones are sound fine but are mighty uncomfortable after a while. Does anybody have any suggestions for full studio headphones that are more comfy for long periods? And are in the $200 or less range?

[sgs4u]

Quote:Hello everyone! I NEED NEW HEADPHONES - my AKG171 headphones are sound fine but are mighty uncomfortable after a while. Does anybody have any suggestions for full studio headphones that are more comfy for long periods? And are in the $200 or less range?a headphone thread, and there's another thread in the "what's in your studio"http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?a ... 216&page=1 thread, as well

[dmitchell]

hey Annei love my akg 240 m's , they are not bright, but luxurious, like fine corinthean leather.. and mucho comfortable... ive tried lots but im sticking with these also because i know them well,,which is important from a mixing standpoint. you need a solid reference, a neutral point on which to gauge other systems... like on my system, i know if its a little lacking in the bass range but i can pretty much make out what the bass is saying , then its gonna be really happening in a decent home stereo speaker setup.dave

[anne]

Thanks guys -

[xybor]

I use Sennheiser 580s. I bought two pair on closeout a couple of years ago. Extremely comfortable and sound great. They do not offer much sound insulation for tracking, if you are concerned about bleed. I did a quick look-see on eBay, and there is a new pair w full warranty for $169. Terry

[ernstinen]

I'm a Sennheiser guy, too. When I bought mine awhile ago, I listened to the top-of-the-line phones and the version that were a bit less expensive. To my ears, the more expensive ones hyped the highs a little too much, so I saved a few bucks and bought the ones that sounded flat as a billiard table. --- My advice is to take some CDs that you know inside and out to the store and judge for yourself!Most high-end phones should be plenty comfortable for extended listening. Just don't crank them up too loud for too long!Ern

[mazz]

Hi Anne,I think headphones have to sound good to you and they have to feel good to wear for fairly long stretches (even with breaks). With any pair of headphones there's going to be a "getting to know you" period anyway. Some of those recommended here may or may not work for you so I recommend you take a field trip to somewhere you can try them with music you are familiar with.Remember, you're gonna have these things surgically attached to your head so you better like 'em!Cheers!!MazzPS: How's the studio coming along?

[anne]

Hi Mazz!The caulking and insulation is all finished. I will need to weather strip the door. There are no windows in the studio, for better or worse. Today I was looking at lighting - I am going with LEDs so that I can have adjustable lighting without a lot of heat. I actually am looking at little solar panels that will power them as well - a surprisingly inexpensive, as I don't need very much in that small of a space. I ran a modal calculator on the space and it looks like its may not be too bad to treat once its finished. Of course, that is still a long way away - Bob will be putting in the electrical over the next few weeks, and then all I have to do is sheetrock and treat it. I'm hoping to celebrate Christmas in my new studio with some friends. We'll see if that happens. Meanwhile, off to keep learning - I just received my upgrade to Logic 8; now I have to figure out how to use it!!

[anne]

PS - I love the sound of my AKGs, so I followed Aubs advice and got the 240s (supposedly more comfy). I'm thinking the Ultrasone 700 would also be nice to have (formerly the 650; just renamed this year) and the 550 if I can't swing the price tag. That would give me several types of comparisons with cans and without. A lot of the video work I do benefits from wearing cans, so I want to have different pairs to choose from.

[mazz]

Lots of folks, myself included, don't mix on cans. But I do use them to check certain things like imaging, etc. (and for not waking the significant other at 3AM!)I got the 650s and really like them. I'm still getting used to how they feel to wear but they sound great.I hope you can celebrate Christmas in the studio, wish I could be there! I'll be realtively close (Phoenix) but will be doing the in-law thang the whole time!Cheers!Mazz