{"id":481,"date":"2014-02-11T17:28:46","date_gmt":"2014-02-11T23:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.wordpress.com\/?p=481"},"modified":"2014-02-11T17:28:46","modified_gmt":"2014-02-11T23:28:46","slug":"headphones-for-the-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/?p=481","title":{"rendered":"Headphones for the Studio"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is a quick post that has some advice I promised a friend.\u00a0 However, I think will also be of interest to others and frankly, a blog post is the easiest way to get this to Jim.\u00a0 In working on a podcasting project, he found that his headphones were having some leakage issues.\u00a0 Rather than getting bleh-consumer Beats or Skull Candy cringe-worthy stuff, he asked me about my recommendations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Basics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, headphones are a very personal item.\u00a0 What sounds good to one person may sound like junk to another.\u00a0 Actually listening to them before you purchase, if possible, is always my first piece of advice.\u00a0 Second, the items I talk about here are for recording purposes, not listening.\u00a0 That means first of all, they are highly isolating.\u00a0 Very little sound will leak out of these, even at loud volumes.\u00a0 That usually means \u201ctight.\u201d\u00a0 As in head-in-a-vice tight, if the cans aren\u2019t a good match for you.\u00a0 It may also mean heavier than you are used to because of the larger drivers these \u201ccans\u201d (studio term for headphones) use.\u00a0 Finally, these recommendations are for phones that have a very flat frequency response and impart minimal coloration on the sound.\u00a0 In other words, you will hear what is there; exactly what is there.\u00a0 They are not intended to be bass-thumping mud packs like much of what you see in the Apple Store.\u00a0 That can be a shock to someone who is used to consumer or even audiophile headphones.<\/p>\n

Finally, he only wanted to spend a Franklin more-or-less.\u00a0 So here are my preferences in that $100 price range. \u00a0Note that I’m not listing actual prices. \u00a0Considering how they fluctuate, sales and different vendors, it’s pointless beyond noting they are all around $200.<\/p>\n

Koss Pro4AAT<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re my age, you may well remember the classic Koss Pro4AA.\u00a0 Big.\u00a0 Ugly.\u00a0 So heavy they had an attachment for a mic stand.\u00a0 Nevertheless, they had amazing sound.\u00a0 They still make the originals, but this version \"Koss<\/a>is a lighter (though still heavier than most) and less garish version.\u00a0 I will note that these are the cans I use, personally.\u00a0 They have a 10Hz-25KHz frequency response which goes well outside what my 50+ year old ears can hear.\u00a0 They are extremely flat and uncolored in their response, which means that you get a very exact image of the sound.\u00a0 They also have some of the best isolation I\u2019ve found in a pair of headphones.\u00a0 These headphones will take as much signal you want to feed them without distortion.\u00a0 You will either push the source into distortion or blow out your ears before these cans distort.\u00a0 My wife uses these to pick out both the first and second bassoon parts from a full orchestra when she\u2019s studying a symphony.\u00a0 Very few headphones can do that. \u00a0Finally, Koss has a lifetime warranty on them.\u00a0 You only pay shipping to them (something like $6 from what I hear).<\/p>\n

As with all things, these benefits come at a price.\u00a0 The most obvious will be that these are both heavy and tight.\u00a0 Tight, as I implied earlier, will describe all<\/b> of my choices.\u00a0 These aren\u2019t the tightest, but they are the heaviest coming in at 21 oz. (yes, that\u2019s almost 1-1\/2 pounds).\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a strong neck and shoulders, so this doesn\u2019t bother me even for extended periods, but your mileage may vary.\u00a0 There is one other potential \u201cgotcha\u201d to keep in mind for the Pro4AAT.\u00a0 They get their amazing clarity and distortion resistance from having a 250 Ohm impedance.\u00a0 That means it takes a lot of signal to drive them.\u00a0 \u00a0On my mixers or my pro-audio interfaces they\u2019re great.\u00a0 On my higher-end Pioneer receiver, no problem.\u00a0 Portable players?\u00a0 iPods\/iPads?\u00a0 Nope.\u00a0 They simply do not have the output to drive these phones well except for quiet listening.\u00a0 Of course, I never do critical listening off those types of devices, so that is not an issue for me.<\/p>\n

Sennheiser HD-280 Pro<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These are probably one of the more popular monitor headphones in the recording business and for good reason.\u00a0 Like the Koss, they have excellent isolation and a flat response, so you can hear what is really there.\u00a0 \"Senn<\/a>Their frequency response is 8Hz-25KHz, essentially the same as the Koss.\u00a0 As for the fit, I personally found them rather tighter than the Koss, but on the plus side they are only around 8 oz in weight, making them the lightest of the bunch.\u00a0 These headphones have a 65 Ohm impedance which means they will work well on your professional gear and also perform acceptably, though perhaps still a bit weak, on your portable devices.\u00a0 The warranty on these is two years, though I doubt you will ever need it.<\/p>\n

Their sound is detailed, but in my opinion was noticeably, but not significantly, less so and thinner than the Pro4AAT\u2019s.\u00a0 There is a 300 Ohm version of these that may give more \u201coomph\u201d to the sound like the Koss, but I haven\u2019t heard them.<\/p>\n

Audio-Technica ATH-m50<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These are hands-down the best monitor class headphone in this price range.\u00a0 Those who are familiar with these cans are going to be quick to ask, \u201cWhat do you mean?\u00a0 These cost $150!\u201d\u00a0 Well, \"A-T<\/a>the straight cable version (which I would prefer) can be found as of this writing on Amazon for $130.\u00a0 These are in the 10 oz range, so the weight is not bad at all.\u00a0 As with all the others, they are quite snug and do very well in regard to leakage and isolation.\u00a0 They have the richest sound of any one this list but do not sacrifice accuracy or unduly color the sound.\u00a0 They have 45mm drivers, a bit larger than the others, yet they have a 15Hz-25Khz frequency response, which was a surprise since typically a larger driver means a lower response.\u00a0 While the low technically<\/i> isn\u2019t as good as the others, you really are not losing anything noticeable considering most people cannot hear below 20Hz, and at my age even that is a joke.\u00a0 The overall quality of the sound makes up for any imagined loss.\u00a0 You have all the detail you could ask for in critical listening and if your mixing involves music, these are easily the most musical in their response.<\/p>\n

They can handle a very hefty 1600mW of power; important considering the low 38 Ohm impedance.\u00a0 The good news is that means they will work fine on your iPad.\u00a0 The bad news is you definitely want to make sure your level is down when you plug them into your mixer.<\/p>\n

The only real negative I can give these is the price.\u00a0 If you\u2019re looking for something just for podcasting or voiceover work, even the $130 price of the straight cord version may be more than you want to spend.<\/p>\n

If\/When I replace my Pro4AAT\u2019s it will be with a pair of these.\u00a0 To get better you would have to spend between 3 and 10 times the money on a pair of Ultrasones.<\/p>\n

Sony MDR 7506<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I would be raked over the coals if I did not at least include this headphone in my comments.\u00a0 Even more than the Sennheiser, this is probably one of the most common headphones found in the professional world.\u00a0 \"Sony<\/a>These headphones have a 10Hz-20KHz frequency response and have a 63 Ohm impedance.\u00a0 They weigh 8 oz, very light and as always have a snug fit.\u00a0 If this is sounding a lot like the Sennies, that because they are.<\/p>\n

While there are many who swear by these, they are my least favorite in this lineup.\u00a0 While I have no problem with leakage, I didn\u2019t find them to have the degree of isolation as the others.\u00a0 Of course, many would find this a good thing.\u00a0 I also \u2013 and I must emphasize that this is personal opinion \u2013 that they didn\u2019t have the high end of the HD-280 or the full range of the Pro4AAT.\u00a0 That said, they will still get the job done and done well.\u00a0 If your main goal is podcasting, voiceover or broadcast they will do what you want.\u00a0 I will put it this way\u2026 These may be my \u201cleast\u201d favorite of this list, but I would take them over anything<\/i> by Beats, Skull Candy or Bose without hesitation.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, remember that I am talking about studio\/monitoring headphones.\u00a0 These may<\/i> not be quite as musical in their response as you typical listening headphone.\u00a0 Any of these would be good but I cannot emphasize enough that you listen to them and compare them in advance using audio tracks with which you are familiar.\u00a0 Remember that the gear you use will also make a difference in your headphone preference.\u00a0 The output, impedance and frequency response of the headphone amp will play a big part in what you hear in the phones.<\/p>\n

Also keep in mind that when it comes to actually mixing, these should really be your last option.\u00a0 On voiceover, podcasting or broadcast, a good headphone is an obviously essential tool.\u00a0 For a live gig, though, your ears on the live sound should be your first choice, falling back to the headphones only when you need to isolate a channel or listen to the sound within<\/i> the system.\u00a0 For doing a studio mixdown, any<\/b> headphone is your last choice.\u00a0 You need to hear the mix through open air monitors.<\/p>\n

Feel free to ask any questions and if you have a favorite, mention it in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a quick post that has some advice I promised a friend.\u00a0 However, I think will also be of interest to others and frankly, a blog post is the easiest way to get this to Jim.\u00a0 In working on a podcasting project, he found that his headphones were having some leakage issues.\u00a0 Rather than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[41,42,47],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ymfK-7L","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thechristiangeek.net\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}