Headphone/earbud Poll for audio pros

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BradG
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Headphone/earbud Poll for audio pros

Post by BradG » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:34 am

It's that time in my studio cycle when my broken headphones outnumber my working pairs. Readying my soldering iron, it's apparent that most of these cans are way past their prime so maybe it's time to check out some new ones, especially these Ultrasones I'm hearing so much about...

I also got a new iPod Nano for the gym and am considering getting an alternate set of earbuds for 'em. Especially for planerides where the stock Apple-buds aren't going to cut it.

So to my poll. Please tell me what your favorites are for each category, perhaps with subs: (A) Best (B) Best-Value.

1) Favorite Studio Headphones. This is not for the deaf drummer. What's your favorites for checking mixes and tracking.

2) Favorite Civilian Headphones. Might be the same as (1) but I'm thinking you might want something smaller, sealed, etc. for traveling and such.

3) Favorite Earbuds. You can easily buy tiny earphones for your iPod that cost twice as much as it. Is it worth it? Any good in-ear options that don't sound like crap?

BONUS: for taking this little quiz, I'll share a secret with you that I just discovered (and would love some feedback on anyway). If you're using your stock iPod earbuds, slice a little piece of tape and cover those tiny holes on the outer shell with it. I've found that this instantly gives me sub frequencies that were not there at all before and with hardly any noticeable "boxiness" or loss of highs. I've also experimented a little with covering only a few of the holes, which definitely keeps all the other frequencies intact while boosting lows a bit.

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BradG
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Post by BradG » Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:10 pm

thanks
Last edited by BradG on Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Cellotron
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Re: Headphone/earbud Poll for audio pros

Post by Cellotron » Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:17 pm

BradG wrote: 1) Favorite Studio Headphones. This is not for the deaf drummer. What's your favorites for checking mixes and tracking.
I recently got a pair of the Ultrasone PROline 650's that I really like a lot. They're closed - but pretty even response with nice dynamic bass reproduction and very unhyped. Well worth the $300 I paid - go to http://www.bayviewproaudio.com for a nice deal including some bonuses (I got a pair of 20' mic cables included when I purchased through them).


2) Favorite Civilian Headphones.


I have a pair of Sony MDR-7504s which while being a bit on the bright side are nice and portable but still give fairly full response.


3) Favorite Earbuds.



I don't really ever use them for my own listening (and really rarely use my iPod - mp3s give me headaches after a while) - but I am keeping a pair of standard Apple earbuds around so that people during attended sessions can check their mixes on what has essentially become the new "lowest common denominator" out there.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

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inverseroom
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Post by inverseroom » Thu Mar 09, 2006 4:01 pm

MD7506's, Grado SR-80's, Koss THE PLUG.

Let me say that I LOVE Koss THE PLUG. It is a great earbud for less than twenty bucks. You can keep the music very quiet and still hear everything, and it has pretty good isolation.

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Post by citystate » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:22 pm

7506's for the studio, though I've been looking at the beyer's that are made with isolation for tracking drums.

for the ipod i use these sony "eggo's" that i got in japan. very light and fold up nicely.

i've heard that the grado's are nice but aren't closed, i.e. they would not be very good to take to the library.

any other options for tracking drums? i have metrophones but they are WAY too big and heavy.

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californiawizkids
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Post by californiawizkids » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:27 pm

Well, for me 2) and 3) are pretty much the same. I have a pair of Shure E2Cs which work great for in studio monitoring with a live band, they make my iPod mini sound excellent, and even better for using on planes.

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