Well, if you're tracking, you'll appreciate the isolation closed-ear 'phones offer. If you're doing more programming or mixing, open-ear models tend to help the sounds you get translate to other systems and speakers.


That being said, just go get the Sony MDR-7506. They're a little hyped in the extreme bottom and top ends, but once you get used to them (and you'll have to get used to any new listening system anyway) they're really easy to work in/on.
Don't pay more than about $100 including shipping.

Oh, you said "noise canceling". I don't recommend those for working on music in any critical way.

For just listening, sure. The Bose are pretty good, so I'm told. (And I generally don't recommend Bose for all the phase-manipulation funny business they pull in their designs, but in the case of noise-cancelling products, that's kinda exactly what's going on anyhow.)

On topic - if you want to shut out outside noise, sealed-cup 'phones are your best bet. Again, the Sonys are pretty decent for isolation.

Thanks! Im new to this, so Im probably mis-using the term noise-canceling. I dont need them for say airplane travelling, but rather for making my own music for fun, but still taking the process serious.
Ill check in to that Sony MDR-7506. I also prefer the "sexy" Sony name for most electronics I buy. Thanks again :)

+1 to what Out Out said. The 7506's are great and are probably the most widely used headphones out there that I know of. I also have a set of MDR-V700's, which are designed for DJs and they sound good, but they exaggerate the bass even more, so I'd say stick with the 7506's and you'll be happy.

I work with beyerdynamic and sennheiser. I am very happy with both. the sennheiser hd25 are very close to the ear and keep out the noise quite good. the are very good for travelling. the beyerdynamic dt770 are extremely good for monitoring. but I wouldnt trust only the headphone mix. a good mix of monitor speakers and headphones is always good. d

have you seen these . . .


http://www.beatsbydre.com/

Those "beats" look like they might be fun 'listening' 'phones. But they're made by Monster (?) who generally don't trust. Much of their product line is overpriced hype - even treading into snake oil physics (guitar cables that are supposed to only be plugged in one way? WTF?)


I've heard good things about those two models, the Beyers and the Sennheisers, but can't speak personally. My engineer friend who works at my studio has a pair of Sennheisers (I think) that he loves and swears by - I'll try to get the model number. I recall him saying they were $200+ though...

^ - the funny thing about those "beats" headphones - aside from they are really hugely overpriced . . . I don't think I ever found real specs on them, like what kind of drivers. . .

...i use the beyerdynamic dt 250. very good. worth every penny. very comfortable to wear.

I can recommend some Sennheisers and Grados but I've had nothing but bad experiences with Sony. It's as if they design their products for failure so you'll have to buy another pair down the road...

Had good experiences with the classic AKG K141 (great for tracking) and the AKG K240DF (a little quiet for tracking but great for mixing and very comfortable for periods of long use)

Get yourself some Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. Great phones for about $100.

I've tried really hard to like the AKGs, but something is just wonky in the midrange on them for me.

I've heard the Sennheiser HD 280 is a pretty great model, yes.

@jgarra: Much of their stuff, I agree. But I've had 7506's last through some insane stuff without dying. Even 17 year olds in punk bands. Let's just say they tend to die less than other headphones I've owned, under the worst studio conditions...
...would I ever buy a CD or DVD player from Sony again? Hell no - fucking things just die on ya.

The most expensive and newest one.

i looked up all of the suggestions that were made. thanks for all the input.
im thinking right now that ill probably order the Sony MDR-7506 from Guitar Center or somewhere similar in a week or so.
btw, ive had a Sony 5 disc cd changer since 1993 and it still works!

actually i meant to say, go into a Guitar Center and pick it up. screw paying for shipping

Everything Sony I've owned has ended up breaking, including headphones (well, except for one of my PS2s)

Well Studio-Standart is the AKG K240....

it sounds nice and linear...

I know that the AKG K240 is standard in a lot of studios. I used to work a couple studios where that's all they had. Never could make bands happy with their monitor mixes - which is why I started looking around for something better. Just because something is standard doesn't mean there's not a better solution out there.

Again, they sound messed up in the midrange to me. YMMV.

I in love with my AKG K240 since many years now!

But the design is more than uuhhhhhhmbbhhhhhhh!

Timber

+1 for Sony MDR, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic in the $100+ range.
i've been using the Sony's for about 15 years, as Out said they're a bit hyped on the high & low end which helps me detect hiss & signal noise. picked up the Senn's a few years back & they make a good product too. tried the Beyer's a couple times & liked em but never picked em up.

I have these


They are semi-pricey, but I don't know how they hold up for studio use

@Out Out: well my hearing is terrible..:-)...so for me they always sounded pretty linear....:-).....and I think it also depends on what you want to do with headphones....for just playing in...well then imho they do not need to be ultimatively nice sounding, but closing the ear well...(some musicians need volume levels like deaf cows *g*) I always only use one shell or my Shure Inear Monitors....I want to hear myself also for intonation reasons and not the headphone as only source...but this is a question of gusto I think...if you plan to mix with the headphones I would suggest to buy yourself a phonitor...


@Sumez: I use the SONY for DJing...imho it is perfect, but exaggerates the bass too much (which for me is perfect doing beamixes *G*)

Expect anyone who buys your records to exaggerate the bass as well :P

and for the standart question...well being standart means that a lot of people use this equipment and are familiar how it sounds....for me as a musician (in my case singer or flute player) it is important that I feel comfortable in the environment i record....and havin for instance the headphone sound "like at home" helps, at least me, to easier get comfortable with the situation and (hopefully) produce better results, means lesser recording time and -costs...

Expect anyone who buys your records to exaggerate the bass as well :P

yeah but if it does and you try to play in with it, it can happen, depending on your instrument, that your intonation is slightly mistuned....which will be fuckingly bothering if you afterwards have to correct it with melodyne or so...:-)

and if you mix with exaggerated bass it will sound fat on your headphone, but shitty on your stereo :-)

personally i'd choose sealed-cup 'phones like Out Out mentioned above - to use them for mixing and e.g. recording vocals. i'm still satisfied with the sony MDR-V700, i use them for programming, jamming and dj'ing.

the SPL Phonitor is really unbelievable. i tried it out a couple of weeks ago and if i had the money i would buy one. especially in situations you can't use 'real' monitors or when you have to work at a quite place this outboard gear really makes you happy. it's like working with monitors but instead wearing headphones. plus the results are really very, very close to mixes done with nearfield monitors.

@kAlte fArben
Thanks, I'll stick with my V700's then :)

@Kalte Farben: yeah...but it also costs as much as a pair of decent nearfields do :-)

at SUMEZ: of course! me too! :)
at YADE: well, THAT is the problem, eh? ;) but since i own some good monitors that fit to my style i would never ever save money if it's about this topic. right?

I encourage people who have headphones they really know to bring them in for their session if that makes them feel more comfortable.

I cannot afford to have a half-dozen different models of headphones around. I have mostly two (the 7506, of which there are usually 8 working pair) and some cheaper ones (for when we really need more...) If I had to slice up my headphone budget into multiple models, I'd have a harder time getting headphone mixes that were consistent between all the models, for example. Been there, done that. No thanks.

It was after years and years of trying different headphone models that the 7506s entered my life. Never before had it been so easy to get people up and tracking.


On another note, uneven frequency response is always an issue when getting mixes to 'travel' - and getting mixes done on headphones to 'travel' onto speaker systems it gets weirder still, with stereo imaging (center vs. side levels) issues, too.
Knowing how other records sound, say, on a system with accentuated bass will help one make decisions about their own mix, help them compensate for the frequency response bump.


Just some more thoughts.

I second the Sennheiser HD280 PRO & only $88.

http://www.headphonereviews.org/

^^ oh excellent! thanks for that link

I might have to try those Sennheisers at that price. If, for nothing else, use at home.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000065BPB/ref=dp_olp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1233257274&sr=8-3

The first shop, OneCall... they jacked the price up by 11$ since I picked them up.

@Out: i picked up 5 pairs of the $30 Sennheisers a while back for gang vocals, headphone jam recording, home use. good bang for the buck for non critical listening. & you don't have to cry or kill anyone when someone sits on them.

I really wanted the HD-600's.. but just a bit too pricey. ;)




_

I use the 280 pros for music listening and they are superb. They separate and balance sound very well for the price, and yes... i'm sure there are way fuckin better cans out there, so shut it.

i also use Sony 7506's, i have two pairs. THey also have warranty's, or well, they did. I havnt attempted to use them yet, but when i worked at Sam's Ass we allowed people to bring in their old ones and we would swap'em out, and send the bad ones back to sony.

part of my collection:

asshole headphones

sony mdrv-700 . older. dependable. full enclosures. they are destroyers and *fairly true*
tend to make mixes a hair drum heavy though. have to learn how any hadfone translates to club/pa. systems and monitors.
no headfone will replace a solid monitor. opinion.

s.rude

i rarely use headfones any more. if ever. studio can be 24-7 loud. use krk v6 main monitors, and stereophile yamaha NSA-10 (not NS_10's!), and JBL mid field monsters for loud tests. (12" subs in them)...

but the mdrv-700 full enclose have proven the test of well over a decade and a half. and are ruffly-100-150 new or refurbed.

s.rude

I'm using AKG K-271 - quite satisfied. :)