Buying headphones is confusing since there are dozens of manufacturers and hundreds of models. The popular style brands (e.g. Beats) promoted to the mass public are consistently over-priced, badly made, and terrible-sounding. The high-price models promoted to audiophiles cost far more than you need to spend.
This article is for people who record, mix, and compose music. It's for listeners who need to hear what their music actually sounds like, without embellishment or false augmentation. For you my decades of experience will come in handy!
This updates my article from a decade ago.
Selection criteria
1. Forget in-ear buds. You should protect your hearing by never sticking anything in your ear. I make an exception for live sound engineers who need hearing protection... but those devices should be custom moulded.
2. Forget wireless phones, noise-cancelling, and other gimmicks. These diminish sound quality or introduce points of failure.
3. I will target a price under €300. If you have more money, buy more than one set of headphones, each for a different purpose. (Three such tasks are outlined below.) A good set of headphones will last for a decade or more. The prices are a bargain considering the use value.
4. This article is for European readers. Some brands (e.g. AKG) hve radically higher prices in North America and elsewhere. Sorry.
5. Longevity will be assured by choosing only models with detachable cables and replaceable earpads. Further, only those with single-sided cables are included, as this design avoids tangles and wear.
6. Only models with low impedance will be included, so they can be effectively driven from any device. Most (so-called) audiophile headphones require dedicated pre-amps, which is not a practical solution.
7. Another convenience factor: all selected models have a 3.5mm plug (minijack) with a screw-on adapter to 6.3mm (jack). So you are good to plug into any portable device, mixer, or other audio system.
8. Headphones for daily use need a robust and comfortable build. This is very much a personal matter. Eyeglass wearers (like me) are at a disadvantage.
I will provide today's pricing at retailer Thomann. The recommended models will be in boldface, though other worthy choices will get a mention.
Open headphones for mixing
Adding up all these factors the winning brand for me, time after time, is AKG. This company was once known only to studio professionals, but in the past decade or two they have introduced many models to the general public. Those can be forgotten. The value of this brand lies in the tried and true classics. Once made in Austria to high standards, the price has now dropped significantly with manufacturing moving to Asia. But they are still recommended.
Open headphones will leak sound to those sitting nearby. Similarly, you will not be able to completely obscure the outside world. That is sometimes advantageous... and in any case results in a smoother, more balanced sound. Open cans are best used for mixing and simple music enjoyment.
These designs are circumaural, meaning that the ear pads sit around your ears, for greater comfort. However, these headphones are bulky.
My current daily headphones are the AKG K-712 Pro (€260), which are are open, circumaural cans with a single-sided detachable cable, using a mini three-pin connector. The headband adjusts automatically for a comfortable fit. While no headphones have a smooth frequency curve, I find that these sound very good indeed with an EQ adjustment. I boost 7.5 dB at 3.6 kHz and cut 5 dB at 6 kHz, both with a high Q for a sharp curve.
One step down in the line are the AKG K-702 (€140) which sound very similar, only with less bass and slightly less finesse. Honestly, you are never going to know the difference except in a side-by-side comparison. They are an incredible bargain.
The AKG K-701 (€130) are a white version of the above. So buy whichever is cheaper (today the white ones) or whichever suits your personal style.
The Sennheiser HD 650 (€350) are recommended over AKG by many reviewers but they do not meet our criteria. They are over our price limit and have a two-sided cable.
Closed headphones
Closed headphones are best used for tracking (recording) or listening scenarios where you wish isolation from the outside world. The sound signature tends to be more boxy.
AKG K-271 MkII (€115) are simply the best for studio use. They are circumaural with a single-sided detachable cable. The self-adjusting headband has a hidden feature: a switch that automatically mutes the sound when you take the headphones off. This means that you don't get leakage on the studio floor. I don't know why other models don't include this fantastic feature!
As a bonus to the already excellent price, the package includes two different cables and two sets of earpads.
AKG K-240 MkII (€77) are a less-expensive option that are actually not closed but "semi-open." Hence they are sometimes recommended as mixing headphones... but they are nowhere near as clean as the open options above. They don't have the same bonus items as the K-271 and don't have the magical auto-mute.
Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 80 Ohms (€150) are often recommended in this category (closed, circumaural) but they do not meet our criteria since the single-sided cable is not replaceable. But if you do consider this model, be aware that there are several similar cans with different impedance figures. You want the 80 ohm version.
Location / DJ headphones
In this category are less bulky headphones that travel well and provide high isolation. Sennheiser has recently re-aligned their confusing array of products into three models, so I will start with those.
The classic choice here is the Sennheiser HD-25 Plus (€185) which you will commonly see on film sets and used by field recordists. This model replaces the HD 25-II, HD 25-1-II (which I own), HD 25-C-II, HD 25-13-II, and HD-25 Aluminium.
This is a closed, supra-aural design with split headband and a single-sided cable. One of the earcups can rotate, though this is fairly stiff on my unit. The package includes two cables (one coiled), two sets of earpads, and a travel pouch. These cans will effectively last forever. But they are not comfortable for eyeglass wearers. I can tolerate two to three hours of use. The price we pay for a good recording!
The Sennheiser HD-25 (€145) is the successor to the HD-25-1-II Basic Edition. As near as I can tell it's identical to the Pro model but doesn't include any of the extra items. You may as well save the money, because the earpads are cheap to buy separately, when you need them.
The Sennheiser HD-25 70th Anniversary version (€111) is part of a year-long campaign at Thomann that includes branded products at a discount. This limited release is identical to the normal model except it defaults to neon blue pads. But black earpads are also included. So this is the deal of the decade.
The final contemporary model is the Sennheiser HD-25 Light. But this has a less robust headband and double-sided cable, so ignore.
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x (€57) are the cheapest cans that are recommended elsewhere. They are closed and circumaural, with a single-sided cable. The cups rotate so they are useful for DJs. I've never used them and sincerely doubt they will stand up to abuse on the road like the HD-25 models do.
Conclusion
Good cans are not expensive compared with other consumer items. In fact, considering their lifespan, they are a bargain. If you have not experienced high-quality headphones, you are in for a treat.
No comments:
Post a Comment