I don't care for Headphones, but I need some...

[Spitfirejoe]

Honestly, I've searched this and other forum sites and I'm just totally confused. I need some recommendations. I generally just don't care for headphones - but they certainly have a place. I have a set of Klipsch (SA4?) in ear monitors for use with my iPod. They don't seem appropriate for indoor use. So, I find I could use a good pair for late night listening at home. I work split shifts - days one month, nights the next - and I don't want to keep Mrs. Spitfirejoe awake at night. Since I don't really want to use these a lot, I'd like to keep the price down - maybe $100 at the top? If I got "spectacularly" better performance, I'd go over that - so please suggest something higher priced if you think it's worth the cost.

These would be for Blu-ray Movies / TV / Music in my man cave. I want to just plug these into my AVR, a Pioneer SC-1222K - which does list a "headphone surround" listening mode (hint, hint). I'd prefer over the ear, comfortable, neutral sounding, wired units. I'm an old guy with tinnitus, music tastes runs the gamut from classic rock to trip-hop, acoustic fold, jazz, country and bluegrass. Movie watching is similarly broad ranged - drama, sci-fi, action/adventure, nature shows. I'd like to buy from a US manufacturer, but won't limit myself to that.

What would you recommend?

 

[Imanoldee]

I just got headphones some for work.
My quick researched pointed me to the following.

The Audio‑Technica ATH‑M50x
The Sennheiser HD 280 pro
The Sony MDR V6

I bought the Sony MDR V6’s.
For the simple reason they were the only ones I could easily get that day in a local store.
And they are the lowest priced of the three.
The Sony's will cost about $100.
The others were available locally, but in inconvenient parts of the Bay Area, and I did not want to travel there during rush hour traffic.
These three are of course available online, but I did not want to wait.

 

[bluehills5]

I have a pair of Sony MDR-7506 (and are similar to the MDR V6). See here for more Sony headphone info.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6
Very neutral as designed for studio use. About $70-$100 or so and very old school.

 

[Poinzy]

If you weren't using the headphones right next to the sleeping Mrs., I'd recommend AKG k240's.

I have Senny HD 280 Pro's. They're good for isolation, but they fit pretty snugly around the head, so they can get uncomfortable after an hour or so of listening. I had to buy a third-party head band, then stuff it with extra padding to make the Sennys more comfortable.

 

[archie2]

If you want a "giant killer" of headphones try Samson SR850 or SR950. Both sell for under $35.00. They are well worth the money and then some. I have the AKG K240 and the ATH M50x along with the Samson SR950. The Samson rivals both models at half the cost. Suggest you research them. Another low cost but very good headphone is the Superlux HD668B at $40.00. Probably the equal of the Samsons but a little smoother than the SR950. The SR850 is more refined. The Superlux has a detachable cable with a short nub to a 3.5mm connector allowing for interchangeable cables and Bluetooth adapters (see Maceton WM4U amp./DAC for a surprisingly good BT attachment). I also own these and can vouch for their sonic qualities. Superlux makes the drivers for at least one of the major headphone brands but I forgot which ones. None of these suggestions compete seriously with my Sennheiser HD598 or Philips x/2 Fidelios although for the money they make a valiant attempt. Again, do your own DD.

 

[Spitfirejoe]

If you want a "giant killer" of headphones try Samson SR850 or SR950. Both sell for under $35.00. They are well worth the money and then some. I have the AKG K240 and the ATH M50x along with the Samson SR950. The Samson rivals both models at half the cost. Suggest you research them.

Ding, Ding, Ding! I think we have a winner! I'm going to order a set of the 850's and try them out. At the price I can get them, I don't think I can go wrong. Thanks, Archie2.
Thanks to everyone else, as well. Great advice. I'm going to research some of those suggestions, and maybe try another pair in a few months. Leaning toward the Sony MDR variants.

 

[twiiii]

All headphones have their own sound. I preferred sealed units, but have learned to like my open 598 Sennheisers. My Signets are open as our my Stax. But I'm still looking for the ideal closed, sealed, head set. The last set I really enjoyed were Koss ESP-9, but that was ages ago, and I really didn't like having to carry a MC 240 or MC 2505 around with me to drive them. I loved them for recording live in spaces where I couldn't have access to a room to use as a monitoring studio.

 

[archie2]

Ding, Ding, Ding! I think we have a winner! I'm going to order a set of the 850's and try them out. At the price I can get them, I don't think I can go wrong. Thanks, Archie2.
Thanks to everyone else, as well. Great advice. I'm going to research some of those suggestions, and maybe try another pair in a few months. Leaning toward the Sony MDR variants.

Good choice IMO. As I said, they are worth the money and then some. I think you'll be happy with the SR850's. If you find the clamping is too tight stretch them over a armchair arm, volley ball, or similar object for a day or so and they will loosen up.

 

[sKiZo]

Good choice.

I don't particularly like phones either. I have some, but only to slip on every now and then so I can remember why I don't like them ... ;-}

PS ... still might want to audition some of the cheaper Sennheiser phones. Excellent tone, and extremely comfortable is the norm.

 

[Spitfirejoe]

Good choice.
PS ... still might want to audition some of the cheaper Sennheiser phones. Excellent tone, and extremely comfortable is the norm.

That's the plan - try these for a few months, then try something a little higher up the list if I find that I enjoy using them. I remember enjoying some Sennheisers a friend had, but it's been many, many moons ago. I'd rather listen with my Infinity Qb's, but my wife will appreciate the quiet when I'm still up and jamming at 3:00 am. Who knows, I may find I like headphones and actually start doing some "critical listening". Nothing wrong with broadening one's horizons.

 

[JoeESP9]

Like sKiZo and some others, I'm not all that fond of headphones. The lack of a soundstage is a negative for me. Despite this I've been trying to find some phones that are not objectionable to me. In the last year or so I've bought a pair of Grado SR-60's, HiFi Man HE-350's, Monolith HE560's, JBL J55i's (used only for commuting on public transportation) and a couple pair of earbuds including a pair of Sennheiser's. What I've found is that I prefer over the ear open back types.

I've replaced the cushions on the HE-350's and SR-60's which resulted in an improvement in the sound and comfort. However, they still have no soundstage. Nor do I expect to hear one.

The best sounding phones I've ever owned were a pair of Stax SR-34/40. I gave them to a buddy a few years ago. The best I've ever heard were a pair of Stax Omega's.

FWIW: For me, none of the headphones I've ever heard produce any sort of soundstage unless reproducing a binaural recording.

 

[Joel_l]

Be careful, I don't like headphone either. I much prefer nice speakers in a reasonable room. HPs are handy for some situations. I have a pair of Sony MDR-V6s that are over 30 years old. Couple years ago I wanted to see if I could find something with better sound stage. I now have 6 pairs of headphones ( I'm sure that's few compared to some folks obsession ). I still have more on the list.

Joel

 

[Chris Brown]

I see a lot of recommendations for the Sony MDR-V6 and MDR-7506 (essentially the same headphones). I have a pair and I like them, but they are anything but neutral. They are very commonly used professionally, but not generally for mixing or anything where being neutral would be important. On the contrary, they are generally used for broadcasting, etc. In those situations, the ability to hear other people talk is the most important aspect. As such, the MDR-V6 and MDR-7506 exaggerate the vocal frequencies considerably. Some actually like that. Others, like me, simply have a special EQ profile for when using those headphones. Unfortunately there are also some who don't use EQ and don't care for the bump in the vocal frequencies, and as such tend to dislike these headphones. Make sure you try them first so you can see where your opinion is on this.

 

[stuck limo]

ATH-m40x

 

[rnorton]

1. If you weren't using the headphones right next to the sleeping Mrs., I'd recommend AKG k240's.
   [*]
   
   [*]I have Senny HD 280 Pro's. They're good for isolation, but they fit pretty snugly around the head, so they can get uncomfortable after an hour or so of listening. I had to buy a third-party head band, then stuff it with extra padding to make the Sennys more comfortable.

2. An iPod would never be able to drive the K240 Sextets. The new 32 ohm variety might be OK.

 

[Spitfirejoe]

rnorton - I'm not using these for my ipod - I have Klipsch ear buds for that and they're fine. This is for movies and music on the big system in the basement while my wife sleeps one floor up.

I've ordered a set of Samson SR850's and a fellow AK'er contacted me about a pair of Sennheiser's featuring wireless connection. I bought those as well, and stayed below my $100 cap on the combined purchases. I'll experiment with these and see what works best for my purposes.

I really appreciate the input from everyone. I was/am completely out of my element on headphones and the help was invaluable.

 

[Poinzy]

1. An iPod would never be able to drive the K240 Sextets. The new 32 ohm variety might be OK.

I didn't say Sextets. I was referring to the low-impedance set that's currently on the market and which I own.

 

[archie2]

rnorton - I'm not using these for my ipod - I have Klipsch ear buds for that and they're fine. This is for movies and music on the big system in the basement while my wife sleeps one floor up.

I've ordered a set of Samson SR850's and a fellow AK'er contacted me about a pair of Sennheiser's featuring wireless connection. I bought those as well, and stayed below my $100 cap on the combined purchases. I'll experiment with these and see what works best for my purposes.

I really appreciate the input from everyone. I was/am completely out of my element on headphones and the help was invaluable.

I have about a dozen pairs of earbuds and much prefer over the ear phones. The best of my earbuds are the Symphonzed NRG wired. Excellent soundstage and good deep tight bass for what they are. I agree that speakers are best. My A/D/S L520's or Wharfedales driven by my Pilot 240 tubed amp or Altec 345A give me enough decent sound. A/D/S speakers seem to like tube amps. But in the wee hours a good pair of phones is in order.

PS: Have you listened to the SR850's yet?

 

[Djcoolray]

I've got a pair of Sennheizer 650's that I use for watching television with via an AVR, since it's got two ear pieces I go with 2-channel direct. It's the only way I listen/watch TV and the sound with DVD or Blueray is incredible.

 

[mr clean]

ATH-m40x

I agree!