Best $300 headphones for music production

[raistlin65]

My 21-year-old son has been spending a lot of time doing music production during the last year and a half. He records his own vocals and beats.

He has a pair of JBL LSR 305s, but prefers to use his headphones, Sony MDR-1A. I want to get him a new pair of headphones as a gift.

So I thought I would ask those of you who do music production. What would you recommend as an improvement over the MDR-1A?

He has a Presonus 26C & AT2020 mic and works with FL Studio. I have a JDS Labs Atom amp I can give him, so powering headphones is not a problem.

I did pick up a pair of HD600 since Amazon has them on sale for $278. That seems like that would work well for his vocals. But because of the sub bass roll off, I am afraid he might not use them. That, and coming from the MDR-1A, he might feel the mid bass is way too light.

And, yes. He should use speakers, and I should probably just get him an LSR 310S sub to go with them. But he's 21 years old, and you can't really tell him anything. lol

 

[MayaTlab]

I did pick up a pair of HD600 since Amazon has them on sale for $278. That seems like that would work well for his vocals. But because of the sub bass roll off, I am afraid he might not use them.

I would use these, equalised to Harman after EQ presets. It's an extensively measured and known pair of headphones, for which we have some idea on how they actually behave on real humans, and with seemingly fairly decent sample variation. I think that this would make for a good starting point.
But since they're open he should probably stick to his Sony for monitoring purposes while recording.

 

[ADU]

Not disagreein with any of the above, but an open planar magnetic headphone would probably EQ up better in the bass than a dynamic headphone like the HD600. Whether they'd be as consistent, and he'd like and use them though...

If he wants his content to sound good over a wide variety of different kinds of transducers and listening conditions, then the real answer is for him to use all of the above, and then some. Including IEMs, which is the way alot of especially younger folks listen now. Adding a sub to his current in-room setup would probably also help some.

If you don't currently have a good stereo speaker setup in your house for other entertainment purposes, you could also think about adding some new equipment there as well, so he can hear how his mixes sound in a typical living space on some better sounding gear than the JBLs (which probably aren't that bad for smaller speakers), rather than just in a studio or on HPs.

The reason he probably likes using the Sonys though is because he probably feels that those are a bit closer to the type of consumer sound that others will be using to listen to his content. And he may not be totally wrong on that in some ways. I think I've probably only listened briefly to the MDR-1AM2 once at Best Buy, and my recollection was that they seemed a little uneven in the upper frequencies. And possibly a bit V-shaped. But I'm by no means certain about that. And have not seen any good graphs of the headphones to use for comparison purposes.

Maybe he also likes the privacy that headphones afford as well.

 

[ADU]

I think I've probably only listened briefly to the MDR-1AM2 once at Best Buy, and my recollection was that they seemed a little uneven in the upper frequencies. And possibly a bit V-shaped. But I'm by no means certain about that. And have not seen any good graphs of the headphones to use for comparison purposes.

My bad. It appears Crin does indeed have a pretty good plot of the Sony...

In-Ear Fidelity – Headphone Graph Comparison Tool

Easily compare industry-standard frequency response measurements of hundreds and hundreds of headphones.

crinacle.com

 

[raistlin65]

I would use these, equalised to Harman after EQ presets. It's an extensively measured and known pair of headphones, for which we have some idea on how they actually behave on real humans, and with seemingly fairly decent sample variation. I think that this would make for a good starting point.
But since they're open he should probably stick to his Sony for monitoring purposes while recording.

I don't even know if he would bother to EQ. Which is also why I was thinking of the HD600. At the very least, it would still be useful for fine tuning the vocals.

 

[snaimpally]

HD600 is a good choice. I have a home studio and use HD600s. Another good choice is the BeyerDynamic DT770 or DT990. I was asked to come in to someone's studio and play percussion with svereal other musicians and the owner of the studio had Beyer headphones (I forgot the model number). They were quite comfortable and non-fatiguing to listen to for an extended period of time (we recorded for about 6 hours I think).

 

[raistlin65]

Not disagreein with any of the above, but an open planar magnetic headphone would probably EQ up better in the bass than a dynamic headphone like the HD600. Whether they'd be as consistent, and he'd like and use them though...

If he wants his content to sound good over a wide variety of different kinds of transducers and listening conditions, then the real answer is for him to use all of the above, and then some. Including IEMs, which is the way alot of especially younger folks listen now. Adding a sub to his current in-room setup would probably also help some.

If you don't currently have a good stereo speaker setup in your house for other entertainment purposes, you could also think about adding some new equipment there as well, so he can here how his mixes sound in a typical living space on some better sounding gear than the JBLs (which probably aren't that bad for smaller speakers), rather than just in a studio or on HPs.

The reason he probably likes using the Sonys though is because he probably feels that those are a bit closer to the type of consumer sound that others will be using to listening to his content. And he may not be totally wrong on that in some ways. I think I've probably only listened briefly to the MDR-1AM2 once at Best Buy, and my recollection was that they seemed a little uneven in the upper frequencies. And possibly a bit V-shaped. But I'm by no means certain about that. And have not seen any good graphs of the headphones to use for comparison purposes.

Maybe he also likes the privacy that headphones afford as well.

Based on everything I've read, the MDR-1A and MDR-1AM2 are different enough that you can't go by the frequency response measurements of the latter. Tyll previously measured the MDR-1A if you're curious.

I don't know that he will EQ whenever I give him.

Suggesting that I invest in a new stereo system, when he already has the LSR 305, goes way beyond a $300 budget. Anyway, he doesn't even live in the same state as I do. And he has my old Energy RC speaker setup with two 18-in Chase Home Theater sealed subs. He can make his living room sound like a club if he wants to. lol

 

[fieldcar]

Does he game at all? The pc38x appears to be very close to the hd600, and it's on sale for $116
*check Slickdeals for coupon.

 

[makinao]

Give the HD600 to him for a test run. It has a good reputation in the recording community, which might whet his appetite. If he likes is, let him keep it. If he doesn't, take it back and enjoy it yourself.

 

[raistlin65]

Give the HD600 to him for a test run. It has a good reputation in the recording community, which might whet his appetite. If he likes is, let him keep it. If he doesn't, take it back and enjoy it yourself.

I don't need it. I already have HD660S. And Elear, Elegia, DCA Aeon Open X, HE5XX, K712 Pro, Momentum 2, and N700NC. I need to pair down the collection. lol

 

[ADU]

Based on everything I've read, the MDR-1A and MDR-1AM2 are different enough that you can't go by the frequency response measurements of the latter. Tyll previously measured the MDR-1A if you're curious.

I don't know that he will EQ whenever I give him.

Suggesting that I invest in a new stereo system, when he already has the LSR 305, goes way beyond a $300 budget. Anyway, he doesn't even live in the same state as I do. And he has my old Energy RC speaker setup with two 18-in Chase Home Theater sealed subs. He can make his living room sound like a club if he wants to. lol

Apologies for the mixup. For some reason, I thought you were referring to the 1AM2.

 

[Zensō]

I agree that the HD600 is a good choice. You might also consider the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, the other popular studio headphone in that price range. He might prefer the Beyer over the Senn if he’s not used to flat, bass-shy headphones.

Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro Studio Headphone Review - Sonarworks Blog

DT 880 Pro - suited for producing, mixing & mastering. High-quality headphones that offer a solid build, great comfort, and great price. Read full review

www.sonarworks.com

 

[raistlin65]

I agree that the HD600 is a good choice. You might also consider the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, the other popular studio headphone in that price range. He might prefer the Beyer over the Senn if he’s not used to flat, bass-shy headphones.

Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro Studio Headphone Review - Sonarworks Blog

DT 880 Pro - suited for producing, mixing & mastering. High-quality headphones that offer a solid build, great comfort, and great price. Read full review

www.sonarworks.com

I also thought about the HD560S due to its better sub bass extension than HD600, with treble that's not as emphasized as DT880.

And aside from audio production, I personally think the HD600 is great for classical and jazz, (better than the other two IMO) which he does listen to on occasion.

 

[magchiel]

For mixing duties I prefer an open back headphone for sound stage reasons. That said I only ever use headphones to complement my studio monitors when I need to solve problematic mixes (EQ mainly). For this I use an AKG K702.

For tracking I use a closed back DT770 250 Ohm version, to prevent sound bleeding into sensitive condensor mics. Closed back might help with bass perception as well compared to open back.

HD600 is a solid option in any case. It has always been on my list, but never bothered since the AKG does what I need.

While neutrality is important, it's probably more important to get to know your gear and learn how your mix translates to different sets. If you're consistently off (e.g. mixes end up too muddy or too harsh), you could also compensate with an engineer's EQ on the monitoring bus.

 

[edahl]

HD600/6XX or HD560S seem like sure winners without a strict need to EQ

 

[raistlin65]

I am going with the newly released Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X. Just got a pair from Amazon tonight.

Sure. The mids aren't quite the HD600. But fuller soundstage, better bass extension with a little extra mid-bass emphasis. And pretty easy to drive.

So I think these will be a big upgrade over the Sony MDR-1A that he would be much more likely to use than the HD600.

 

[edahl]

I am going with the newly released Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X. Just got a pair from Amazon tonight.

Sure. The mids aren't quite the HD600. But fuller soundstage, better bass extension with a little extra mid-bass emphasis. And pretty easy to drive.

So I think these will be a big upgrade over the Sony MDR-1A that he would be much more likely to use than the HD600.

The Pro X looks like a great upgrade!

 

[fieldcar]

I am going with the newly released Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X. Just got a pair from Amazon tonight.

Sure. The mids aren't quite the HD600. But fuller soundstage, better bass extension with a little extra mid-bass emphasis. And pretty easy to drive.

So I think these will be a big upgrade over the Sony MDR-1A that he would be much more likely to use than the HD600.

I'd like to add that the PC38X with near identical THD to the HD600 distorts with sub-bass heavy tracks just slightly above moderate listening levels. 2.5%THD@30Hz@94dB. It kind of sour's the experience for me. I'm glad I got them on sale.

 

[solderdude]

I am going with the newly released Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X. Just got a pair from Amazon tonight.

Sure. The mids aren't quite the HD600. But fuller soundstage, better bass extension with a little extra mid-bass emphasis. And pretty easy to drive.

So I think these will be a big upgrade over the Sony MDR-1A that he would be much more likely to use than the HD600.

My evaluation of the DT 900 PRO X is up.

 

[raistlin65]

My evaluation of the DT 900 PRO X is up.

Those measurements look great. I think you're right. Once the price drops down to around 200, these will end up being highly competitive headphones in the market.

I actually ended up comparing the DT 900 and DT 700, and went with the DT 700 instead. I was afraid the bass would be too neutral for him with the DT 900.