I got 750 USD and my eardrum is screwed.

[iwobobul]

Hey everyone, I’m in serious need of some headphone guidance and could really use your expertise! I’ve got a Magni Heretic Amp and a decent DAC, but I’m still figuring out the perfect pair of around-ear headphones. My budget is around $750.

Some background:​

I used to make music (mostly metal) back in the day (2008-2014). In the studio, it was always DT770s, and on stage, I used custom IEMs. These days, I’m diving deep into reviews and YouTube videos, but it’s been a month of this, and I’m still not sure what to pull the trigger on.

Here’s what I need them for:​

1. Music – I’m listen to a lot of Radiohead/Atoms for Peace and metal and electronic music. I want something that makes these genres sound fun and immersive. Right now, the best I’ve got is AirPods Pro with an EQ preset – so the bar is set pretty low.
2. Work – I’m on Zoom calls for about 4-6 hours a day. My Jabra headset is falling apart, and the AirPods are fatiguing over long calls. I need something more comfortable that I can wear for hours without feeling like my head’s in a vise.
3. Recording Voice and Vocals – I do a bit of voice/vocal demo recording, which had me considering closed-back headphones. I’ve tried DT770, 700, and 1770 in-store, and actualyl liked them, but I am afraid with those I will be missing out. I’m thinking of just using a pair of $50 IEMs for tracking and maybe open-backs are the way to go for everything else?
4. Mixing My Own Music – I want something with decent reference quality, but I’m aware that can also be achieved with EQ. Mixing isn’t my top priority, though.

What I’m looking for:​

• Comfort – This is non-negotiable. I used to have the Momentum 2, the driver plate would touch the tip of my ear, which was painful after 1-2 hours. I want HUGE, soft cups (preferably suede/velour because I live in a hot, humid climate and the thought faux leather sticking to my face irks me).
• Soundstage – I want something wide and detailed, something that makes me feel like I’m inside the music. Even the DT770s blew me away after years of using earbuds.
• Details and transients – My music is heavy on electronic/live drums and bass, so I want something that handles punchy transients well. I’ve heard planars are good for this, but my knowledge here is shaky – open to any suggestions!
• Sound signature – I’m leaning towards Harman tuning or a V-shaped signature. I love intimate vocals and punchy bass, especially with the kind of music I listen to.

What I’m eyeing so far:​

• Modhouse Argon T60 – I love how these look, and those Xenon cups seem like they’d wrap my head like a warm blanket. I found a pair used, but they’re halfway across the world, so it’d be a blind buy.
• DCA Aeons – Design-wise, I like them, and they seem comfy. I’ll be checking them out in person this week.
• Hifiman – Edition XS or Arya? Not sure, but I dig the aesthetics.
• Focal Celestee – These are on sale locally, and I’m planning to try them out soon.
• Beyerdynamic 700 Pro X – They felt nice on my head and sounded decent, but I have FOMO that I might miss out on something better.
• HD600 – Will test these this week too at a local audio cafe.

One complication:​

I’ve got some hearing issues. My right eardrum was perforated as a child, and I recently noticed that my right ear sounds dull and muffled compared to my left. Bass below 150Hz is almost gone, and the highs aren’t great either. EQing one channel hasn’t helped much, so if anyone has dealt with something similar, I’d love to hear how you’ve managed it.

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So, headphone enthusiasts – any advice? Are there models I should check out that I’ve missed? And if anyone has experience with hearing issues like mine, I’d really appreciate any tips!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Alacris]

I'm thinking the Hifiman Edition XS which are open-back might be right up your alley. It has massive earcups, too big for my small ears. It has a very spacious and detailed sound, which you mentioned you were looking for. It tracks quite close to the Harman target already, so it wouldn't take much EQ to make it appropriate for some mixing work. It has extraordinarily low distortion particularly in the bass region, so you can EQ the bass to your preference and get that really punchy and detailed bass you're after.

For sealed headphones, give the Shure SRH1540 a look. Very spacious image for a closed-back, and they have some of the most comfortable earpads (memory foam wrapped in alcantara) that I've ever worn. Unfortunately, the cups barely swivel and it didn't fit around my ears properly.

Otherwise as you've mentioned, there's always the DT770. Just expect to have to do a lot of fine tuning with EQ as it has a lot of unit variation. And if it wasn't obvious, definitely try out any recommendations first if possible before committing to a purchase.

Last thing, you mentioned you were going to test the HD600. Definitely do that. They might be all you need. I thought I wanted a headphone that had excellent bass extension and a super spacious sound but I've been extremely happy with my HD650. Just such a natural and immersive sounding headphone.

 

[DVDdoug]

I don't have a recommendation for you... It's a highly-personal choice and you seem to know what you're looking for.

My budget is around $750.

There is almost no correlation between headphone sound quality and price.

Sound quality/character is mostly about frequency response and to a large extent you can adjust that with EQ. But if you need to boost the bass, sometimes you end-up distorting the headphone (or headphone amp).

Soundstage – I want something wide and detailed, something that makes me feel like I’m inside the music. Even the DT770s blew me away after years of using earbuds.

Everybody seems to talk about it but most people DON'T get a good soundstage illusion (I don't either). Headphone Soundstage Survey

Details and transients – My music is heavy on electronic/live drums and bass, so I want something that handles punchy transients well. I’ve heard planars are good for this, but my knowledge here is shaky – open to any suggestions!

Dan Clark has a video where he mentions that headphones with more distortion are often described as "more detailed". I would have thought it's related to high frequencies.

Technically, transients are directly related to frequency response. But you might be perceiving something else...

Sound signature – I’m leaning towards Harman tuning or a V-shaped signature. I love intimate vocals and punchy bass, especially with the kind of music I listen to.

Of course, all of the ASR reviews include frequency response graphs (and all with the same setup) so you can compare. But there can also be variations depending on the fit to your head/ear.

One complication:
I’ve got some hearing issues. My right eardrum was perforated as a child, and I recently noticed that my right ear sounds dull and muffled compared to my left. Bass below 150Hz is almost gone, and the highs aren’t great either. EQing one channel hasn’t helped much, so if anyone has dealt with something similar, I’d love to hear how you’ve managed it.

Is it better if you listen in mono? Same in both ears? I assume the problem with EQ or trying to match the perceived volume is that it's not what your brain is used-to in everyday life. Plus the fact that you can't correct for everything.

For your own mixes, you probably need someone to help you with the "stereo stuff".

Mixing My Own Music – I want something with decent reference quality, but I’m aware that can also be achieved with EQ. Mixing isn’t my top priority, though.

Here are some excerpts/opinions I've collected:

This is from Recording Magazine "Readers Submissions" where readers send-in their recordings for evaluation:

As those of you who have followed this column for any length of time can attest, headphone mixing is one of the big no-no's around these parts. In our humble opinion, headphone mixes do not translate well in the real world, period, end of story. Other than checking for balance issues and the occasional hunting down of little details, they are tools best left for the tracking process.

And this is from a mixing engineer, also Recording Magazine:

Can I mix on headphones?

No. But in all seriousness, headphones can be a secret weapon and it really doesn’t matter what they sound like…

Over time, after constantly listening back to my work from different studios on those headphones I really started to learn them. They became sort of a compass. Wherever I went… It became a pattern for me to reference these headphones to see if what I was hearing was “right”…

I learned them, I knew them, I trusted them. It didn’t matter whether or not I loved them…

So, can you mix on headphones? Probably. I just think you really need to put some time into learning them first…

This is from Floyd Tool's book, Sound Reproduction

Headphones entertain masses of people. Professionals occasionally mix on them when conditions demand it. Both rely on some connection to sound reproduction, that is, loudspeakers in rooms, because that's how stereo is intended to be heard. Stereo recordings are mixed on loudspeakers.