Headphone upgrade from total crap

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Been monitoring through Audient interface using crappy £30 hifi headphones. Totally unsuitable, obvs. Looking to get something more appropriate and have budget of up to £100 ish. 

A friend recommended Beyerdynamic, but I've heard those have a bit of a v curve?

Largely inexperienced in this arena so all advice gratefully received.
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Comments

  • GoFishGoFish Frets: 1345
    I've heards that Beyers or Senheisers are probably the best in that bracket. I have an old set of Beyer DT770s which are perfectly cromulent.
    Ten years too late and still getting it wrong
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  • steamabacussteamabacus Frets: 1258
    If you could go a little over budget (around £120-ish) the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X are very nice.

    They are closed back, so not quite as good for mixing as a decent pair of open backs (which would be over your budget anyway) but sound good with guitars.

    Closed back is essential for any tracking with a microphone (vocals, etc) or monitoring in a noisy environment (or,conversely, the bleed out annoying others in a quite environment).
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  • CleckoClecko Frets: 295
    edited August 2022
    They're ugly, but I really rate these. Cheap as chips, but I'd strongly advise getting some better earpads for them. I find these better than my Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones for recording. 

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  • BodBod Frets: 1286
    A little over budget but the new Rode NTH-100 headphones look interesting.  I'd like to try a pair myself with a view to replacing my KRKs.  The KRKs are quite uncomfortable (especially as a glasses wearer) and make my head sweat really badly so I'm interested to see if they're as cool and comfortable as their blurb makes out. 
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  • GreatapeGreatape Frets: 3490
    Bod said:
    A little over budget but the new Rode NTH-100 headphones look interesting.  I'd like to try a pair myself with a view to replacing my KRKs.  The KRKs are quite uncomfortable (especially as a glasses wearer) and make my head sweat really badly so I'm interested to see if they're as cool and comfortable as their blurb makes out. 
    Looks good

    32 ohms

    Wonder if suitable...? 
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  • BodBod Frets: 1286
    edited August 2022
    Greatape said:
    Bod said:
    A little over budget but the new Rode NTH-100 headphones look interesting.  I'd like to try a pair myself with a view to replacing my KRKs.  The KRKs are quite uncomfortable (especially as a glasses wearer) and make my head sweat really badly so I'm interested to see if they're as cool and comfortable as their blurb makes out. 
    Looks good

    32 ohms

    Wonder if suitable...? 
    Yeah, standard for studio headphones in this price range.
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Used Sony MDR 7506 for ever…


    Mac Mini M1
    Presonus Studio One V5
     https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
     https://twitter.com/spark240
     Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
    Reddit r/newmusicreview 
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  • GreatapeGreatape Frets: 3490
    Bod said:
    Greatape said:
    Bod said:
    A little over budget but the new Rode NTH-100 headphones look interesting.  I'd like to try a pair myself with a view to replacing my KRKs.  The KRKs are quite uncomfortable (especially as a glasses wearer) and make my head sweat really badly so I'm interested to see if they're as cool and comfortable as their blurb makes out. 
    Looks good

    32 ohms

    Wonder if suitable...? 
    Yeah, standard for studio headphones in this price range.
    Guess that's easier to drive than 80 or 250? I can never remember which way round it is
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  • swillerswiller Frets: 1093
    I use grados as a hobby home studio , purchased for home listening, but work surprisingly well.
    They are challenging in a good way  as there is huge detail and space, so it entices you to really dial the source recording. The sound quality is just fantastic.
    Only downside is comfort. They do sound hifi, but so do my Neuman KH120s and are pretty similar in result. 
    Have owned the under £100 sr80i and £250 325e and they both do a similar job in studio.

    Dont worry, be silly.
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  • flying_pieflying_pie Frets: 1806
    I use headphones for mixing/mastering due to family life and have found AKG k240 make to be good value for money. They are open back so not ideal for recording vocals (I get around out by just using an SM 58 instead as not too fussy) but grand for everything else

    I make sure to limit using them to short periods only as it's easy to go ear blind quickly. I also use multiple sources when referencing - regular ear phones, car stereo and phone speaker as that's what most people would listen on.
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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    The question is, what are you monitoring?
    If you are just using something for practice, or general listening, you want something comfortable, and will have to adjust eq to compensate for the bumps/ cuts.
    If you want something for reliable mixing, you will need to spend a little more than your budget, to get a flat response that you can trust.
    I have a couple of pairs of Senn, cheap HD 280 pro for recording, and I am using HD650 for detailed mixing, but I think the 600 are slightly cheaper now, and they have done some very good editions in between.
    The main problem is reliability and comfort, but both of these things are just what you get used to.
    I have a set of V-moda, which were fairly expensive, very nice, comfortable things, and I have recently been trying to set up an eq that I can apply to get them useable for mixing, not easy, but it can be done.
    Surprising how easy your ears get used to a sound, and it takes a bit of experimenting with reference material to hear what is happening, there are eq curves available for many headphones out there, and it's not that hard to work out what you need to do to get a flatter response, but at the end of the day- we all hear things differently.
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  • GreatapeGreatape Frets: 3490
    Excellent info.. thanks to you all
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  • LodiousLodious Frets: 1942
    I have dt880’s and hd650’s and much prefer the 650’s as the 880’s have a hifi sound. Massdrop (now drop.com) used to offer a branded version which was cheaper but same headphones (I think). 
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    I’m a headphone whore - I currently have Sennheiser Momentum closed backs (great for general sofa duties), Audio Technica ATH-M40X - love these, very pleasant and fun to listen to and good enough for home studio duties, I prefer them to the more expensive M50X as has a more realistic bass. Easily my choice for under £100, and also recently picked up some Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X - amazingly detailed for studio duties and sound superb with the right material but hard going for lesser material / general use. 
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  • SnapSnap Frets: 6256
    For that money I think you could do a lot worse than the AKG 272 MkII. I've had a pair since they were released and have no complaints, very flat, v comfortable
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  • rze99rze99 Frets: 2260

    I've been using the Rode NTH-100s.  They came out just as I was starting to look and they seemed to fit exactly my needs. Excellent sound for monitoring / mixing and closed enough to have close to zero spill for using them while recording vocals and gentle acoustic sections. Recommended.
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  • marxskimarxski Frets: 249
    spark240 said:
    Used Sony MDR 7506 for ever…
    This. 
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  • stufisherstufisher Frets: 835
    If you're still looking then I'd recommend these for your budget ... currently £89 via OnBuy.com
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  • shufflebeatshufflebeat Frets: 104
    edited October 2022
    rze99 said:

    I've been using the Rode NTH-100s.  They came out just as I was starting to look and they seemed to fit exactly my needs. Excellent sound for monitoring / mixing and closed enough to have close to zero spill for using them while recording vocals and gentle acoustic sections. Recommended.
    I've got Senn hd650 and recently replaced my Shure srh840 for 840a. If I'd seen the Rode nth100 before making the switch I'd've bought them instead.

    Def next on the list.
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  • BodBod Frets: 1286
    rze99 said:

    I've been using the Rode NTH-100s.  They came out just as I was starting to look and they seemed to fit exactly my needs. Excellent sound for monitoring / mixing and closed enough to have close to zero spill for using them while recording vocals and gentle acoustic sections. Recommended.
    @rze99 are they as comfortable and cool as they say?  I hate having a sweaty head...
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