My studio phones just died. Well, one side went out, but I suspect a repair would cost as much as a replacement. So I’m in the market for new phones.
I use these for music production at a fairly serious semi-pro level.
So, any thoughts and experience from current users with a similar usage pattern?
I’d be particularly interested in any models which have come out over the last few years: the “industry standard” changes over time.
Price is not a big issue: I use phones for music production so I’m looking for something significantly above consumer grade.
Love my Sony MDR-V6. LOL, went to a local audiophile store, had some other models- for upwards of 500 smackers. Said heck with that, Amazon had the Sony’s for $70.
Sennheiser HD600s and their younger siblings are well regarded if you are looking for a flat frequency response for production.
Second this.
I’ve had a couple of Sennheiser 280s in the past and both broke (the plastic headband snapped).
Maybe I was just unlucky, but it didn’t leave me with a good feeling about Sennheiser build quality…?
Doesn’t look as if the Sony MDR-V6 is still available? Anyone have experience with the 7506, which seems to be its successor?
Yeah - looks like they were discontinued. That sucks.
Don’t know about the 7506 directly, but all of the reviews that I’ve seen indicates that they compare very closely to the V6 headphones.
Less than $100 is also a good price.
You might want to check out Grado Labs, and audition a few models at a good audio store if you’re not familiar with them. There are models across a wide price range from around $100 up to several thousand. They famously have an archaic retro look and are also very much open-air, with sound chambers open on the outside, so they’re not for noisy environments or where other people might be bothered by the intentional sound leakage, but the sound is unparalleled. I have a relatively modestly priced pair at the low end, and I love them. At the higher end, the GS series starts with the entry-level GS1000e at $1165.
You’re comparing $100 headphones with something like the HD 650, which is currently on sale for $330 and lists for $500.
I’ve no experience with high quality studio headphones, but I enjoy plugging rtings.com for headphone and television reviews. Here’s their overview of their top-rated studio headphones.
They can’t test every headphone that comes out, but they have over 500 reviews in their archives. The reviews are very in-depth, and the listings can be sorted to include whatever features you’re particularly interested in.
Fair comment. I should have made it clear that while price is not a BIG issue, I can’t afford to spring for real top-end gear: I’m not running a commercial studio. In fact the 280s were quite satisfactory in terms of sound quality…
I’ve used Grado SR 80 since 2003. Still going strong.
A little lacking in bass and a little brighter when compared to Sony pro headphones. But I love them.
And a Grado cartridge on my Technics turntable.
A friend who lived in New York introduced me to Grado.
He lived across from the 3 storey building that housed the residence and manufacturing.
That was the time when Mr. Grado himself would pick up the customer service line. : )
I’ve owned 7506 for years and they’re solid headphones. They stand right along side a more expensive pair of Sennheisers that I own.
They have a very long and curled cable which stretches out quite a long way, which comes in handy when I’m tracking in my basement studio and playing an instrument (like drums) that is not super close to the recording desk - saves me from having to plug in an extension cable between the cans and my headphone amp like I have to with the Sennheiser, which has a much shorter cable.
I bought a pair of these around 1997 or 8, and they sound as good as they ever did, at least as far as my aging ears can tell. I had to replace the original foam pads which had started to disintegrate, about 10 years ago, the replacement pads are still holding up.
Just a note that these are supra-aural headphones, i.e. they sit directly on your ear. They do sound good, but a certain percentage of people (me unfortunately included) find them very uncomfortable. I had to give my pair away as after twenty minutes my ears were in agony. Test drive them for an extended period first if you can. Or buy them with a generous return policy.
Since we’re off on comparisons with Grado headphones, here’s an interesting ramble about the Grado SR-80 vs the Sony MDR-V6 that was mentioned several times upthread (and Sony MDR-7506, said to be nearly identical) vs also the Audio-Technica M50x:
Regarding comfort, actually the Grado SR-80 are rated the most comfortable, once you adjust them and become accustomed to them. The Audio-Technica are rated the least comfortable, and the Sony in between.
What I can say from personal experience is this. I have a low-end Grado RS-60 which was purchased to replace a pair of Sony MDR-80. These were really fantastic small over-ear headphones that unfortunately developed a problem somewhere in the cabling. I would have dearly loved to have repaired it but opted for the Grado instead. Both sounded fantastic to me, with the Grado perhaps a bit more oriented to a studio-level flat frequency response than the Sony, but totally wonderful in its own right. It’s also very sturdily built and has been flawless for something like 15 years now (there are newer models with improved drivers that are essentially the same).
I’ve never had a problem with comfort at all. They’re not heavy and the open-air enclosures sit lightly against the ears. I have a spare pair of foam cushions should I need them, but so far the originals are holding out. If I win the lottery I’d get one of the high-end GS series with the sound chambers made of layered hardwoods to just hear what those beauties sound like.
Like I said, specific to certain people. You’ll find plenty of anecdotes if you start poking around headphone or related fora. It’s the pressure on the upper earlobe - for me they feel comfortable at first, but compressing my ears back slightly is just really painful for me after several minutes. I think it’s very much a minority issue, but it is certainly a real one. I have the memories of pain to prove it 
. Believe me I really didn’t prefer giving them away, as they’re actually quite nice-sounding headphones.