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Headphones (Recommendations)

Started by The Boston Crab, October 14, 2010, 07:25:12 PM

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NoSleep

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on October 01, 2014, 12:43:19 PMYou could also get hold of a VRM Box (about £50) which is a lovely little device that creates the sound of different rooms/speaker configurations. (There are also VSTs like TB Isone which do the same type of thing)

http://us.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/vrm-box

You don't need to fork out for one of those if you have a DAW set up; most people must have a plugin that takes convolutions (like Logic's Space Designer, for example) and if you take a look around on the net you will find room/speaker emulations that will work in these units. I have a simulation of the wonderful sound of a pair of Auratones[nb]Your mix is officially good if it sounds good through these.
[/nb] for such occasions.

Johnny Textface

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on October 01, 2014, 12:43:19 PM
SRH-440s are a decent option. You can get them new for under £80. They're a bit uncomfortable after wearing them a while but fantastic for the price.

Arrived today! Thanks for the recommendation mate - they sound really good.

Quote from: NoSleep on October 01, 2014, 01:26:08 PM
I have a simulation of the wonderful sound of a pair of Auratones.

Is this a VST / Plugin that I can buy?

NoSleep

It's actually an Impulse Response file that I loaded into my convolution reverb (Logic's Space Designer).

http://stash.reaper.fm/v/13569/Auratone_441kHz.wav

Johnny Textface

Do you know if that will work with ozone at all?

gabrielconroy

NoSleep, what's your approach to mixing using speaker and room emulations? Presumably you mix clean first, then see how it sounds through the emulation, right? Do you ever have difficulty choosing between what sounds good on each, or start second guessing yourself?

NoSleep

I think so, as I see people are making IR's with Ozone.

NoSleep

Quote from: gabrielconroy on December 17, 2014, 05:32:10 PM
NoSleep, what's your approach to mixing using speaker and room emulations? Presumably you mix clean first, then see how it sounds through the emulation, right? Do you ever have difficulty choosing between what sounds good on each, or start second guessing yourself?

I don't mix using either, usually. The Auratone IR is a good way of chucking it out on my speakers without experiencing the horrendous standing wave that dominates the room I work in (every room has one, really), just a different view of the mid range without heavy bass or top. I tend to do the important stuff on my reference headphones (Denon AHD2000), listening out on my speakers occasionally (and having to walk out of my workspace to stop the standing wave[nb]Or stick my head between the speakers; might as well use headphones than that.[/nb]).

NoSleep

I'm more likely to use a speaker or room emulation in a mix.

Johnny Textface

Are we talking mixing or mastering here? I assume mixing as you're saying mixing, but suppose the line can be grey for some. (not you guys particularly).

NoSleep

Well, a room emulation is essentially a reverb.

A speaker emulation can be used as an effect, like telephone voice or a small radio; you know the sort of thing. Or putting a kick drum through an amp & speaker emulator to sound like it's pumping out of a sound system.

Just effects in parts of a tune, unless a section warrants being processed as a whole for some reason.

NoSleep


studpuppet

Just to add my tuppenny bit into the pot.
I commute in London and have been through earphone after earphone; my particular party trick is to catch the lead on door handles and yank the cable out of jack, repair normally being more than the cost of the earphones. The nicest sounding for the price were a set of a-Jays Fours, but they had an L-shaped jack which literally broke the first time I caught them (with 'straight-up' cables at least I had a couple of near-misses where the jack pulled out of my phone first...).

So, I decided to look for something better at £50+ that I could easily replace the cable on if needs be. I ended up with AKG 451s, which are pretty much the best compromise for me when  commuting: the sit well on my head, have next-to-zero leakage, and sound great (as clear as any of my in-ear ones), and the can be readily picked up for less than £50. And of course replacement cables are about £7-10 on eBay when I finally do catch them.

So, I was really happy with them until I read this thread a while ago, and thought I'd try a pair of Grados (SR80s) for myself, determine whether the leakage was too much for public transport, and sell them if I thought it was.

It is.
But the sound of them compared to the AKGs was so amazing that I kept them to use at home. I've never had a pair of headphones before that makes me close my eyes involuntarily when listening to music, but these do. As has been mentioned elsewhere, you're probably better off buying a pair of 'burned-in' second-hand ones - I got mine off eBay at just under £50.

So, all in all, quite happy with how I listen to my music now (until the next time I catch that #~*%ing cable...).

Onken



Does anyone have these or a similar model from AIAIAI. I'm attracted to how they look.

http://gadgetmac.com/reviews/aiaiai-tma-1-studio-headphones-review.html

momatt

Sorry for the bump but has anyone tried these, Xiaomi Piston 3?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-Microfiber-Blackberry-Smartphones-Thanksgiving/dp/B00Y2HDOPK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1439973969&sr=8-4&keywords=Xiaomi+Piston+3

Quite cheap, but I've heard good things.  Many people say they sound like >£100 headphones.