Headphone thread V2: Closed back edition

[Plyphon]

Hello,

In a twist to the usual recommendation, I've become curious on closed back headphones. I product in our 'lounge' area and often my partner is watching TV behind, and it can get frustrating to have her TV noise bleed into whatever I'm doing.

So yeah, I'm curious on closed back headphones for production. I understand the compromises but wondering what is out there for around the £100-200ish mark!

The only headphone I know is the DT-770 Pro - I've listened to them and they sound typically hyped on the low end, but in a fun kinda bouncy way. Terrible for production, I reckon though.

Anyone else got any input? Cheers!

[buffered]

The Focal Spirit Pro had great reviews for a closed back reference headphone. I think the new line is called Listen. Maybe give them a look.

Also the Sony MDR-7506

[Plyphon]

Thanks - those new Focal's certainly do get glowing reviews!

[borg]

Well, I have both the DT-770 and the MDR-7506. The Sony are my fun set: loud as hell and lots of bass. I only use them for recreational listening. If I put on the 770s after the Sony, they sound wimpy and weak. Mixes done with the Sony didn't translate as well as mixes done with the 770s.
This is all with the headphone amp of an RME Fireface.
So mixing at home on AKG 702, listening to professionally engineered music for pleasure on the Sonys and using the 770s at work. If you go for 770, mind the various versions (mainly impedance).

[PixelKind]

I recently bought the AKG K371 and I like them a lot

[Plyphon]

Well, I have both the DT-770 and the MDR-7506. The Sony are my fun set: loud as hell and lots of bass. I only use them for recreational listening. If I put on the 770s after the Sony, they sound wimpy and weak. Mixes done with the Sony didn't translate as well as mixes done with the 770s.
This is all with the headphone amp of an RME Fireface.
So mixing at home on AKG 702, listening to professionally engineered music for pleasure on the Sonys and using the 770s at work. If you go for 770, mind the various versions (mainly impedance).

Thanks - interesting comment. I also have the AKG K702 which has been a great headphone - my mixes translate well with it. My only 2 gripes with that headphone is that sometimes I don't feel "immersed" in the music due to the open back nature, and that TV/other sounds distract me quite a bit. I'd like a headphone that allows me to produce reasonably accurate mixes whilst allowing me to focus on making music by blocking outside noise.

I tried a friends 770 at work the other day. It's a "fun" headphone, was very bassy and hyped. Probably great for listening to music, but not sure about their production credentials.

It seems those Focal's are winning currently, they're also the most dear!

[Plyphon]

I recently bought the AKG K371 and I like them a lot

Cor these get really good reviews, and at a little over £100 it seems like a no brainer. We may have a winner!

[Belka]

Im still amazed by Sonaworks Reference Curve for my Shure 840 ... the 840 were described as a super deal when they were 170 Euro compared to more expansive ones, clean and linear, good for Mix Decisions ... now hearing my Shures with the corrected curve i got a -6db bell at 9khz and a nicely corrected bass. Never again without (cant understand how i didnt heared it before, every Ride and Hihat is now clearly super "hissing" without Sonaworks. And this was a general corrected Curve calculated by all HP they messured. You can heave a measured HP with your own Calibration when you buy them on the Sonaworks Shop. Probably buying my next there. But cant help with the Producing Question, cant produce Kick and Rumble with Headphones, or at least with my Shures, use them to spot to much distortion or "problems" and details i miss in my room.

[Lost to the Void]

Much better off with pin accurate in ear monitors over closed back headphones.

[Plyphon]

Yeah? I was under the impression IEM's are quite expensive. Open to suggestions if you have any though mate

[Lost to the Void]

They aren't cheap.
I use Etymotic ER4XR. And they are the the shit.
I was going to say they aren't too pricey, but apparently they are these days.. 360 quid.
They were 250 when I bought them.

The older ER4P come in cheaper though, I used to use them before the XR.


There's some IEM that came out last year or early this year that are getting great reviews and aren't bank breakers. I was going to try some. When I remember the name of them I'll link them up

[Plyphon]

yeah 360 is a bit spenny. Tbh I still plan to do the main mix on the K702's - these are just for when I want to get focused on something and block out the TV. If the closed backs are like 80% of the K702's in terms of flatness and transparency then that'll be enough to get in the ballpark ready for a proper mix later.

[Mono-xID]

How the fuck can a company raise the price 250 to 360? Fuck that.

[Lost to the Void]

How the fuck can a company raise the price 250 to 360? Fuck that.

I don`t think they did, the dollar price has remained the same, but for some reason the retail price has gone way up.
I`m assuming it`s a combination of import costs and tariffs.

[Plyphon]

So the K371 arrived today and i'm just sticking a bunch of music through them.

First impressions are really good - colour me impressed - they don't have the hyped bottom end and doofy/reflective nature that most/other closed backs exhibit at all. They're not as flat as the K702's but also not as fatiguing - these feel less harsh on the high freqs - I always found the K702 super bright there. I can hear detail all the way through the lows and subs, which is something I just couldn't do with some closed backs I tried.

There is a clear 'closed back' listen too them - the soundstage I guess is what they call it, feels focused between your ears but im not too fussed by that, it's a sacrifice i'm willing to make at this stage for blocking out the noise around me.

Right now I'm fairly excited to start using them to produce with.

[Plyphon]

oh yeh and they're built well comfortable to wear etc etc. nice matte texture/finish to em.

[orbita]

I use Bose in-ears. I find I get better mixes from them than my sennheiser hd600. They were only about £70 but sound great.

Most comfortable in ear I’ve had too because they don’t go into ear canal . I have narrow ear canals and most hurt too much.

I’ve also got some psb m4u. These are some of the nicest sounding over ears I’ve heard under £500. They were about £160. Unlike a lot of others they actually have a midrange.

[henry1]

Anyone ever tried the AKG K612 Pro?
Seems like the K371 / K271 mentioned here are closed back equivalents to the K612?

K612 would be my first open back.
As I understand it, open backs can deliver more realistic sound.
Compensating a bit of detail that you would get with closed back or IEM, correct?

[Plyphon]

Just to come back on these, I'm still really enjoying the K371. From a build quality PoV they still feel brand new, and from a production PoV I;ve made some of my best mixes on them.

Seriously happy with them. I actually started mixing bass lighter at one point because I thought they were hyping the bottom, but when I listened back on my monitors and other headphones the bass was lacking - turns out they're just that accurate that what you're hearing in the bottom is true, and not a hype.

Recommend them!