[vorbis] OT: good headphones?

[James Chapman]

> This is off-topic, mostly, but I figure you guys will have some knowledge in
> this sound-quality-related area.
>
> I'm sitting here looking at the most recent "Musician's Friend" at headphones
> and thinking about getting a pair.  They've got products from AKG, Fostex,
> Audio Technica, Nady, Sennheiser, and Sony, at price points ranging from $16
> to $130 (list prices $20 to $200).  What should I expect to pay for a decent
> pair of headphones?  Any brands to avoid?  I'd be using these for mixing
> multitrack recordings and editing CD audio, not for general music listening.
> I like to buy quality products, but price is somewhat of a factor.
>
> (I guess you could say this question is Vorbis-related, because I'd also use
> them if I were ABXing.  With my current equipment (crappy passive PC speakers
> in a noisy room) I can't even ABX vorbis at quality 1 from the original CD
> source.  But I suspect I have dull ears, too (which is a blessing, really).)

Any of the brands you mention should be OK at the $100+ price point. I would
avoid Sony though, as unless you get one of their high-end models (eg.
CD3000), you're really just paying for the name.

The AKG K501 (~$200) has a very wide sound, and they are the most
comfortable phones I've ever worn, so if you wanted to work for many hours
at a stretch, I would recommend them. The only downside is that they're a
bit lacking in bass response, so I'm now using a pair of Philips 890
(~$100). As with loudspeakers, the best way to choose a pair would be to try
them out beforehand, but I realise that can be a bit difficult sometimes.

I don't know whether ABXing with headphones would give you the full picture.
Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but it's only when I play something back
through loudspeakers that I'm able to notice any difference. This is most
noticable on MP3s, but the music often sounds a bit flat, and lacks a
certain punch (for want of a better technical term!)

You should check out the forums at http://www.headwize.com and
http://www.head-fi.org for some more ideas.

Jim

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