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Good Headphones For IOS Wanted! Which do you use? (Poll)

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Comments

  • @J33Z said:
    Audio Technica ATH-911 - Old Japanese open-back headphones. They sound great on my digital piano. Also great for classic and jazz (i rarely listen to jazz). Good mids and pleasant highs. Very quiet on the low end.

    Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro - Heavy on the lows but the highs can be very sharp. Good for all kinds of modern music. Hairs tend to get in and vibrate on the membrane. Comfortable cushioning.

    AKG K702 - My favourite. The bass is not so punchy, but still good for all kinds of music. Very linear. The sound is crystal clear and the loudness is sufficient on most devices. But I like them even better in combination with a Superlux HA3D headphone amp. I can wear these for hours and they never feel uncomfortable. They are made of plastic, like the ATH-911, which makes them very light.

    Fame HD290 - I didnt buy these, they were a gift from a friend. They are ok but sound a little canned. I dont use them often. The only fame they get covered with is the name. Very uncomfortable.

    Cheap panasonic in-ears. I use these outside and they are ok for casual listening. I am thinking about buying better ones. I like to use in-ears outside.

    Yea the k702's are great, have them as well. I have heard people saying that they can be pickier to preamps than many other headphones tho. Also ipad/phone headphone out cant drive them properly, just barely enough most the time. But thats the deal with most high impedance(aka proper studio) headphones tho..

  • edited February 2019

    @ToMess said:
    Yea the k702's are great, have them as well. I have heard people saying that they can be pickier to preamps than many other headphones tho. Also ipad/phone headphone out cant drive them properly, just barely enough most the time. But thats the deal with most high impedance(aka proper studio) headphones tho..

    Just tested again. Yes, its true. My old ipod does not drive them properly. On my phone and computer the sound is a little thin. But on my ipad pro 2017 they dont need an amp. Often i even turn down the volume.
    Im using the amp with my piano, a philips cd482 cd player and a steinberg ur22 mk2 audio interface. For proper loudness, especially for mixing and monitoring, you would need an amp for those studio headphones, except for the ipad pro 2017, which drives the k702 really well.

  • @J33Z said:

    @ToMess said:
    Yea the k702's are great, have them as well. I have heard people saying that they can be pickier to preamps than many other headphones tho. Also ipad/phone headphone out cant drive them properly, just barely enough most the time. But thats the deal with most high impedance(aka proper studio) headphones tho..

    Just tested again. Yes, its true. My old ipod does not drive them properly. On my phone and computer the sound is a little thin. But on my ipad pro 2017 they dont need an amp. Often i even turn down the volume.
    Im using the amp with my piano, a philips cd482 cd player and a steinberg ur22 mk2 audio interface. For proper loudness, especially for mixing, you would need an amp for those studio headphones, except for the ipad pro 2017, which drives the k702 really well.

    I thought all ipads and phones had the same amount of output gain, but good to know its not like that. I have focusrite 6i6 and they can drive the phones well. I also have steinberg ur22 and they dont have enough output for headphones imo. Or well enough for some tracks, but sometimes a quiet youtube upload leaves me wanting more volume. Or if i just want to blast them loud, ur22 cant deliver except on extremely loud tracks. 6i6 can

  • @ToMess
    The ur22 really leaves you wishing for more output power.
    Im actually thinking about getting a new interface, since the ur22 does not have enough inputs for all my instruments. But the Focusrite isnt ios compatible, is it?

  • @J33Z said:
    @ToMess
    The ur22 really leaves you wishing for more output power.
    Im actually thinking about getting a new interface, since the ur22 does not have enough inputs for all my instruments. But the Focusrite isnt ios compatible, is it?

    Focusrite scarletts are ios compatible. I use 6i6 on my ipad and ur22 on my computer. I can highly recommend the 6i6. 1st gen ones are quite cheap used, built like a tank and the mk2 version didnt really add anything much to it, mainly the 2i2 and 2i4 benefitted from the 2nd versions. 6i6 takes external power, so you dont need a powered usb hub to use it, like you do with 2i2 and 2i4. It does bother me that it doesent have button for direct monitoring and needs to be hooked to computer for you to change bit rate or switch to direct monitoring. But its a great interface all around, especially for the 100€ i paid for mine used. It can also take signal directly from my eurorack without having to use attenuators or output modules, which doesent seem to be too common afaik.

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  • edited February 2019
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  • @ToMess

    I really want to get away from the pc, so this would be a disqualifier.

    @tja said:
    I would like to try the 702, but from the pictures, most of those headphone look uncomfortable.
    There seem to be quite some pressure to the head, seeing how narrow the headset looks when laying flat.

    If you have a very big head, they might be. But with the k702 there is very little pressure on the head and i need to be careful with rapid movements or they fall off. The beyerdynamics have more pressure but are still comfortable for a few hours.

  • @J33Z said:
    @ToMess

    I really want to get away from the pc, so this would be a disqualifier.

    I thought it would be a bigger deal, before i realized that i pretty much never have to hook it to my computer, as i dont have that big of a need for direct monitoring and no point of changing bit rate all the time either, buffer size you can change from ios apps ofc.

  • edited February 2019

    @ToMess
    I dont do direct monitoring on the ur22, since the piano needs stereo out. i dont change the bitrate often, so maybe this would still be a good device for my needs. I will look out for a good deal.

    @tja

    The mechanism for the headband on the akg k702 is very smooth

  • I was curious about the 7506s as they are available in Turkey, but this review seems to point out drawbacks...

  • @LinearLineman said:
    I was curious about the 7506s as they are available in Turkey, but this review seems to point out drawbacks...

    Nice video - but take it with a pinch of salt. The whole objective at SonarWorks is to sell you a calibration tool. I also watched their ATH-M50X video and felt they weren't critical enough of it.

    If we are comparing them 'uncalibrated' (as we have to do as iOS musicians) I'm sure most would opt for the 7506 and it's great mid-range over the M50X and it's thunderous bass, almost any day of the week.

  • edited February 2019

    I personally use consumer headphones. I don’t do enough serious work to justify spending a lot of money so I settle for what IM(uneducated)O are the right cans for me.

    For the last 5 + years I’ve been doing all of my listening, mixing and messing about on my Panasonic RP-HTX7. I have 3 pairs!
    I’ve used fancier cans in the past in studios and other environments but that didn’t push me over the line. I got to know them quite well and know that they bump the bass so I have to account for that.

    Just as a final statement I’d add that a lot of skill in using headphones in recording is not only knowing your gear but most of all knowing your ears.
    I personally naturally love bassy sound and it took me years to cure myself from bumping the bass in my mixes. It’s a bit similar to that guitarist in a band situation who doesn’t realise that his level is way above the rest. Don’t try to tell him that.

    We musicians, have naturally developed selective hearing and ability to focus on one sound/instrument at a time and filter others out. You can test that by asking a lay person to identify one peculiar thing within the mix, most likely they won’t be able to. This means that no matter what cans we use, the faders in our heads might be all over the place.

    Don’t spend crazy amount on expensive headphones, just learn your ears.

  • @tk32 , thanks for pointing out the bias.
    @supadom, I think you really got to it!

  • Any of those mentioned may be perfect. Or perfectly awful. Try them. The ‘best’ ones for one person may not fit your head or even sound nice to your ears.

    If you are very young, an old persons advice may be irrelevant as us old dudes have lost more frequencies than you’ve had hot lunches. Even those with ‘golden ears’ are not immune to the ravages of age.

    The type of music you listen to will also affect the decision making process. Some headphones are nicer for certain types of music than others. More specifically some genres of music load certain frequency ranges in a way that make some phones shine and others wave a white flag.

    There is also the law of diminishing returns. An £80 pair of headphones doesn’t sound half as good as a £160 pair even though they might be twice as good as the £40 pair.

    Plus don’t forget the headphone output (where it exists!) on an iOS device ain’t the best either.

    If you have a good sounding audio interface you will get to hear some of the benefits of your expensive ‘phones you may not have noticed with the built in socket or dongle and not-for-audiophiles DACs.

    So TLDR. Buy whichever ones you like best in your budget range. And don’t take the advice of the ‘experts’ too seriously. There are too many of them and they all have different biases (and vastly differing levels of actual expertise).

    And definitley ignore my advice. I’m not even a self professed expert.

  • edited February 2019

    I agree with @supadom and @klownshed

    It’s important to know your ears, and anyone advice or preferences will not apply to everyone.

    I had a Sennheiser HD265 linear for 15 years. When it was broken, I’ve decided to buy a HD598 which had great reviews. But I didn’t liked it, mainly because lack of bass and driver imbalance (this model has +/-3 dB driver matching tolerances, I’m very sensitive to that). Also, with the years, I became sensitive to high medium frequencies especially on right ear, and I ended with a Studiolux 681 Evo tweaked with some thin cotton pad and removed felt, and this set of cans is incredibly smooth and full to my ears, I’ve no issues monitoring and mixing with it, because its frequency response and character fits my own ears frequencies perfectly. I know my ears and those headphones, can do a proper work with them, and don’t need to refer only to reviews and prices. For same reasons I love my Shure SE215 iems for monitoring only, they’re smooth sounding. Remember you have to get used to your headphones more that breaking-in them.

    Also, impedance is important if you want to use your HP with iDevice output, around 30 ohms is perfect you will not need any amp, so it’s perfect for mobility and immediacy of use. Will works equally well with an audio interface.

  • edited February 2019

    I found a website from a guy testing audio equipment. He is using a Rohde & Schwarz UPL laboratory audio analizer.
    He did some tests on the ipad pro (1st gen).

    https://kenrockwell.com/apple/ipad-pro-audio-quality.htm

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  • @tja said:

    @J33Z said:
    I found a website from a guy testing audio equipment. He is using a Rohde & Schwarz UPL laboratory audio analizer.
    He did some tests on the ipad pro (1st gen).

    https://kenrockwell.com/apple/ipad-pro-audio-quality.htm

    That’s „the“ Ken Rockwell.
    He used to test camera equipment and objectives.
    Did not know that he also tested other stuff.

    You need to read what he writes with a grain of salt, as in earlier times he was very biased and such, giving very strong recommendations when „less strong“ would have been more appropriate. But as he writes himself, he gets important income from his website which makes him write in such a way.
    Just as a sidenote.

    Still interesting link!

    Yeah. Ken Rockwell loves hyperbole and knows how to stir up his audience.

    His photos are like his reviews. Everything turned up to 11.

    Pinch of salt definitely required

    He is entertaining though. :-)

  • Ok, i dont know this guy or what he did in the past, but the ipad pro audio output is still pretty good.

  • edited February 2019

    Well, I know my standards are not very high when it comes to this stuff ( I use Roland RH200s and Apple earbuds (!!) to mix, but I am striking out in a new direction just cause I hate sitting with regular hps for hours at a time.

    I have been researching for monitor earphones in the $200 range. The most interesting series I have found are from Mackie
    ( I have their active monitors and love them), Their MP series (introduced at 2018 NAMM, their entrance into IEM) offers
    three different price points but all share a 20-20,000 frequency range and good sensitivity ( i think, but my wife thinks I am insensitive, so what do I know). The MP120 has a single dynamic driver for around $90. The MP220 ($125) two dynamic drivers and their top of the line hybrid MP240 ($170) with one dynamic and one balanced armature. Monitor earphones are mostly used ( I think) by onstage performers in place of those triangular floor monitors. Anyway, I think the 220s may suit my needs just fine and certainly a leap forward from the Apple's I have been using. I know in-ear phones can cost as much as a grand, but these seem to compare very well. Here's a review...

    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mackie-mp-series

  • @chandroji, just purchased Mackie MP220 earphone monitors. Really quite terrific and a pleasure to wear. Seems like a relatively neutral presentation. Tons of detail and the staging is excellent. Totally comfortable and couldn't be more portable! Goodbye Apple earbuds and Roland RH200s!

  • edited February 2019

    It seems that the 12,9 inch ipads have an audio chip that is missing on the smaller ones.

    https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-9-7-vs-ipad-pro-12-9-hq-audio-chip-missing.1968796/

    I am using an ipad pro 12,9 inch.
    Maybe this is the reason why this is such a divisive issue.

  • edited February 2019

    @LinearLineman said:
    @chandroji, just purchased Mackie MP220 earphone monitors. Really quite terrific and a pleasure to wear. Seems like a relatively neutral presentation. Tons of detail and the staging is excellent. Totally comfortable and couldn't be more portable! Goodbye Apple earbuds and Roland RH200s!

    Also congrats to your new earphones. I always hesitated to buy expensive in ears, because i always manage to break or lose them. Its usually the cables, but at least you can change them on your mackies.

  • Thanks, @J33Z. I don't take my music with me so they will stay safely near my iPad. It's a very different experience. Real sense of isolation. I understand when band performers use them the sound guy sets up a mic toward the audience to send in some ambient sound to the musicians. So you can imagine how silent it is at home!

    The volume is also a lot louder than the Apple earbuds I was using, so you really have to watch out for your ears. But they sure stay in place. And the detail is fabulous and seems rather neutral. Also the staging is excellent. There's an app called room pro or something like that where you can place instruments on both x and y axes. Might be worth it now.

    I still wonder if anyone on the forum has these or similar and if they mix with them.

  • I use the apple earbuds when I’m just messing around with stuff and Sony MDR-7506 when I’m doing things that are more serious

  • Well, I returned the Mackie mp220s today and here's why...
    Tho mystifying the earphones sounded great with recorded music. However, when I began working on a track the piano ( almost always central to my stuff) sounded awful. The highs were too high and the lows were missing. Can't understand why, but that is what happened. Disappointed!

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  • @tja I wish I understood more about this stuff. I was wild about them last night. The acoustic guitar recordings I listened to were beautifully detailed. Orchestral stuff similarly good. But in working with them on a mix it was a frequency disaster. I don't really have an alternative. Sennheiser Momentums are available but get so-so reviews. 1more triple drivers looked interesting but a forum member nixed them. Now I am back to my Apple earbuds and all sounds good again. Something must be wrong with me!

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