how do you buy headphones mostly for working with the PA3x

Marcus2222 · Post by **Marcus2222** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:31 am

I’ve actually never heard my PA3x on a speaker system although I have a great EV setup.

I bought Sure headphones to practice the PA3x. I made the mistake of buying a pair that were too “dry”…….probably made for critical listening in studio recordings.

Anyway, the Sure headphones broke. I replaced them with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. Got them tonight and tried them immediately.

Well, the PA3x has a little more body to it now (through the Audio-Technica’s), but the sound is too “bass heavy” and…….they’re too heavy (in weight) on my head for long periods. I also tried the Sennheiser HD280 and found them a little too “bassy” also.

I’m going to have to go back to the music store and try them all again. Can anyone tell me how to shop for headphones? Or are all headphones pretty much the same? Are the “under $100” ones almost as good as the “$100+” headphones?

Thanks

Marcus

Nemik · Post by **Nemik** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:39 am

I'm using now PreSonus HD7 and can't compliant, works good for me

$46.00 worth try
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7 ... oring.html

Pfeff · Post by **Pfeff** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:16 am

The forum over at Head-Fi is a great place to get help with this question but in truth you might get more confused than simple answers.

The thing that is most important is not to purchase headphones that you like but ones that reproduce sounds most neutral, that is not coloured by the headphones themselves. That's why using studio monitor headphones or speakers is desirable when you play and practise. Remember that headphones are an advantage here because acoustics of a room influence how sounds are received by an audience. It is also important that practise headphones are a "closed" type to shut out external sounds. Your Shures (probably) and the Audio-Technicas were a closed type.

I've got many headphones. Some very audiophile quality. But for my keyboards I find my Shure HD-840s produce very natural sounds and while I don't use them for critical listening to recorded music they are great for keyboards. I recommend auditioning your test headphones with a piano sound. Headphones should "sound" like an acoustic piano. Free of harshness and tinniness with just the right timbre across the entire range. This is where the Shures have satisfied me. Although it is some time since I've heard them neither the M50 nor Sennheiser HD280 were as close in those critical aspects in my opinion. Although I've not heard them, I understand later Shure phones like the 940 or 1440 etc colour sounds with specific tonal characters not necessarily desirable for keyboards. But like so many things, YMMV.

When you audition, try taking a recorded wave file of music from your PaX3, with a range of instruments if you can't take the keyboard itself. And you will need to listen to each as close in time to each other as possible so you can go back and forth between each if you can. This I precisely how I was able to exclude some highly regarded but as it turned out inferior headphones from my consideration.

Finally, if weight is a real issue for you, while I don't find the 840s fatiguing, you may. In this case include some of the AKGs like 44s, 77s etc as they are quite a bit lighter and to my ears, not a long way off the Shure's sound qualities. Very good value too.

Hope this helps your consideration.

nitecrawler · Post by **nitecrawler** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 1:30 pm

I use AKG K240's. They are semi-open, with excellent range. Also light and not tiring to wear. Come with coiled and straight cord options. They are a good set of cans for the studio and for my PA3xle. A bit pricey but you get what you pay for.

PAPAPETE · Post by **PAPAPETE** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 12:56 am

I use an older set of AKG 240DF's that I recently had reconditioned. Also have AKG 260s, bit they are just a bit heavier than the old 240DFs. If you can find a set of 240DFs on EBAY they are the bomb IMHO.

Marcus2222 · Post by **Marcus2222** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:52 am

Thanks to those of you who offered advice on my headphone dilemma. I’m more of a musician than a technician. It’s hard to follow both paths.

Thanks, particularly to John (pfeff) who helped me to make a decision based on what he wrote.

After I read the postings, I did a lot of Internet reading about headphones. I didn’t realize that it’s preferable to have a “dry” “uncolored” sound in your phones until John mentioned it.

BTW, I made a mistake. I was using the Sony MDR-7506 headphones, not Shure’s.

I read about headphones until the cows came home. Then I took my PA3x down to Sam Ash and listened to the ones I selected here at home…..the Sennheiser 280, the Audio-Technica M50X and the M40X, and the only Shure he had on display, plus a few others that were out.

In the end, I realized, after reading what you guys wrote, that, for the money, I was better off with another pair of Sony-7506‘s. Especially because they were lightweight. The others were too heavy and clunky on my head.

Here’s hoping this pair lasts longer than the other ones did! Back to “playing.”

Marcus

mega74 · Post by **mega74** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:46 am

I use Sennheiser HD 558 I really like the transparency of sound and tonal balance, I recommend to all

valio7771 · Post by **valio7771** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:17 pm

I am using Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80ohm (closed) for 3 years now.
They never lied to me sonicly. Although they are not below 100$ mark, they really pay of for the frustration you'll have with some other headphones.
That's my personal opinion based on long term of using those in particular.