How to Choose THE RIGHT Monitoring Headphones

[@ChrisSchaffer]

I'm currently using a pair of Sennheiser HD 300 PROs - I've loved over the ear Sennheiser headphones because they actually are pretty guaranteed to be OVER my ears and have enough padding to not cause me headaches in combination with my glasses. I'm using them for all steps in any of my processes from monitoring to mastering, but, because they're closed back I also tend to relisten to anything I've produced on my regular system speakers. On the mastering side, I definitely need to up my game at some point, but because I record and master in the same room and may switch between recording and mastering shorter work segments I went with what was in my budget that felt like it would keep everything isolated from the mic while still being good enough for the level of mastering I'm capable of. Definitely going to be keeping an eye on the higher end Shure headphones for the day the Sennheiser pair start to wear out or I have an unexpected windfall and just have extra budget!

[@alexkiddonen]

Great video. Very good points. The build quality and comfort are actually incredibly important

[@shred5]

I bought the original model Audio Technica ATH-M50s in 2007 or 2008. The band and cups started to crack about 4 years ago and a few weeks ago I stepped on them and they initially survived, but the piece that holds the left side on broke a week ago. I'll probably buy another pair. They are very flat, with a slight drop off in lows but that makes them good for mixing too so the mix doesn't sound too bass heavy as it always does in headphones. I was thinking of trying the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro or the Shure SRH840A (until I saw how bright they are) but from everyone's tests, they were both a bit brigther.

[@brian_bielanski]

Best bang for the buck in my opinion is the Sony MDR-7506. I've had a pair for more than 10 years and they keep on ticking. They sound great and add a pair of headphone softies to make for comfortable wearing all day long. I beat the crap out of these and never a problem. Just bought another pair for podcasting at home because I leave the old trusties at work now.

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

[@Barnsey87]

I have same experience with MDR 450s

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

For years I used the Sennheiser 280 Pro, good fit. Right side quit a while back, and the Newer Version wasn't as Comfortable. So I tried the Shure SRH840a and thought they were a bit tight between the Ears and the top of my Head. I returned them and tried the Shure SRH750DJ, Sounded good for Music, but after a couple of weeks they were Creaking a lot, so they went back. I then tried the Pioneer DJ HDJ-X5, again very nice sounding, but the Ear Pads were not very comfortable when I was wearing my Glasses, and actually caused Pain to my Ear Lobes. so they went back. I was going to try the Shure SRH440A, as they were on sales, but found the SRH840A also $50 off. I retried the Shure SRH840A, they sound almost a Good as the Pioneers, but do fit around my Ears much better, and with a bit of repositioning of the Headband, I can wear them for hours on end.

[@helmutczernik]

great video! i use old AKG K270 Studio Monitor with 600ohm selected membrans from the late 80'

[@NotAFanMan88]

I've probably gone as far as I need/want into the headphone game, using my Shure se846/Focal Clear for my two headphone scenarios. Very worth it.

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

[@brianpimental2948]

I will be using them for KZbin and voiceovers. What would you recommend?

[@martinkulik9466]

I bought bandwagons dt770 80ohm. terrible metallic harsh headphones… but everybody recommends them…

[@stevesmith7268]

I just acquired the dt 770 pro x. Decent, but not what I expected. Harsh is right. I prefer the Audio Technica sound.

[@stevesmith7268]

I just acquired the DT 770 Pro X. Decent, but not what I expected. Harsh is right. I prefer the Audio-Technica headphone sound

[@douglange6863]

Where's the Sony MDR-7506 in your list? I've had mine for almost 25 years. Also, have you ever worked with in-ear monitors, such as the Shure SE Series? I use them mostly for stage but I will use them when I'm curious about small details such as the crispy crunch of an SM58 vs a modded SM58 :-)

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Good question. First off I always forget about the sonys...I use them at work all the time and I am rather dismissive of them...though they are a strong candidate. As for in ear...I would love to get into testing them. I will add it to the list!

[@theaudioasylum4328]

Wow! What an awesome video. Thanks. I do voiceovers as well as syndicated-type radio show production & radio station imaging. I use the Shure 7506's. Being using them of decades & well, I just love them to pieces. Thanks again for another outstanding video. All the best to 'ya, potna!! :-)

[@Kriptonyan]

Shure or Sony's 7506? I'm not sure there are Shure headphones with that number...

[@theaudioasylum4328]

@@Kriptonyan Sony 7506. My bad!!

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

[@i8twizlers]

Definitely gave me a direction with thought process for choosing a set for monitoring, feeling the SRH440 or the ATH-M40x, prolly over kill but they look more comfortable and the able to change the cord if needed, plus they are decent for mixing. 😊

[@ApicalTrades]

Thank you so much for this amazing and easy to understand video. I have big ears and I need to get one that does not hurt my ears after using it for hours and hours. I did buy BOSE QC but the ear caps and ear pads are too small and they are on ear rather than over ear. I also bought several over ear headphone and they all do not cover my ears... My ears are 3.2inches in length and apparently there is no over the ear headphones for me LOL... If you know any over the ear headphones that can cover my ear size, I would highly appreciate it if you could please inform me, or better yet, do a video on it. Thank you so much and highly appreciated

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Beyerdynamic dt770 series have really big ear pads. They also come in different resistance....so if you don't have a strong enough interface...you can always get the 80 ohm version and they will work fine with almost any interface

[@TheGeekGauntletPodcast]

I have the Rode NTH 100 and the Beyerdynamic 770 pro 80ohm. The Beyerdynamic is soo much better. Better sound and better comfort.

[@adambyrdmusic]

I have a pair of Bose wired earbuds which sound great. Would there be any difference in using them over traditional headphones to hear my vocal while connecting them to my focusrite solo?

[@andrewr4792]

The clamping pressure on the Audio Technicas was unbearable for me. I like the AKG K240 Headphones. They are cheap and sound great. I bought a pair of the Blue Mixer headphones with the built-in AMP, and they fit and feel great.

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

You suggested the audio Technica headphones to me so I bought them. You probably don't know this but you can't buy the amp needed for these things anymore and my Bose tonematch can't push them. On top of that they rub the top of my head because it is huge. They also don't cover the entirety of my ear I need a large headset with cans that cover my ears and are audible...

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Just looked up both...and there is no reason those headphones wouldnt work. As for the comfort...sorry about that...headphones are a bit personal...much like underwear.

[@GodOfMetal103]

i've got the sennheiser HD 25 70Ω and if i use these for to long they kill my ears, but they do the job

[@forfilmssakeUK]

Hey Dark Corner Studios, I plan to get a headphone for monitoring audio whilst recording video. I suppose I should be getting the M20x based on what you advised for 'monitoring' users? Cheers and take care.

[@CloD44]

I bought my Adam a7x monitor to mix and sometimes mastering , but sometimes I wanted something to critical listening and went with a semi open back headphone DT 1990 pro .. they sound great specially with the different analytical pads . I was still hearing some things that were off in the mids so I went and use my Sound ID software calibration and they had this models in their list to make them flatter in sound . After that I was able to hear better and reference the changes with my Adams … sometimes you need extra software to make the headphones sound better … great video 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@baronvonlichtenstein]

Adam are sick. Just heard them last night side by side with Yamala, JBL, M-Audio and Rokit. I might sell my Rokit 5 gen 4 to get Adam T5V or T7V They both sounded amazing. The T5V downright freakish for their size.

[@BinaryClay]

I am brand new in this game and I’m currently finding gear to use for creating KZbin videos. There is a lot to spend money on and I was considering whether My B&O H9i will work for studio use in wired mode? If not I’ll buy something recommended in the lower end price wise, but considering I have the H9i already I would love to get by with them if it makes any sense. And thanks for some great videos!

[@TomasWatchReviews]

I just wanna get the ones that would last me the longest :D Knowing the legendary durability of Shure mics, I tend to lean towards Shure headphones.. But I wanted to ask about the comfort. What would you recommend over the glasses? Looking at SHURE SRH840A at the moment.

[@fastmachinemedia]

Best phones for Voice acting & voice over work??

[@ToledoH]

do you reckon i would be able to use a "not studio" headphones (sony wh 1000xm3) to record vocals and then get openback (sennheiser hd 560s) to mix and master? id definitely would like to try an open back but also definitely will need a close one to record vocals...

[@seancloutier2577]

I want a small pair of in ear headphones....something small any suggestions

[@Bootrosgali]

840a , the update, is very nice indeed

[@Horizonchronicles.]

Amazing video mate nice !!😊

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Cheers! Glad you liked it!

[@terraltheible]

I would really appreciate recommendations for a wide head, vast majority of headphones are too narrow, have too much clamping force for me. Budget is under $200.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I have a large head...I prefer the Shure line...srh440 Buying headphones is much like underwear...it can be tough...

[@caveman3703]

Thank you very clear explanation

[@matthaberek]

What headphones would you recommend for strictly JUST VOCALS tracking and recording vocals and mixing vocals with all your plugs in in your daw. All the music has been professionally been mastered and completed. I was looking at audio technica line up from the 20 to 40 or the seinheiser he 280s or beyerdyamic 240s though I hear the ear cups are too small. Yet I hear people say crazy stuff like bro just use your apple headphones 😂 someone wanna elaborate here pleassee

[@DarkCornerStudios]

All those are good...but if you want bigger cups...around the same price...the Beyerdynamic DT770s are nice for all that.

[@rossman265]

What do you think of Audio-Technica ATH-M50xDS Closed-Back Studio for recording guitar?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I love the ath series. They are fantastic

[@EidosX_]

I just wanna say that was a fantastic video. Thanks!

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Thanks for watching!!

[@elbeaver0]

I Love your analysis !

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Thanks...glad you enjoy!

[@cassidyofficialmusic5536]

So insightful 👌👏👏👏

[@BojanBojovic]

As for the open back, critical listening reference headphones I would say that AKG 612 Pro and ATH R70X deliver outstanding results while the price is relatively affordable. AKG are dead flat, AudioTechnica almost the same just a little bit warmer. I bought ATH as I like the brand and AKG were not available at the moment of purchasing, but for 200 the 612 Pro are incredible value, while R70X are a little bit more expensive at 350.

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

[@BojanBojovic]

@@mikelisteral7863 Open back headphones do not seal, that is the point.

[@mikelisteral7863]

@@BojanBojovic point is the good headphones with the proper neutral sound signature all have shitty pads. and the ones with good pads are all extra bass crap

[@BojanBojovic]

@@mikelisteral7863 I understand what you are saying, but I do not agree. It is just your expectation. Open back cans are not supposed to suck to your head, that is the point in their sound signature.

[@mikelisteral7863]

@@BojanBojovic im not talking about open back.

[@koenignero]

Hi. If i produce content for people listening with iPhone Box Headphones. Why should I not wear them in the mix?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

They can't reproduce all of the frequencies that you require to properly mix. Now if you are just doing levels...that is fine. As soon as you dip into eq and compression....you may want to step up your headphone game

[@jediisafella6262]

good video! I enjoyed the 2 random swoosh sound effects toward the end

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I had to remove some amazon price pics...apparently its a bit of a no no now... Forgot the wooshes... I was so clever in putting them in there too...sigh

[@Eddylive]

Rode nth-100, what's your opinion?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I love them and they are my daily driver headphones

[@Eddylive]

@@DarkCornerStudios ok great cuz I don't know much about them but I bought a pair and have been using them for a week and they are fantastic!

[@baronvonlichtenstein]

$200 headphones won't necessarily sound better. I found M20X closer to the M50X in sound than the M30X and M40X. I may even prefer my Rockville M50 $50 headphones to my DT770 which lack bass and dynamics. The 280 Pro like the M40X have too much bass. At this point I like My Sony MDR 7506, ATH M50X, Rockville and the SRH 440 I just got in the mail. AKG 361 seems very good. As for spending more and getting better, that has no basis in reality. My Sennheiser 599 are muddy crap. The reason being, different drivers, different engineers and different balance. Listening side by side is the best way to pair the good with the bad. Using M50X and MDR 7506 as standards, I just compared about 15 headphones and as I said, the M20X had a better frequency balance than the M30 and 40s. Cant afford the HD 600. Was hoping Guitar Center had them for comparison but only up to HD 400 which did sound nice. I use Superlux 681 for vocal tracking because they have more clarity than anything I've ever heard. All the Superlux are good. Samson SR859 are not bad. I have some Sennheiser 560 on the way.

[@theway-backmusicmachinepod9953]

Such a subjective topic, isn't it? I started with a set of ATH MX-20s and they do a really good job on most applications. However, I ended up getting a pair of AKG K92s just because they're more comfortable. I use the AKG set for recording the podcast with my co-host, and the MX-20s for more detailed monitoring afterwards.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I never could get used to AKG headphones... Subjective indeed

[@theway-backmusicmachinepod9953]

@@DarkCornerStudios For sure. I find the MX-20s give a slight bit more detail, but I start getting a bit of a headache after 30-40 minutes with them.

[@dickginkowski6071]

@@DarkCornerStudios Ditto re: AKG. I kept worrying something would break.

[@mikelisteral7863]

HEADPHONE industry is trash. you have a choice between extra bass crap or neutral with useless pads that dont seal

[@horizen4461]

turn to Jesus Christ he loves all of us more than anything and he literally died for us. He took in the punishmrent for our sins thru on the cross. It wasn’t cuz we deserved it, but cuz he loved us. 1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” it was thru his love that he died for us and we can be forgiven

[@some______guy]

Lol

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I just saw this. Weirdest comment on a headphone video I've ever seen. I mean...Jesus would totally be an earbuds kinda guy

[@horizen4461]

@@DarkCornerStudios Maybe😂 I just keep that comment in my notes to copy and paste because everyone needs the gospel, even if 1000 people scroll right past it and 1 person gets saved it’s worth it

[@foxtrotindia8921]

@@DarkCornerStudios nice answer! I agree

[@stevesmith7268]

Um...this is not church dude. There's a place and a time.

[@anointgarcia]

IM THE RAPPER MONITER MIXER AND MASTERER

[@LukeONYOURSELF]