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Decent light headphones that can help prevent room noise


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I've got some ATH-M50 headphones that I use in my studio that sound decent but squeeze my ears a bit hard and aren't fun for long sessions.   I love my Koss Porta Pro headphones for when I do exercise.  They hold the bass nicely and are incredibly light.  

I'm looking for recommendations for headphones that sound decent that I can take on road trips to use with my laptop but shut off some of the room noise (my kids!) better than the Koss headphones.   Anything $50-$100 would be fine.   My Sony MDR-7510 headphones aren't too heavy and don't squeeze the ears too hard so I can use them for the time being.   I don't buy headphones very often so I'm interested in any suggestions from people who know the latest choices.

Thanks.

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I find the cheaper Sennheiser headphones work well for tracking (I use the older HD-201's)  - they're very light and don't sound too bad.  Sonarworks also has a profile for them too.

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3 hours ago, msmcleod said:

I find the cheaper Sennheiser headphones work well for tracking (I use the older HD-201's)  - they're very light and don't sound too bad.  Sonarworks also has a profile for them too.

I have the HD 280 Pro. Work well, about100 USD.

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I have scored dozens of headphones of the type you are asking about from various Dollar Stores over the years. $10- $15. 
I wouldn’t use them for serious mixing but they are most certainly good enough for listening.

I actually have some that sound better than some of my $100 cans. They are all made in that same factory no matter what the brand says.  

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20 hours ago, Sven said:

My Sony MDR-7510 headphones aren't too heavy and don't squeeze the ears too hard so I can use them for the time being.

What is about the MDR-7510's that makes them not suitable for this use going forward.

I really like my Sony MDR-7506's.

What others have said about the Sennheiser HD 200 series cans is true. I have a set that I use for drum practice, just for their isolating qualities.

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You can try OneOdio Monitor 60, around $80, I read good things about it, and even cheaper  the Neewer NW3000, great sound for monitoring and great isolation, for only $40,  but now they are dificult to find because they are out of stock.

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Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

I think I should give these a try:  Sennheiser HD 200

Nothing wrong with the MDR-7510 headphones and they're already packed for my 3 day trip to Chiang Rai tomorrow.  

I'm just always looking for suggestions.  I've lived in Thailand for 24 years and it's another world far, far away from the recording studios I used to frequent in the States in NYC and Boston.

And there's a high import tax rates on anything you have shipped here.  Any price tag you see in Bangkok or Chiang Mai where I live  is much higher than the bargain prices you see in the States or other countries.

Lovely food here  beaches, culture....................high headphone prices!  Or anything involving computers or electronics.    But the food is great...

Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A few years back,  somebody posted a link to a sale on the CB-1 headphones in the "deals" section. Quite a few people here bought them. $40.00 I think.  I've used them for tracking acoustic guitars ever sense. They've held up perfectly and they have a nice Long chord. The oval shaped ear cups will spin around on you though. You'll know it when your ear starts hurting. These are nice for casual use and the OneOdio headphones are nice for listening to final masters.  ms

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Posted (edited)

The only model of the headphones that I currently use for recording, mixing and mastering is Neumann NDH 20.  They are not the lightest but have extremely comfortable memory foam cushions that have excellent sound insulating properties.

In my opinion they are the best, most accurate and still pleasant to listen headphones for all the professional audio needs. You will find that many mixing and mastering engineers use them more often than reference speakers. I have sold all my high quality studio reference speakers and wall treatments. My recording, mixing and mastering have improved dramatically since I started working only on headphones. I still sometimes use speaker emulations by Waves from Chris Lord Algae or Nashville for quick checks.

They translate extremely well for any sound outputs once you get used to them. I would not trade them back for any kind of studio speakers or any other headphones. Once you get used to working on them you will establish a reference point for rest of your life and you can easily travel with them and still accomplish all the professional work. In few decades of my music career I have not found a better reference audio device yet.  I would say that it has been the the most valuable addition to my studio in many years.

Let me know if you have any questions, best regards.

Newmann-NDH20.thumb.jpeg.db6c238743530debe1666ff64f51aa02.jpeg

Edited by veetek
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These may be a bit expensive for what I'm looking for: Neumann NDH 20 

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I read some reviews and looked carefully at the weight of each set.   Also, some of the headphones aren't available currently where I live in Thailand.  

I took my Sony headphone on a recent road trip and enjoyed using them so I may just keep it simple and just try the  MDR-7506 headphones.  I've always enjoyed the sound of Sony headphones for some reason.   I like the way the bass sounds.  I actually brought my MDR-V600 headphones here when I moved from the States 24 years ago.   They're now worn out and don't sound as good as before.

I may also consider trying some of those suggested above probably starting with the HD 200 Pro phones.

Thanks.

 

 

 

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