Hello all,

Whew, its been a while since I've been on the forums. lol. Anyway I own a px330 and probably most of the time I've been using headphones as opposed to the internal speakers (due to obvious noise restrictions). I own a pair of Sony somethings and although they sound alright, they don't sound great. Seeing that I use headphones more often, why not buy good quality headphones. Ive been looking around ranging from dedicated headphone forums, threads here on this forum, and local stores but just can't decide on what to buy.

Don't really know a whole lot on the headphone scene (impedance, amp driving, etc) so I was wondering what suggestions and/or headphones you are using?

I do realize headphones are not a "one size fit all" so to speak and everyone has different likings but I am willing to put full trust into said opinions.



p.s.

I know there are other threads on this but I wanted to start a new one because of the specifications of the PX330 and wasn't quite sure if it plays a big variable on matching headphone to digital piano.

Anything from AKG over $100 USD. Sealed if you are trying to keep sound out/in, open if you aren't.

I recently got a this set and have been very please with the sound reproduction.

HD 205

AKG 240's have been a bit of a standard for quite awhile.

I have a pair of the newest AKG 240 Mark II, but the earcups are round (yes round). Who the hell has round ears?

Consequently they squeeze the top and bottom of my ears - and I have quite small ears.

I have Sennheiser HD570's (a few years old), comfortable, but they lack highs.

My Sennheiser HD340's are best of the three pairs, but they are pushing twenty years old and no longer available (too bad). Very comfortable - could be worn all day.

Comfort is important.

Glenn

What is the price range you want to spend?

Any of the Sennheiser HD 580, 600, 650 (and 800 although very expensive), as well as *any* of the high range Gaco will do very fine.

I personally have the HD600 and I use them for mixing and they sound great.

Recently I bought a Grace Design headphone amp, connected digitally with my computer, but this I'm guessing goes beyond your budget. Otherwise we can talk about it more extensively. (the Grace Design amp gives a very accurate 'stereo image', like listening through proper monitors, and that along with the excellent output that the HD600s' give provide an excellent sound).

Seconding the HD600. I find it the best value for Sennheiser headphones.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Now just so I get this clear and to clarify what's been keeping me from buying a pair, will the digital piano's amp have enough juice to drive these headphones? I've read that usually the better quality headphones need to be driven properly or else they sound like budget headphones. An example that pops to mind are the higher quality grados.

Would the Sennheiser 600 and AKG (also looked at the 240's, other suggestions are welcomed as I've wanted to try this brand) phones work properly with my Casio or would I need this dreaded external amplifier the usual audiophile suggests?

Please excuse the more than obvious "newcomer" questions that applies to headphones because most of the research I've come across are threads that relate to mp3 players and such.

Man, these things aren't cheap!!

This is the best deal you will find anyplace, period. Basically half price:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K240S/

The K240 is dead flat and accurate. But they don't block noise very well.

The best thing I can say about these is they when listening they sound like you don't have headphones on.

Well, a proper headphone amp will give the 'right drive' to any headphone, including the high end ones, but don't doubt for a second that if you plug any 300$ in your Casio it won't sound great either. In fact I'd be (almost) ready to be my 0.02$ in this thread, that they may even sound better than the onboard speakers of the casio!

The external amp is a very expensive choice, which does provide a better listening experience, but if you are to spend a total of 2000$ for headphones+amp, just save a few more and get normal monitor system, a new computer, maybe v-piano (after a couple of years, when prices will have decreased), etc... At least my humble opinion (not worded too humble, granted... :D)

(amazon has the HD600 for 300$ (295$)).

Lol. I failed to note how much I was willing to spend. TBH I dont really want to spend a whole lot but I'm willing to cash out $100-150, but if the next higher up model is significant and worth to extend the budget I'm willing to consider.

Yeah those amps are another reason why I was so cautious before buying anything because of my budget and I didn't really wanna bother with them. Those sennheisers look mighty fine but my wallet says otherwise. hahaha

Don't know that px330 but I use a pair of Sennheiser (?) headphones that work well on my Casio AP-200 keyboard. They were not all that expensive either but they're good with the Casio and my iPod. Not sure which model they are but will look up details if you wish.

I use a Grado SR-225. After 10 years of near-daily heavy use, I'm still very happy with them.

Actually, the external amp is a very INexpensive choice. Buy one new for $100-$200. Or used for under $50.

My Sennheiser are the PX 200, which fold up into a case not unlike an eyeglasses case for use on trips. But they go very well with the Casio piano.

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD-280's I bought at BestBuy. They retail for $100. These are not Sennheiser's most expensive headphones, but they are very good and are made for monitoring mixing/recording sessions. I use them on the Casio DP I have. Don't think you can go wrong for the money. There are replacement parts available for these.

Yeah, I know what you mean. And the earcups are somewhat shallow. My ears don't stick out too far, but they are always rubbing up against the face of the foam in front of the driver. I do like the auto-adjusting mechanism though, really well designed.

I haven't tried them, but the AKG K702's look really sweet, and $262 @ Amazon for a high-end set of phones is very reasonable.

A friend of mine has a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 250's that I demoed for a bit. Nicer oval earcushions, no ear rubbing inside, a bit more bass, but not overdone. I'd recommend those as well.

If you are putting any money into it at all, try to buy something that has replaceable parts, like cord, cushions, drivers, etc. That way you won't be forced to throw them out when something goes wrong.

I'd also like to recommend the PreSonus HP4 headphone amp. I have it hooked up to my Echo MIA sound card and sitting next to my monitor. You can plug in up to 4 pairs of phones, along with an external monitor. 5 volume controls, Mono & Monitor Mute buttons. Very useful.

Well, the HD600 will work fine without an amplifier, but if your keyboard's amplifier is really weak (which sounds like there is no bass and no dynamic range), then a FiiO E3 should do the trick. The E3 isn't really meant to be a "real" amplifier, but something to give you more decibels and bass from weak portable audio players.

Oh, forgot about this: If you don't mind IEM's, the Head-Direct RE0 is in my opinion the best deal in IEM's. Except for the bass, I can't hear much of a difference between the RE0 and HD600.

Well they really aren't all that flat if you look at a freq. response chart for them (for instance you can get the k271 for $20 more and it has an even flatter curve). Plus I'm still not convinced that having headphones with a flat freq response is really all that important in any situation where the user is not going to be doing a lot of recording/producing. Comfort and your last statement (a general assessment of the sound quality) really are the bottom line here.

The OP might want to also check out the Beyerdynamic DT-770, it can be had close to their budget and it generally gets better reviews than the K240 sonically and they are oh so soft and comfy. Sony 7506 also get a lot of love and are solidly within the OP's price range (Sony outlet store had them for $70 at one point last year, an excellent deal).

I've had a pair of HD600 for about 10 years and have always been very, very pleased with them. They are also very comfortable. I bought them to listen to music with but these days I mainly use them for a DP.

Took a look at the AKG 240 Mark II / Studio phones and was more than ready to head on over to amazon and do a checkout until I read the comfort issue. I've had couple headphones where my ears had to fit into a cup and it killed my ears so comfort really does hit a high point on a purchase.

Never considered buying IEM's and kind of slipped my mind to pass up on them seeing that I own an IEM and enjoy them greatly (not Shure's but its pretty damn good for its price). I guess for personal preferences and if anyone else would want to try my casio (using other peoples IEM or earphones to me is disgusting lol) I would prefer headphones.

John B, I find it interesting that you've had those headphones for as long as 10 years. I'm wondering now if I should raise my budget if the lifetime of these guys, and of course through some repairs if need be and if parts are offered, really do last that long, assuming that you are saying this is the first and only pair you've purchased and not repeated buys of the same model.

Will look up the additional suggestions and again thank you all for the input.

A good pair of headphones well treated should easily last 10 years. Usual issues are with the padding (deteriorating foam/leather/pleather) and the cable connections, both of which can usually be addressed relatively easily (of course varies depending on the exact model of headphones).

IEM's can offer very good bang for the buck, but the comfort issue again raises it's ugly head. That and as "personal" a preference headphones are, IEM's are that much worse depending on the shape of ones ear canal and how good of a seal one can get. The type and shape of tips can also play a major role in the sound quality. Of course one can go for customized IEM's, but those will usually be more on the spendy side (though not as bad as it was a few years ago when the cheapest custom would set you back over $700, now it's around $200).

I see plenty of good advice here ... except for one thing. Most stores won't let you try headphones. You have to buy 'em to try 'em. Most unfortunate.

My Guitar Center had lots of high-end phones ... all locked up behind the counter.
The medium-priced ones were on the racks ... but sealed in the box. No lookee. No try.
The only try-out phones were the no-name brands.

At my Sam Ash, the situation was slightly different. There were a couple of brand name items on the "listening post". But, again, most were no-names. And they had a limited overall selection.

What's a pair of ears to do?

But you can buy 5 pair and return those you don't like. GC's return policy is very liberal. If you return them within your credit card billing cycled it costs you nothing.

Yeah a lot of great suggestions and feedback on models have been very helpful but it is almost near impossible for me to try anything first hand, even if it is crap cans. Not a whole lot of big name shops here so it really is a hit or miss and reviews is all I have to go on. I hope this lil tid bit here shows my gratitude on everyone's $.02.

What's a pair of ears in the middle of the pacific that needs to pay outrageous shipping do?

Try 'phones at a hi-fi dealer, NOT a musical instrument store. Hi-fi stores will surely let you try them? They will here in the UK anyway...no one would buy headphones without trying them!!

Decent compromise for you...Sennheiser HD-595...much cheaper than 600s and will be more than good enough for use with your Casio and will be very comfortable.

Cheers,

Steve

Yes, it is the only pair I purchased. But on the other hand I'm not a headphone fanatic and they haven't exactly had intensive use.

One other good thing about Sennheiser is that you can usually get replacement parts (I recently bought a replacement cable and will probably get some replacement velvet pads).

Am I recommending them? Well, no as I'm not familiar with other brands or models - I'm just saying that I have been very happy with them. (By the way, they can usually be bought for *much* less than the rrp.)

The HD 600 I have, have never got any issue, whatsoever. Bought them in 2004, so we're counting more than 5 years. Not continuous use, but certainly a lot. No pads, no cables, nothing needs changing. I actually have no doubt that they will bury me with these! High(er) priced headphones to withstand the passage of time, along with good use. It's not the small ipod ones which you can change at a bymonthly bases.

I have both the Senn. HD600 and HD280Pro and have had great luck with both. They are very different cans and each excel in different areas.

I also have a pair of Grado SR60 which is their entry level headphones and are excellent for the money. They are not nearly as comfortable as the HD600s but quite similar sounding.

The newer version is the SR60i which I haven't tried but I'm sure they're as good as their predecessor. They are a great value, all around.

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-SR-60i-Padded-Headphones/dp/B0006DPMU4

Have a couple of probable buyers so thanks all.

I was practicing last night and I came across something that got me curious. Kind of thread related so I'll keep it in this thread.

I've been playing with headphones for majority of my time learning and it's really only been about 3 months. I was not paying attention so much to dynamics such as piano and forte but now it seems the later music in Alfred's are introducing them more and more. I've had my volume control about halfway and I am not quite sure if the strike of my technique is really equivalent to the actual dynamic due to the volume.

I don't have a teacher to show me (not by choice) and it's really hard to reference them. What volume setting have you been using through your headphones?

Consider that "piano" and "forte" are not absolute values. Couple with that the fact that the actual volume will depend greatly on the DP/headphone pair in question and I'm not sure if you'll get very useful responses (not to mention the "touch" setting on your DP). Probably best to "calibrate" your system (i.e. your DP/headphones/ears, e.g. play the softest you can and adjusting the volume so that you can barely hear that and use that as your baseline. Or something like that. Remember that the dynamic marking is a guide and that it's more important to be able to adequately distinguish the differences (e.g. between p and mf) than necessarily exactly what the actual volume is.

Note that folks playing acoustics have a similar issue. The range and absolute volume levels of a 9ft concert grand with a well maintained action are going to differ from some clapped out console. As a player, you have to learn to adjust.