THE best headphones?

What are THE best headphones, leave price out for now, for using with a DP in your opinion?
My YDP-223 came with some Yamaha RH2C headphones as part of a package. To my ears they don't sound as good as the built-in speakers do and aren't very comfortable to me.
Since these were part of a package I'm sure they are cheap and there are lots of better headsets out there.
Also I hate having a cord dangling when I'm playing. Are there any wireless models out that are worth looking at?
Thanks for any imput.

Now there's an understatement

Just like there is no "best piano", there is no "best headphone". Lot's of different factors come into play. Try out higher end Sennheisers, Grado, AKG, Audio Technica, Sony or even Stax (to name but a few). Each has a particular sound signature (and this varies even within a particular brand) and depending on whether isolation is important, whether you are willing to also purchase a headphone amp, etc. AFAIK there aren't any wireless models that can compete with the higher end of the brands mentioned (not to say that there aren't competent wireless phones, just not in the same stratosphere), though I haven't looked at wireless models in years so someone might have come out with something really cool recently.

As a point of reference, IIRC, the Yammie headphones are "advertised" as being a $29 value (if you look on the "Getting Started Kit" box). A pair of Sennheiser HD650's will cost around $350, Sennheiser Orpheus system (electrostatic plus required amplifier, generally regarded as one of the best) will be in the neighborhood of $15000 (give or take a few thou.).

These are supposed to be the kings of headphones ... . I've got Sennheisers myself.

As stated above, there's no such thing as the "best" headphones, any more than there's such a thing as the "best" car.

IMO, Grados were very uncomfortable. I use Sennheisers now. I have a pair of HD280s and HD497, both under $100. Their better ones are in the $300-$400 range.

A good site for those interested in headphones is:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/

Also try:
http://www.headphonereviews.org/

and

http://www.goodcans.com/

I use the SENNHEISER HD 595 which is very neutral in sound (flat frequency response, not coloured) and so almost perfect for a digital piano or for listening to classical music. (Really not a big difference with their expensive flagship the HD 650!)
But the cheaper HD 555 are only a little less good with also a good neutral sound!

I do NOT recommend the HD 485 for a digital piano: not a bad phone which i use sometimes with my HiFi (for rockmusic, NOT for classical music) or TV, but to much bass response for a digital piano and not enough soundstage.

Some more headphone info here:

http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/full-size/

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/6/3859.html

PS: Wireless models are never as good as wired ones, you always loose in sound quality an can have distortation (cracklings, lose of signal). They are only good enough for watching TV or for "freaking out" with dancemusic.

I use Sennheisers too--the $30 PX-100.

Okay, here it comes!

I have a pair of Denon AH-D2000 that I really love to listen to music. It is really comfortable and the sound coming out of it is really good to me.

*However*, my keyboard is the YPG625, and listening to it with the Denon is not a pleasure! The headphones are too good quality for the keyboard, and I can clearly hear a "hiss" in the background.
Using a cheapo headphone provides a better experience in that case. It 'hides' the background 'hiss'.
Your YDP-223 might not have this issue though.

Well I think in this case it's not necessarily the quality of the phones (though the D2000 are good phones) but that fact that they are very low impedance. On the one hand that's good because it means that they are easy to drive, but on the other hand you are experiencing the bad size, potential hiss.

I have a pair of Ultrasone HFI-550. They amke my Kawai MP8 piamo and string samples sound like the best samples in the world. Since everyone seems to complain about the MP8 samples as being bad, that is saying alot. They cost about $150.00. I haven't found any monitor speakers, and I think I have tried them all that make the MP8 sound very good. The Ultrasone have a cord, but a small price to pay for make your instrument sound so great.

Koss Porta Pro

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&pc%5Ept%5EPORTAPRO%5EY

Sennheiser's HD600's. They're pricey, but worth it if budget permits. The 580's are sometimes still available on eBay. These 'phones have flat a response and can take an hour or two to play in. If you buy them, set your music player to a comfortable listening level, plug in the 'phones and come back in an hour.

The 595's are said to be a little punchier, so probably better for gaming.

If we leave out the expensive, esoteric headphones such as the Stax, Grado, etc., I would say the Senhheiser HD600 are the ones most audiophiles would call the best. However, they are quite hard to drive and most who have them will have a dedicated headphone amp. Whether they sound good with the DP will depend a lot on the headphone amp in the DP.

Having said that, do not forget some of the other big names, such as AKG and Beyer Dynamics, both of which are used more often than Sennheiser in studio settings. And yes, headphones ARE used by mixing and mastering engineers

I also agree with Suave. The Koss Porta Pro are the deal of the century I have mentioned them in other threads. They are simply fantastic little headphones. A little bass-heavy and obviously can't compare to the HD600s for neutrality. But for the price and size, they are wonderful.

I use the HD600s, which are simply stunning! The price is no longer scarey, since teh HS650s have come out 3-4 years ago!

For the record, I work in computer games, and have used them extensively for the past 3 years for mixing, as well as monitoring!

But, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread there are other companies which also make great headphones (AKG comes to mind). Never heard of Grabo myself (slightly ashamed to admit).

And in general, if you are willing to spend $300-$400 (the HD600 can be found around that price in amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD600-O...1710900&sr=8-1)
you WILL get some great monitors. Best is relative and overated.

Check out the Sennheiser HD800

http://www.sennheisernordic.com/nordic/home_en.nsf/root/spec_hd800

- I need to go to my local HiFi store to check those out! The price is spicy though...

Stax is the best but I am sure you do not want to spend that much. After that, look at Sennheiser.

Stax are certainly one of the best overall headphones, but I don't know how well they'd do for piano playing though. I think it's important to note that the OP specifically is looking for good headphones to pair with a DP. Certain sound characteristics of certain headphones may be fine for general listening, but might not mesh well when connected to a DP.

Go with Sennheiser, I had HD212Pro for a week and for me it was amazing but it was not neutral enough to be good for DP. I am planning to get an Sennheiser HD650.

I have tried some models from AKG but they are not comparable with the Sennheiser. Unfortunately this brand is very expensive here (sometime up to 3xListPrice) but I still prefer them.

I have heard good things about Grado Headphones also but they are not as comfortable as Sennheisers that to me is a key factor, because no matter how good is the quality of the sound, if your ears hurt, you will hate the phone, then when you are making decision consider this point. You should be able to use them for hours without any hurt.

I use a pair of Sennheiser HD600s that have to be about ten years old now. My alternate when I need good isolation is a pair of Shure SCL series.

A tip on the annoying cord: I put mine on from the rear so the cord is behind me.

I think it goes without saying that if one is looking for the best possible sound out of a top tier headphone, that a headphone amp is a must (esp if you're looking at the Stax or most any other electrostat which literally require an amp or energizer), which of course adds yet another layer of complexity to the decision on what to purchase and what will sound good.

HD800's are def. getting a lot of love, but a lot of this may be FOTM (flavor of the month) syndrome.

Don't forget IEM's such as the Shure SE's, Etymotics, and Ultimate Ears. Great acoustics and isolation, iffy comfort for long sessions at the piano, though I've never tried customs.

Also no one has mentioned the Sony's. Their line tends to be a bit hit or miss but I think their higher end phones are nice (some consider the MDR-R10 the best headphone).

I've heard AKG recommended is passing, but I never much looked into them. They do seem well made, and they aren't as spendy as some of the high-end brands.

I feel wholly unqualified to answer the question of "best"... however, I will say I am happy with my Grados.

I have a pair of AKG K340's (not the new buds, the old electro/dynamic hybrids). A very nice sounding phone, kinda unique, but an amp is a must have to get them going. They are also a bit heavy so again might not be ideal for long piano sessions.

They make a line of "monitors" that get good love from many folks so they might be worth a try.

I have AKG K501's with a Roland DP990. They are discontinued but a few US retailers still have them. Mine were around 200. I got them based on the advice at my head-fi thread at http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/digital-piano-headphones-428391/

Check it out and I hope that you find a headphone that will make you love playing your piano more. That's what mine did for me.

Headphones are such an important aspect of digital play. It's really hard to find a place to A/B them or even try them out individually in shops.

A comprehensive report on phones in different price ranges, listing closed and open separately, with comments on their different strengths and street prices for all those mentioned would make for a really useful article in pianobuyer. Now if I could only remember who that guy is that does the digital write-ups there, I could suggest it to him.

^Yeah, a thread listing what's available and pros/cons/prices would be a valuable asset in the DP forum. But it is such a personal thing. When listening to a digital piano a bit of coloring of the sound may not be a problem for most.

Personally, I've got a four-year old pair of old Sennheiser HD280 Pro used on a Roland Fantom X8. They are reasonable for sound and comfort, but I prefer hearing through the monitors. But this morning, while the wife sleeps, I'll use the headphones.

Yes, picking the perfect headphones is difficult since none are perfect. For neutrality, I would actually look at the old Sennheiser HD414. They do not boom in the bass as some like but they do present things in a very realistic way.

With the caveat being that, as with all things acoustic, opinions on strengths weaknesses are highly subjective. A bit of coloring is not only not a problem, it's inevitable, any/every headphone is going to add it's particular signature to the sound. After all, non of us have a line in connector to our brains to compare the original signal to what's coming through our ears. In the end we choose what we like, which may be a far cry from what the original signal looks like.