cluth
12-28-2002, 05:15 AM
I work in sound reinforcement and am used to dealing with pro gear. However, now the tide has turned and I'm looking into rewarding myself with a good pair of headphones to listen to music on at home.
I've been looking at all kinds of headphones, everything from Bose to AKGs, Sennheisers, Sonys, Grado Labs, and even the Shure E5 in-ear sets we use for wireless in-ear monitors (I hope no one minds that I'm depositing my ear wax on them...).
I need a recommendation for what to get. I'm not afraid to spend $500 or so on a good pair if it means I'll be satisfied that they're top-of-the-line in sound quality. I know that finding that perfect pair of headphones can be a very subjective thing, but I need a good starting place so that I don't spend $500 and end up either wishing I'd bought something else or being dissatisfied with poor bass response or lack of clarity.
I almost like the $600 Shure E5, if only because I've demoed them extensively (they're in my ears now) and I know that they are decent, except that it took a lot of EQing before they sounded that way. I'm alternating them now with a pair of $69 Sennheiser HD497s, and gosh, those sound pretty good too (nice ear-vibrating bass response on them...). I'm struggling with which one is better here...and there's a $500 price difference between these two headphones! Yet somehow if I go buy my own HD497s to save myself $500, I'll always wonder how good the next pair up of Sennheisers or even a $350 pair of Sennheisers (I forget the model number) would have sounded.
Any and all help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Chris Luth
I've been looking at all kinds of headphones, everything from Bose to AKGs, Sennheisers, Sonys, Grado Labs, and even the Shure E5 in-ear sets we use for wireless in-ear monitors (I hope no one minds that I'm depositing my ear wax on them...).
I need a recommendation for what to get. I'm not afraid to spend $500 or so on a good pair if it means I'll be satisfied that they're top-of-the-line in sound quality. I know that finding that perfect pair of headphones can be a very subjective thing, but I need a good starting place so that I don't spend $500 and end up either wishing I'd bought something else or being dissatisfied with poor bass response or lack of clarity.
I almost like the $600 Shure E5, if only because I've demoed them extensively (they're in my ears now) and I know that they are decent, except that it took a lot of EQing before they sounded that way. I'm alternating them now with a pair of $69 Sennheiser HD497s, and gosh, those sound pretty good too (nice ear-vibrating bass response on them...). I'm struggling with which one is better here...and there's a $500 price difference between these two headphones! Yet somehow if I go buy my own HD497s to save myself $500, I'll always wonder how good the next pair up of Sennheisers or even a $350 pair of Sennheisers (I forget the model number) would have sounded.
Any and all help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Chris Luth