Headphone Recommendation

norminal

norminal

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My nephew purchased a set of Beyer Dynamic DT 770 Pro for gaming and music. Not surprisingly, he’s finding them sterile and dull. I explained to my sister that they are reference headphones and are designed to be flat for monitoring, recording, or mixing.

Looking for a recommendation on a set of over-ears around $169 with ample padding and frequency response that the average Joe would enjoy listening to for gaming and music, as well with a lower impedance for connecting to mobile devices.

I threw around the usual suspects like Beats and Bose, but looking for some other options. Thanks!
 
Audio Technica M50X are a good bet at $169. They are kind of a reference headphone, but they do have boosted bass and treble. Most people who are not picky audiophiles love them. They also have lots of replaceable parts if they wear out. Lower impedance so somewhat easy to drive.

Meze 99 Neo also come to mind at $199. They are light weight, comfortable, have a pleasant bass boost, and again are low impedance and easy to drive.

More on a budget side for gaming, the HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 are really nice at $79. They have a detachable boom mic for gaming too. I actually used them for work calls for a while because of the good mic. Sonically they are a little closer to the Beyer 770 but a little more bass.
 
I love my AT M50X The one time I listened to a pair of Beats, I failed to see why everyone likes them. They’re bass-y, and that’s probably why they have appeal but eh..
 
scole said:
I love my AT M50X The one time I listened to a pair of Beats, I failed to see why everyone likes them. They’re bass-y, and that’s probably why they have appeal but eh..
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Beats are Hip Hop, Rap Headphones I would not use them in any environment
Overpriced garbage
 
I got the BD DT990 Pro’s because I wanted them for casual listening and tracking with headphones. Definitely not good for mixing (they’re a sure fire way to ruin a mix) but I really dig them for just listening, the EQ curve isn’t drastic and they’re comfy for long periods. The only thing I don’t dig is the attached cord.
 
DrewJD82 said:
I got the BD DT990 Pro’s because I wanted them for casual listening and tracking with headphones. Definitely not good for mixing (they’re a sure fire way to ruin a mix) but I really dig them for just listening, the EQ curve isn’t drastic and they’re comfy for long periods. The only thing I don’t dig is the attached cord.
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I have those headphones and they have absolutely massively hyped highs. Flattening them with parametric/graphic EQ or IRs, they work just fine for anything really. They are very comfortable.
 
Yeah ATH-40 are really close to the 50 overall for a lot less money. I think they have a little less bass and are a little flatter. Both good picks.

Currently for my main headphones I alternate between Beyer DT-880 Pro and Sennheiser HD600. Both are great reference headphones, the 880 a little bit scooped with a boost in the high treble, and the HD600 more flat with a little more prominent midrange and rolled off highs. For closed backs I prefer my DT-770 Pro as it's comfortable and durable, mostly for using with electronic drums.

For casual use, I have Sennheiser HD6xx (aka HD650) which were my old reference headphones, similar to the HD600 but a touch more bass. Also have the Meze 99 Noir for closed backs, more of a fun sound with more bass. And I use the Koss KPH40 quite a bit too, it's a super cheap on ear headphone which is great for things like YouTube videos on an iPad laying on the couch.

Also have about a dozen other pairs of headphones I need to get rid of...just too lazy.
 
Why not just adjust the Tone Controls to his taste? A flat headphone is the perfect platform to customize the tone. There is no need to buy headphones with imperfect tone curves.

And if the sound source is a computer, he can use many apps or plugins to alter and enhance the tone, add effects, etc. Some can even simulate different headphones and acoustic environments.


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JBL makes some great options. I have a set of 710BTs I use for listening to music when doing yard work and such and a pair of Quantum 610s I use for work. Both have nice, full sound, solid bass response and great connectivity.
 
Iron1 said:
JBL makes some great options. I have a set of 710BTs I use for listening to music when doing yard work and such and a pair of Quantum 610s I use for work. Both have nice, full sound, solid bass response and great connectivity.
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I loathe headphones. Have a few more $$$ varieties because I thought that would help my disorder.

Nope.

The lowly JBLs reign supreme. Sound good, and are the most lightweight and comfortable of them all.
Soo when I need to that is what I wear. :idk
 
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