Is there a consensus headphone choice?

I’ve been loving my Neumann NDH 30 open-back headphones. They were “developed with the aim of making the reference sound of a Neumann studio monitor setup, perfectly calibrated via [Neumann’s MA 1 calibration system] available everywhere in the form of an easily transportable headphone.”

They’ve transformed the way I record. Now I do all my tracking using the headphones as monitors, and only use the studio monitors when mastering my 5.1 surround mixes.

I’m planning on picking up a pair of Neumann’s NDH 20 closed-back headphones for planes, trains, and studio recording with an open mic. After decades of allegiance to high-end Grados, I’m completely sold on these Neumanns; they’re serious tools.
 
randyman said:
I’ve been loving my Neumann NDH 30 open-back headphones. They were “developed with the aim of making the reference sound of a Neumann studio monitor setup, perfectly calibrated via [Neumann’s MA 1 calibration system] available everywhere in the form of an easily transportable headphone.”

They’ve transformed the way I record. Now I do all my tracking using the headphones as monitors, and only use the studio monitors when mastering my 5.1 surround mixes.

I’m planning on picking up a pair of Neumann’s NDH 20 closed-back headphones for planes, trains, and studio recording with an open mic. After decades of allegiance to high-end Grados, I’m completely sold on these Neumanns; they’re serious tools.
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These look cool. I have the beyer dynamic DT770 pros and they started out fine but I’ve grown to dislike them. Much prefer to use my iLoud micro monitors when I can play with some volume. But after starting to dislike the DT 770 pros, I’d be more open minded to spending more money on headphones I absolutely love. I also have my Shure Se 535 iems, but I don’t always want something stuck in my ear when just playing in my room lol. I Almost bought the blue mix mo-fi ones that Cliff and others suggested, but the quick breakdown of the ear padding turned me off from them lol
 
I know headphones vs studio monitors vs iem’s are all a different listening experience but how do you know when buying headphones that you can get a tone as close to a FOH representation as possible (while knowing it won’t be 100%)
 
Tonedeaf said:
I gonna have to put these on my watch list in case my Audeze LCD 2's crap out (hopefully never).
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And if they do, the beauty of them being what they are, they can be fixed. They aren't disposable, future trash.
I just got the LCD-X 2022s. Tanks.
 
Tonedeaf said:
I gonna have to put these on my watch list in case my Audeze LCD 2's crap out (hopefully never).
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I had to replace the pads of my LCD-2 three times. The first time I purchased their very expensive replacement, but the last two times I got a cheaper alternative from Ali Express that is not bad at all.

BTW, these Austrian Audio are closed. So far I haven't found any closed cans with as much clarity as the open cans
 
∞Fractals said:
Agreed.

I’ve owned a few … lol

Just order the new OA S5x … we shall see if they live up to the expectations!
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Anxious to hear your thoughts once you receive these. Been very happy with my HD660s, but since I've been using headphones almost exclusively lately, I want the best experience possible. Some of the comments in this thread got me researching OA, and the new S5x has me very intrigued.
 
Chromatizm said:
I'm thinking of going in-ears to replace headphones completely for everything Fractal-related after this post: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...hil-collen-of-def-leppard.189923/post-2356102
I'd much prefer to have my presets translate great to having the best listening experience, and if in-ears are the perfect tools for that, so be it.

What do you guys think? Shall I make a switch? Which model to use then?
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My in ears are def a better representation to
My FOH sound than my DT770s but when I’m playing at home or just jamming, I don’t like having things in my ears that long. And I even have custom molds. I have Shure se535s. The other issue I run into is when I sound check, we don’t really do it long enough for me to check my FOH and my in ears. And my in ears are more important so I trust my gut lol
 
Chromatizm said:
I'm thinking of going in-ears to replace headphones completely for everything Fractal-related after this post: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...hil-collen-of-def-leppard.189923/post-2356102
I'd much prefer to have my presets translate great to having the best listening experience, and if in-ears are the perfect tools for that, so be it.

What do you guys think? Shall I make a switch? Which model to use then?
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Personally, I don't think my 64 Audio IEM's with custom earmolds sound better than my good headphones. I have some Audeze's, Sennheiser HD600s, and Ollo's (actually in the FS section), and all of them are more comfortable than the IEM's. But hey, up to you.
 
Chromatizm said:
I'm thinking of going in-ears to replace headphones completely for everything Fractal-related after this post: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...hil-collen-of-def-leppard.189923/post-2356102
I'd much prefer to have my presets translate great to having the best listening experience, and if in-ears are the perfect tools for that, so be it.

What do you guys think? Shall I make a switch? Which model to use then?
Click to expand...
Yes, make the switch.

If you want the best: https://jhaudio.com
 
walnutzz said:
Anxious to hear your thoughts once you receive these. Been very happy with my HD660s, but since I've been using headphones almost exclusively lately, I want the best experience possible. Some of the comments in this thread got me researching OA, and the new S5x has me very intrigued.
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Just got these Ollo Audio S5x last night. So far, first impressions are:

1. Seems like they fit/comfy. That was a concern as I have big ears.

2. Very crisp, tight and clear across all frequencies- sound stage is amazing so far.

3. Bass holds up, stays tight at volume but not emphasized artificially.

6A6BF0B5-8F02-454F-B7E3-A4165AB3FDC6.jpeg

I will say that the detail appears superb at first. I’m going to go look for some better quality recordings, but I think they’ll work well for my trashed ears.

I’ll have a much stronger opinion in 30 days.
 
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So, I used a totally unusual style of headphones at a pro gig last week because they were all I had, and they worked GREAT: Apple AirPod Max!
The application was tweaking presets during loud soundcheck/rehearsals.
Their tone was reliably if just a little bass heavy, but the seriously good external noise cancelling feature more than made up for this detail.

I was able to switch settings on the wireless pack between the guitar by itself and the band mix and really hear what I needed to hear to get the job done well. I will still use my Blue MixFi for everyday use, but the features of the Apple phones were perfect for this setting.
 
Did you use a Lighting to headphone jack dongle to plug them directly into the Axe FX? If so, I'm amazed that the noise cancelling works while plugged in. I haven't used a pair of noise cancelling headphones that worked while plugged in before.

If you didn't plug directly into the Axe FX, how did you use the headphones? Just wondering what bluetooth latency there might have been, if any. Very interesting.
 
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