Axe-Fx III and Headphones

@iaresee always Jonny on the spot ;). Helped me a lot in this thread. :) See @yeky83, it's the thread that keeps on giving. :p



Define "handle." The Axe III has a powerful headphone output jack to say the least, and I don't think you will hurt it with your Senn's.

I wonder if posting this will push us over the cliff and into page nine :D. I prolly have, wait, probably ;) have to keep writing. I know, a picture of one of my favorite guitars :). Hey I can do it, this thread is my dog. :p

View attachment 48307

Darn I don't think it's big enough, lousy Google images! Nice guitar though ;).


I just hope that pic follows in this quote, and, my AKG K7xx's are ka-put. So I'm looking for a replacement, no AKG's, maybe Senn HD 598 - 99.
 
I'm jumping into this one as I've been looking at headphones.

Six months ago, I decided I spent enough time on headphones to spend some more money. I did a bunch of reading and ended up with a pair of Sennheiser HD598 open-ear. Compared to the Superlux, they are warmer/darker sounding without as much treble spike but a bit better high-end extension.

I auditioned the Beyer DT 770 and 990 and decided to roll the dice on a pair of 880's and return the M50x's. The 770 was pleasant but maybe too similar to the M50x (not quite as extreme) while the 990 had a fair amount of high end. I'm hoping the 880 is the Goldilocks. If not, I'll probably order one of those Massdrop Sennheiser HD6xx headphones and hope there's some additional detail from the 598's.

I will say it's much more enjoyable playing with open vs closed headphones. There's more space and you don't feel as disconnected.

EDIT: First impression of the DT 880 is that it is right what I was looking for. It has the same depth and natural sound of the HD598 but the high end is clear rather than muffled. High cuts are much easier to dial in. Likewise compared to the M50x it is a world better for me as those are just awful for playing guitar, very harsh and tinny sounding with no midrange. Those will be returned and the HD598's will likely get sold.

Thanks for this, I got a pair of HD 598 SR to replace my HD 590 that died on me last week (I bought them in the mid 2000's). I've always bought Sennheiser products, and the 598, to me, was the logical replacement for my old HD 590's.

I just received my Axe FX III and as soon as I started playing with it I found the sound of the HD 598 to be quite dark and somewhat muffled. I did not like what I was hearing much (don't get me wrong, the feel of the Axe FX III was there and oh boy ...). Tried a few amps and couple IR's but still sounded dark and muffled where it shouldn't be.

Just for kicks, I tried my Apple earbuds and while they sounded very thin and pretty much like #$%^, the darkness and muffleness wasn't present and what I was hearing was all things considered more pleasant (not good, just not dark).

I will return the HD 598 and try the DT 880 PRO since these appears to be a favorite of many. I tried the Blue Mix Fi at my local Micro Center and did not like wearing them at all.
 
And we must all remember that we all have different hearing responses. This is a subjective topic. There are a lot of great headphones out there, just like guitar. Use your ears to judge and remember - comfort is important also. To each their own.
 
Thanks for this, I got a pair of HD 598 SR to replace my HD 590 that died on me last week (I bought them in the mid 2000's). I've always bought Sennheiser products, and the 598, to me, was the logical replacement for my old HD 590's.

I just received my Axe FX III and as soon as I started playing with it I found the sound of the HD 598 to be quite dark and somewhat muffled. I did not like what I was hearing much (don't get me wrong, the feel of the Axe FX III was there and oh boy ...). Tried a few amps and couple IR's but still sounded dark and muffled where it shouldn't be.

Just for kicks, I tried my Apple earbuds and while they sounded very thin and pretty much like #$%^, the darkness and muffleness wasn't present and what I was hearing was all things considered more pleasant (not good, just not dark).

I will return the HD 598 and try the DT 880 PRO since these appears to be a favorite of many. I tried the Blue Mix Fi at my local Micro Center and did not like wearing them at all.

I picked up another pair recently, the Massdrop HD58x.

From what I can tell, the HD580 eventually became the HD600 and onward into that series. The HD598 is more of a consumer $150+ headphone while the HD600 (and the HD58x) is more of a professional $300+ headphone. The 58x looks and feels higher quality all around than the 598, although that's still a pretty good headphone compared to some of the < $100 models I've used. Sonically, the 58x sounds a bit flatter overall and maybe a bit more detailed than the 598.

Comparing the DT880 and the HD58x, the 880 is noticeably brighter sounding with lighter bass than the 58x. I'm not sure which would be considered more accurate, but I have to make significant changes to the patches moving from one to another. The 880 also looks and feels higher quality than the 58x, although the cable is not replaceable.

I'll say the 880's are easily the most comfortable of the three, very soft and feel great. The 58x clamp down quite a bit and can be uncomfortable. The 598's are fairly comfortable, not as much clamp, lighter weight.
 
Has anyone tried the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x phones? I have been using the M50x for a long time now, but my current pair is getting worn out. I was reading that the 40s have a flatter response, and would probably be better overall. They are supposed to have improved earcups as well. I had changed the cups on my 50x for larger ones, as the stock ones would compress down, and they'd start to hurt in about an hour or so.

I've had the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PROs (250 Ohm) in my amazon cart for some time, and if they are significantly better, I can go with those instead.
 
Beyer Dynamics DT 770 Pro here, no bass or treble bump, excellent mid clarity. At least for the ears of a 44 years old rocker, which means some hear loss :)
 
Are you using the 80 or 250 Ohm?

I've got older ears than that, and as much as I don't want to admit it, my ears are definitely not what they used to be.

One of my concerns is driving them off a laptop as well as the Axe, and I know I'll probably need a portable amp for that. At least with the 250 Ohm version.
 
I use the 250 Ohm version, always plug them to the Scarlett 18i20 and that one can handle that impedance pretty well. I like to use them at really moderate volumes to prevent more damage so wanted something clear, with no frequencies shadowing others in excess.
 
Has anyone tried the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x phones? I have been using the M50x for a long time now, but my current pair is getting worn out. I was reading that the 40s have a flatter response, and would probably be better overall. They are supposed to have improved earcups as well. I had changed the cups on my 50x for larger ones, as the stock ones would compress down, and they'd start to hurt in about an hour or so.

I've had the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PROs (250 Ohm) in my amazon cart for some time, and if they are significantly better, I can go with those instead.

I have the M40x and they don’t sound great with the 3. Ok, but not great, especially with any amount of gain. They sound fantastic with music, but less than impressed with any modeller. I’m thinking of going for the 880’s as well.
 
Philips Fidelio user here and very happy with them. Definitely sound a bit more 'full' out of the Axe FX than out of my laptop when I'm listening to FLAC's, but that's probably just because of the Axe FX itself and whatever presets I'm using.
 
I have the M40x and they don’t sound great with the 3. Ok, but not great, especially with any amount of gain. They sound fantastic with music, but less than impressed with any modeller. I’m thinking of going for the 880’s as well.


I got the DT880 Pros, and they really sound amazing compared to my ATHs. There were some presets I thought sounded horrible, but they were getting clipped in weird ways. I did some back and forth comparisons, and it was like I was hearing some of the presets for the first time. Anyway, I like how they sound. What I donb't like is the coiled cord. I think I really prefer the straight cord. There is enough tension on the cord at times, that I feel it pulling, and it bugs me.
 
I got the DT880 Pros, and they really sound amazing compared to my ATHs. There were some presets I thought sounded horrible, but they were getting clipped in weird ways. I did some back and forth comparisons, and it was like I was hearing some of the presets for the first time. Anyway, I like how they sound. What I donb't like is the coiled cord. I think I really prefer the straight cord. There is enough tension on the cord at times, that I feel it pulling, and it bugs me.

I got some DT880 Pros yesterday and I don’t know if I got a duff pair, but they sounded terrible with Austinbuddy’s presets. Surprised, because I think that’s what he uses.
I went back to the ATH’s and dialled up the input a good bit and they sounded much better to my ears. Way better than when I previously tried them and much better than the DT880’s.
The DT880’s sounded really fizzy on the top end, but muffled overall, if that’s even possible. With the Marshall amps, they lost that honk and bark with the DT880’s. I can’t believe two different headphones can sound so different.
 
I am using the Beyer Dynamics DT 770 Pro 250 Ohms for mixing and direct input into the Axe-FX III. Very comfortable and excellent sound quality for late night stealth missions.
 
What input did you dial up?

Sorry, meant the output. Just the dial on the front for output 1. Did some more testing this afternoon and definitely prefer the ATH’s. I think the problem before was the guitar I was using and a lack of volume. Tried my PRS Custom 24 again today and it wasn’t great. Tried my Les Paul and ohhhhhh baby!
On a side note, the newer Bernie Marsden SE punches well above it’s price. Easily held its own with the Gibson.
 
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