So I've been scurrying down a little headphones rabbit hole again the last couple weeks now with some interesting updates.
EDIT: added the KRK KNS 8400 first impressions below.
I've been using the
Sennheiser HD6xx (aka HD650) for the last couple years. It's generally a very good headphone with excellent midrange for me. But I do find the high end to be a bit dark and the low bass to be weak. Generally this isn't bad for playing guitar because you just don't have to roll off the high and low cuts as much, but I wanted to try out some new stuff.
Beyer DT770 (250 ohm) - didn't enjoy these much and will likely return them. They are very bright with a bit of scooped midrange and weak bass. So many reviews call these bassy headphones but not to my ears. The subdues lows and mids make the boosted highs jump out, so you want to high cut everything at about 5k. I tried the 770 (80 ohm) last year and found the same issue. On the plus side they are built extremely well and are very comfortable. And they do a good job of blocking outside noise.
Beyer DT990 (250 ohm) - these I actually like better than the 770's, and possibly the 880's from what I recall. They have boosted high end and a bit of a midrange scoop, but there's a nice bump in the lows that helps balance the highs. Now they're still bright which can be a bit much when listening to music or playing guitar, but they are more balanced sounding to me and I can use them for guitar (where I couldn't use the 770's). I had the 880's (twice) and I think I like these better, again because the low end boost balances out the high end boost somewhat where the 880's (like the 770's) had rolled off low end to me and that just made the highs jump. Comfort and build quality again are awesome. But these are completely open so there's no muffling bleed including your guitar picking.
Shure SRH840 - these are supposed to be midrange studio monitoring headphones and they're pretty good overall, but not sure if I'll keep them. They have a boosted low end (more than the 990's or 6xx but not as bad as some consumer headphones), a very mild dip in the upper mids, and a little bit of sparkle on top (but nowhere near as much as the Beyers). They are closed back so good at isolation. Build is okay...lots of plastic but feels heavy, although mine makes a lot of creaking noises. Comfort is mixed as there are super soft memory foam pads but overall it's heavy. It's a bit bassy for guitar but not bad, just needs more aggressive low cuts. And you can hear more details in the highs than Sennheisers. But overall I would describe it as a warmer/fatter sounding headphone with a pleasant amount of sparkle.
KRK KNS 8400 - these came in today and while I've spent little time with them, I think they'll probably go back before the Shures for a few reasons. First, the ear pads don't go around my ears where nearly every other pair I've tried has no issues. That means not only is it uncomfortable but there's no good seal. Second, the bass is definitely tubbier than the Shures and the mids are a little boxier. So it doesn't sound quite as neutral and open; it sounds stuffy. Third, they feel kind of cheap in the hands, really light weight with kind of cheap feeling plastic. I don't want to say they are terrible but the Shures are more comfortable, sound bigger and more open, and have a better seal.
So here's my quick run down of the headphones I've tried:
Audio Technica M50X - wonky midrange with big boosted lows and highs; heavy and rugged but not great comfort
Audio Technica M40X - same as the M50X more or less
Beyer DT770 - very detailed with reduced lows and mids and boosted highs; excellent comfort and build
recommended for guitar if you want max clarity and isolation
Beyer DT880 - same as DT770 but open back instead of closed back
not recommended; prefer the 990
Beyer DT990 - very detailed with mildly boosted lows, reduced mids, and boosted highs; excellent comfort and build
recommended for guitar if you want clarity and body without isolation
Blue Lola - generally flat response with mild low end roll-off; extremely heavy and uncomfortable
KRK KNS 8400 - boosted lows and slightly boosted highs with a bit lower mids; really light but small ear pads
possibly recommended for guitar if you want more bass/treble and good isolation
Meze 99 - warm headphones with a huge boosted bass and flat highs; excellent comfort and build, very light
not recommended for guitar but if you like bass these are good for music
Philips Fidelio X2 - generally flatter response with boosted lows and annoying/harsh boosted upper mids; decent comfort and build
Sennheiser HD6xx/HD650 - awesome flat midrange with rolled off lows and highs; good comfort and build
recommended if you want excellent midrange detail and prefer warmer headphones
Sennheiser HD58x - same as HD6xx with a little more lows and even more rolled off highs
recommended if you want a warm headphone with great mids and want to save a bit of $
Shure SRH840 - warm headphones with a mild bass boost and decent detail; good comfort and build; closed back
recommended if you want a warm headphone with some clarity and isolation
