Headphone Listening Comparison - Audeze, Sony, Blue, Oppo

[Piing]

Thank you all for your reviews and comparisons.

There are so many threads about headphones that I have decided to hijack this one, instead of opening another one

I have been using the expensive Audeze LDC-2 for several years.

The ear-pads are completely rotten, for a second time. Replacements are very expensive, so I prefer to invest in new headphones instead of expensive ear-pads. Closed or semi-closed, and easier to wear than the massive LCD-2.

I have narrowed down my search to two:

- Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro (I've read at head-fi that it is more neutral/accurate/detailed than DT770 or DT990)
- Audio Technica ATH-m50x

Anyone has compared these two?

And the winner is: Audio Technica ATH-m50

These 4 points have made me decide to order the Audio Technica instead of the Beyerdynamic DT990:

- A comparison of the curves at https://www.rtings.com/headphones/t...namic-dt-880/295/431#usage*5003!threshold*0.1

- A review from Sonarworks. I already own the Sonarworks correction software.
https://sonarworks.com/blog/studio-headphone-review-audio-technica-ath-r50x/

- The ATH-m50x is closed, the DT880 semi-open (I don't want to hear the guitar picking)

- It is 50% cheaper (although I was not restricting the budget, that just made my decision even easier)

...oh! and also that the cable is detachable... and Dr. Bonkers says it's good...

 

[benvigil]

I've never owned the ATH-m50x units. This is making me want to try them out.

A comment on the DT-xxx line... The 770s sound super middy to me, which probably makes them good for tracking. The 990s sounded mid-scooped, amazing sound field, and really pleasing for most NON-GUITAR music. It's like the polar opposite of the 770s. I've never tried the 880s but if they follow the pattern set by the 770 & 990, I bet they hit the sweet spot.

 

[BBN]

Not always on. If I was you I'd mix without power enabled, then listen through a draft with the power on to see that needs to be 'trimmed/accented/etc'. Find a mix that works well with both settings.

IMO.

Will give that a run.
I have had them for over a year and I admit I've only used them a handful of times for tracking vocals.
I need to spend more time with them...

 

[Piing]

I don't like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

I've bought them because I was looking for something lighter than the Audeze LCD-2, closed, and because I am very pissed off with the rotten Audeze ear-pads and the very expensive replacements.

They are like day and night. Not only in price, but also in accuracy.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x makes the guitar sound harsh on the mid-high frequencies, not only compared with the Audeze LCD-2 but also compared with Mackie HR824 and Genelec monitors.

What I hear through the Audeze LCD-2 is very close to what I hear through the Mackie or the Genelec, but what I hear through the ATH-M50x is completely different.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x are OK for casual listening, but not a good reference for music production or tweaking the Axe-FX. They will mislead you to cut too much certain frequencies when using distortion, or to spend hours tweaking and browsing IR's looking for a good tone.



Audeze LCD-2 is the winner, despite the issue of the rotting earpads

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audeze-lcd-2-leather-is-peeling-off.784681/