Headphone Ohm rating

The higher the resistance, the harder they have to be driven to achieve a certain volume.
 
With Beyerdynamic models that are available in different ohmages, the only reason to go low ohm is if your amp is weak, phones etc. Higher ohm models sound better when used with decent gear.

As for the best headphones, Sennheiser HD600 and 650 are still hard to beat and quite affordable. I have one from 1999 still rocking, changed the earpads and cable a couple times, spare parts are available for any part you break. That cannot be said for modern chinese junk that can be a lot more expensive but sound like crap. Shop wisely.
 
I use Sennheiser HD 600's which i believe are rated at 300Ohms and they sound great and plenty loud. I prefer the open back design because it lets my sound breath a little more.
 
thud_peterson said:
If you use headphones often I would recommend getting a Neve RNHP headphone amp for the AxeFx III. They'll make a cheaper pair of cans sound like a much higher quality pair. To me the amp is more important than the headphones themselves.
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The Amp in the Axe FX III is plenty good enough, no need for a dedicated amp.
 
Isn't there a lot of leakage from HD600s or their Drop version? Besides DI electric, I also record acoustic and vocals, need phones with decent isolation.

Currently using AKG D240s. Not unhappy with them, and I've had them for years so I'm pretty used to them, but I suspect strongly they're cushier on the bottom rather than more neutral.
 
I am currently looking into either the BeyerDynamic DT 1990 Pro or DT 1770 Pro Phones. I like the idea of the Single-sided, detachable cable with mini-XLR connector. The 1990 is open back and the 1770 is closed. Both are around $600. I'd find it hard to go much higher in cost. I am enjoying the conversation and checking each one mentioned...
 
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Dave Merrill said:
Isn't there a lot of leakage from HD600s or their Drop version? Besides DI electric, I also record acoustic and vocals, need phones with decent isolation.

Currently using AKG D240s. Not unhappy with them, and I've had them for years so I'm pretty used to them, but I suspect strongly they're cushier on the bottom rather than more neutral.
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That's what I like about them, they don't sound as closed in as closed back headphones. The sound breathes a little more for to the open back. I don't think you lose anything other then a touch off bad response
 
Rex said:
The higher the resistance, the harder they have to be driven to achieve a certain volume.
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I barely turn the volume on and my headphones are blasting, so I’m not worried about loss of volume. What I want is a more balanced tone. My ATH-30xs sound just fine everywhere I else I try them - Apollo interface, Samsung phone, Hotone Ampero, even my little MP3 player. Plenty of low end. They sound harsh and brittle on the AF3. To me that is very confusing, because everything about this unit is audiophile quality.
 
As others have mentioned, it has less to do with the OHMs and more about the quality of headphones. However, OHMs certainly play a factor. I’ve found that lower impedance headphones tend to drive the signal better and get that “amp-in-the-room” tone people always rave about. But I never achieved this until I started using IEM’s with the Axe III. It sounds closer to a live guitar feed as opposed to a recorded guitar track. Though you can get that as well.
 
Amps directly into headphones have always sounded fizzy and "digital" without any of the life or warmth you get from an amp in the room, IMO. Even with an IR, it's static, based on a room that's not the one you're playing the guitar in (generally).

It's not the Axe, it's just the nature of hearing a direct signal in your headphones.
 
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