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Sennheiser HD280 for Music Production

Has anyone used the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones for music production? What did you think of them? Would you prefer a different pair of headphones (at a comparable price) for music production purposes?

Cheers

Get the AKG K240S Mk2 instead.

I have two pairs of HD280Pros that I use for tracking, but they're terrible for mixing. They're a closed-back design, which isolates sound in the headphones (i.e., minimal spillback into the mic when recording), but the bass response and stereo imaging is not good for mixing IMO. Your best bet is to look for an open- or semi-open-back design for production headphones.

First, headphones in general are not ideal for production work. They're OK as a complement to your monitors but they are not a replacement.

Second, HD280 are DJ headphones, practically useless for production/monitoring.

I own a pair and would not use them for producing, or any other closed headphone for that matter (Sony MDRwhatever, etc.). AKG 240 are good.

Here's a controversial statement.

A decent pair of mixing headphones are better than a decent pair of monitors in an untreated room.

Oh yes.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Here's a controversial statement. A decent pair of mixing headphones are better than a decent pair of monitors in an untreated room. Oh yes.

No.

Headphones are akin to having one speaker either side of your head. For obvious reasons, this is worse than having an untreated room.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Here's a controversial statement. A decent pair of mixing headphones are better than a decent pair of monitors in an untreated room. Oh yes.

No on that, and also no on the HD280s they're DJ headphones. I own a pair and love them but they're not good for mixing tracks.

You're both wrong

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Here's a controversial statement. A decent pair of mixing headphones are better than a decent pair of monitors in an untreated room. Oh yes.

Akg 701's, SPL Phonitor, any decent subwoofer

The AKG 240's I use them, and I love 'em! And judging by everyone in this thread, you may want to save up a little more and just get those.

read 2 posts up

quote:

Originally posted by palm AKG701? Is $240 their normal price? Do they have to have separate amp? I seriosly didnt like the description of the amp u posted (speaker-emulation???), gonna use Xone:32 instead maybe, not sure how the headphone amp is in there as i havent recieved it yet.

The 701's are pretty expensive but VERY good, as for the SPL Phonitor, also an invaluable piece of kit if you have to mix on cans, its far more than a headphone amp.

Ive got the SPL 2control with the crossfeed on, not as advanced as the Phonitor but is fantastic for taking the 180 degree edge off

quote:

Originally posted by palm recently got the AKG240s myself and eventhough their better than anything else ive tried I still just cant get good results when using headphones, its really sad as this is the way i really want to work. What are the next headphones up in class from them? would be interesting to try, caus if not that either work I must invest in better monitors, acoustics etc etc, and that would be some money i dont really have atm.

It won't make a difference. You can't get a true stereo field going when the bloody speakers are right next to your ears, nor can you get any sort of true bass representation, mainly because a lot of low end is more so felt than it is heard.

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz It won't make a difference. You can't get a true stereo field going when the bloody speakers are right next to your ears, nor can you get any sort of true bass representation, mainly because a lot of low end is more so felt than it is heard.

That's why i said the Phonitor and subwoofer

It CAN be done

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz It won't make a difference. You can't get a true stereo field going when the bloody speakers are right next to your ears, nor can you get any sort of true bass representation, mainly because a lot of low end is more so felt than it is heard.

That's why i said the Phonitor and subwoofer

It CAN be done

Funny how everyone has come around to the AKGs a few years after all the old headphone debates. Good for them on releasing the low-impedance "S" model; I remember it being a tough sell in the hobbyist/prosumer market beforehand.

The 240S are still the de facto standard and relatively inexpensive, definitely a better bet than any of Sennheiser's DJ or audiophile models.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm No. Headphones are akin to having one speaker either side of your head. For obvious reasons, this is worse than having an untreated room.

its all about finding a balance really....

the balance knob?

quote:

Originally posted by Ry Thomas That's why i said the Phonitor and subwoofer It CAN be done

Come on Ry, half the point of using headphones is so you don't disturb others and can produce at times when using monitors is impractical.

I'm not sure other people would appreciate the bass

I own a pair of hd280 for maybe 3 years and im using them right now.
I started using it like monitors and rarely i got serious complaining about mixing/eq, you just need learn how it will sound (later I bought alesis m1 mkii monitors).

Coincidentally, SoundOnSound has a comparison of a bunch of headphones in the current (January 2010) edition. Here's their conclusion of the HD280Pros for mixing:

quote:

It would take some familiarity before you�re able to produce reliable mixes, but would be OK after that. The HD280 is probably my best budget recommendation for tracking or mixing if you have to go the closed-back route

The AKG K240s ranked pretty decent for mixing. The overall winners for mixing were:

- BeyerDynamic DT880 Pro - semi-open back design (yay - those are what I use!)
- Sennheiser HD650 - open back design

I've been doing research for about 2 weeks on the same issue. These are my top choices at the moment:

Ultrasone 2500 (open)
Ultrasone 750/900 (closed, 750 is closed version of 2500. 900 is a step up)
Sennheiser HD650 (open)
Beyerdynamic DT880 (semi-open)
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (open)
AKG K702 (open)

I tried the Ultrasone 2500s - amazing! The S-Logic technology on there really mimics the soundstage you'd expect in a club.

The Sennheisers seem to color the sound a bit, emphasizing the low-end a bit more than the others. Don't get me wrong, they sound REALLY good. But you want an accurate representation of your mixing, not something that'll try to flatter you

Any thoughts from others on the phones listed above?

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