Grateful Dead Music Forum

There's something I love about the way a show sounds in a good pair of stereophones; the sound becomes so much more transparent and ah...if I close my eyes tight enough, I almost feel like I'm there...

That being said, I'm shopping around for some new 'phones and I was wondering if any of you had any recommendations?

p.s. Its my birthday!

Happy Birthday.

I was enjoying a nice drums with headphones on last night. Mine aint great though, but still give the music a bit more life

I have a nice pair of pioneer headphones that are a few years old (HDJ-1000s). They are pretty sweet, stereo and sound great. My last nice headphones were Sony MDR-V700s which also sounded very nice, but cracked from rough usage (I used to DJ electronic music so they got tossed around and abused quite a bit). Each of these run ~150-175 per pair. Also check out the Sony MDR-V600s. I think they sound just as good as the 700s, but they are cheaper (~100) because they aren't designed for DJs, basically just meaning each ear piece can't rotate freely in all directions, but rather is stiffer in its support.

I've heard good things about the BOSE, haven't listened with them though and do know that they run ~300.

Hope this helps.

Definitely agreed though, listening to music through sweet headphones can't be beat for home and on the go listening.

I have these : http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p? ... fs^PRO4AAT

(sorry the url thingy isn't working)

and I freakin' love them. Do all my mastering for our jams w/ them, they're great stereophones and have a Lifetime Warranty that I've already taken advantage of: about a year after owning them, one of my bandmates tossed them into a gereral bin that a lot of our gear (cables, surge protectors, etc.) goes into and the earpiece ended up breaking off.

Well, I called them up, told them what happened, and they told me to package 'em up and ship them back, and they sent me a new pair, without even waiting for my pair to arrive.

Very good quality and a great price too. I think I bought mine at Radioshack. Also the jack is 1/4 inch but that attachment can screw off and underneath is an 1/8 inch jack, though this may be standard in most higher-quality stereophones, not sure. Another thing I like is the coiled cord NEVER gets tangled or bunched or messed up, which I like a lot.

PS - EXTREMEMLY COMFY

I have a pair of Sony's that I paid $99 and I love them, they have an actual right and left ear, so you can only wear them a certain way. They fit over the whole ear and are comfy. Best advice I got was don't skimp, but pay the money for a decent pair that will last you forever. It's been totally worth it for me.

I'm always partial toward Koss, but growing up in Milwaukee where they're made has part to do with that. I really think you can by a decent pair of Sony's for like 30 bucks. I know I have before. I can't see spending a lot of money on a great pair. I have before and still wound up breaking them.

I just went out and bought a pair of Radioshack "Full Size Steroe Headphone" (thats what they're listed as)

I don't think I could have possibly beat them for the price

25 out the door, and they don't really sound half bad. I tried them out at home with 'A Day in the Life' cranked as loud as I could take, and I got that swelling music moving over me feeling, which is all you can really ask for in a pair of headphones in my opinion.

OK,

Someone needs come in here and play devil's advocate, or maybe just mom.

Headphones are really not good for your ears. I went to audio engineering school and that was one of the first things they told us. So if you have to use headphones, use them but at low volumes, and if you don't have to use them, don't.

As a musician, your ears are your life, so wearing headphones frequently over a long period of time can only hurt your ability to make good music.

So there.

Crazy 9.5 Fingers wrote:OK,

Someone needs come in here and play devil's advocate, or maybe just mom.

Headphones are really not good for your ears. I went to audio engineering school and that was one of the first things they told us. So if you have to use headphones, use them but at low volumes, and if you don't have to use them, don't.

As a musician, your ears are your life, so wearing headphones frequently over a long period of time can only hurt your ability to make good music.

So there.

True and it does need pointing out.

But, when it's late at night and I'm listening to some 69 dead with headphones on it's the last thing I'm thinking about!

I have a pair of cheap radio shack headphones that are currently busted. Their one really useful feature was an in-line rheostat that allowed you to turn down the volume going to the headset. This was really helpful when trying to overdub; I'd be pretty deaf without that feature. Does anyone know about slightly (i.e. ~$100) higher end phones that have this feature?

thanks for the suggestions everybody! crazy fingers, I know you're probably right, and you actually win this one because I spent my cash on a new fly rod

I think that is the better move, unless you hook yourself in the face.