Ok, this very question was started in a thread four years ago but a lot can change in that time, so I’d like to ask the same question.
Can someone please recommend a set of practice headphones? I’d rather not spend silly money, if I don’t need to. They’re only for practice and I have no designs on playing on stage or in a studio. Wired is a must.
I’ve been using a pair of 21 year old Bose QC2s to practice with through my amp and two headphone amps but they died a couple of days ago. The sound was good enough for what I needed. I then started using my Bose QC35s; they’re great for listening to music and watching movies from my iPad and iPhone but they’re not good for bass practice.
From what I’ve seen in the previous thread, AKG K240 and ATH-M50X were good choices.
Did you try the Boses with a direct connection (via cable)? Possibly only the Bluetooth latency is an issue -otherwise the Boses might be good enough, actually!?
I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD Pro 280’s and they’re probably the best headphones I’ve ever owned. They’ll run ya about $100 on Amazon.
They have a very interesting sound. I would almost describe it as “thin” but crystal clear. Every instrument can be isolated and for that reason I love them for monitoring my bass. You don’t get serious boom from them, and they definitely take some getting used to. Also I read they also need at least 50 hours of “break in” time, and that’s very true. They seem to get better the longer you use them. Can’t recommend them enough and for the $$ they’re a fantastic value.
Only complaint I’ve seen is the curly cable, which a few reviewers have said makes them feel heavy on the one side. Is the cable changeable, like on the AKG K240s?
No you can’t change out the cable, but honestly until you just mentioned them being heavier on one side, I never noticed that…and lets be honest how much heavier can a cable possibly make them? a few grams? I don’t notice anything while I’m wearing them. They’re quite comfortable for me as well, there’s really nothing bad I can say about them. If I could make one change though I would want a longer cable so I can be further away from all my electronics while I’m playing.
I’ve had a set of 280s for 10 or more years now and the cable on mine isn’t’ replaceable. That curly cable is not my favorite but the headphones themselves are great as monitors. A case of the function outweighs the annoyance by a lot. Love the neutral EQ on these things.
@pauldavidson335d is still right - might be not the weight itself but the “pull”. I remember the “curly” cable from the times when dinosaurs ruled the earth.
We used those cables to make traps for T-rexes … and I did not like the feeling on my headphones too ^^
The short cable was another negative in some reviews along with the ear cups being too small. An extension cable solves one problem and I have small ears so the other shouldn’t be an issue.
That’s one of the things I love about Amazon though; if they don’t work out for me, I can send them back.
I wouldn’t say I have big ears but mine are certainly not small and I have had a lot of issues with comfort in the past and that’s one of the things I love about these. My ears fit perfectly in the cups and I can wear them for hours on end with very little discomfort. I’ve had headphones in price ranges from $20-$500 and I would say these are easily the best sounding cans I’ve ever owned. Perfectly balanced.
I’ve got a set of ATH-M50X’s also, which I use for listening to music on and they’re great for that but for practicing bass,I prefer my crappy old Sennheisers.
@pauldavidson335d
Are you considering IEMs? They are much, much better at a lot less. Sure they can cost up in the thousands just like headphones but the cheap ones are so so good now. Even you get the HD 280 which I really like it doesn’t hurt to just pick up a cheap IEMs for a few bucks you’d be surprised how good it sounds. There are tons of older model on sales on Aliexpress just let me know I’ll send you the link for decent ones.
I have several IEMs that are $300-$500 but the ones I picked up for less than $5 sounds so damn close.
I have absolutely no idea about them. I’d rather stick with conventional headphones but happy to be educated about the pros and cons between the two so I can at least make an informed choice
I’m not quick to contradict @Al1885 , cause he is right 99% of the time. Except, perhaps, maybe, possibly for IEMs.
Are you sure that you would prefer IEMs to proper over ears?
I have yet to find a good in ear to beat an over ear - especially as it is hard to find good earplugs that fit your ear … and they tend to fall out a lot or not close the earchannel properly (which leads to lack of bass) or worse: lead to ear inflammation…
i just got these delivered this morning, haven’t even tried them yet. the writer of this article is someone i have followed for years and knows his stuff. the draw here is the price and also the super insane battery life on these, but a lot to like here for the cost.
It’s kinda like Amazon for China. Many of the of the Chi-Fi overstock deal is there.
Home practice over ear headphones are convenient. It’s not practical to use on stage or on a gig. I used IEMs years back I got used to it. Now they are better than ever.
