Can anyone recommend a set that has the sound quality comparable to an amplifier? My amp is a Fender Rumble 25 and my headphones are Behringer HPX6000. These headphones have a sort of twangy (for lack of a better word) sound. They were not really expensive and I can disconnect the cord from the headphone and use it to plug a computer/iPad/iPhone. I do like that capability but the sound quality takes some of the fun out of them. Any recommendations ?
I don’t have a good recommendation but I would say that if you want something that “sounds like an amp”, especially a Fender amp, you want to avoid studio monitor/DJ headphones with flat responses entirely and go for something more tailored for music listening. So, avoid things like the AKG’s, Sony MDR line, and Beyerdynamics and try some consumer headphones with the usual scooped frequency response.
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Josh’s recommendation was to use any headphones that you would normally listen to music through if they have good bass response.
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Yep to sound like an amp that’s what you’ll want.
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I’m happy with my ATH-M50X
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This is why I looked at the Sennheiser. I borrowed a pair, plugged in my guitar and played for 3 hours. No discomfort, I don’t even notice i have them on any more. Spendy? Yes but super lightweight, I wear them for hours every evening and music sounds fantastic through them. Just be aware they’re open backed which makes them cool to wear. Not cool like The Fonz, I mean they don’t make your ears go hot.
However the downside is there’s a lot of noise leakage. So not really suitable for a shared space.
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I use AKG K240 Studio headphones and am very happy with them. I practice with a Rumble 40 and always use headphones to avoid annoying the neighbors. I’ve had this pair for about 3 years now.
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For lack of spendiness, but decent sound and a removable cord try the One Odio off of Scamazon.
The headset is super comfortable, and each of the earpiecas has an input jack (1/4" in the left, 3.5mm in the right) so you can do the cable switcharound however you like. It comes with a 10’ 1/4" to 3.5mm male to male cable, as well as a 3.5 to 3.5 male to male with an in-line microphone. I practice bass in these, and they are also my daily driver for teleconferencing.
For $50 Canadian kopeks, you can’t go wrong.
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There are so many options. You can go for in-ear, on-ear and over-ear. Personally I don’t like on-ear. In-ear I use for travelling and over-ear at home.
Then you have open and closed backs. With an open back people will hear the sounds a little bit but open back is more typical for hi-fi. Closed backs you see often for studio headphones since they block out all the sound. I got issues with my ears so I can’t stand closed backs anymore. Got an open and semi-open back headphone for my needs.
Last thing is to make sure the cable is long enough and what kind of cable. For example one of my headphones has a coil cable which looks cool but for bass practice is a bit annoying. Rather would have a straight cable.
Audio Technica was one of my favourite over-ear headphones. But it’s up to you if you want consumer (more focussed towards hi-fi) or studio headphones. At the moment I use a Behringer 880 for practice and a Sennheiser 599 for everything else.
Good luck!
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I use Sennheiser 599s and love them. Super comfortable and sound great. They are semi open though, which means you hear a bit if what’s going on around you and people around you hear a bit if what you are listening to. But I find that makes the sound more natural and makes them more breathable and comfortable to wear for longer. I was looking at the Beyerdynamic headphones too and those would have been my second choice. I went with the Sennheisers due to the lower clamping force as I wear glasses and can be prone to headaches.
Here are the ones I have: Amazon.co.uk
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I love my Beyerdynamics and Sony monitors, but those are not going to sound like an amp would. They sound like flat response monitors, because that’s what they are.
The same goes for the ATH-50x and AKG K240’s. They are great monitors but have pretty flat responses, unlike a bass amp which is likely to have a pretty prominent mids scoop for most amps (especially Fender, which is famous for it).
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More then enough options, one brand wich designs with bassplayers in mind is https://www.metersmusic.com/
It’s sound is somewhat boosted on the low end, which I prefer for practice.
Depending om the music I’m listening to, I switch between this one and Sennheiser HD 300 PROtect.
I would recommend 50X or 40X from audio-Technica. Their closed-back design and how close the drivers are to ears make the bass really in your face.
Btw. if anyone looking for an insane value/price bargain on a good pair of studio cans, Samson SR850 are mind-blowingly good for their price. For fifty bucks you will get semi-open headphones with accuracy in the range of well-known headphones in the price-range of 3 times more.
I use Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Professional Monitor Headphones for all my practicing and recording. I chose these over the more expensive M50X because they actually have a slightly flatter response.
They don’t sound “like a bass amp” - they are totally flat. I run my basses through a Zoom B1Four that allows me to model a variety of amp/cab combinations, as well as boost bass, scoop mids or use a gazillion other effects.
The ATH-M40X headphones replaced a pair of OneOdio Studio Pro 50’s which I now use for casual listening. They aren’t quite as clean as the Audio-Technicas, but still sound pretty good, especially considering that they cost half as much.
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I’ve got those. Very comfortable. Better than anything else in its price point by far.
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The 598 SR are some incredible headphones, probably my most used set right now. Absolutely ideal for movies and gaming. Not great for practise. Anything closed, or semi-closed will serve that purpose better.
Just had to give a shout out to those 598’s after seeing them mentioned! 
100% agree. I had a pair of closed headphones before and they were much better for practice. However my ears got so hot that I’d end up practicing in my underpants just to stay cool.
I was fine with it but our house guests eventually had an intervention 
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Seems to work for Flea…
I struggle to use closed-back headphones now after using semi-open for a year. I just feel like I’m underwater or something with closed ones now. And so much more uncomfortable. But I’ll need to use them when commuting, etc.
I love my DT990 Pros. Open back all the way for me.
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