Bare minimum audio editing
Greetings audiophiles,
I am looking for a the bare minimum headphones for editing music, videos, gameplay videos, and playing video games with. I already have a stereo microphone that captures my voice clearly enough for my liking, but all of my store bought headphones thus far have been from the discount bin at the supermarket.
I'm looking for something circumaural and somewhat comfortable. But given the fact I wear a hard hat all day they don't have to be downy soft or anything as long as they don't mash my ears to a pulp. They need to be able to put out a regular sound range, nothing crazy. And I have to be able to distinguish surround sound on them, as I add 360 degree type elements to my music.
But most importantly, they have to be pretty damn cheap. We're talking $100 or less sort of cheap. These are not meant to be my end game headphones. They are meant to be used roughly, in a house full of rambunctious pets, near food and drink at times, etc. Once I'm ready to get a truly decent pair of headphones, a low-mid price range Sennheiser similar to those limited edition ones on sale now will be my next step up.
I understand that the current Sennheiser drop is a great deal, but I simply can not abide spending that much on a pair of headphones that will just get the crap beaten out of them.
I am looking for a the bare minimum headphones for editing music, videos, gameplay videos, and playing video games with. I already have a stereo microphone that captures my voice clearly enough for my liking, but all of my store bought headphones thus far have been from the discount bin at the supermarket.
I'm looking for something circumaural and somewhat comfortable. But given the fact I wear a hard hat all day they don't have to be downy soft or anything as long as they don't mash my ears to a pulp. They need to be able to put out a regular sound range, nothing crazy. And I have to be able to distinguish surround sound on them, as I add 360 degree type elements to my music.
But most importantly, they have to be pretty damn cheap. We're talking $100 or less sort of cheap. These are not meant to be my end game headphones. They are meant to be used roughly, in a house full of rambunctious pets, near food and drink at times, etc. Once I'm ready to get a truly decent pair of headphones, a low-mid price range Sennheiser similar to those limited edition ones on sale now will be my next step up.
I understand that the current Sennheiser drop is a great deal, but I simply can not abide spending that much on a pair of headphones that will just get the crap beaten out of them.
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Andrew Schille
I found a set of Audio Technicas at the local thrift shop that do the job. I also found a cheap Logitech headset that has poor build quality, but actually sounds great too. I never use the mic on it though, worthless microphone. Even worse than my cheap Samson I got at the market a few years back.
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I'd recommend the Sony MDR-7506 or three clones (Hyper Cloud II, Brainwavz5, or the Takstar Pro 80). The latter three closely emulate the sound of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.
Thanks for the replies. I'll keep those three in mind while searching.
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If you're in the US, I recommend getting KOSS DJ100's. Lifetime warranty and fits the characteristics that you're looking for.
If you're doing audio editing, something with a really flat frequency response may be more useful than something that emphasizes certain parts of the spectrum. A pretty standard go-to is the Sony MDR-7506. You'll find it in practically any studio and in most location sound bags. They run right around $100USD at Sweetwater, Guitar Center, and Musician's Friend.
Good news is the pads on the 7506 are replaceable. I know you said you wear a hardhat all day, and that comfort isn't your first priority, but... I'm also a hardhat wearer, but the cartilage in my right ear is all torn up, so comfort's more an issue of jabbing pain than mild irritation. You can swap out the pads on the 7506 for thicker ones and run all day without feeling them.
Another one that would probably set any audiophile's teeth on edge is the Senal SMH-1000. It's basically a clone of the Sonys (same drivers, I'm pretty sure) and even takes the same after-market ear pads, but also offers a removable cord. If you travel this may be something you'd want. (It's what I keep in my field recording bag.) The frequency response is pretty darned flat, so it won't win any awards for making music sound sparkly, but it does give you an accurate rendition of the sound you're working with. These run right around the $100USD mark, too.
Good news is the pads on the 7506 are replaceable. I know you said you wear a hardhat all day, and that comfort isn't your first priority, but... I'm also a hardhat wearer, but the cartilage in my right ear is all torn up, so comfort's more an issue of jabbing pain than mild irritation. You can swap out the pads on the 7506 for thicker ones and run all day without feeling them.
Another one that would probably set any audiophile's teeth on edge is the Senal SMH-1000. It's basically a clone of the Sonys (same drivers, I'm pretty sure) and even takes the same after-market ear pads, but also offers a removable cord. If you travel this may be something you'd want. (It's what I keep in my field recording bag.) The frequency response is pretty darned flat, so it won't win any awards for making music sound sparkly, but it does give you an accurate rendition of the sound you're working with. These run right around the $100USD mark, too.
