What are the best HEADPHONES for a bass player for band rehearsals/studio recording?

Azari

Azari

Mar 7, 2011
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#1
I’ve never been happy with any IEMs I’ve ever owned. My ears are notoriously weirdly shaped/sized and very few earbuds actually fit me. (I have the same problem with shoes, my size is in between a 9.5 and a 10, depending on the brand… And T shirts don’t fit me well either. I need a size in between Medium and Small -_-)

Every set of IEMs I’ve owned tend to chronically fall out of my ears or be uncomfortably too large. Even when I try the different pad/suction things that come with them, NONE of them fit. So screw it, I’m done recording and rehearsing with IEMs, I want some legit headphones that don’t fall off my friggin head every 3 minutes. Any suggestions? Am I doomed to spend thousands of dollars on them? Are there affordable ones worth checking out?
 
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#2
I've been using my classic and trusty Sony MDR-V6 headphones for decades. They are notorious for the foam padding disintegrating especially if you sweat a lot with them on (like when playing drums). I bought third party velour padding to replace the stock padding and it's lasted for years. Unfortunately the MDR-V6 is no longer made but I believe the descendant of that model, the Sony MDR-7506, is still available for around $100. These days I am sure there are much more expensive headphones out there. Whichever you choose, go for over-the-ear and wired for studio work.
 
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#3
pingvuiini said:
I've been using my classic and trusty Sony MDR-V6 headphones for decades. They are notorious for the foam padding disintegrating especially if you sweat a lot with them on (like when playing drums). I bought third party velour padding to replace the stock padding and it's lasted for years. Unfortunately the MDR-V6 is no longer made but I believe the descendant of that model, the Sony MDR-7506, is still available for around $100. These days I am sure there are much more expensive headphones out there. Whichever you choose, go for over-the-ear and wired for studio work.
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+1
I have both and they don't disappoint.
 
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#4
pingvuiini said:
I've been using my classic and trusty Sony MDR-V6 headphones for decades. They are notorious for the foam padding disintegrating especially if you sweat a lot with them on (like when playing drums). I bought third party velour padding to replace the stock padding and it's lasted for years. Unfortunately the MDR-V6 is no longer made but I believe the descendant of that model, the Sony MDR-7506, is still available for around $100. These days I am sure there are much more expensive headphones out there. Whichever you choose, go for over-the-ear and wired for studio work.
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I am on my third foam pads on my 7506s. I use them everyday. They are comfortable and sound great for bass
 
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#6
I don't buy the snake oil of $1000 headphones. Others might.

My favourite are Audio Technica - ATX-M50X.

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#10
The tips for IEMs and headphones are different sizes which is frustrating. I’d rather use cans over the ears.

I use Westone Audio pro X30 for IEMs and they fit well for me. I am in the same situation where I can never get ear buds to fit but the Westone’s fit well.

For recording, we use Beyerdynamic 770s. Great for the price.
 
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#13
Iristone said:
AKG makes some good stuff. I use K702 which is open-back, but they also make closed (I forgot the model name) and semi-open (K240) if you need more isolation.
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I have both the AKG k612 open back and the K52 closed back.
Both are great.
I would recommend the K52 for live rehearsal. Ears will get sweaty, but the closed back will allow much better isolation.
 
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#14
Azari said:
...
Am I doomed to spend thousands of dollars on them?
...
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Absolutely not...
Azari said:
...
Are there affordable ones worth checking out?
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There are. The Beyer DT770 Pro mentioned above should be no more than $150 - just be sure to pick the right impedance to match your source (they come in 32, 80 and 250Ohm variants). In a similar vein and at a similar price is the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. When I auditioned the DT770 and HD280 I went for the HD280 because I felt they were less coloured with better pitch definition in the really low end. Several years on and I haven't changed my mind.
 
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#20
Here is my arsenal:

Decent sound does not have to be expensive.

Meze Alba (IEM) $160
-HD560S (open) $180
-HD620S (closed) $300
-AKG K371 (closed) $140

I found used, AKG K371 for $70 (ebay) and they are better than some $500+ headphones---very balanced.

Meze Albas come stock with a DAC+Amp dongle. Interchangable tips. Also rated the best sounding IEM under $600.

I have tried the Beyers, but they were heavy and felt like they were going to fall off, when I played. Maybe just sitting, mixing, mastering, they may be fine.

IEM,'s I usually do not like for recording with a bass standing. If I do, I use a shirt clip, so there is no pulling them out, when I move around:

Screenshot_20241021-131707.png


Sennheiser's work well and my AKGK371 work well also(for standing, moving around, playing)
 
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