What's Best Open Ear Headphones for Yamaha P250

[nih]

Assistance Requested -

 

Need to acquire the best sounding headphones for extended play at home (6+ hours at a shot) on a Yamaha P250. Headphones will be connected directly to the phone jack. Comfort is key. Noise isolation is not required. Are audiophile headphones appropriate or would that be overkill? Do I need a headphone AMP to max out on the sound quality? What would be on your top 5 list of headphones to audition? In my case, I will be using headphones most of the time, so I really want to get this right. I have recently posted on another forum so if you're seeing this again please bear with me.

thx

[Dave Bryce]

I recently got a pair of Ultrasone HFI-650 headphones. I've never been so in love with a set of headphones. They sound unbelievable, and I can wear them for hours.

 

Here\'s their website .

 

dB

[guestuserguestuser.com]

I would think twice about this. Playing for 6 hours with headphones would drive me nuts, no matter how good they were. I would use them for short spells, interspersed with using the piano's built-in speakers or some other external speakers, at low volume if necessary.

[nih]

Dave Bryce - Help!! Hasn't anybody taken a look at high-end cans for use with the P250? We are all looking to get the best sound from our instruments, so I thought that a number of folks could share their experience, and respond to my original post. Any ideas? Thanx in advance.

 

No one has as yet responded to the questions raised in my original post.

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by nih:

No one has as yet responded to the questions raised in my original post.

What do you mean? I recomended a killer set of headphones!

 

I'd be happy to try and answer your other questions:

 

Are audiophile headphones appropriate or would that be overkill?

Nothing that makes you comfortable is overkill, IMO. I used Stax headphones in the studio for years - they worked great.

 

Do I need a headphone AMP to max out on the sound quality?

No. There's one inside the piano attached to the headphone jack.

 

What would be on your top 5 list of headphones to audition?

The Ultrasones kill anything I have ever heard.

 

Besides that, may of the ones that were recommended to you over on Harmony Central. Sony MDR 7506, AKGs, Sennheisers - try them all to see which ones you think sound the best and are the most comfortable...then get the Ultrasones.

 

dB

[nih]

Thanks Dave! I will follow your advice.

[Valkyrie Sound]

I'd recommend Shennheiser HD600s.

 

Here's the one time you'll see me strongly disagree with my buddy Dave.... I absolutely HATE the Ultrasones. I got a demo pair for a few weeks.... returned them.

 

They're the most hyped pair of headphones I'd ever heard.... the mid range is brittle. They're trying to do something with the phase of the frequency ranges to make them sound more "open" but they end up with the center of the stereo image inside your head somehow mono summed and a completely out of phase sounding high end. The image was horrible.

These might be "fun" cans to have if they were priced in the $100 range. They want more like $250. To me.... just way too much for what you're getting.

 

Folks who have been on the forums for awhile know I rarely have a problem with any piece of gear. Even the most inexpensive lower quality stuff has a place in my studio. I don't rag on gear much... but I have to in this case. I REALLY dislike Ultrasones.

 

Of course, you'll need to try some out and find out what YOU like best! Just give a couple of pairs a try before you decide.

 

Best of luck!

Valky

[Dave Horne]

Are we talking mono or stereo headphones ... just kidding.

 

I would go with an on-the-ear headphones such as the Sennheisers. I own a pair (why do we say pair when it's just one headphone) of Sony around-the-ear headphones and they sound great.

 

Since I always take a break after about 25 minutes or so, wearing headphones for an extended period for me is just 25 minutes. I personally think it's good to take a break every so often anyway but that's another discussion.

[moj]

I've use Sennheiser HD 580 thru a Mackie mixer to monitor all playback on synths and CD/tape players with satisfactory results. I like to adjust the EQ when playing KB's solo or multi and the mixer is very convenient. Also, the HD 580 sounds great when listening to CD's on a HI FI system.

 

I've had the HD 580 for few years now and I'm thinking of upgrading. I was thinking of getting the HD 600 or the new HD 650.

 

Valky, have you tried out the HD 650 ? Lots of high praise reviews, but BIG price!

 

dB, the Ultrasone's also have great reviews and the price is affordable, so despite Valky's differing opinion I'm going see if I can find a vendor in town that carries them.

[Steve in KS]

I'm hesitant to mention it, since BOSE seems to be a 4-letter word in this forum, but I recently bought a pair of BOSE Triport headphones and I've never been so excited about a pair of headphones before. I can't compare them with the Ultrasone or Sennheisers mentioned since I've never heard them. $150 was a big enough bite out of my budget for headphones.

I would suggest trying all of the ones mentioned that intrigue you, keep the ones you like and return the rest!

[MusicaL]

I add my vote for the HD 600s!! Excellent cans.

 

aL

[Chaso DeChaso]

If I could just piggyback a related question onto this thread...

 

The premise was an open air headphone - may I ask why? I am purchasing a new pair of headphones soon (probably Sennheiser since I've always liked them) and was wondering about closed vs. open - can anyone enlighten me? Obviously closed keeps out more outside noises but is that all? Otherwise do the open ones sound better, cause less fatigue or hearing damage, etc? Can anyone explain more about the differences and benefits of closed vs. open?

 

Chaso

[MusicaL]

My understanding of the benefit of closed cans is that they're useful for tracking things like vocals and acoustig guitar which have to be mic'd. They keep what you're hearing from bleeding into the track you're recording. You don't get that benefit with the open cans. What you do get is a much comfortable set of headphones that you can work with for a longer period of time.

 

aL

[nih]

Can the Sennheiser HD580/HD600 be adequately driven directly from the phones jack of the Yamaha P250? I've seen some posts suggesting that the phones output circuitry on some keyboards have not been engineered to drive high-impedience, medium-efficiency CANS like these (300 ohms).

[moj]

Can the Sennheiser HD580/HD600 be adequately driven directly from the phones jack of the Yamaha P250?

I haven't tried my HD 580's on a P250, but I think the P 250's phone jack spec's will give you some idea on how well it can drive the 580's 300 ohm's impedance. Here's some other 580 spec's that might help you:

 

Sensitivity at 1kHz - 97dB

Power handling capacity - 0.2W as per DIN 45580

THD - < 0.1%

 

From "practical" experience, I have used the 580 with the phone jacks on Korg, Roland, Kurzweil synths. They sound good, but I need to max the volume to get a somewhat louder level, but it's still too soft for my liking. However, the bass response that high-quality CANS provide can't be matched with lesser ones.

 

I can see the convenience of only using the P 250 phone jack, but consider using a mixer with the 250 to drive a good pair of Sennheiser's. The mixer's pre-amp will be able to adequately drive the 580/600 w/o concern. Also, if you record or use the XG soundset or play along with a CD, a mixer will take care of all the EQ's, volume levels, etc. A small, portable low-cost mixer like a Mackie or a Beringher will drive the CANS better than the 250's phone jack.

[nih]

MoJazz,

 

I just purchased and brought home the Sennheiser HD 580 ($160 J&R), the Sony MDR 9506 ($100 GC)and the AKG K240 Studio ($100 GC). I now have 14 days to decide for myself what works well for me with the P250.

 

How much will a Mackie or Beringher mixer set me back?

[MusicaL]

Originally posted by nih:

MoJazz,

 

I just purchased and brought home the Sennheiser HD 580 ($160 J&R), the Sony MDR 9506 ($100 GC)and the AKG K240 Studio ($100 GC). I now have 14 days to decide for myself what works well for me with the P250.

 

How much will a Mackie or Beringher mixer set me back?

I was looking at small mixers at the music store, and found this one here http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040327183528068225229004396372/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/630048/ for a cool $99.99.

 

It's a 10 channel mixer with Yamaha's name on it, and for that low price, it can't be beat.

 

HTH

 

aL

[moj]

It's a 10 channel mixer with Yamaha's name on it, and for that low price, it can't be beat.

That Yammie mixer is a good deal; great features and hi-quality specs. I've use both Mackies and Yamaha sub-mixers and they are well regarded. The Beringher's are very affordable, I saw one for $40, but I've never used them.

 

If you are only concerned about the sound quality and don't need multi-inputs or level controls, you might consider a head phone amp.

 

It'll boost the P 250 signal enough to drive the CANS. Can't vouch on the sound quality of the cheap ones, but the higher priced ones will probably have superior sound quality over a mixer's head phone jack. I guess you'll need to go to the head-fi.org forum for a more expert opinion.

[lvercaut]

Nih, did you try the headphones yet ? Do you already have a first impression ?

[Chip Curtis]

I really enjoy the open sound of my MB Quarts. They claim a 5-35K response. All I know is they hold the lows at ludicrous levels and don't give me ear fatigue from the mid. They aren't the lightest phones but are quite comfortable and designed well. They can and have taken abuse that would kill other phones. For me, careful sure- but fragile is not an option.

-Chip

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Nih, I was just wondering about your handle - are you a member of the Knights Who Say Nih?

 

(ever see Python's The Holy Grail?)

 

By the way, if it's you're real name, then I apologize in advance.

[nih]

Originally posted by Guest User:

Nih, I was just wondering about your handle - are you a member of the Knights Who Say Nih?

 

(ever see Python's The Holy Grail?)

 

By the way, if it's you're real name, then I apologize in advance.

Guest User,

The people of Nih accept your apology in advance.

[nih]

Originally posted by lvercaut:

Nih, did you try the headphones yet ? Do you already have a first impression ?

lvercaut, The headphone evaluation is still underway. Of the three models I auditioned - the Sony MDR 7506, AKG K240S, and Sennheiser HD580 - I can tell you that the 7506 will probably go back to the store. And I will probably keep the HD580. Not sure about the K240S.

 

The HD580s do very well when connected directly to the phone jack of the P250 and tweaked using the internal 5 band equalizer. The general concerns that others have raised a)requirement for a separate headphone amp b)quality of sound issues don't apply here. As the best that this headphone has to offer can be brought out.

 

IMHO, the 7506's are somewhat harsh and fatiguing, and don't come near the 580s in quality of reproduction of the sampled piano sounds of the P250. Don't get me wrong. The 7506s are damned good cans. But if we are looking for the best sound to maintain the illusion that we are playing a real Yamaha grand, and don't require sound isolation (the 580s are open ear)then we have a winner with the 580s.

 

Now the AKG 240S, fall in between these models. They are extemely comfortable and have a flat frequency response. The bass is there in the lower registers and they can be EQ'd to your liking. I may wind up keeping these.

 

nih

[lvercaut]

Thanks Nih!I'll follow up your posts very closely.I own a 240 S but if the 580 gives a more enjoyable sound for the P-250 piano i better switch over.

[Griffinator]

Originally posted by Steve in KS:

I'm hesitant to mention it, since BOSE seems to be a 4-letter word in this forum, but I recently bought a pair of BOSE Triport headphones and I've never been so excited about a pair of headphones before. I can't compare them with the Ultrasone or Sennheisers mentioned since I've never heard them. $150 was a big enough bite out of my budget for headphones.

I would suggest trying all of the ones mentioned that intrigue you, keep the ones you like and return the rest!

Wow. You're the first.

 

I got a pair of those Triports as a door prize at a home audio show (can't remember which one)

 

I was shocked at how Fletcher-Munson-y they sounded. No midrange at all. Ugh. I put them away and haven't touched them since.

[Griffinator]

Originally posted by MoJazz:

It's a 10 channel mixer with Yamaha's name on it, and for that low price, it can't be beat.

That Yammie mixer is a good deal; great features and hi-quality specs. I've use both Mackies and Yamaha sub-mixers and they are well regarded. The Beringher's are very affordable, I saw one for $40, but I've never used them.

Definitely. I picked up one of these for casual home use. It's a little noisy at high output volumes, but I've tracked with it and it worked pretty well.