an acceptable headphone for a digital piano?

First, I don't know whether writing this topic here is acceptable... :roll: Perhaps does it belong to the "General" forum?
As written on my last topic I bought me a digital piano (CA 71 of KAWAI) and need a headphone for practicing at nights. I'm currently using a ultra cheap one (ca. 8 € on the internet shop) which I got free of charge as I ordered my Zoom recorder and the sound is miserable... (Sometimes I used this also for monitoring recording sessions out... Now I find that unbelievable :shock: )
So I'm searching a headphone for practicing on the digital. Actually I ordered one at 20€ and sent it back. Now I'm think of a price under 50€... On an advice from a music store a headphone over 100€ was recommended. But my notebook computer seems to end its life soon (it is over 5 years old), I cannot afford such an expensive one.
Does anybody have a nice experience with headphones in that price range? It would be very helpful to me!

 

You live in Germany and ask about headphones?! Oh boy, perhaps the next oxymoron would be an Arab asking about horses?

Joking aside, you should seriously consider the advice from the music store and get a really good pair of headphones. Living in Germany, you could easily pick a bargain on a Beyerdynamic (DT series) or a Sennheiser (HD series). Personally, I have a Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and a Sennheiser HD 650 and I think it'll be a long time before I need to look for headphones again.
The Austrian makers, AKG, also have a reputation for fine headphones but their sound comes down to personal taste (I find them to be a little harsh on everything).

The biggest advantage of headphones is that you can have inexpensive access to high-end sound. I am not familiar with digital pianos but I am sure you will appreciate the huge sonic difference of a good headphone set on your digital. And it will not cost so much.

Having said that, I would not be so optimistic about finding good headphones under 100 Euros. Differences between cheapos don't justify the time you spend picking.

 

You meant a pleonasm, didn't you? Anyway, you never can tell -the best pizza I've ever had was in France.

Hye-Jin, I think this is good advice. Go to some reliable electronic store and ask for their best value headphones for your 50 EUR or so.

 

Ha, a Greek messing up the use of greek words! That would be oxymoron also.
Well, oxymoron in Greek apart from meaning the conjunction of two contradictory terms, it also means absurd or illogical or ridiculous. For example a salesman, to be considered extremely capable, should be able to overcome the oxymoron of selling ice to Eskimos.

And since you mentioned, you haven't tasted my pizza yet. 8)

 

Thanks for your precious advises, Pantelis and Alfonso!

I've never thought that I'm living in a so sound-technically advanced country. Because all handy recorders and all digital pianos that I've been interested in and researched so far were Japanese... Well, I met the name "Senheiser" often and it sounds really like German in fact :wink:

Yes, it was exactly the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro that was recommended to me :!: They sell this model at 149 € in Germany. Is it a cheaper price compared to buying that in Greece?

Yes, I will. Or wait until I save money for a high end...? :?

 

Oh, I forgot something to ask again. Pantelis, you seem to know about headphones very well. What is an "open" headphone and "closed" headphone? And is there a special feature that I should consider at buying one mainly for an instrument? (I think those models you named are good for everything, though.)

 

The worst I ever had was in Rome

 

Is yours Chicago Style???? And how about some Chicago Italian Beef???

 

Yes, but when it comes to microphones and headphones...

Sennheiser are very German all right. The same stands for Beyer too. Prices in Greece are almost the same as in Germany. But I think in German e-shops you could really pick a bargain on these. There are "Compare prices" services available on the Internet. I bought mine from a German online shop this way at very low prices indeed.

A "closed" headphone is one that offers increased isolation from external sounds. It creates a space between your ears and its small speakers and it is designed so that external noises are cut out, sometimes very effectively. This way you can listen without interference in the subway, in a noisy environment etc. These could be used for example by a DJ in a club, or by a drummer in a live situation. Also in a studio, where the singer wants to hear the band in order to sing but the sound engineer needs only the singer's voice on the microphone, nothing else.

An "open" type is one that does not isolate your ears from the environment, so when it plays, it can be heard by others nearby and you can hear the others also. This type offers (in some cases) tremendous sound quality at a very affordable type.

A closed headphone is almost always inferior in terms of sound quality to an open type. If you don't play the piano in a very noisy environment, then go for an open type. The DT 770 Pro is a great set and you can also check the Sennheiser HD 515 or the very popular 555 at the same price tag.

 

That simply proves that I'm way more discerning than you in choosing an eatery.

 

Monica & Pantelis, I believe you but remember that the authentic pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven!

 

OK, then when I enter the CAPC in 20XX, I'll drop by and try it. Get ready! :lol:

 

Patelis, have many thanks for your kind reply! Now I know what the difference between the closed and open one is

I did already the price comparing on several sites. But I still have only the one price 149€ Do you remember the name of the German internet shop?

Thanks for your precious tip! I'll google the Senheisers, too. One thing is still not so clear to me... You are recommeding the open type, but the DT 770 Pro belongs to the closed type. Is that nevertheless of good quality? And if I may ask you again, is yours of 80 Ohm or 250 Ohm?

 

It was "www.my-solution.de". I'm afraid they don't have the same variety they once had. Have a look though.
I would suggest to also take a look at "www.thomann.de". They have a very good deal on the DT 990 which is the high end model. Better that the DT 770 and the older DT 880. They list the DT 990 at 145 Euros which is a bargain. The DT 990 is open type with unbelievable sound (at least to my ears).

The DT 770 Pro is closed type but is an exception. It sounds open enough. Bear in mind though that closed headphones tend to be firmer in the head than the open types. This means that after some hours of use, they may feel quite uncomfortable.
No, I don't have the DT 770, my mistake if I said so. I have the DT 880 (older model) which is semi-open at 250 Ohm. But today, I would prefer the DT 770 Pro at 250 Ohm over the DT 880.

 

I also prefer the 990 with respect to the 880. The offer from Thomann is not bad but not exceptional. You can found the 990 at a lower price : 139 € here, 134 € here. Curiously, the 880 is more expensive. I like also my old AKG K240 Monitor but it is less comfortable than the Beyerdynamics, which have velvet cushions.

 

I agree with Pantelis and Didier. I own the DT 770 Pro and DT 880 (2005), and I found that the DT 770 Pro to be an excellent headphone for plugging into units with built in headphone amps, even though I have the 250ohm version. You could go with the 80ohm version of the DT 770 too, which should be quite similar. It has overabundance of bass, midrange definition is good, and highs are airy.

The DT 880 (2005) has better balance of sound across the spectrum with more detailed mids than the 770, but you'll need a dedicated headphone amp with 300-600ohm outputs to drive the these phones to their sonic potential. Even though it's is also 250ohms too, these drivers do not load properly into a built in headphone amp and sound unnatural.

I've tried Sennheisers, AKG, Ultrasone, Sony, etc. The DT 770 Pro offers the best value in cost and performance. I got mine for $169, but when time came to buy another pair for my Roland A-90EX, the price had gone up to $249. Remember don't make any early judgments as they require a break in time of at least 100hrs+ on most phones.

Try this link: http://www.headphonereviews.org/manufacturer.php

 

Thank all of you very much, Pantelis, Didier and George!
The expert-tips which you kindly gave me are going to be gratefully considered when I decide for one. Maybe I'll have questions about your tips since I didn't understand several things in your replies... (Sorry, I'm really ignorant about technical things...)