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I'm a longtime Head-fi member, first set of workplace cans were HD-280s about 10 years ago. This article is a decent start, but there are many better options i

I'm a longtime Head-fi member, first set of workplace cans were HD-280s about 10 years ago. This article is a decent start, but there are many better options in these respective price ranges. Head-fi is there to help - http://www.head-fi.org/ http://www.head-fi.org/ I've moved considerably upmarket over the years and won't talk about the rest of my setup, but my main cans now are Ultrasone Editions 8s. They're very pricey (retail $1500 for the basic model, but you can get them used under $1k if you spend enough time on the Head-fi classifieds). They're considered by many to be the best sounding _closed_ cans out there, and they actually isolate almost as well as good iems. Plus they're very light and comfortable at 260 grams. So yeah, that's quite a bit of money and I am certainly an audiophile. OTOH, I use them an average of 4 hours a day and bought them used, so when the time comes I can sell them at little to no loss. I get a great deal of enjoyment out of my rig and it helps me to do my work, so I consider it a good investment. Same with my Knoll Life Chair. YMMV. I actually made a profit on limited edition headphones in the past, purchased a used pair of Audio-Technica L3000s for $1500 in 2005, sold them for $2000 in 2007. Today they tend to go in the $2500 range.

TylerE 15y ago
I've been using some Denon D-2000's for my work usage for a while. Were about $250 when I bought them 5 or 6 years ago, looks like they run closer to $350 these days. They're closed, but not super-isolating, a good tradeoff between not leaking sound, and being able to hear my phone ring. They're very comfortable, more so than other phones I own (At home I have a couple different pairs of Grados, Beyers, and AKG 301s). They also drive well of a standard headphone output, when many audiophile grade phones (the AKGs and most higher-end Sennheisers, for intance), don't.
wickedchicken 15y ago
Are those meant to be casual listening phones, monitors, reference?
- brandall10 15y ago
  They straddle between casual and reference. You really can't get solid reference/monitor in a closed phone. For open phones,a good starter reference would be the AKG701, but that is difficult to drive and anemic down low. For true ref tt seems you have to move up to things like the Senn HD800/Beyer T1 to get near ruler flat frequency. For monitor use, and by that term I'm talking about actual pro-audio where isolation is a plus, really the high end custom IEM (IEM = in ear monitor) is where it's at. But as with most things, be careful what you wish for. A true reference can be boring unless you're using well mastered source material. Most pop/rock/electronica doesn't fall into that category, and with that notion it's best to listen to a bunch of cans and let your ears be your guide. The components in my chain cater to my preferences. It's not the most uber-accurate, but for my purposes emotional engagement is key - it let's me tune out from my environment and focus on my work.
  - TomatoTomato 15y ago
    JH-16 Pro Customs... nothing else, all day, every day!
    - rdl 15y ago
      Wow, I didn't even know they made custom IEMs, vs. just custom earmolds for the standard Etymotics, Shure, UE, etc. IEMs. This is like a whole additional level of audio geekery :)
  - pilsetnieks 15y ago
    AKG K701s are not difficult to drive - 64 ohm is not that much - but they leak sound so bad, I don't think I'd ever recommend anyone using those in an office (unless you want to hear everything around you or listen to music at deafening volume in which case everyone around you is forced to listen to it as well).
- semisight 15y ago
  You're asking the wrong question. Nearly all "audiophile-class" headphones are used for what most would consider casual listening. The distinction you want is "fun" vs. "neutral," and depending on who you ask you'll get very different answers on preferences.
adman65 15y ago
HD280 is the best bang for the buck. I've bought 5 pairs now for other people!
- feralchimp 15y ago
  Could not agree more. No-frills styling (i.e. kinda fug but durable plastic), extremely comfortable for long periods of time, over-ear doesn't leak a lot of sound into your surroundings, nice low-end punch, and otherwise flat enough for basic multitrack mixing work.
  - pilsetnieks 15y ago
    While I agree on all of the other points, they are most definitely not extremely comfortable. Especially if you have a larger head, you'll feel like your skull is in a clamp quite fast. Other than that (and the headband cracking) those are one of the best headphones I've ever had.
- hackernews 15y ago
  I've had my pair for a couple years and love them. BUT, they were poorly tested. Both sides have broken where they slide out of the headpiece to extend. Spent $5 at home depot and with a bit of drilling they are now reinforced and back together.

TylerE 15y ago

I've been using some Denon D-2000's for my work usage for a while. Were about $250 when I bought them 5 or 6 years ago, looks like they run closer to $350 these days. They're closed, but not super-isolating, a good tradeoff between not leaking sound, and being able to hear my phone ring. They're very comfortable, more so than other phones I own (At home I have a couple different pairs of Grados, Beyers, and AKG 301s). They also drive well of a standard headphone output, when many audiophile grade phones (the AKGs and most higher-end Sennheisers, for intance), don't.

wickedchicken 15y ago

Are those meant to be casual listening phones, monitors, reference?

brandall10 15y ago
They straddle between casual and reference. You really can't get solid reference/monitor in a closed phone. For open phones,a good starter reference would be the AKG701, but that is difficult to drive and anemic down low. For true ref tt seems you have to move up to things like the Senn HD800/Beyer T1 to get near ruler flat frequency. For monitor use, and by that term I'm talking about actual pro-audio where isolation is a plus, really the high end custom IEM (IEM = in ear monitor) is where it's at. But as with most things, be careful what you wish for. A true reference can be boring unless you're using well mastered source material. Most pop/rock/electronica doesn't fall into that category, and with that notion it's best to listen to a bunch of cans and let your ears be your guide. The components in my chain cater to my preferences. It's not the most uber-accurate, but for my purposes emotional engagement is key - it let's me tune out from my environment and focus on my work.
- TomatoTomato 15y ago
  JH-16 Pro Customs... nothing else, all day, every day!
  - rdl 15y ago
    Wow, I didn't even know they made custom IEMs, vs. just custom earmolds for the standard Etymotics, Shure, UE, etc. IEMs. This is like a whole additional level of audio geekery :)
- pilsetnieks 15y ago
  AKG K701s are not difficult to drive - 64 ohm is not that much - but they leak sound so bad, I don't think I'd ever recommend anyone using those in an office (unless you want to hear everything around you or listen to music at deafening volume in which case everyone around you is forced to listen to it as well).
semisight 15y ago
You're asking the wrong question. Nearly all "audiophile-class" headphones are used for what most would consider casual listening. The distinction you want is "fun" vs. "neutral," and depending on who you ask you'll get very different answers on preferences.

adman65 15y ago

HD280 is the best bang for the buck. I've bought 5 pairs now for other people!

feralchimp 15y ago
Could not agree more. No-frills styling (i.e. kinda fug but durable plastic), extremely comfortable for long periods of time, over-ear doesn't leak a lot of sound into your surroundings, nice low-end punch, and otherwise flat enough for basic multitrack mixing work.
- pilsetnieks 15y ago
  While I agree on all of the other points, they are most definitely not extremely comfortable. Especially if you have a larger head, you'll feel like your skull is in a clamp quite fast. Other than that (and the headband cracking) those are one of the best headphones I've ever had.
hackernews 15y ago
I've had my pair for a couple years and love them. BUT, they were poorly tested. Both sides have broken where they slide out of the headpiece to extend. Spent $5 at home depot and with a bit of drilling they are now reinforced and back together.