BassNovice Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Can anybody recommend me a good pair for practicing at night when the missus and kids are in bed?? She's finaly snapped...there I was last night happily slapping away at the verse for Tell me baby when she came running downstairs with a look on her face that sent a shiver down my spine!!! I'm fearful for my gear now!!! Help a brother out!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapolpora Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Any good closed-back studio tracking/monitoring headphones would be good - something like the Beyer DT100/DT150 which is the industry standard. Anything higher end and you'll need a high quality headphone amp to get the best out of them. iPod style headphones are rubbish for this sort of thing and not very nice to listen too over extended periods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Headphones may not be enough if you're slapping. Slapped enthusiatically, even an unplugged bass can sound loud when you're trying to get to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I use beyer DT-150. They are very comfy for a long session unlike a lot of cheapo 'phones I have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassNovice Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 Thanks people...I'll have a look at the 150's!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I use Sennheiser inears - CX300s I think. If you can cope with inears (and some people can't) they're really good, and for £30, a cheaper option. With a good seal, they reproduce a lot of bass. Used them for studio monitoring, too, as I'm used to their sound. The Beyers are industry standards and very very good, but too pricey for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) I'm using Sennheiser HD465 headphones, which are comfortable and handle the bass well, whether it's from the headphone out on a practice amp or a laptop. I also have Sennheiser CX500 inears, but don't really get on with them. You need a very good seal to get any bass, and I find they slip out whichever insert I use. If Happy Jack's right about the unplugged volume, you may have to run a power line out to the shed. Edited January 7, 2011 by spinynorman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) Sennheisers are great. I'd also strongly recommend a pair of AKGs - I personally use these for both home recording and 'stealth' bass playing late at night: [url="http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/akg_k240_mk_2_stereo_studio_headphones.html"]http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/akg_k240...headphones.html[/url] ^ Superb 'phones for the money. What I particularly like is the fact that they're very 'flat' - what you hear is what you get, if that makes sense? (i.e. they don't affect the sound in any way, which makes them ideal for studio work). AKG have been making 'phones for ages, so it's a brand you can trust. Edited January 7, 2011 by Skol303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMX Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I picked up some Sennheisers from amazon - around £17 I think and they sound great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Without wishing to hi-jack the thread, I notice that the Beyer DT-100 phones come in 400 ohm and 16 ohm versions. What factors would determine which was more suitable? (I would want to use them with a) my hi-fi amp my studio mixer c) my bass practice amp). Any advice appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassNovice Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 Sound nice skol...I'll check them out also!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan670844 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 [quote name='BassNovice' post='1080805' date='Jan 7 2011, 10:31 AM']Can anybody recommend me a good pair for practicing at night when the missus and kids are in bed?? She's finaly snapped...there I was last night happily slapping away at the verse for Tell me baby when she came running downstairs with a look on her face that sent a shiver down my spine!!! I'm fearful for my gear now!!! Help a brother out!![/quote] AKG K44 and K77 are good and cheap a lot of studios use them they use the same drivers as some of the more expensive stuff. Be careful slapping with headphones you could seriously kill your ears if you have it too loud! but as someone else said the acoustic noise from the bass is going to be pretty loud slapping, why not try some fingerstyle! at least you can work out the movement, then you can slap when you ok to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) [quote name='BassNovice' post='1081060' date='Jan 7 2011, 01:51 PM']Sound nice skol...I'll check them out also!!![/quote] No probs! Sennheiser, Behringer, Audio-Technica, AKG...you really can't go wrong with any of those brands. Sennheiser tend to dominate the market and are reliably good quality, but shop around as you often get more for your money with the lesser known manufacturers. £90-£150 or so will bag you a pair of 'phones that should last many years, if not a lifetime! I'd personally avoid using in-ear phones (aka 'ear buds'): call me paranoid, but there's a bunch of studies that show these are more likely to cause permanent ear damage than 'can-style' 'phones; just a quick word of warning there. Three important things to bear in mind are: - Closed or open back? Closed headphones fit over your entire ear and cut out much more background noise (e.g. useful if you're ever wanting to record vocals or use them in a noisy environment), but open are actually better if you also want to use the 'phones for mixing/mastering audio (in my humble opinion), because the open back gives a more 'natural' sound. That probably makes no sense at all, but Google it if you're interested. - Flat or augmented frequency response? No headphones have a truly flat frequency response, and most tend to compress the sound to make it suitable for listening so close to the actual speaker. Some phones do sound 'better' than others because they affect the sound in some way (typically boosting the bass and treble, while dropping the mid-range: the classic EQ 'V' shape). Other phones (like those made by AKG) are designed to consciously transfer the sound with minimal 'interference', so that what you hear is a more accurate representation - albeit more flat or dull sounding in some instances. I personally prefer phones with a flat frequency response, but that's because I also use them for home studio work. Something to think about. - Comfort... not to be underestimated! (I've tried plenty of top-end phones that sound perfect but start to feel uncomfortable after a short while). If possible, visit a store and try them on for size. Headphone cups (the padded bits that fit on your ears) tend to wear out surprisingly quickly, so it's wise to buy a pair that allow the cups to be easily detached and replaced if possible, rather than glued on (same applies to headphone cables). Hope that helps! I spent a while researching headphones before investing in a pair of AKGs a couple of years ago, so feel free to pick my limited brain if you want any more advice. I'm a studio geek first and bass player second, so headphones are very important to me Edited January 7, 2011 by Skol303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 [quote name='Muzz' post='1080849' date='Jan 7 2011, 11:09 AM']I use Sennheiser inears - CX300s I think. If you can cope with inears (and some people can't) they're really good, and for £30, a cheaper option. With a good seal, they reproduce a lot of bass. Used them for studio monitoring, too, as I'm used to their sound. The Beyers are industry standards and very very good, but too pricey for me.[/quote] I use these too - got 2 pairs for £20 on some site about 6 months ago to replace my iPod phones. dv247? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Sennheiser HD280 pro. Recommended without hestitation. Not hugely cheap, but worth every last shekel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassNovice Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 I'm a fingerstyle player 1st and foremost...but I want to be as versatile as I can be..going by marloweDK s videos..I'm beginner/intermidiate at slap but I want to keep at it!!! But I'm a fingerstyle player!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jbarks Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) [quote name='BassNovice' post='1080805' date='Jan 7 2011, 10:31 AM']Can anybody recommend me a good pair for practicing at night when the missus and kids are in bed??[/quote] Like everyone else says—the DT-150s are fantastic. If you're looking for something cheaper, the Audio-Technica ATH-M30s are a fantastic budget headphone (at least where I come from... they sell for £35 brand new). [quote name='Earbrass' post='1081057' date='Jan 7 2011, 01:50 PM']Without wishing to hi-jack the thread, I notice that the Beyer DT-100 phones come in 400 ohm and 16 ohm versions. What factors would determine which was more suitable? (I would want to use them with a) my hi-fi amp my studio mixer c) my bass practice amp). Any advice appreciated.[/quote] A) and would work well with the 400 ohm version, but your practice amp might not be able to push it enough (YMMV). That said, I used the 250 ohm DT-150 on my iPod and it sounded great... Edited January 7, 2011 by jbarks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I got some Sennheiser wireless cans because I was getting fed up of the cable getting in the way. However, a word of warning. They have massive compression - play loud and they wind back the volume a quite incredible amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithless Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I tried a few headphones, both open and closed type, Sennheiser HD465 and Beyerdynamic DTX900, and they all seemed to be uncomfortable after having them on for extended periods of time - ears get hot, and head is getting dizzy.. While open-ear Beyerdynamics were ok, Sennheisers were a total nightmare.. Anyone's know headphones comfortable for really long practice sessions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamelouis Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 These are the mutts nuts i hear ! [url="http://www.extremeheadphones.com/"]http://www.extremeheadphones.com/[/url] Paul Gilbert put me on to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Audio Technical ath m50 gets my vote. Bought them after doing a fair bit of research last year. They sound fantastic with good deep bass response. They may not be as flat response as my old DT120, but sound much better IMO. Really warm sound, and great on my own or when I'm monitoring the band mix. Highly recommended. Id buy another pair, if I ever need another set of phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I use Sony MDR-XD200 they are cheap but really comfortable for long sessions. I sit with my Pandora , Fretless and MP3 player and play into the night My misses starts work at 5:00am so goes to bed around 8:30pm! Quiet practice is all I get during the week, crank the amp at the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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