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[Reggie Kendrick]

I figured this would be a better fit for the DJ lounge.
http://blog.channelliveproductions.com/2011/05/21/headphone-shootout---dr-dre-beat-pro-vs-sennheiser-hd25ii-vs-sony-mdr-v6-vs-sony-mdr-v700.aspx

For those on cell phones...

Getting straight to the point:

((( Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's )))
They have excellent sound quality.  You wanna hear every nuance and instrument playing in your track and not miss a detail?... then the HD25's are the headphones for you.  I listened to Donald Fagen's "New Frontier" and heard instruments and clarity that the other headphones didn't quite reveal (with the exception of the MDR-V6's).  As far as sound isolation, these are surprisingly excellent as well; you almost get the impression of dead silence from background noise.  When you first put the Senn HD25's on, you'll get the feeling of them being flimsy and very light weight.  Once you position them correctly, you quickly realize that the outside noises seem as if they go away.  This is surprising considering the earcups rest on your ears and not enveloping them like most other over-ear headphones.  My Senns have a single-sided coiled cable.  They reach the other side by running through one of the headbands via a slot.  Some people have issues with this design but I find that the cable stays very secure and I never worry about them coming loose.  My only qualm with the HD25's is the bass is not quite as prominent as the vocals and clarity.  It's as if sound delivery emphasis was purposely put on vocals and the instrument realm.  The bass response is not weak at all and I would rate it as very good, it's just not quite as prominent as I'd like it.  With the styles of music I primarily listen to:  R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Top40 Pop... I'd prefer a little more bass impact from my headphones.

((( Sony MDR-V700 )))
By themselves they sound good.  The have good clarity and good bass response.  As far as isolation, they were the worst of the 4 headphones.  When you put them on your head, the earpad portion seems rest against my ears like two flat bricks.  I really don't understand why as they have padding.  These headphones are industry standard, cookie-cutter designed.  They're nearly 100% plastic and they do break at various places... especially the hinges.  For me, this is not an option for the rigors mobile DJ duty.  I've already replaced the original earpads as the old ones deteriorated very quickly (within 2 to 3 years).  The headband, with SONY written on them, has also deteriorated and needs to be replaced.  Both disintegrating pads will leave tiny Black flakes on your ears, hair and face if not replaced.  These are good general purpose DJ headphones and I only emphasize 'good'.

((( Beats By Dre Pro )))
These are very stylish and sound great.  What you'll quickly notice is that the bass response of the Beats Pro's is phenomenal, immense, deep and the impact crazy high!  To audiophiles, this isn't a good thing as some prefer a more flat sound.  For the casual headphone listener, listening via a laptop or iPod, you want this added bass response.  I don't want to thumb through my iPod settings trying to adjust the bass EQ for each and every song.  I'd prefer my headphones to have the sound I'd typically set my car or club sound system to (heavy on the bass, good clarity, not distorted and very good highs).  As far as isolation, I found these to be among the best of the bunch.  As far as comfort, when I initially used them at one of my gigs, I was running them with one earcup swiveled upwards and the left side resting at normal over ear position.  They felt uncomfortable that 1st night; however, they now feel great and are my GoTo headphone of choice.  Some people say they're fatiguing and heavy.  They may be on the heavy side to my other headphones but I do not find them fatiguing at all.  I noticed on my NS7 that at very high volume levels, these headphones do not sound distorted.  You'd think the bass heaviness would be a hindrance when you'd seek less headphone bass for club gigs but I've found the contrary.  They sound very solid at loud volumes; more so than the rest of the bunch.  When listening to iTunes via my laptop, I found the Beats Pro's to be very efficient and highly sensitive.  This efficiency and high sensitivity translates to being very loud with very little laptop volume.  The other 3 headphones require my Macbook Pro to be at full volume and they still did not get as loud as the Beat Pro's.  The volume level at the MacBook Pro's loudest volume is actually too loud for comfortable listening levels on the Beats.  Construction quality and materials is where the Beat Pro's shine best.  They are all-metal construction unlike their competition.  This should translate to a very long lasting headphone.  I don't understand why other manufacturers still make headphones with plastic construction and why DJ's still buy their junk.  I originally purchased my Sony MDR-V6's back in '94 or '95.  They are a testament to what metal headphone construction can mean for longevity.  I expect the Beats Pro's to last just as long...

((( Sony MDR-V6 )))
As far as sound quality, I'd put the Sony MDR-V6's just about neck-and-neck with the Sennheiser HD25's.  They sound excellent.  Everything I said about the Senn's fits with the Sony MDR-V6's with the exception of the lowest of lows.  The Senns seem to be slightly more solid sounding with the lowest level 20-40Hz stuff.  Not many tracks produced these days have bass kicks down in this region.  If they do, most MI-quality PA speakers won't respond well to it and usually flub.  Some tracks I used in my listening tests for these notes were horribly made by the producers but have really deep bass kicks:  "I Love Your Girl" by Dream and "I Think I Love Her" by Gucci Mane.  On a so-so sound system, you'll probably be disappointed in the bass response because all of it lives so far down low.  On these two tracks, the Monster Beats Pro's easily revealed what the producers were trying to do as far as bass.  The Sennheiser HD25's did an okay job; the very low bass notes sounded somewhat full and together.  The Sony's V6's had the same similar sound as the Senns but the bass down low was slightly more hollow and the MDR-V700's simply didn't cut it.  Their bass flubbed and really didn't respond well to such low notes.  The build and construction quality of the MDR-V6's are excellent.  I've had mine since '94 or '95 (possibly even earlier) and they're still going strong.  I've only had to replace the earpads once and the headband bottom area lost some of its leatherette coating but the underside is a solid and resilient fabric.  The newer versions of the MDR-V6's are the MDR-7506's.  I'd recommend them highly for anyone looking for a low-cost headphone solution.  They typically cost less than $100.

In conclusion:

Best...
Beats By Dre Pro

    * all around headphone solution
    * stylish (they draw a lot of attention)
    * nice fit (on my head)
    * comfy earpads
    * excellent isolation
    * sound quality holds together at loud volumes
    * top notch all-metal construction
    * top notch bass... actually, a little too much bass
    * they swivel and tuck away for storage
    * very expensive ($350+)

Second best... TIE
Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's

    * truly excellent detail on any track
    * excellent isolation
    * ugly hockey puck looks
    * they swivel
    * very light weight
    * no tuck options for easy storage
    * very good to excellent construction that seems to last
    * moderately expensive ($170+)


Sony MDR-V-6

    * excellent detail on any track
    * good isolation but not quite as good as the Sennsheisers
    * excellent construction that's is proven to last
    * they tuck away for storage
    * no swivel options
    * not expensive (< $120 anywhere)


Third place...
Sony MDR-V700

    * good sounding
    * the earpads flip and tuck away for storage
    * poor durability padding that quickly deteriorates
    * all plastic design which is prone to break (why bother?)
    * not expensive (<$130 anywhere)

[Phil Lewandowski]

Wanted to note that all the of Dre Beats headphones are kind of like one trip ponies, as you kind of hint at with the crazy low end they have.

If you listen to Hip-hop/drums and bass/dubstep/house/etc... almost exclusively they will sound pretty good although some have noticed them to be almost to low end heavy.

But if you listen to anything but bass focused and heavy modern dance music they sound pretty bad with it.  As you said they are super hyped in the low end.


I have owned the original Sony V6's for about 6 years that I picked off eBay and replaced the ear cushions with the nicer ones that I believe Beyerdynamic stocks, and they don't sound too bad at all.  They have the high end sizzle that is noted and if using them for general listening a cut of about 3-4dB from 3-8kHz takes care of most of it and they sound great.  And if you like a little extra low end another 3-4dB boost below 100hz takes care of that.


If one if looking for a really in-depth headphones comparison look up Dave Rat's Mighty Headphone quest.  He tested at least 30 headphones, IIRC, in depth and measuring the response of each etc.


Take Care,
Phil

[Reggie Kendrick]

Wanted to note that all the of Dre Beats headphones are kind of like one trip ponies, as you kind of hint at with the crazy low end they have.

If you listen to Hip-hop/drums and bass/dubstep/house/etc... almost exclusively they will sound pretty good although some have noticed them to be almost to low end heavy.

But if you listen to anything but bass focused and heavy modern dance music they sound pretty bad with it.  As you said they are super hyped in the low end.


I have owned the original Sony V6's for about 6 years that I picked off eBay and replaced the ear cushions with the nicer ones that I believe Beyerdynamic stocks, and they don't sound too bad at all.  They have the high end sizzle that is noted and if using them for general listening a cut of about 3-4dB from 3-8kHz takes care of most of it and they sound great.  And if you like a little extra low end another 3-4dB boost below 100hz takes care of that.


If one if looking for a really in-depth headphones comparison look up Dave Rat's Mighty Headphone quest.  He tested at least 30 headphones, IIRC, in depth and measuring the response of each etc.


Take Care,
Phil

I'm gonna take a look at his review and the headphones his opinions are.  I think if I'm evaluating tracks for DJ'ing or just enjoying tunes, I'm more content with the Beats Pro's.  For critical listening of the more laid back types of music, I'm looking for my SOny MDR-V6's or Sennheisers.

[Phil Lewandowski]

I'm gonna take a look at his review and the headphones his opinions are.  I think if I'm evaluating tracks for DJ'ing or just enjoying tunes, I'm more content with the Beats Pro's.  For critical listening of the more laid back types of music, I'm looking for my SOny MDR-V6's or Sennheisers.

Yeah, if you are just doing DJ'ing out and about with bass heavy music the Beats should definitely work well, and are definitely the flavor of the month/fad in headphones right now, for the under 30 regular consumer.

(I like to think I was ahead of the curve wearing my full-size headphones on the bus in 8-10th grade 6-8 years ago and now I see these guys wearing full-size headphones popping up over the past year or 2.)

But yeah if you are doing any kind of mixing, studio or live, the Beats are definitely not what you want.  The Sennheiser HD280 Pro's have always had a decent reputation as well for the price.  But I think that the Denon's that Dave Rat liked the best would be sweet to pick up, so I will have to see.


Take Care,
Phil

[Simon Ryder]

Yeah, if you are just doing DJ'ing out and about with bass heavy music the Beats should definitely work well, and are definitely the flavor of the month/fad in headphones right now, for the under 30 regular consumer.

(I like to think I was ahead of the curve wearing my full-size headphones on the bus in 8-10th grade 6-8 years ago and now I see these guys wearing full-size headphones popping up over the past year or 2.)

But yeah if you are doing any kind of mixing, studio or live, the Beats are definitely not what you want.  The Sennheiser HD280 Pro's have always had a decent reputation as well for the price.  But I think that the Denon's that Dave Rat liked the best would be sweet to pick up, so I will have to see.


Take Care,
Phil

I have some of those Denons. They are superb. They don't seem as sensitive as others though, so may have issues going loud enough off little headphone amps ie. iPod. They sound at least as good if not better than my Senn HD600s that I use in the studio.

My live can choice for several years though has been the Beyer DT770m. They are a little coloured compared to the Denons and HD600s but sound pretty good (on a par with my HD25s) and have fantastic isolation. They also play loud.

Loud gigs I use the Beyers, more subtle gigs I use the Denons.

The HD25s live in my recording rack.

[Alex Marine]

Sennheiser HD25.

Try them and you wont go back.

[Fred Arlousky]

Nice review on those headphones. I agree that Beats and Sennheisers should be on the top of the list. I feel that Beats are more for the average user because of the heavy base, style and colors, and strong brand awareness. Sennheisers are more for the audiophiles who prefer open cans with strong highs and mids.

This chart is helpful with side by side camprison between Beats and Sennheisers, which also shows their different models:
http://supremeskins.com/sennheiser-vs-beats/

[Daniel Maki]

Beats are junk, they break easily.  Not suitable for regular DJ use, unless you are more concerned with looking cool than investing your money into something that will last.  My opinion - Sennheiser HD25-1 II. Built tough and excellent isolation.

[Reggie Kendrick]

Beats are junk, they break easily.  Not suitable for regular DJ use, unless you are more concerned with looking cool than investing your money into something that will last.  My opinion - Sennheiser HD25-1 II. Built tough and excellent isolation.

Recognize, I did my review on the Beats Pros... they're all metal and are the opposite of what you stated.  The regular Beats are plastic, require a battery and yes, junk. 

BTW:  I ended up selling my Beats Pros; they started to feel a bit uncomfortable after long periods of wearing them.  I find myself gigging with my HD25-1 II's more often now. 

[Daniel Maki]

Aight yes, I see now. Thanks for pointing that out.

(I'm still never going to do Beats By Dre)

[John Lackner]

Check out the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's. The only DJ headphones to show up on Stereophile Magazine's  "Recommended Components" list.

[Reggie Kendrick]

Check out the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's. The only DJ headphones to show up on Stereophile Magazine's  "Recommended Components" list.

I see plastic... lots of plastic.  Same 'ole cookie cutter design. Durability is key.

[Kyle_Jay]

How about the Shure SRH750DJ's? Anybody here use those? Thats what i have and i seem to like them. Quality, and not bad on comfort, after all, that is exactly what they're designed for.

[Art Welter]

I see plastic... lots of plastic.  Same 'ole cookie cutter design. Durability is key.

If durability, isolation and sound quality are key, the GK Ultraphones are the way to go.

Sony 7506 elements in a Peltor deadphone, 30 dB isolation. Beat match at 100 dB with the PA at 130 dB. They do have slightly more bottom end than the 7506/V6.

You can buy the Peltor/3M muffs for like $20 at Home Depot, so replacing any breakable parts is cheap, though the GK Ultraphones are not.

Expensive, but worth every penny.

Art

[Jay Barracato]

Back when I first joined the boards, I bought the GK's based on a recommendation.

It remains one of the best recommendations I have ever received.

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

If durability, isolation and sound quality are key, the GK Ultraphones are the way to go.

Sony 7506 elements in a Peltor deadphone, 30 dB isolation. Beat match at 100 dB with the PA at 130 dB. They do have slightly more bottom end than the 7506/V6.

You can buy the Peltor/3M muffs for like $20 at Home Depot, so replacing any breakable parts is cheap, though the GK Ultraphones are not.

Expensive, but worth every penny.

Art

Art...

Gordy is good for any repairs.  All it costs is the postage to send them to him.

Hope to see you on Monday.

[Tim Padrick]

How about the Shure SRH750DJ's? Anybody here use those? Thats what i have and i seem to like them. Quality, and not bad on comfort, after all, that is exactly what they're designed for.

They sound crap - but maybe a little less so than 7506.  Can't discern the elements of the mix with either (nor with Senny280, Shure 880, or Shure 400 - which are the best of the bunch).  Still using my Extreme EX29s.

[ProSoundWeb Community]