X-rated Bob wrote
X-rated Bob wrote
X-rated Bob wrote
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Sennheiser have a range, designed for different applications. Some have detail, some have bass oomph, some are designed for studio tracking, while others are designed for hifi listening or simply to be inexpensive.
I miss my old HD250s - they lacked bass, but let me hear every little detail and would made the smallest bad thing jump out and slap me across the ears. The problem was the flimsy cable - replaceable, but expensive to do on a regular basis. The HD280s (IIRC) I got after them were more robust, but more a DJ's set, with tons of bass and no detail.
Ah. I should check the model number and google it.
Hahaha! Turns out my Sennheisers are AKGs. Shows how long it is since I even picked them up. Model number is AKG K142 HD. SRP is 200 USD (still short of Dr Dre territory, but more expensive than some prices I'm seeing here).
Anyhoo... I've dusted them off and have them plugged into my laptop's sound card to see if the rest has done them good.
And it has. Last night I plugged them into my tablet (my preferred lazy mode for late night listening) and accidentally tapped the play button whilst the cover shot of
Buena Vista Social Club was showing. And I heard something that I have never heard before - the famed depth and space of that recording. The drums kicked in and they didn't sound like they were on something playing in my ears, it sounded like I was in a room that somebody was playing drums in. My first thought was that I hadn't got the phones plugged in properly and the thing was playing out loud and there goes Mrs X-rated's sleep. Then immediately I thought "no! The sound is way too good for that" (my tablet has puny built in speakers). Then I realised what was going on.
Earbuds haven't done that for me. Nor have the pair of cheapo Phillips that I have laying around in case I need head phones in a hurry. Good cans can enhance the listening experience (which should come as no real surprise - but, you know...)
y'know, bob... i have two sets of headphones lyin' around. well, not lying around, rather 'to hand'. one is a set of sennheiser hd380 pro's (which i use for tracking), and a set of akg k44s. the k44s are brilliant for general purpose use. i used them for tracking until i replaced my old sennheisers with these 380s (the old ones were stolen at work, thus the earbuds from my old iphone which sit in my drawer and concern me not in the least).
the difference in sound between the two in remarkable. i often sit and watch movies or listen to music, and now absolutely refuse to use the akg set if i'm in the brilliant music mode. granted, there is quite a gap between the 44 and the 142. but it just shows to go, there is no accounting for taste and personal ear space...
i still use the akgs extensively; they're good 'phones for movies, plugging into the keyboard or the clavinova when i or the kids are practicing, etc, even for tracking. but if i'm listening to one of my modest mixes and want to really pay attention, it's the sennheisers for me.
dh|
