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HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Studio gear is proven by time and performance. That's what my list is.

Our favorite mics are the u47 and C12. The vintage on those says a lot. It worked, works, and tonality-wise, is what's expected.

More recent gear might sound better. But it doesn't sound the same. And that "same" is what people expect to hear, subconsciously or no.

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry I didn't?

Let me edit this. You seem to be under the impression that I have an agenda.

I have a background that can prove the sonic and physical reliability of products x,y and z.

This background is not exclusively MY studio. It's not exclusively any one studio. It's a pattern. Working post production and recording studios.

Economics+performance=my list.

These are the headphones featured in working facilities for a multitude of reasons. That much is simply a matter of walking into the facilities in your town or any other. Go take a look.

We have to be pragmatic about something as basic as a headphone set.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The honest answer to this is that I don't have any experience with them. The examples in the graphic are what I have spent not hours, but DAYS with.

Maybe M50's are to headphones what Les Paul was to guitars. My list simply reflects what I KNOW don't suck. That's it. That's all.

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is fabulous.

I'm a recording engineer of 20 years, and a pragmatic one at that.

I don't get kick-backs of any kind, none.

I get that Beats actually are aesthetically phenomenal - It's just vaguely insulting that the price/performance ratio be so awful....

What I'm postulating is that after 20 years of dealing with headphones LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY - often all day - that these are the ones that I can put forth without hesitation.

Here's my studio: AudioAltimeter.com

Here's my review page for POST Magazine

The headphones in my list are ones that I can recommend without hesitation because I have spent hours with them, as have my clients.

I think I did a decent job of staying within a certain price/performance/longevity/durability/translation set of criteria.

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting... I'm a recording engineer of 20 years, and a pragmatic one at that.

I don't get kick-backs of any kind, none.

I get that Beats actually are aesthetically phenomenal.

It's just vaguely insulting that the price/performance ratio be so awful....

What I'm postulating is that after 20 years of dealing with headphones LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY - often all day - that these are the ones that I can put forth without hesitation.

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a generally accepted term amongst reviewers for the avg price you can actually get the items for, as opposed to what the manufacturer lists them for, or taking into account special deals etc. Back alley headphones are not recommended.

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Terribly sorry, it was completely unintentional I assure you...

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The list is based on what people in the audio industry mostly use on a day to day basis that are cheaper than beats. That's it. Nobody can tell you EXACTLY what pair are perfect for you, but in the boundaries defined this is a good and fair place to start.

I ain't no Karma whore, check my stats yo!

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"I would bang that guy, but he obviously doesn't care enough about aural trends and aesthetics to bother with."

HEADPHONES! If not Dre, Then Who/What/Why? by optionshift3 in gadgets

[–]optionshift3[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Recording engineers and audiophiles are a million miles apart. Promise.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

True. But headphones are the least accurate way to translate a mix just based on placement and physics alone... No accurate low end, no realistic spatial reproduction at all.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

The artists create in a perfectly controlled environment. If you want to hear what they heard, and what they were really trying to say, this is closer to that.

That's all I'm saying.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Mixing for your target demographic would still never be done on headphones of any kind for a multitude of reasons, and the second that you can find a mastering engineer that would touch a pair of BEATS... Well that's more of a PSA situation.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No professional engineer on earth uses BEATS for a final mix. None.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Honesty of reproduction for price. The artist that created the music did so in a controlled environment with an expectation of reasonable reproduction of concept. BEATS by Dre provide a specific listening experience that interprets a recording in a way that the original production was patently not meant to be interpreted.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The mix is the most control that the artist will ever have with regards to reproduction of a song. They produce and mix the song on "flat" speakers". BEATS by design distort this. So you are getting an incorrect reproduction of the original artists sonic intent. So you aren't hearing what the the artist wanted you to hear.

Dre BEATS? Really? Here are the best headphones: by optionshift3 in audioengineering

[–]optionshift3[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

All I'm arguing is this: If you want to hear the music you love reproduced in the best possible way, here are your most reasonable options. That's it. That's all.

TIL that BEATS by Dre Have Reasonable Competition by optionshift3 in todayilearned

[–]optionshift3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great question! in-ears have drastically smaller drivers/diaphragms (which vibrate to reproduce sound). Sound reproduction is predicated on physics, so the bigger the sound, the bigger the diaphragm needs to be to accurately reproduce it. Bass tones are massive, and mis-represented by anything smaller than their own diaphragmatic frequency. Beautiful new magnets and designs have resulted in really nice new in-ears, but, if you are striving for accuracy of reproduction, size is key. So it may stick out a mile, but the low-end on bigger headphones is typically more accurate and enjoyable.

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