This article will focus on the best headphones for orchestral music production with regard to orchestral sample libraries.
The best headphones for this type of orchestral music production, because of their neutral frequency response curves for those frequencies utilized by an orchestra, and their ability to produce an adequate soundstage effect, allowing you to hear the instruments originating from their three-dimensional placement on a large recording stage, and further, their popularity among music producers, are as follows:
- Sennheiser HD 600 open-back reference headphones – top pick
- Sennheiser HD 650 open-back audiophile and reference headphones
- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, 250Ω closed-back studio headphones
A high end pick, recommended by Vienna Symphonic Library’s chief audio engineer, and what is used in the control room at the VSL Synchron Stage control room, is:
- ADAM Audio Studio Pro SP-5 closed dynamic headphones
And a budget pick, with high engineering test scores (actually higher than the Sennheiser phones), which I’ve personally used to re-record my Three Knightley Dances and Symphony #1, for streaming, is:
- Phillips SHP9500 open-back headphones
This article is part of a larger series on building an orchestral music production computer, based on my personal journey in building a new computer to professionally re-record my favorite orchestral pieces I’ve written over the years.
| Phones | Sound Neutrality | Treble Accuracy | Mid Accuracy | Bass Accuracy | Soundstage Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 6.9 | 7.4 |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 7.1 | 6.9 |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, 250Ω | 8.3 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 6.0 |
| Phillips SHP9500 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 7.2 | 8.0 |
Sennheiser HD 600 open-back reference headphones – top pick
- detachable, 116 inch cable
- 3.5mm jack, with 1/4th inch adapter
- can be a tight fit at first, but lightweight frame will stretch out for a comfortable fit
- 2 year international warranty
- popular among mastering engineers
RTINGS review
RTINGS rates the Sennheiser HD 600 open-back reference headphones an 8.1 out of 10 on sound neutrality. This high score is thanks to them having excellent mid and treble range accuracy, as well as favorable imaging and weighted harmonic distortion.
Keep in mind the mid frequency accuracy is what counts regarding orchestral music production, as most orchestral instruments occupy this particular range. For this particular variable the HD 600’s score 9.2 out of 10.
Also keep in mind that these phones have a marginally better score when it comes to soundstage and imaging, compared to their HD 650 version (below).
Sennheiser HD 650 open-back audiophile and reference headphones
- wired with 118 inch cable
- 3.5mm jack, with 1/4th inch adapter
- comfortable over-ear form factor
- 2 year international warranty
- popular among mastering engineers
- also works via direct connection to hi-fi audio equipment
RTINGS review
RTINGS rates the 650’s at 8.0 out of 10 for sound neutrality. Again the high score can be attributed to excellent mid and treble accuracy, imaging and weighted harmonic distortion. They are slightly better with regard to bass accuracy. And they are slightly worse regarding soundstage and imaging.
Sennheiser HD 800 S – better than 600 series, but super expensive
If price were not a factor, then the Sennheiser HD 800 S open back headphones destroy these 600 series phones, in terms of RTINGS sound neutrality and soundstage scores. However these are priced in a range of $1,370 to $1,799, depending on which retailer you go with. Likely if you’re purchasing these phones, you’re probably not reading this article to find out which phones to purchase!
| Sound neutrality | Treble accuracy | Mid accuracy | Bass accuracy | Soundstage effect | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser HD 800 S phones | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 9.2 |
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, 250Ω closed-back studio headphones
- wired on one side, with 3m (118 inch) cable
- 1/4th inch. jack adapter & storage bag included
- can be used in the same room as a live recording
- Adequate soundstage effect for being closed-backed
- soft, cushy, comfortable earpieces and headband
RTINGS review
With an 8.3 out of 10 score for sound neutrality from having spot on bass and mid accuracy, as well as nice imaging and (low) weighted harmonic distortion, the DT 770 Pro phones weigh in at #3 on my list.
These are indeed close-backed phones which naturally are less likely to produce a great soundstage effect, hence they are stuck below the Sennheiser’s here, even though their frequency response curve is basically a flat line all the way up to 3kHz.
ADAM Audio Studio Pro SP-5 closed dynamic headphones
Unfortunately the SP-5’s don’t have a RTINGS listing, and thus we’re missing the tool needed to do a head to head comparison. However if the folks over at Vienna Symphonic Library are using these, then that’s good enough for me. The latest demos from VSL are so realistic, it’s getting harder to tell the difference between a real and mock-up recording.
The manufacture states they can be used at every stage of the recording process, with no other reference monitor or phone needed to get an end product.
Phillips SHP9500 open-back headphones
- 1.5m (59 inches) one-sided cable
- super comfortable to wear long periods of time
- originally designed for audiophile listeners
- higher engineering ratings than phones popular in music production community
- budget friendly option
The Phillips SHP9500 open-back headphones are the ones I personally use, due to their excellent comfort right out of the box, high sound neutrality and soundstage ratings, and cheap price.
I would rate these as the top pick, other than the orchestral sample music production community is at least passively indifferent to them, and favors the Sennheiser brand phones to anything from Phillips.
But indeed they do score better than the Sennheiser’s in terms of RTINGS’s measured endpoints. And I weight these engineers’ opinions just as highly as the community’s. I’m not afraid to take an unpopular stance if it has a solid fundamental backing, as evidenced by my retro, 20th century British compositional style.
RTINGS review
With a neutral sound rating of 8.3, and a soundstage rating of 8.0, the SHP9500’s outperform their more expensive, more popular rivals. This is because they have a bit better bass accuracy than these other open backed phones on my list, while simultaneously keeping excellent treble accuracy; there are no trade-offs here. It should be noted their soundstage effect grossly surpasses all the other phones in this article.
Also great for classical listening
The Phillips SHP9500 open-back headphones are also great for at-home listening in a quiet room. Because of their neutrality, they are kind of ‘no frills’, but at the same time you get detail and immersive-ness, such that you can close your eyes and feel like you are in a different world, traversing the epic soundscapes of large scale symphonies or whatnot.
Rational behind picking the best headphones for orchestral music production
Neutral frequency response & adequate soundstage
Generally, what you’re looking for when it comes to orchestral music production, are a pair of headphones that have a neutral frequency response across the entire spectrum of the orchestra from the double bass to the piccolo, especially in the mid-range where most orchestral instruments ranges are, and which have a good soundstage effect, i.e. the ability to place your orchestra in three-dimensional space, in an ‘accurate’ fashion.
Soundstage effect example
For example, my Spitfire Audio Symphony Complete sample library was recorded at Air Studio, with a tree mic behind where the conductor would normally stand, and as well closed, and room mics. And thus an adequate set of headphones should be able to place the strings in the front of that room, and the brass and percussion in the back of it.
And when I manipulate the mic levels on the Spitfire front-end graphics, the headphones should pick such up accurately. Strings should feel further away, when I dial up the rooms mics, and dial down the tree mics.
Further, Air Studio’s width should also be imprinted on the listener by this soundstage effect.
Soundstage more prominent with open backed headphones
Generally, open backed headphones are less likely to have sound waves reflect back onto the drivers, and unnaturally get bounced back and forth in such manner. The sound waves are more able to disperse naturally. As a result the listener gets a more natural, open but immersive sound, and better stereo and soundstage effects.
Thus the Sennheisers are more favored on my list than the Beyerdynamic, even though the latter seemingly has a more ‘accurate’ looking frequency response curve.
Closed backed headphones obviously better for being in a room with a live recording
Though if you are in the room with a live orchestra, you would certainly be better off with a closed back set, like that from Beyerdynamic or ADAM Studio. These are less likely to have music bleed out from them and back into your mics, creating a small positive feedback loop.
So if you do need your phones to perform double duty (live recording and mixing), go with the Beyedynamics or ADAM Studio phones.
What’s up with the frequency response drop off in the lower frequencies for open backed phones?
If you examine the frequency response curves for the recommended open backed headphones, you do see the lower instrument (double bass, tuba, cello, bass clarinet, etc.) frequencies under perform, relative to those of the mid and treble range. Somehow these frequencies are more likely to ‘escape’ via the open backed design of the phones.
Even so, when you’re pushing your low instruments at double forte in your music, especially when combined with a timpani rolling away, these phones will alert you to the danger of making your recording too bass-y in such areas. They’ll also pick up that low wind effect (bass clarinet, bassoon family) where some lower notes can just unnaturally dominate the low end of a recording, likely from somehow causing their recording room, or your phones to resonate, like an acoustic guitar box.
However, these open backed phones more adequately represent what a listener’s sound system will do with your music, as by nature, most listening devices are ‘open backed’, i.e. their speakers have no closed barriers to challenge/reflect the sound waves they are producing.
Here is a car stereo’s woofer frequency response curves to show such phenomenon. Note how all three woofers almost mimic the open back headphone’s frequency responses in those lower instrument ranges:
Frequency response correction software makes this bass roll off phenomenon less of an issue
Even if the lack of accuracy in the lower frequency range on these open backed headphones was a problem, there is always the possibility of using correction software to artificially give your phones a more neutral impression of your music.
Here is a pic of a user, using a frequency response correction profile, made by Oratory 1990 EQ Correction on their Fabfilter Pro-Q, to compensate for the lack of neutrality at certain frequencies for their Sennheiser HD 880 S phones:
Facilitates production of good quality audio tracks across a range of playback devices
I also look for a headphone set that allows me to produce orchestral tracks that simultaneously sound good on my laptop (which under-emphasizes the bass frequencies), on my Bluetooth speaker (which overemphasizes some bass frequencies), on my flat screen TV speakers, and in my car.
Again, open backed phones are good at this.
The only time you might get in a little trouble is when you’re using a car audio system designed to aggressively pump the bass in pop music. Mixing with open backed phones, your recordings may get a bit more bass-y, compared to say, the old school reference recordings of Bax and Vaughan Williams symphonies, which tended to have a lot of their bass cut out. I wouldn’t worry too much about it though, as this type of stereo makes even modern film scores sound too bass-y.
Research behind the picks for best headphones for orchestral music production
Examining Google’s search results for best orchestral headphones
Generally when asking Google what are the best products are for a given topic, you may not get the best products, but the best advertised products. However, for such a small niche as ‘best headphones for orchestral music production’ the product selection might be low enough in volume that these are one in the same:
Of the list Google compiled, not only do my top picks show up, but there is another contender that’s a studio favorite for popular music:
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x closed-back studio monitoring headphones
The main reason these didn’t make my ‘best headphones for orchestral music production’ list, was the inadequate soundstage rating by RTINGS, which was as miserable 5.5 out of 10, due to their closed-back design. And their frequency response curve isn’t as clean looking as my top closed-back choice, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. These DT 770’s also have adequate soundstage for being closed-backed, as a reminder.
What are orchestral music producers using to mix their tracks?
Examining the answers to the question, ‘What studio headphones do you use for orchestral music?’ over at VI-control.net, a lot of the same names from the Google search are also present:
Sennheiser HD 600 open-back reference headphones
Users describe this headphones set as ‘marginally better for accurate decision making’, and a tad more natural sounding, than the 650’s (below).
Sennheiser HD 650 open-back audiophile and reference headphones
Though the 650’s are slated to be a bit more ‘silky’ or have the ability to make everything sound good through them, music producers are still endorsing them for mixing orchestral music.
ADAM Audio Studio Pro SP-5 closed dynamic headphones
These are recommended by a Vienna Symphonic Library employee, who says the company’s chief audio engineer recommended them to him. The main reason being their soundstage effect is well done, even though they are a closed back set. The music sounds as though it is being produced in front of the listener.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, 250Ω closed-back studio headphones
Again this usual suspect comes up, with one user using them for live orchestral recording, while another recommends this company’s DT 880 Pro set for mixing.
Next Up
Next up, check out the rest of my series on gearing up for orchestral music production. I’m a classical composer, but a lot of my articles also apply to film & game music. I had a brief stint in the mid 2000’s where I wrote terrible film scores!
Take care…