Check Out These Cans

I do a LOT of listening on headphones. Sure, I listen to music late at night, but I also like to hear the clarity of clean recordings and the details in songs with many layered tracks. For years now I've been stuck on the same pair of headphones: the AKG K-501. These 'cans' may well be my most prized tech possession. After a couple years of owning them, I bought a second pair just in case my original pair failed.  So far, I've yet to need pair #2.  Whew.

If you think I'm crazy about these headphones, check out this review by a fellow user I found online:

"The midrange is where these shine, especially for acoustic and female vocals. They have a slight dip at 2.5khz which gives it a surreal and airy feel, like you're floating in the heavens. The detail is excellent. Beware, it is very transparent, it will faithfully reproduce whatever you put in. Bad recordings will sound like crap. Good recordings sound amazing."

One of the best attributes of these headphones is that they are an 'open back' style, meaning that the sound is not just isolated in the ears. While not good for making audio recordings due to sound bleed, they are great for listening at high volumes for long periods. The sound is so airy that I often have to take the headphones off to confirm that my room speakers aren't playing aloud as well.  Besides the sheer enjoyment I get listening to these babies, the consistency of hearing every song through the same 'speakers' for over 10 years has helped me more accurately judge the quality of recordings and the stereo components that play them.

This Christmas I asked for the actual CD of Maroon 5's latest album. I already had the Mp3s, but I wanted to hear the best version I could, not just the compressed files. While I have heard a legitimate difference between AIFF (CD) and Mp3 before, I couldn't really hear an improvement with the CD. Of course, I tested both formats with my AKGs.  If I couldn't hear a difference through them, I don't think I would in any other listening environment. 

Well, if you made it this far reading about my headphones, I commend you. What can I say? Maybe my tag line should read Music___Photography___Geeking out.