What is the best headphone for digital piano?
is it has some specific spec? What is the main important point/thing in choosing headphone for digital piano?
Thanks

Hello SAO,

This is always a huge topic on the forum, almost too much. I suggest you first use the forum's Google search function (top left) to research and see what has already been said. The good news is you will find your answers and some extremely useful information regarding headphones for DP use. Then maybe come back and ask some specific headphone questions if you still cant find the answer you are looking for.

oww,, sorry. Thanks

You may also want to check out http://www.head-fi.org/

While it is a more general headphone site, I've found that headphones that I enjoy for music also work quite well with my piano.

Just as a reference, I currently have: Grado SR80i, Shure SRH-840 and Sennheiser HD600.

Oh, and as to specs, none of the published specs really mean anything. More or less all headphones can produce all frequencies that humans can hear, but that doesn't tell you how well they do so, just that they make noise at those frequencies.


Ideally you'd put a few piano recordings on your phone or mp3 player and go listen to all the headphones you can get your hands on with them.


Oh, and because you asked, the absolute best is probably a Stax SR-009 with a Blue Hawaii SE amp.

Open style headphones (like the Sennheiser HD 598 and siblings) sound the most natural and best in my experience. However, they let room noise leak in, which can be surprisingly annoying. I have the Senn HD595's and they wickedly outperform my ATH M50's (which are nice cans but closed).

On the other hand, a forum member was just saying that he actually prefers his Bose QC15's over his Senns, presumably because the noise canceling allows him to hear the music better. Unfortunately, neither the Bose nor the Senns are anything like cheap.

I'll add that with headphones, you do get what you pay for - as long as you're looking at the right models.

When reading reviews in websites or music magazines, always remember that the reviewers are generally comparing with models in the same price range. A $50 model is very unlikely to match a $200 model, even if the $50 is the best in its price bracket, and the $200 model is just about OK in comparison with other $200 ones.

And everyone's hearing preferences are different, but one that you like with your MP3 player is almost certainly going to suit you when using with a DP. And avoid those with high impedance - Yamaha DPs especially won't give sufficient volume without headphones amplifier.

From my own experience, all my headphones that work well with my iPod Classic and Touch are perfect with my Roland V-Piano.

Yes, I agree. I was using the headphones that came with my Yamaha package - low end variety cans. Finally decided to get a new set - after all the threads and discussions about headphones. I did not purchase anything expensive (SONY MDR7506). Let me tell you, it was like getting a new keyboard - I'm not telling you vets anything new. It nearly put me to tears the improvement in the sound. Now, I want my speakers to sound the same!!!!

Yeah, good headphones are a great investment. We often see people shelling out a ton for their DP and possibly for external speakers and then cheaping out on the headphones. For the way I use my DP, at least, headphones are a crucial part of the setup. In my opinion, a set of high end cans (all the way over the ear, 1/4 jack, super-comfy, etc.) is the best investment you can make (besides perhaps a software piano).

Try the Superlux HD-681EVO. Take out the inner black felt for enhanced highs and mids. The highs will sound too bright but after burn in, I was super happy with it. I don't believe in spending hundreds to get great headsets. Also, the HD-681EVO model is designed such that if you accidentally yank on the cord, the cord will release to prevent damage. For about $45, it's very good. You can also upgrade with velor pads. I will never go for Sennheiser after a pair of mine broke.

I don't think you can go wrong with Sennheiser HD598.

I initially just wanted to get one. I bought it home and listened to it. The very next day, I went back to the store and bought another pair to use at work.

A couple of days later, my colleague saw me with it, came over and listened to it for 10 mins. He then asked me to bring him to the store where I bought the HD598. We went during lunch time and he bought himself one too.

It's really that good.

I also prefer the open style headphones. I'm using HiFiman he-400's and find them a pleasure and would recommend highly.

HD598 (purchased Sep/2013) on my Roland HP 505 works very good, but not perfect:
- for the highs they are just brilliantly clear and superbly rich in detail;
- for the lows they are very(!) boomy und by far not clear defined as in the highs;

I anyway will stay with them because comparing them with others, which means puchasing others as well, testing them and then negociating to give some of them back to the dealer is not realy a recommendable option for where I am living, and I wouldn´t like to take the risk of finally staying with the costs of several headphones; I will also stay with them, because they are significantly better than my 50 EUR headphones I so far have had in use, and thus their very boomy character in the lows, when connected to a HP505, is for me an acceptable drawback; I would search for others, if living in a better commercial infrastructure, though.

And I actually do not know if the lows are boomy because of what the HP505 puts out, or because of what the HD598 is doing.

I can't say I've found my 598s 'boomy' have you tried them with some other sound source?

I also have HD598 and I am quite happy with them.
Marco, as far as I know, Roland HP pianos tend to be rather heavy on bass, so make sure the "problem" is in the headphones and not in the piano (though I think I should call it characteristic and not problem).

@macrco, I don't have any problem with "boominess" with my HD598 on my CA95 or listening to mp3 & flac on my iphone.

Blimey! I got a new Yammy 820S years ago but the headphones that came with it were . . not good. I could hear the wife talking when I had `em on, so I "invested" in a cheap pair to start with. Like £5; the improvement was terrific. . . Still have `em 15 years later. I use them on my present keyboard. Am I missing something? I better rephrase that . . .

As I said:

Anyone else who drives some HD598 by a HP505 and could comment how they work in that combination for you?