I just bought my first digital piano (a Yamaha CLP-430) and am now looking for good headphones. Are there any particular features that should look for given the intended usage?
asked Dec 18, 2012 at 15:35
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6I adjusted your question slightly so that it doesn't go into shopping recommendations (which are off-topic). That said, cough Sennheiser cough.– user28Commented Dec 18, 2012 at 16:13
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If two people would be listening through simple divider (teacher and student, for instance), buy identical models. Otherwise like for me now one sounds much louder than another and there is no separate sound level control.– h22Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 8:53
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2 Answers
You may want to consider the distinction between open backed and closed backed headphones.
Open backed are usually considered to give better sound quality, and better bass response, but won't block any noise in the environment, and allow bleed-through if you end up recording via a microphone. Also, the fact that they allow air flow can make them more comfortable for long term wearing.
Closed back will provide better isolation from any external noise, and may serve you better if this isolation allows you to concentrate better.
Finally, make sure that they fit comfortably on your head.
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4And don't let the volume get too loud and don't listen through them uninterrupted for extended periods. Take breaks where you take the headphones off for a few minutes. Headphones can cause "aural fatigue" in the short term and even damage your hearing in long-term use if you are not sensible about them.– user1044Commented Dec 18, 2012 at 17:38
For use with a piano I don't think it's particularly necessary to have good headphones. You want ones that can handle a good range of volume without the clarity being greatly affected, so you'd best avoid tinny little earbuds, but other than that you should be OK. One possible exception is if you're playing pieces that go extremely low on the keyboard; A0 is 27.5 Hz, so you'd need headphones that have a dynamic range that covers that. Most commonly you'll see 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz which is more than enough.
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2I don't have enough to make a full answer, but I'll add to this: 1) don't overspend 2) a long lead so you have full mobility and nothing to impede your arms.– slimCommented Dec 18, 2012 at 16:39
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@slim Good point, my headphones's cable is long enough but it's really annoying when I forget to move it behind my arm.– user28Commented Dec 18, 2012 at 16:40
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If you really want to play a lot of these A0 notes, it may be better to invest into something that supports 16 Hz or about. Otherwise you are quite close to the limit and the phones may not sound well. Best it would be to look into the frequency chart if available, how much the output drops on lower frequencies.– h22Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 9:13