KMFDM - Megalomaniac

Doesn't matter what headphones he buys.

If it's compressed, it's crap.
If it's autotuned, it's crap.
If it's equally tempered, it's crap.

I have a set of Sennheiser HD535 I've had for about 15 years and I love them. Only problem is the foam's wearing out. The foam in the headband is completely gone and I had to glue the skin back onto the ear cups.

Musical suggetion? William Shatner 'The Transformed Man'.

space invader

Glad to hear you got yourself some Beats by Dr. Dre,

enjoy (new window)

I've got those headphones. "Fragile" or "Close To The Edge", by "Yes", or Shpongle's "Divine Moments Of Truth" are awesome.

Dark Side Of The Moon was strangely what sold me on getting a pair of my own.

Elton John, surprisingly, is quite well recorded, so that can make a good demo.

Anything with a decent range in it will do the trick, though... some classical or baroque might be the trick, 'Four Seasons' is almost a cliche, but they tried to evoke a response and it works, what can I say?

The Cars - Moving In Stereo

I'm sure I'll think more. I might be back later =D

Peki: Doesn't matter what headphones he buys.

If it's compressed, it's crap.
If it's autotuned, it's crap.
If it's equally tempered, it's crap.

Jimmy Shand - 'The Bluebell Polka' because if it's not Scottish, it's crap.

List of "music to be heard in great headphones":

1. Your favourite music.

Listen to your music, not your headphones.

It's gonna be an audiophile troll thread, right?

Asa Phelps: You might start by finding a FLAC copy of the Ultrasone demo disc.

Listening to FLAC? You BET it's gonna be an audiophile troll thread!

The best headphone in the world? Is this any thing like audiophile rip off equipment?

The sound through your headphones is only as good as the equipment that delivers
the signal to them. The best headphones will sound just as crappy as cheapos if your
rig sucks.

"best headphones"?

You obviously haven't heard these:


They usually list for about the same price, not counting the current sale. Easily the best music-hardware purchase I've ever made. Those Sony models are overpriced toys by comparison. Heck, these Grado cans even blow away the Sennheiser ones I had previously, that cost like 2x as much.

//warning: despite their size, these are supra-aural headphones. They do not enclose the ear, and therefore do not provide the significant ambient-noise attenuation you get with your typical circumaural model. This plays a big role in how they get their audio quality: no air-pressure damping from the enclosed driver.
///you get used to that quirk really fast, though...

rosonowski: Dark Side Of The Moon

Obviously, for the purposes of audio-quality testing, this version is far more appropriate: moon8 (yt sample of the insanity. it's all about the coin sound..)

Anything Beethoven or Classical period. You have to be really into classical music to appreciate it riding around in a car. You don't have to know anything about it to appreciate it noise-canceled silence and great headphones.

The first two are from the best group you never heard of. The last two are works of a madman or of a genius. Honorable mention going to anything by Kraftwerk.

I find Cake is more enjoyable on headphones; they help you parse and enjoy each component's contribution to the overall song.

Hagbardr: I have a set of Sennheiser HD535 I've had for about 15 years and I love them. Only problem is the foam's wearing out. The foam in the headband is completely gone and I had to glue the skin back onto the ear cups.

Musical suggetion? William Shatner 'The Transformed Man'.

I've got a pair of Sennheiser 540MkIIs that, so far, are the only headphones I've had that give me perfect mixes every time. The MDR-V6s are *NOT* high fidelity headphones. Far too boomy/sizzly and they make mixes impotent as hell.

Richard Sauce: I find Cake is more enjoyable on headphones; they help you parse and enjoy each component's contribution to the overall song.

saw them in Charlotte this past Friday. Great show. Tiny venue.

Paul Simon's Graceland...

/get off my lawn

Ken Nordine original Word Jazz recordings... not the badly mixed stuff with The Dead

Never Mind The Bollocks, here's The Sex Pistols

Just a little FYI

Sony's noise dampener circuit discharges electrostatic pulses into the common and can fry sound cards and motherboards.

I have unfortunately developed a habit of using my Sony MDR-7506s for everything, essentially the professional version of the ones listed in the link. While they may not be the best call for listening with the intent to enjoy, they do a spectacular job of actual studio monitoring (as in, the frequency response is extremely flat - may not sound great, but that's because I NEED to hear what's actually there).

Old mentor of mine sold me on the 7506s with an entertaining claim to fame: Somewhere between 'few' and 'zero' studio albums get released without going through a set of them first.

Richard Sauce: I find Cake is more enjoyable on headphones; they help you parse and enjoy each component's contribution to the overall song.

This.

Moreso, this:

NOT in MP3 form. Listen to the CD.

Or, if you can, find Nirvana on vinyl...

There's only one option
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ5TajZYW6Y

thing - Sgt.Pepper,
followed by Sister Morphine from Sticky Fingers

Most obvious choices:

Sgt. Pepper
Dark Side
Crimson King
Brain Salad Surgery
Fragile
Revolver
Moving Pictures

Neko Case-Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
My Bloody Valentine-Loveless
Paul Simon-Graceland
John Coltrane-A Love Supreme
alcest-souvenirs d'un autre monde
Beach Boys-Pet Sounds
Slowdive-soulvaki

Some of my go tos.