Hey folks, I never really listened to music through headphones much til the pandemic hit and I've had all this extra time at home. Splurged on an incredible pair of bluetooth headphones (Master & Dynamic MW65) and have been enjoying the hell out of exploring familiar albums & artists, and discovering new/old music. Besides the obvious Dark Side of the Moon (truly incredible), the greatest experience I've had with an album that sounds totally different through headphones is Joni Mitchell's Blue. Such an intimate, incredible ride -- even just to hear James Taylor plunking away at his acoustic guitar in the right channel on the opening track makes you feel like he's in the room with you. What other albums -- new or old -- do you prefer through headphones?
Van Morrison's It's Too Late To Stop Now. At least on my 70's LP copy it sounds like you're sitting on the stage.
I think this is one of Van's BEST recorded albums....and i don't say that about too many Live release versions of artist.
I tend to use headphones with music of extremes of volume ( quiet and loud ). So something like Crimsons ‘Larks’ tongues in Aspic part one’ or the music of Anna Von Hausswolf.
Anything produced/engineered by Stephen Street, like The Queen is Dead or Meat is Murder, by The Smiths. Lots of interesting stereo ear candy. Also the first Stone Roses album, either of the last two Talk Talk albums, anything by My Bloody Valentine, or the Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld.
Recently upgrade my headphones too...I got a pair of Phillips now (priced about 2/5 of yours, but still) and been enjoying an amazing world of better sound. These are some of my favourites: Kate Wolf - Live in Mendocino Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris - Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions Highwaymen - Highwaymen 2 Especially the Kate Wolf record I recommend. It gives me chills every time -it sounds so fine. Love it!
I can highly recommend the second disc of Kate Bush's album Aeriel. It starts out incredibly quietly, and then builds to the end, and there's a little bit on the title song that you only really notice on headphones where there's a vibrato on her background vocals. The thing is, the vibrato is delayed a little bit in one channel so it's sort of pulsing back and forth. It's like teams of tiny little Kates massaging your eardrums.
Great recommendations here, thanks guys. I'm especially excited to listen to the live Van M album (I do love that album, just haven't heard it through headphones), Final Cut (have you noticed that Wish You Were Here, as great an album as it is, doesn't sound so exciting over headphones?) & Skylarking. And I agree Radiohead sounds outstanding through headphones, I just don't connect with their music.
I've been listening to U2's albums from the 90s on my Sennheisers this week and really enjoying all the sounds I've not noticed before. Some great suggestions in this thread btw.
If you’re into jazz…I’m finding the stereo version of “Olé Coltrane” is fantastic through cans, particularly the title track (side 1 of the LP) with a bassist in each channel. Very cool!