Behringer HPS3000 High-Performance Studio Headphones

Most Liked Negative Review

A Good Monitor Choice - for the money

I've been using Behringer HPS3000 headphones in my recording studio for a number of years now. My clients seem happy enough using them, although when given a choice they will usually choose a more expensive set from a different manufacturer, (like my AKG 240's or 141's for example). But, since I have limited numbers of the "higher quality" headphones and more than enough of the HPS3000's available, someone almost always ends up wearing a pair and I really don't get any complaints regarding the sound quality. They are "brigher" and certainly louder than all my other brands and models (AKG, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, etc.), but by turning down the gain on the headphone amp it all works out just fine. The one complaint I DO have is regarding the cushioned headrest. They ARE quite comfortable, BUT over time the outer lining wears off and starts to fall apart in little "flakes". I first noticed this when my clients would remove their headphones and have little black flakes from the headphones in their hair! Sometimes these flakes would find their way onto my clients ears, cheeks or foreheads and when combined with sweat, (my clients pour out their souls when recording!), the flakes become sticky and more difficult to remove! My solution to that problem has been placing a piece of black duct tape over the areas that are getting worn on the head rest. This fix looks hideous, but functions well enough. So... would I buy these again? You bet I would and I'm about to place an order for at least 3 more! Why? 'cause for the money, they can't be beat! And the "flaking" problem didn't occur 'til the units I have now were at least 5 years old, so even if they were to malfunction today, I figure I still got my money's worth out of them. So... for the money, these are a good choice for monitoring. I would NOT choose these as an engineer or producer's headphone for mixing or mastering purposes. For that I wouldn't consider anything being sold for less than $99.00. But for musicians to monitor the tracking performance? You betcha!