Topic by fav

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Topic: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that will give me the most realistic experience of playing a grand piano with Pianoteq, rather than simply sounding the best for music listening.

I've been on a long journey tweaking Pianoteq in every possible way until I realized that my headphones might be the biggest bottleneck—not the piano itself.

I'm currently using the DT770 Pro 32Ω, and one thing I've always struggled with in Pianoteq is a slightly metallic/icy character. I also felt that the piano never quite came alive for me. After trying an open-back headphone (not even a particularly high-end one), I suddenly heard much better depth, keyboard imaging, and a much more natural, lively piano.

I'd especially like to hear from people who have experience with both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX).

My priorities are:
Rich, natural, colorful mids with body and weight.
Smooth upper frequencies without an icy or metallic character.
A natural, spacious presentation with realistic piano imaging (feeling the keyboard extend naturally from left to right).
Hearing microphone distance and depth.
Feeling like the piano is in front of me, in the room, rather than inside my head.
Has anyone here actually owned both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX) while playing Pianoteq or another high-end piano VST?

Of course, if you think another headphone would fit what I'm looking for even better, I'd really appreciate hearing your recommendation as well.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

Note: Amplification isn't an issue, as I already have the iFi ZEN CAN Amp.

Last edited by fav (14-07-2026 02:40)

Reply by dikrek

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

fav wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that will give me the most realistic experience of playing a grand piano with Pianoteq, rather than simply sounding the best for music listening.

I've been on a long journey tweaking Pianoteq in every possible way until I realized that my headphones might be the biggest bottleneck—not the piano itself.

I'm currently using the DT770 Pro 32Ω, and one thing I've always struggled with in Pianoteq is a slightly metallic/icy character. I also felt that the piano never quite came alive for me. After trying an open-back headphone (not even a particularly high-end one), I suddenly heard much better depth, keyboard imaging, and a much more natural, lively piano.

I'd especially like to hear from people who have experience with both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX).

My priorities are:
Rich, natural, colorful mids with body and weight.
Smooth upper frequencies without an icy or metallic character.
A natural, spacious presentation with realistic piano imaging (feeling the keyboard extend naturally from left to right).
Hearing microphone distance and depth.
Feeling like the piano is in front of me, in the room, rather than inside my head.
Has anyone here actually owned both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX) while playing Pianoteq or another high-end piano VST?

Of course, if you think another headphone would fit what I'm looking for even better, I'd really appreciate hearing your recommendation as well.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

Note: Amplification isn't an issue, as I already have the iFi ZEN CAN Amp.

I like my Sennheiser HD560S. Great price too.

They compare really well with much more expensive ones (but more plastic build).

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/

Also check my other thread on getting the low resister to sound better

Last edited by dikrek (14-07-2026 09:50)

Reply by Hansz

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

I have HD600, the blue marble one (from more than 20 years)
Very great sound, spatial, timbre, etc but lack of bass on the 3 lower octave compared to my speakers.
Very confortable (with new pad of course, parts available everywhere)
The pad are hot when it's french summer.
Good to pratice daily.
I don't want to change, never, they are great for the piano.

"Feeling like the piano is in front of me, in the room, rather than inside my head."
For me, it's more a Pianoteq setting with mic position, reverb, binaural, etc than good headphone issue.

Last edited by Hansz (14-07-2026 10:23)

Reply by pianissim

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

Hifiman Edition XV

Reply by Key Fumbler

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

I'm going to recommend you take yourself off to a Hi-fi dealer if it all possible?
listen to multiple pairs of headphones with piano music. A big part of the headphone experience is also in the long-term comfort. What is comfortable to one person is very different for another. You may find you prefer one headphone's sound but find yourself having to go for a different pair because the other pair make your ears too warm, or the clamp your ears in an unpleasant way.

I'm very happy with Sennheiser HD800 and HD600. You may prefer a Planar design, or Grado or Audio Technica for instance.

Reply by fav

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

Thank you for replying and for all the recommendations.

I wanted to ask if anyone has heard or experienced anything about the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x not being a good match for Pianoteq.

I'm really interested in it specifically because of its more open presentation, since I'm really interested in it because I'm chasing a natural, realistic open-room feeling, (where microphone positioning can really shine). However, I definitely don't want to lose the rich midrange and smoothness that the Sennheisers are known for. (On the other hand, they're also often described as sounding more "in your head," which is exactly why I'm looking closely at the ATH-R70x).

If anyone has any more insight on how they compare in that regard (or if my impression that the Sennheisers sound more "in your head" isn't really true), I'd love to hear it!

Reply by dikrek

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

fav wrote:

Thank you for replying and for all the recommendations.

I wanted to ask if anyone has heard or experienced anything about the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x not being a good match for Pianoteq.

I'm really interested in it specifically because of its more open presentation, since I'm really interested in it because I'm chasing a natural, realistic open-room feeling, (where microphone positioning can really shine). However, I definitely don't want to lose the rich midrange and smoothness that the Sennheisers are known for. (On the other hand, they're also often described as sounding more "in your head," which is exactly why I'm looking closely at the ATH-R70x).

If anyone has any more insight on how they compare in that regard (or if my impression that the Sennheisers sound more "in your head" isn't really true), I'd love to hear it!

There are many sennheisers. The pro models and the 560 (in my experience) are very open

Reply by Pianoteqenthusiast

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

- I have learned that some things don’t change, that is, we hear different. And people are used to hear pianos and headphones in a certain way, and we all, hear very differently. And personal preference have influence on how we make a decision, good or not so good  headphones.  And we have different headphones, and even if we all have the same headphones, we still hear differently with them.
    
I wonder, why is it so hard to find right headphones? Do we listen too much to what other people say? Or….?
If headphones could individually adjust their sound settings to the user's ears and head, so that sounds would sound like they were coming from a specific direction outside the head, rather than inside the head as usual - Well, I’m waiting for that day!
I think I have, at least, my seventh headphones now. As I see it, it is difficult to compare the sound from different headphones. And hearing a difference is not necessarily same as one being better. 
You should have at least a week with each headphone to notice differences.  Those significant diffirences. How does it feel after a week…?

But with headphones the sound is in our head, and headphones gives left sound channel sound only to left ear, and right sound channel sound only to right ear(unlike standing beside a real piano where the sound come to both ears, maybe not at the same time, and with  that rooms acustics, not at same time to both ears from different directions a.s.o.).

Headphones also can sound different in different ear canals, earflaps, and the size and shape of the head have effect on how headphones reproduce the sound(also interesting, in Ptq binaural mode you can increase the the size of the head, and btw Binaural recording is intended for replay using headphones and will not translate properly over stereo speakers).
But, as with pianosounds, so it is with headphones too. There is no ”one” right, we are all different and hear different.  Different people like different headphones.
Had 7 different headphones over the years and now Grado Labs SR 125 x (hand made new York) open back hp.and after getting used to them, satisfied. Had not more money then. There is Grado SR325x with a bit ”more of everything” but I'm not changing anymore. Cost more too.

Having said all that, I’d say: listen with your own ears and choose the headphones that *you* think sound good. That’s what I did (not everyone chose Grado), and I’m happy with my choice.

Best wishes,

Stig

Last edited by Pianoteqenthusiast (15-07-2026 13:32)

Reply by daniel_r328

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

Bravo Stig - agree.

Also: once you have decided the general form factor (open/closed/earbuds) and driver architecture (coil, planar, electrostatic), so long as you buy something reasonably well constructed, 99.9% of the difference is what house curve a given pair of headphones is matched to. Some like to keep it flat; some push the bass; some raise the highs to compensate for hearing changes with age. All of these can be overridden by doing your own EQ. You don't have to buy a product to make these choices - just get something competent and configure it to your liking. This is very practicable for single-purpose headphones - if you only listen to solo piano, you need far less versatility than the average headphone consumer, so you don't need to spend on a "master of all" to get the best of the best.

I am partial to open, planar headphones for solo piano - good frequency range, generally flat response, easy to drive. You may prefer closed if you find it better to hear less of your environment, or coils for a stronger drive. Stig's right - get something well constructed that sounds good to *you*, tweak towards your preference, don't overspend.

Reply by mikali

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

fav wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that will give me the most realistic experience of playing a grand piano with Pianoteq, rather than simply sounding the best for music listening.

I've been on a long journey tweaking Pianoteq in every possible way until I realized that my headphones might be the biggest bottleneck—not the piano itself.

I'm currently using the DT770 Pro 32Ω, and one thing I've always struggled with in Pianoteq is a slightly metallic/icy character. I also felt that the piano never quite came alive for me. After trying an open-back headphone (not even a particularly high-end one), I suddenly heard much better depth, keyboard imaging, and a much more natural, lively piano.

I'd especially like to hear from people who have experience with both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX).

My priorities are:
Rich, natural, colorful mids with body and weight.
Smooth upper frequencies without an icy or metallic character.
A natural, spacious presentation with realistic piano imaging (feeling the keyboard extend naturally from left to right).
Hearing microphone distance and depth.
Feeling like the piano is in front of me, in the room, rather than inside my head.
Has anyone here actually owned both the original ATH-R70x and the HD650 (or HD6XX) while playing Pianoteq or another high-end piano VST?

Of course, if you think another headphone would fit what I'm looking for even better, I'd really appreciate hearing your recommendation as well.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

Note: Amplification isn't an issue, as I already have the iFi ZEN CAN Amp.

Another one worth auditioning is the Sony MDR-MV1 if you are a fan of a wide open sound with really stable positioning within the soundstage. The imaging is the best I have personally heard. Also pay as much, if not more attention to the source. There is no point imo buying great headphones and plugging them into your laptop.

Last edited by mikali (15-07-2026 22:03)

Reply by Jake Johnson

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

The old standard, AKG 240, pairs well with Pianoteq. But I often like the sound more through monitors, since they simply distribute the sound more like a piano does.

Reply by Kengrayfield

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Re: Which headphones make Pianoteq come alive?

Jake Johnson wrote:

The old standard, AKG 240, pairs well with Pianoteq. But I often like the sound more through monitors, since they simply distribute the sound more like a piano does.

I have the big brother, AKG K340s. Some of the best sounding headphones that I will never part with. I heard the 240 have pretty good mid range as well.