Best Headphones for Mixing

[CrystalWizard]

I agree with the overall concept that if you know the tools well then you can passably mix on them. When i hear a pro say “i know the tools” and i hear a non-pro say it i hear different things: pro uses them few hrs a days 5 days or more a week. Potential average non pro a few hours here and a few hrs there. So, as much time listening on a set better off your decision making.

I mix with my set (used since 2009 few hrs a day most days (so between pro and non pro.) i also reference what i’m hearing on a great set of monitors, nicely tuned room. So, technically i guess i could rephrase it and say i often mix on my cans and reference on my monitors. (That is about 20mn can to 5 mn speaker use.)

[himalaya]

A good reference https://www.rtings.com/headphones/revie ... audiophile

No Audeze LCD-X? These should be at the top, in that list...

[dblock]

For those of us who live in apartments or condos, yes we can mix in headphones. We have no choice. Learn your headphones and it's fine. Perfect? no but it works for tv anyway. Not trying to make gold records here.
That said I've had my HD650's for many years and added Sonarworks Reference and just bought mixchecker pro. Nice combo.

[Teksonik]

A good reference https://www.rtings.com/headphones/revie ... audiophile

Their number one choice Sennheiser HD 800 S.... $1600.00

No Audeze LCD-X? These should be at the top, in that list...

$1700.00 ?

I don't think my ears are worth $850 each.......

[Steve Bolivar]

This is a past post of mine I just copied. I'll add that it's a good idea look into open vs closed back designs and see/hear which is best for your propose, they are very different:

Here's a couple of review articles on studio headphones. They're a little old but the background info is still valid and many of the models are still in production. I'm thinking of getting the open back Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250.
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/studio-headphones

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/st ... adphones-0

In the $80-100 range of closed back headphones the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is very popular.

[Stokely]

I have HD280s, they are nice and I'd use them for tracking...but I'm eyeing the hd650 rebranded ones on massdrop. Unlike many drops, this is a major percent off (199 vs 350 or so). From what I have read, these would be a major step up in clarity from something like the 280s (open back vs closed makes for a poor comparison to begin with though). Others I have considered are Beyer, AKG and Audiotechnica in that same 2-400 dollar range. I have a pair of AKG 240s where the wires broke on me way too easily, that kind of soured me on AKG a bit....

[himalaya]

I own both, the HD280s and the HD650. The difference in quality is like night and day. Overall, I just dislike the HD280s due to their very harsh sound. They have great isolation, but everything else is off (for me), even the bass. The HD650 are smooth, go loud without any fatigue, which I can not say about the 280s. Push the 280s up in volume and experience piercing top end. This is evident when comparing the 280s vs 650 side by side.

Having said that, I wouldn't choose the HD650 now, and instead I'd try the HD600. The HD650 have a few dips in the top frequency spectrum, which mask certain areas, something that the HD600 do not suffer from (as I hear from owners of both, the HD650 and HD600).
But this slight 'veiled sound' (as others call it) took me by surprise at first. I thought there was something wrong with my HD650...I suppose being used to overly bright headphones before (HD280s and an old set of Audio Technica) didn't help in my perception of the HD650 either...Still, in a direct comparison to AKG-701 I was able to hear better detail in the mix with the 701, than with the HD650. However, the HD650 just sound more 'sexy' than the AKG701. For me the HD650 is a perfect 'hi-fi' headphone: never gets fatiguing, always sounds lush with a luxurious low end (perfect for home cinema use, as an example).

Also, if you want to stay closed back, try the AudioTechnica M50x (I own these as well). They have a very nice sound. Everything is in place. Lotsa bass, mids and highs, without any major issues. I often use the M50x to hear into the top end of a mix, since I just can not trust the HD650s to reveal how it sounds up there. Then, again, the HD650, have a nicer soundstage.... argh! I'd love to hear the HD600...

[jochicago]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. You've given me plenty to consider.

I'm going to do more research, but I'm currently gravitating towards the $200 mark, around the AKG 702.

That rtings.com is fantastic, I didn't know about it. they show a deep analysis of the spectrum curves. Great to get a sense for which headphones will match my style.

The AKG 702 seem to have a smooth 5db roll off in the low-end, which hurts their fidelity rating but I can 100% live with that. I don't mix low-heavy, and knowing that it's rolling off 5db at 30hz makes it easy to compensate. Most of these headphones start to falter at 6K+ which is not an area I customize much outside of general shelves, but I do need solid fidelity in the middle to lower-high range and the AKG 702 is solid there.

I'll study some more before making a choice.

[digitalboytn]

In the $80-100 range of closed back headphones the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is very popular.

They may be popular,but they sound like crap !

Too much bass in those headphones which really screws up the balance for someone wanting true reference...

I have three sets of those and I am thinking of giving them to the dog to listen to his rap music on and maybe mix a few beats with his canine friends

There are better choices out there and many of them are at a lower price point too...

Let your ears be the judge

[risome]

My Audeze LCD-X 's are like monitors on your ears, referenced and balanced to my Dynaudio system .As for how much your ears are worth and your hearing..Priceless.For me it was a simple choice=Audeze's

[HcDoom]

Mixing with headphones is like having sex with condom. Rather use them for reference and mix on monitors. Invest in acoustic treatment.

[Teksonik]

As for how much your ears are worth and your hearing..Priceless.

Exactly. That's why I don't wear headphones unless forced........

[an-electric-heart]

I do a fair bit on AKG 240 studio headphones, but I still need to check on my monitors. I wouldn't trust a final mix done on headphones only.

I found this channel about a week or so ago. He's really good... I'm a fan. But this one in particular relates to this subject;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNwrE0Q28wI

[jochicago]

I definitely mean to check on the monitors, and most likely continue to mix partially with the monitors.

But I want solid headphones as a tool to hear the frequencies with surgical precision when I'm making decisions on saturation, eq Q width, choice of compressor color, reverb style/tail, etc. I am already happily mixing with entry-level headphones, just can't hear enough detail when making micro adjustments. I think as long as you are aware of the differences and limitations of each, and you learn yours well, both monitors and cans contribute significantly to a good mix.

Re: dude in the video
I think I have his channel blocked. He had a video judging I think an 1176 plugin against "the real one", but what he had was a hardware emulation. So he is comparing one emulation against another and finding "differences". Too lost in his own head to even consider that for a vintage comp, two original units wouldn't sound the same even if they had back-to-back serial numbers the day they came out of the factory, let alone several decades later. That dude needs to do a lot more listening before he starts talking, and putting big words on his thumbnails. I'd say enjoy his videos if he entertains you, but take his opinions with a grain of salt.

Headphones Choice
I think I'm settled on Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO. See this comparison against HD 650:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools ... shold=0.03

On paper I really like what the Beyerdynamics bring to the table. On paper, it doesn't get any better without doubling the budget (or more), and even then we are looking at tiny improvements. I'm going to read some more before ordering.

[an-electric-heart]

Re: dude in the video
I think I have his channel blocked. He had a video judging I think an 1176 plugin against "the real one", but what he had was a hardware emulation. So he is comparing one emulation against another and finding "differences". Too lost in his own head to even consider that for a vintage comp, two original units wouldn't sound the same even if they had back-to-back serial numbers the day they came out of the factory, let alone several decades later. That dude needs to do a lot more listening before he starts talking, and putting big words on his thumbnails. I'd say enjoy his videos if he entertains you, but take his opinions with a grain of salt.

He's done some interesting stuff; Real mastering house vs Ozone vs Landr was particularly interesting.

But yes, fair point. He does a series of software reviews called "Snakeoil", he just dives in without reading the manual (he admits that himself), so he often judges software as bad, but then all the comments are just people calling him out for using it wrong to begin with.