KVR Audio

Chris Hawkins · Post by **Chris Hawkins** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 3:11 am

We recently wrote an article about which is better to mix on, headphones or speakers. Personally I prefer to use both. 80% of the time I prefer to mix with speakers. But, if I am looking to hear the details of a track then I will use headphones.

https://streamworksaudio.com/should-you ... -monitors/

Which do you prefer?

mjolnir · Post by **mjolnir** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 8:46 pm

i prefer monitors, but if i don't check with headphones at least once, i risk having some things too loud. so basically my answer is also "both".

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:22 pm

Add a poll, please.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:39 pm

Both. I do my initial mixing with monitors (Genelec 2.1 system), check it with a couple of different headphone models (AKG K701 and BD DT880 Pro), and also check it with my Slate VSX system using a few different rooms/spaces, then back to the monitors. I also use reference tracks and practice good monitoring techniques to rest my ears, reset my hearing, avoid fatigue, etc. Then, I often give it the car stereo test, again with reference tracks.

Chris Hawkins · Post by **Chris Hawkins** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 11:42 pm

Uncle E wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:22 pm Add a poll, please.

Great idea! Done.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 11:57 pm

Thanks. Voted headphones. Monitors are just a nuisance to me at this point.

legendCNCD · Post by **legendCNCD** » Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:52 pm

Its going to be both, am I right?

lfm · Post by **lfm** » Sat Feb 15, 2025 6:08 am

When mixing in phones and then do monitors I usually have to adjust a couple of things.
- some panning is not that obvious on monitors since bleed left and right
- sends to effects like reverb will need to be different

So both....but monitors can be the very last thing to do....if phones translate well and not too hifi oriented with boosted bass...

AsPeeXXXVIII · Post by **AsPeeXXXVIII** » Sat Feb 15, 2025 5:13 pm

I mix with headphones only.

Should get a pair of monitors, though...

jamcat · Post by **jamcat** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 11:34 pm

I use a pair of monitors strapped to my head like headphones.

Best of both worlds, really, stiff neck aside.

CrystalWizard · Post by **CrystalWizard** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 11:45 pm

When faced with difficult decisions, i always choose both.

Ah_Dziz · Post by **Ah_Dziz** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 12:24 am

If you're doing lots of mixing (especially for people other than yourself) then the more the merrier. I have 3 sets of monitors (from a super budget set to a 2000$ set) and a variety of headphones. I only ever bother to mix with my closed back beyerdynamic headphones. Sometimes I'll check on my 240s.

With the simplicity of throwing a mix onto a phone and then to a file storage where you can check your mix on TV's, laptops, phones, earbuds, giant car systems, etc etc. you should be checking as many things as possible. Plenty of things sound amazing on expensive monitoring equipment and like dogshit on factory car speakers.

You'll never feel like you "checked too many systems" while the opposite may be true. I do tv scoring quite a bit so I always check on a cheap 60 inch LCD TV.

Edited for typo.

JJ

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 3:16 pm

The best thing is both. There's no stereos anymore, all I have is a Soundbar. I always pop a copy on a USB and check it in my (Parked) car. It has 11 speakers (for some odd reason), but it's what I play music most on.

_leras · Post by **_leras** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:44 pm

Ah_Dziz wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2025 12:24 am With the simplicity of throwing a mix onto a phone and then to a file storage where you can check your mix on TV's, laptops, phones, earbuds, giant car systems, etc etc. you should be checking as many things as possible. Plenty of things sound amazing on expensive monitoring equipment and like dogshit on factory car speakers.

You'll never feel like you "checked too many systems" while the opposite may be true. I do tv scoring quite a bit so I always check on a cheap 60 inch LCD TV.

This is the best advice. You never know exactly when a sound might jump out on disappear on some systems.

It's possible something will be way to loud on something, but you can turn it right down without it disappearing on other systems.

_leras · Post by **_leras** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:57 pm

These days I'll try and start my mixes with what are basically some sennheiser hd 25s. These are my main listening while travelling headphones, they are very vibey and I've heard so much music it gets me in the right ball park pretty quickly and I know how kick and bass should sound on these.

After that I'll use my monitors, and also regularly check with some beyerdynamic dt1990 with some EQ corrections from here.

https://reddit.com/r/oratory1990/w/inde ... urce=share

If possible listening to a mix with completely fresh ears is very helpful.

And I will always try to check mixes on as many places as possible, which in reality is some small speakers in the studio, some fairly decent living room speakers, a JBL boom box, in the car and on my sennhesiers away from the studio, and sometimes some in ear buds.

These final checks are normally only like 3-4 small level changes. If I'm deliberately listening on multiple sources, I'll have decided the mix is done and try to be super disciplined about not making too many changes.

It's also pretty useful to know what you expect from the mastering. I'll usually bounce down with a master bus chain, but one that's not got any sharp eqing, or too much compression. So I'm confident that when mastering is done properly I'm unlikely to get many surprises.

Mastering is definitely the final polish and can do things to the audio that are much harder to achieve when mixing.

KVR Audio

Mixing with headphones or speakers? Or both?

Do you prefer to mix with headphones or speakers?