New mastering software and Immersion One headphones. Better?

[zerocrossing]

I posted this a while ago, but since I first recorded it, I’d upgraded a bunch of software, and my headphones, so I re-recorded the bass and rhythm guitar, vocals and a few other small touches. I realized that I really had no idea what I was doing with mastering, so I went down a rabbit hole and learned a lot. Anyway, thanks for listening and for your input.

[ChameleonMusic]

Overall, the mix sounds very listenable to my ears -pretty balanced in terms of freq content, decent dynamic range with a nice touch of warmth to it all.

One small criticism (and it didn't spoil the listen)...vocals have a tiny edge of harshness up in the high frequencies somewhere...you hear it every time the voice enters.

That's one serious pair of phones, dude! Just a quick note in case you weren't aware...

A dedicated DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) combined with an amplifier is a good (maybe crucial) bit of kit to get the absolute most out of headphones like the Immersion Ones...

Translates digital audio into very high-fidelity analog signals and also powers them to drive high-performance headphones such as yours...results in significantly enhanced dynamic range, detail, and bass depth.

[zerocrossing]

Overall, the mix sounds very listenable to my ears -pretty balanced in terms of freq content, decent dynamic range with a nice touch of warmth to it all.

One small criticism (and it didn't spoil the listen)...vocals have a tiny edge of harshness up in the high frequencies somewhere...you hear it every time the voice enters.

That's one serious pair of phones, dude! Just a quick note in case you weren't aware...

A dedicated DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) combined with an amplifier is a good (maybe crucial) bit of kit to get the absolute most out of headphones like the Immersion Ones...

Translates digital audio into very high-fidelity analog signals and also powers them to drive high-performance headphones such as yours...results in significantly enhanced dynamic range, detail, and bass depth.

Thanks for listening. I appreciate it a lot.

Now I just have them plugged into my UAD Apollo. It's an older FireWire model that I've upgraded to Thunderbolt, but it seems to do the job. Is that not a dedicated DAC? I'm no a PC so I can't do aggregate audio devices.

I also did struggle to find a balance to have the vocals clear and cut though the mix and not sound harsh. I've got a dynamic EQ (Waves F6) on it, and I'm doing a bit of that with Ozone on the mastering pass. Maybe I could increase the attenuation a bit... or not start it at zero and give it a little head start.

[ChameleonMusic]

Now I just have them plugged into my UAD Apollo. It's an older FireWire model that I've upgraded to Thunderbolt, but it seems to do the job. Is that not a dedicated DAC?

Yeah, it's a dedicated DAC...should be a good match for those phones.

Only issue might be the Immersion One headphones' planar magnetic drivers...they demand a lot of continuous current to perform 100% optimally.

SHOULD BE ALL GOOD...just keep an eye on the lows / highs in the mix - slightly muddy low-end and a rolled-off high-end at louder volumes might hint at the Apollo 'under delivering' to the phones and the need for a feed into a specialist headphone amp from the Apollo.

[zerocrossing]

Now I just have them plugged into my UAD Apollo. It's an older FireWire model that I've upgraded to Thunderbolt, but it seems to do the job. Is that not a dedicated DAC?

Yeah, it's a dedicated DAC...should be a good match for those phones.

Only issue might be the Immersion One headphones' planar magnetic drivers...they demand a lot of continuous current to perform 100% optimally.

SHOULD BE ALL GOOD...just keep an eye on the lows / highs in the mix - slightly muddy low-end and a rolled-off high-end at louder volumes might hint at the Apollo 'under delivering' to the phones and the need for a feed into a specialist headphone amp from the Apollo.

I don't feel like they're suffering from that at all. They're replacing the regular closed back model, which are good, but a little more "boxy" sounding. These are my first planar magnetic headphones, or really any speakers, of any kind, though a shop I worked at in the 90s had a pair of home hi-fi speakers we took in trade, but we never really had them set up properly to get them sounding good. I sold some stuff to a guy who had a setup that used them and it sounded ridiculous because he had to sit in a specific spot for them to sound good. I guess that's fine if you live alone and intend to for the rest of your life. The technology makes much more sense in headphones. I don't have a space I can treat properly, so I'm forced into this type of setup, but I think it's working out pretty well.

[ChameleonMusic]

I don't feel like they're suffering from that at all