Mixing with headphones or speakers? Or both?

[Ah_Dziz]

I've been enjoying using a couple Bluetooth boomboxes to check on stuff. Also fun to jam on.

[legendCNCD]

Even with VSX at hand I still test the tracks out from various other real life thingies, also in car etc.

[osiris]

I like my car because it really defines the panning. If I get my head in the center. I noticed this just playing music while driving. A HH and snare was really panned right and you could tell. I'll also tell you that you have to make considerations about the bass because bass on streaming services can get squashed so you may have to try and catch the sweet spot between enough and too much.
Look up your headphone frequency response. I kept getting comments about 'not enough bass', then I learned my headphones freq resp takes a little dip at 80 hz, so I had to compensate.

[eLawnMust]

Well, For me there is too many external noises (Like Pellet Stove on same wall in different room) so headphones a must but corded ones only, no way I'm beaming microwaves from one side of my skull to the other and then years down the road they state the only way they can save you from 'skull cancer' is to remove your skull at the base, "Oh, BTW would you like to be an organ donor?!"... Folks don't ever be 'one'

I have monitors but seriously nothing sounds as good as a friend's dad's RCA entertainment center i listened to in the early 70's, all tubes very rich sound can't be duplicated in a digital environment, ever... Why? Because you are using real tubes pushing paper cone speakers this cannot be equaled by squashing it into '1s & 0s'... Tube emulation VSTs are but a specter no matter the hype (it's business remember)...

[Igro]

Headphones. Just need to make sure that they are not some flat frequency response garbage though. Otherwise, you won't have a clue how you music will sound on most of the consumer grade systems (hence ordinary music listeners). What to avoid: DT880, DT770 and etc.

[Uncle E]

Thanks for posting the results! It seems to me that the percentages between headphones and monitors would have been flipped just 10 years ago.

[Daimonicon]

Headphones. But a headphone plugin is a must.

[RunBeerRun]

I've been using headphones but a clean sharp set of speakers is good too.

[jamcat]

Thanks for posting the results! It seems to me that the percentages between headphones and monitors would have been flipped just 10 years ago.

I suspect this has a lot to do with the increasing shift towards laptops in recent years. Headphones are going to be a lot more convenient for a mobile setup. You really need a stationary setup at a desk for monitors.

I use a MacBook now, though I have a desk setup where I can just plug into a hub to use my monitors and 32" 4k display. But honestly, I rarely do, unless I'm actively recording.

[_leras]

I have monitors but seriously nothing sounds as good as a friend's dad's RCA entertainment center i listened to in the early 70's, all tubes very rich sound can't be duplicated in a digital environment, ever... Why? Because you are using real tubes pushing paper cone speakers this cannot be equaled by squashing it into '1s & 0s'... Tube emulation VSTs are but a specter no matter the hype (it's business remember)...

I can believe that system sounded nice and even imparted a nice tone onto the sound, but I think you've for some nostalgia clouding your memory.

Modern speakers have come a long way. And monitors are not the same as listening/hifi speakers.

[mjolnir]

I agree with _leras although I do remember a lot of home stereo systems of the 70s and 80s did have a lot of Bass Fullness and also the LOUDNESS button (Fletcher-Munsen curve added). And you could adjust the Treble too, and really get a nice full sound, especially since a lot of music is produced for midrange compatibility (or was back then). A lot of youngens might not know that the home stereos had TONS more bass than a lot of typical playback systems people use now (wimpy bluetooth speakers and earbuds and laptop computer speakers).

Also, a lot of home stereos had the speakers spaced really far apart, so you'd get REALLY NICE stereo width and separation and all the special effects and PANNING would feel REALLY STRONG.

I used to get into arguments with my mom and dad because they wouldn't put the speakers in the correct room positions and the music would sound mostly boring mono instead of full stereo width and splendor. I'd move the speakers when they weren't home, like on vacation though. so i got to hear really nice music played back right sometimes. My dad had a nice KLH system as well as a nice Panasonic office system. I really miss those.

[Chris Hawkins]

I guess I should ring in on this as well. Currently I am mainly using my Yahama HPH-PRO400 headphones.

[DrGonzo]

Both. I am now so used to the sound of my headphones that I already have an idea of how it will sound like in the speakers.

[Quicheman]

Spent 90% of my time mixing on headphones over the years, mainly because of never investing in room treatment so my monitors sounding like crap. Finally treated my new room properly, and slowly am getting more in tune/comfortable relying on my monitors vs headphones. Closer to 60/40 now. Still feel like I trust my headphone decisions a lot more tbf!

[Uncle E]

I was 90% speakers/10% headphones before. Now it’s flipped, often times 100% headphones these days, and I’m mixing faster than before.