Comments on: What are the best headphones for mixing ?

By: Cmore Trix

Cmore Trix — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:59:40 +0000

I used to use Sennheisers but have recently moved to KRK KNS 8400′s

Genuinely amazed at how good they sound considering the sub £150 price tag… Would recommend to anyone on a budget

By: Bluebeep

Bluebeep — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:03:54 +0000

There are so many pros saying that mixing on headphones isn’t the way to go. I found an article that says if you pay attention to the sound and know exactly what to look for then you can make pretty decent mixes on headphones.

It’s actually quite a good read coz I have a very small budget and sound treatment of the room is not an option haha. Hope this helps someone like me..

http://www.rhythmic.ca/music-tutorials/mixing/articles/how-to-mix-with-headphones.html

By: Ian Shepherd

Ian Shepherd — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:55:07 +0000

Hi Jz,

Thanks for the comment ! Maybe if you had let the 650s play in you would have been more impressed – I was quite unhappy when they came straight out of the box, but when I came back to them 100+ hours later they sounded very good indeed.

I disagree about the classical comment – I think accurate monitoring suits any style of music.

I agree though that everybody works differently, and if you get a great result mastering on headphones, good for you ! However here’s my opinion:

- If it sounds great on speakers, it WILL sound great on headphones

- If it sounds great on headphones, it MIGHT sound great on speakers – or, it might not…

Hope the KRKs work out well for you !

Ian

By: Jz

Jz — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:04:30 +0000

For the price Sennheiser HD650 are so over-rated.
I purchased some and sent them back the next day lol.
Maybe they are ok if you have a headphone amp but if you use them straight from a device such as laptop for example the audio level is very low due to them being open headphones. For me they defeated the purpose as people in the room could hear the sounds just as much as i could. I was also told this model, in particular, were more suitable for classical music due to the ambiance and at that boff stuff.

What bugs me most is all these people saying “you should not use headphones for mastering”. This is just plain stupid. Considering, thanks to iPods and MP3players, many people listen to music on these devices with headphones, it makes no sense NOT to use them in some degree when mastering. Im not saying you should use headphones 100% of the mastering stage but you should always cross referance your changes in headphones to cater for this MASSIVE audience who use headphones.

For me, I prefer to use the reverse technique, I have always used headphones for mastering and mixing and then used speakers to referance.
I just find this method more beneficial to me based on my ears and my circumstances ie working at night when most of the country is asleep lol

Regardless what people think, everyone has their own way of doing things that works for them.

Im currently looking at the “KRK KNS-8400″ headphones, KRK make professional studio monitors and these headphones are designed for us who cant use monitors for many reasons, such as neighbours, children or just plain cost.

By: Darren

Darren — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:49:06 +0000

I rock the HD600. Remember that these upper range headphones have high impedence so a headphone amp is highly recommended to drive the cans. Otherwise these rock.

By: Electrohermit

Electrohermit — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:55:55 +0000

Sony 7506.

By: Joe Gilder

Joe Gilder — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:17:23 +0000

Right now I’ve got the Sennheiser HD280pro’s. They’re great for tracking and okay for mixing.

As with most things, whatever headphones/monitors you use, you need to learn how to mix on them. I know an engineer in Nashville who gets great mixes on some old MDR7506′s. Yuck. I hate the MDR’s, but he has learned how to mix on them.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:24:42 +0000

I used to mix on Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros, when I didn’t really have the option of studio monitors. They might be a bit muddy in the bass end, but they are very comfortable to wear. However, I agree with your opening point – when I made the switch to mixing on monitors, the difference was remarkable, and I could never go back to headphones (except using them as a quick reference check). Imaging and definition is just so much better with speakers – its not something you can appreciate until you try it.

By: Ade Stevenson

Ade Stevenson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:23:11 +0000

Hi Ian. Ta for your advice and putting this post together. Most helpful indeed for advising Santa

By: TBMcCormick

TBMcCormick — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:08:36 +0000

Open back Ultrasone Pro 2500. Incredible stereo/surround field. Easy on the ears. Wicked!!!