Best headphones for mixing etc

The Lounge Other Gear
#21

SENHEISSER HD 558 $180.00 ( I use these )

After reviewing and listening to the DT770 (GREAT HEADPHONES BTW) and
the more expensive HD 600’s I went with the 558"s.
Light weight, comfortable, I have worn them for 2+ hours straight without any fatigue.

And its well within your budget ($180). I was initially looking at spending between $700-$1000 but was surprised with how well they preformed.

All the choices that others have listed are excellent as well (if you can stretch your budget)

If you’re in the NYC area Dale Pro Audio and BH Photo have monitor audition rooms and I believe you can audition headphones as well .
I got the HD558’s from best buy of all places ! Go figure. :astonished:

#22

Get ones that are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time as well as comfortable to listen to. The only way is to try them on!

I use Sennheiser HD650 which have an open cup. Not good for tracking vocals with but excellent for long periods of listening. Very true sounding for mixing purposes, they don’t over-hype any particular frequency. Exactly what you want when mixing, you may perhaps have different rationale for recreational headphones. There are several pairs around this price range and cheaper that are probably equal to one another though so probably best to see which ones suit you best.

I read this guide when I bought mine:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/studioheadphones.htm

Reviews and recommendations are great but best to try out different brands if you can as it’s a big investment.

#23

have you tried Sony MDR7506?
They are the industry standard for audio engineers.
If you dont need isolation I have a hard time recommending anything other than AKG K240M.

1 Like
#24

got HD650 Sennheiser ---- can’t get better than those for mxing.
However i want to get a pair of closed back cans, for gigs.
the HD650 are open- meaning fantastic for mixing and you can keep them on your head for 12 hours with no fatigue, but uncool for gigs with loud PA etc.

#25

i’m on the look as well and spotted this pair of sennheiser hd280 on thomann… kind of thinking about getting a pair, for that price range :astonished: or else, a good [url=“http://www.thomann.de/de/akg_k_812_pro.htm”]investment :astonished: :astonished: :sob:

#26

ended up going with the sennheiser 558s. tried the focal pros and really liked them but didn’t find them super comfortable. sound was amazing on them though. 558s were super comfy and the sound is detailed enough for my purposes, at least for the moment. thanks for all the input!

#27

I use the AT M50 & they’re pretty good, don’t go as low as I’d like but comfortable & do the job. Beware buying on the net tho, if the price seams cheap they’ll be forgeries, a mate got stung a few months back.

Best I’ve heard are the Grados, tiB had some I tried & they were bloody marvelous!!!

http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/products/product.asp?catID=5&subID=39&prodID=266

http://www.grado.co.uk/headphones.htm

Re IEM I use these but I get a serious discount due to artist rates/endorsement, they’d be way too expensive normally.
8 drivers a side, sound wicked!!!

http://www.jhaudio.com/product/jh16-pro-custom-ear-monitor

#28

^ endorse me please :smiley: they look really nice.
are they comfortable even after long period of time? i’m not thinking about getting a pair :dizzy_face: , just curious, never used in-ear headphones for mixing…

#29

One of the first lessons I learned (form my professor who had 3 grammys under his belt): NEVER EVER EVER mix with headphones.

The SPLs will damage your ears. Permanently if done for a long period of time at even perceptibly low volumes.

Headphones are literally injecting sound pressure directly into your ears.

Headphones should be used as little as possible and at as low volume as possible. You will end up blowing your ability to hear, especially in the high frequency range. Normal people don’t have to worry so much about this, but as an engineer you should.

Headphones in big studios are usually for A/Bing mixes quickly or for vocal booths. Use monitors at lower volumes instead. I know it makes you less portable, but it will give you better mixes.

For A/Bing: I recommend Beyer Dynamic cans and Sony MDR 7509s. Both are flat and revealing and will give you a different perspective then what monitors will.

Please keep the volume down tho. Being a deaf musician would suck.

#30

Except that people tend to turn them up too loud, there’s nothing inherently more dangerous about sound coming out of a headphone.

#31

I have upgraded from Sony 7506 to aiaiai tma-1 studio guru edition and it is great. The sonys are pretty good but the aiaiai phones are so comfortable and sound really good. Very clear. These are great for people like me who make all their music on cans.

#32

what about the offerings from chinese manufacturers like Takstar or KZ? Anyone tested the Pro-80? I’ve got the open HI2050’s, and they sound a lot better than could be expected for the price (32 usd)

#33

As a complement to my pair of a77x+sub and my single mixcube, i’m using 50.- chinese cans: samson sr850 (50mm drivers, open)

Very revealing mids and treble (in other words, harsh, brutally honest), flat bass, good for “cleaning up” a mix.

Good for studio a/b, not recommended for longer periods. (I need breaks very often with them, but they are surprisingly analytical).

#34

slightly off topic since I know quite a few use Sony MDR7506

do you know where I can get replacement earpads similar to some of the beyerdynamic velour ear pads

I use my beyerdynamic for just music listening and that’s my one complaint about the MDR7506, the earpads are terribly uncomfortable in comparison