Please Help:Headphones for Mixing and Mastering+Monitoring ?

[JannisPablo]

Want to buy good headphones, for Mixing and Mastering
because i have pretty shitty Fostex PM 0.4 Monitors
they are ok for making music but now i want to master my songs i think i need something better
I fell in Love with the Optic AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-M50 and i like that they are described as good al rounders,
but then i start thinking maybe AKG has better sound quality.
i all so like the look off the cheap ones from thomann: SUPERLUX HD-681 but could they be good for that price?
And what you think of the new SHURE SRH 840?

What you think off Headphones for Mixing and Mastering
any recommendation for buying one?
or you have experience with one off this?

please Help me find the right one ?

[twisted-space]

There's only one answer to this really, just like choosing monitors you need to use your own ears.
I have Sennheiser HD600's, etymotic ER4-S's and Westone UM-2's. They all sound fantastic but totally different to each other.
My advice would be to find somewhere you can listen to as many pairs as possible, and choose based on what you hear.

I have the PM 0.4's as well, nothing shitty about them, they have limitations of course, but I think they translate quite well once you get to know them. Have you considered adding a small sub so you can judge the low end more accurately?

[the girl next door]

I have Sennheiser HD650 and AKG K701 headphones.
And both are great but the AKGs are by far the best, more neutral not quite as Bassy as the Sennheiser. I can Garantie you if you get the AKG K701 headphones you will never buy anything else.... FACT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[twisted-space]

And there's proof of what I say.
I tried the AKG 701's and didn't like them.
YMMV of course.

[Pyramid Audio]

Whatever you buy, make sure they are open back, they will be more natural sounding.

Having owned the ATH M50 (which is closed back) and the Senn HD600 (open) my vote is the Senn HD580. The 580 uses the same drivers as the 600 and is a lot cheaper. It is the best "bang for the buck" headphone IMO.

I would not use headphones for mastering, without a real speaker reference as well.

[monobeach]

maybe some useful information here:

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103966

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=99683

[JannisPablo]

Thx for your reply
the Pm 0.4 yes i like them as well!!!
But i have problems with the bass sounds!
when i do a track and listen to it on my Fostex Pm 0.4 it could be that it sound
pretty good and then i try to lets say play it on a big PA and i hear thing´s
I never noted before! Definitely try to adding a small sub hopefully this helps!
Also have Problems when i try to put them balanced on my mixer the make them quite lout they make a lot of noise,
first i thought this would be my Korg Zero8 mixer so i give it to the shop for testing but they say everything is ok with it!

And you are right with the Headphones i have to go to a shop and try them,
Joust have to make selection off which one to try @ the shop before
Better than Thomann to support local dealers anyway!

How to make an alien, like this
Support your local dealers !


P.S. thx for the link`s quite helpful!

[evernaut]

I've always favoured AKG K240's ( now sadly discontinued, but there is a newer version I believe). Very even response, very comfy, very reasonably priced. Something of a studio classic.

[Bleep Blop Ima Robot]

get some awesome sound from my denon dn-hp1000.

[McQ714]

Ultrasone's... can wear those all day without fatigue! Have the DJ1 Pros and the Pro 650s.

[Rave]

Guys you have to burn in headphones and headphone amps before they can be even considered to be used for monitoring. At the end of the day you will still have to A/B your tracks and learn your equipment by ear.

If you got the cash get Senny HD 800s and a Phonitor. Then let it run for 500 hours playing music (at a reasonable volume) before you use them to mix with.

[evernaut]

Guys you have to burn in headphones and headphone amps before they can be even considered to be used for monitoring. At the end of the day you will still have to A/B your tracks and learn your equipment by ear.

If you got the cash get Senny HD 800s and a Phonitor. Then let it run for 500 hours playing music (at a reasonable volume) before you use them to mix with.

If you mean listen to lots of different audio sources on them to attune your ears? I agree.
If you mean, break them in physically like a new pair of shoes, I'm not sure that I do.

Clarify?

[Rave]

Guys you have to burn in headphones and headphone amps before they can be even considered to be used for monitoring. At the end of the day you will still have to A/B your tracks and learn your equipment by ear.

If you got the cash get Senny HD 800s and a Phonitor. Then let it run for 500 hours playing music (at a reasonable volume) before you use them to mix with.

If you mean listen to lots of different audio sources on them to attune your ears? I agree.
If you mean, break them in physically like a new pair of shoes, I'm not sure that I do.

Clarify?

first point yes
second, you have to break them in because they change a lot in the first few hundred hours

[evernaut]

... you have to break them in because they change a lot in the first few hundred hours

Interesting...I've never heard this theory before.
Forgive my scepticism, but is there any documented evidence of this?
Not saying I don't believe it...it seems like it could be entirely possible when I think about it intuitively...the headphone diaphragm stretching with use, etc.

Just curious

[Rave]

... you have to break them in because they change a lot in the first few hundred hours

Interesting...I've never heard this theory before.
Forgive my scepticism, but is there any documented evidence of this?
Not saying I don't believe it...it seems like it could be entirely possible when I think about it intuitively...the headphone diaphragm stretching with use, etc.

Just curious

go to any audiophile headphone sites faq section and they will reveal it all