Ableton Forum

Hi!

I'm thinking of buying some really good studio headphones, and I'm wondering if I could get some tips? I read somewhere that noise canceling destroys the sound a little bit (not sure how much?), so I will try to steer away from that.

So what I'm looking for are headphones with a neutral sound to make the mixing easy

Thanks!

You got a lotta options.

If you're using them for mixing, you'll probably want open-back ones. Pro's sound lovely and neutral, cons, if you're in a noisy environment they're a bit of a nightmare.

I got the Sennheiser HD650s and I absolutely love them.

What's your budget, mate?

Thanks for the reply!

Those look good. I will only use them for mixing at home, so the environment will be quiet.

The budget is somewhere around $200-300.

I love my BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro's.

beatkeeper25 wrote:I love my BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro's.

this


Audio Technica M50 are pretty great too.

I bought the KRK 8400 headphones for £100 and they are the best headphones I've ever had. There is also the cheaper KRK 6400 that are great too (£69). They both have really good reviews.

I still use my old trusty Beyer Dynamic DT 770's - love them to death....

Audio Technica's are cool too, and in the higher segment Focal.

Been using Beyer Dynamic DT250s (80 ohms) for almost 20 years and I still love them. Although I did try the sonarworks trial of their headphone plugin recently and saw the freq response they are supposed to be giving me. Am so used to them now though I can use them for detailing instruments and checking compression and then switch to monitors for the real balance. Can't trust headphones alone for mixing.

Stace30 wrote:I bought the KRK 8400 headphones for £100 and they are the best headphones I've ever had. There is also the cheaper KRK 6400 that are great too (£69). They both have really good reviews.

Yeah that's where headphones are a personal thing.

I have the 6400 and hate them (uncomfortable for long stretches and to my ears do not have the highs I am use to so sound a bit flat). They have been demoted to portable work.

I used AKG K240 for so long I just loved the sound of them. They started falling apart after 12 years and I got the KRKs as a replacement which I didnt like so went back to AKG K712 which personally I prefer less over the K240 (they do not seem as well built or as nice). I ended up getting replacement pads and cups for my 240s and still use them. Such a reliable pair.

My favorites were Audio Technica ATH M50 until I've realized that they don't translate to my (Genelec 8030) monitors really well, especially in 1K onward spectrum area.

They (M50) are sounding great and tight but for listening electronic music but lacking in details in low mid, high end and stereo imaging, so they may lie if used for mixing. I have 14 pairs of headphones and M50s are still my favorite for listening electronic music but not for mixing.

For mixing purposes avoid any headphones as main device for mix if possible, but if you have to, I would recommend Sennheiser HD600 as best bang for buck (HD650 has very little advantage with much higher price) but you need to get used to them at first as I was shocked how "weak" they sound initially in low end compared to M50, but way more accurate and detailed, especially for details in low end and high end, so much easier to critical mix on them.

If you're on tight budget I recommend checking Sennheiser HD598 Cs (improved low end compared to SR version and yet still as detailed) + Sonarworks Reference Software which can turn them into HD650 really easy and extremely close with calibration process included. I am impressed with results what can be done with that software.

I also managed to "fix" M50's problems with Sonarworks but they are still not as detailed as Sennheisers.

Another condieration are Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm version, as they have similar sound to M50 which suites electronic music but also lacks details of Sennheisers.

I shopped and researched for MONTHS, mostly because of budget considerations;
I use Sweetwater a LOT because they have great reps who do what we do too...
Practical knowledge trumps everything in MY book.

Anyway my personal rep suggested that for ~$100 US I could pick up some
headphones that were 20hz-20Khz (actually wider but beyond human hearing)
and I absolutely LOVE them! They cancel out almost ALL background noise.
(The wife, the neighbors, the TV's and surround sound on in the living
room... World War Three...)
What I hear when I mix with them is what I get over the studio speakers.

Sennheiser HD 280 PRO

ONE THING;
If you're a DJ (where your image counts) they are definitely NOT "cool
looking" phones! They're downright dorky looking. I don't care because
I don't DJ, and they're as COMFORTABLE as any set costing way more.
Can't say enough about them!

G pop

jestermgee wrote: Yeah that's where headphones are a personal thing.

They certainly are, judging by all the reply's. I like it, interesting reading.

After all these years the Sony's still translate awesome... No real need for anything beyond that IMO. Either the 7506's or the V6's... they are pretty similar but have different curves. I prefer the V6's but I can get down on the 7506's no problem.

Shift Gorden wrote:
I got the Sennheiser HD650s and I absolutely love them.

Do you use a headphone amplifier when using your Sennheisers to mix?

Don't overlook Shure, i personally love their SRH1540 headphones, my other headphones (older DT990 pro) are pretty much catching dust at the moment. In any case; make sure they are comfortable for you, not much use in having the best audio quality if you can't stand wearing them hours on end.