best headphones for mixing

[audiocase]

Hi all,

I'm setting up a mobile rig around an mbox and would like to know which headphones(or headphone out there in the shops) is the best for performing mixes with.



all responses are appreciated
audicase.

[pk_hat]

First off:

You can delete double-posts by going to 'edit' and checking 'delete post'. I know they are sometimes accidental but they're annoying and it's a quick fix.

Now, "mixing with headphones" is not a widely accepted method. Sure, we all use them to record, hear what we're doing, have some kind of reference to the mix, but to actually mix with cans and expect it to translate nicely on other playback systems is an accident waiting to happen. Physical properties of sound are responsible for this. You need to hear your mix pushing air from speakers, with your head right in the middle.

Having said that, I love the Sony 7506 and the Sennheiser HD280 Pro.

[Bazzle]

I use Sony MDR-V600 which I think are pretty much the same as the 7506.Comfortable for long periods, but no headphone is a mixdown monitor in it's own right.

[FatBelly]

Audio Technica ATH-M40fs for vocals
Sony MDR 7506 for everything else.


I love them.


FatBelly Slim

[Rabidium]

I'll ditto the 280 and the don't mix in cans, I did, and it doesn't work out ok.

wow, just a double-ditto post. This post is useless. Just uppin' that post count, I guess.
-Olaf
(You'd be better off mixing on a pair of stereo speakers like from a component stereo system if you can't afford monitors.)

[audiocase]

Apologies for the double wammy-I think its a "browser" problem.It kept getting logged out,so I didnt show the post going through.

It seems Sony MDR 7506 is highly favoured here.I used to mix with the spirit absolute 2s monitors,,but got rid of them because I needed the space on my desk. Would this computer speaker do a better job at mixing than the best headphones?[creative P380-I just bought this]
CreativeP380 speakers

[Moises]

AKG K-501 is the best for me, after listening to tons of them, including Fostex, Sehnheisers and others (didn't test Sony, though).

They offer quite a flat response for a headphone. They're truly professional, they state their purpose was for classical music lovers and purists of sound. This could make you think that they're done for Hi-Fi market. That's not true. They're truly good for monitoring and recording, but of course to finish, polish your final mix you NEED to resort to monitors, not headphones (this always happens).

They're SUPER-COMFY and even if they're open design (this could leak a bit during recording sessions for vocals, etc, with background tracks monitoring all the while), the sound is pure as it can be. They're a bit expensive, but surely worth the bucks.

Another options is the AKG K-141 Monitor, or better even the AKG K-141 Studio as the latter have a smaller impedance and thus you won't need to crank up the headphone volume control. I find the AKG K-141 Monitor to match the recommended output impedance of MBox (about 600 ohms), and the AKG K-501 for to match the Digi 002 rack's impedance (about 125-150 ohms). This is important, at least for me (I see these calculus as something similar to when we set up proper input gains in our recording chains and stuff).

So in my case (I own both MBox and Digi 002 rack), I finally got both of them and they work great for me. The AKG K-141 are a bit not so comfortable when using it long periods (they clutch your ears a bit) but they are semi-closed design (less sound leakage) and have also a bit bass overtones so I tend to switch between them and the 501s just for checking frequency problems and adjustements).

Well that's my two cents' hehehe. Hope it helps.

Moises

[Timster]

I use a set of AKG K240DF Headphones. I purchased these as my monitors are iffy and not as true as I'd like... saving for a set of dynacoustics.

These are supposedly designed and calibrated by some radio institute specification to simulate a live monitor room, compensating for reflective sound of a full blown monitor system.

That said, here's my disclaimer.

I have two complaints about them.. 1. expensive... about $220 list, and 2. they are lower in volume than most headphones, which may not make them ideal for monitor-while-record applications. Especially live. Doh! That's what you're looking for... oh well.

But for a true get the mix sound, I love these.

They are very flat, and I have found them to be very true. I don't depend totally on them for my mixes, but I always use them to check mixes.

Timster

[GW]

My latest choice are the Sennheiser HD 600. They are pretty cheap as well.

[da BaSsTaRd!]

akg 240-M. only $90 most places, they're super comfy (i can wear them all day long) and they sound great. a little lacking on the deep end, but not too bad. the rest of the freq range sounds fantastic.