GOOD Monitor headphones!

[MegaMustaine]

i don't really know if there's "such thing" as monitor headphones, but I'm currently struggling. I feel like my current Senheiser HD 465 headphones don't emphasize the bass, therefor I way overcompensate in my mixes.

Pretty soon I'm going to be going to a living situation where headphones will be my ONLY option basically, so buying actual monitors is out of the question. For this reason alone, i really wanna buy something nice that will help me mix better.

Thoughts?

 

[_Protoss_]

Audiotechnica's ATHM50 man.
Best headphones i've ever heard (for the price)

Regards!

 

[2000ContourSVT]

I like my Sennheiser HD280's pretty good.

 

[Metaltastic]

Audiotechnica's ATHM50 man.
Best headphones i've ever heard (for the price)

Regards!

Yup, love mine!

 

[AdamWathan]

I love my Beyerdynamic DT770s but I hear open back headphones are better for mixing overall.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, this I've heard as well, though I needed my headphones to isolate (mainly for sweeping a mic in front of a cab), so I had to compromise (and I HATE mixing with cans anyway) - honestly, before I got my monitors, I preferred mixing with my $50 (each) computer speakers, rather than my Audio Technicas, and it had nothing to do with the AT's not being good, I assure you!

 

[fade_2_black]

I have a pair of HD595s which I love to check the mix on when im mixing. Fucking awesome sounding phones!

 

[Fragle]

i currently own the beyerdynamic dt-770 and used to own the athm50.

my .02$: don't cheap out. i ordered the ATs together with my monitor setup and thought well, these will do the job.
imho, they don't. i've never heard anything with such a pronounced midrange and total bass as well as treble absence. sounded like a car horn to me, basically.
returned it for the dt-770, and never looked back.
while it's not the same (read: as good) as listening with a set of decent studio monitors, it is surely in the ballpark, and besides the better stereo imaging cans naturally have, i found the dt770 to be a great tool for judging your lowend, especially for kicks. they really make the sub lows on the kick and bass pop out more than my monitors do.

btw, i found that mixing with cans as opposed to monitors you really have to double check with regular speakers more often. i guess due to the relative proximity of the sound-source your perception of depth, stereo position, and even level is quite different.
i'm not saying that you can't mix well with cans, just don't forget to check the mix on regular speakers every now or then.
i've always had a few surprises coming at me when checking out a headphone-only mix on my monitors.
but maybe i just don't mix with cans often enough, who knows

 

[Metaltastic]

Well, I agree with the pronounced midrange of the ATHM50s, but I feel they have plenty of bass and treble as well, and I see the midrange boost as kinda like the NS10 style of boosting the problem areas so you focus on them. Also though, I admit I got them because I was on a budget, and for under $200 I still don't think I'd buy any others if I could do it again! (and as I mentioned, I really don't like mixing on headphones from a lack of comfort standpoint)

 

[Ermz]

ATH-M50s. Learn to mix on playback systems with this sort of frequency response, because it will benefit you in the end. These aren't really 'mid forward' more than they are just plain neutral. These don't hype up your music and push the higher mids into your ears with some saturation to make you think things are lively and exciting. These will just give you the entire frequency spectrum as accurately as you could want. Also, there is absolutely no shortage of low-end on them... on the contrary the low-end is huge and rated down to 15Hz. When I first put them on it felt like strapping a PA to my head.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

although these are not the best cans outs there I'm always doublechecking my mixes and masters on AKG k240 Studio.
there's no monitor-system in the world I know better and I'll always bring these headphones when I'm working in outside Studios.

(I'm doing 95% of the mix on the K&H of course...just doublechecking on the cans)

 

[ahjteam]

For live I would go for an IEM-system instead of headphones. For studio I would get isolated phones for the drummer and open headphones for the singer. And if you want emphasized bass end with isolated headphones: Sennheiser HD25

 

[slashvanyoung]

Sennheiser HD 495 are my preferred choice. Open back of course.

 

[MetalJonesy]

im using sennheisher EH 250s, but i never use em for mixing, only tend to use em for tracking and late night editing or tracking when i cant be making too much noise! they are decent enough. the HD280 pros are very nice, but the bass is deffo lighter than on the 250s but the 280s are much more natural sounding

 

[ze kink]

although these are not the best cans outs there I'm always doublechecking my mixes and masters on AKG k240 Studio.
there's no monitor-system in the world I know better and I'll always bring these headphones when I'm working in outside Studios.

(I'm doing 95% of the mix on the K&H of course...just doublechecking on the cans)

+1, I usually also mix most of the kick and bass with them.

 

[slashvanyoung]

I did lots of radio production with the AKG k240... Oldie but Goldie.

 

[Metaltastic]

Ack, if there's one thing I've heard A LOT it's that 280s suck for mixing (lacking low-end, mainly, but also hyped upper end) - I've never listened to 'em personally, but just something to look into I'd say!

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Sony MDR V6.... I've got a set, and they're very nice.

Bob Lentini, the creator of SAW, mixes on them exclusively & his mixes are fucking mindblowing.

 

[Metaltastic]

Dunno about the V6's, but STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE MDR-7506 JESUS - most painfully hi-end-hyped cans I've ever used (I owned a pair that I used regularly for like 3 years, then sold them for my ATHM50s and have been in ecstasy since)