Reference headphones ...

[manishkurup]

Just wondering what you guys use for reference headphones (If you use any i.e.)? Im looking to buy a GOOD pair of reference headphones to edit the sounds on my Fantom XR, and also monitor my mixes. Dont have enough space in my apartment for a full-fledged pair of studio monitors .

I play live through a reasonably accurate sound system, so it is essential that I get the bass, mid's and treble down.

My mixes/sounds dont seem to sound the same as I created them using my $100 SONY headphones.

I was looking at the SONY MDR-V900HD, which comes highly recommended by my local Guitar center salesperson !! Comments/suggestions anyone?

Thanks a lot guys !!

-Manish

[bassman]

I would go with AKG 240, or the newer 271. AKG has been a studio standard for years. I've had two pair of 240s for years.

Sennheiser is also a good bet.

Bassman

[MarkShovel]

Headphones do not provide a good mix result. I found that the resulting mix would sound different on every different system I played the CD on.

The best solution is to get near field monitors. I bought a pair of KRK V8-II and now have great results. There are many other near field speaker options and many price points.

Welcome to the mix journey. It is a winding path that will consume your time and resources. Get the right tools so that you can find the best destination.

Mark

[stanley]

Hi manish,

i use a senhiser headfones.....awesome bass treble n mid responses...very tight sounds... but then u have to always test ur song on a good pair of speakers for the final mix...but the senhiser will give u a 99% desired mix...

Rgds,
Stan

Keep playing till till the music kills you!!!!

[manishkurup]

.... guys !!!

See the problem is that, I dont have enough space for near field monitors !!

I was just trying to get a good pair of reference headphones, so I could listen to the intricate details of the sounds, and tweak them.

Im primarily a guitarist, who is getting into the MIDI/sequencing/composition/mixing business. I also play live for a band that plays Indian (ASIA) music.

The latest on headphones:

I decided to try out the Sony MDR-V900HD phones. Tweaked my guitar sounds with it, got some good reference sounds, actually played a concert yesterday, and the resulting sounds were pretty close to what I was hearing on the headphones (except the midrange, since the venue had only a 2-way speaker system, with 15" cones for the woofers, and couple of subs)

Im planning to get the Senheisers and the AKG (I have an AKG Perception 200 condenser mic, and I love it ... Too bad Guitar center didn't have the 271's 'else I'd have tried them out too). Will give them a whirl and tell you what I finally went with.

Could someone give me an opinion on the SONY's if possible?

Also what would be the best way to test out a pair of reference monitor/headphone(s)?

Thanks GUYS !!

-Manish

[Artemiy]

I have AKG K271 and these are probably the best studio-grade phones for this price ($150-170). I love them and if I had lost them I'd buy another pair.

Also, bassman is correct: it is very hard to make a final mix using the headphones only. Headphones are much better than monitors in the details they provide: for sound design, mastering the sounds, etc. To be able to mix with them you'd still have to work with monitors and learn how everything compares. Even after 10 years working with both phones and monitors I can't say it's easy for me to make a balanced mix just with the headphones.

[manishkurup]

Sorry GUYS, being a total noob in the field of mixing, Im wondering what you mean by still having to use Near field monitors to judge how everything compares.

Wouldn't headphones give you the same picture?

Not fully following, could you state an example?

Thanks for the heads up though ... I would have got the AKG's if they were there, but I played a Fantom X8 and MOTIF ES6 (That's what the keys player in my band uses) through the SONY's and liked what I heard in terms of distinct separation of the sounds and tightness (not exaggerated) of the bass. They cost me 200 bucks, and would love to go for the AKGs if they give me better/comparable sound quality for the price.

Once again, thanks, you guys are the best !!

-Manish

[TSUMO]

I use Sony MDR-7506

[Watermelon]

Headphones offer several advantages over nearfield monitors:

1. around $300 you can find some very good headphones with a flat 20Hz-20kHz frequency response (Beyerdynamic DT-880 was my choice). You can't get this with nearfield monitors easily unless spending thousands of $.

2. headphones are not influenced by your room acoustics. Nearfields definitely are. Flat frequency response is virtually impossible to achieve - even with expensive nearfields - if your room is not properly treated (be ready to spend few thousands $ more on room acoustics).

3. headphones allow you to work at lower levels. I can sustain hours of work through headphones, not with monitors.

Why do people then advise you to use nearfiled monitoring for mixing?

Mostly because headphones fails in rendering a correct stereo image. With headphones, the left channel goes to your left ear, the right channel to your right ear. With monitors, the right channel goes to your right ear, but to a lesser extend, there is a (delayed) "leakage" which also reaches your left ear. This "crosstalk" is reponsible for some psychoacoustics which are impossible to reproduce through headphones. Reverbs, imaging, depth, phase problems are best checked through nearfields.

[manishkurup]

... You have completely and patiently answered my queries !!

I am planning to try out the AKG 271's since I have heard nice things about them.

The SONY's are quite reliable, since I just did a concert, and the sounds I dialed in using my SONY's sounded dead-on !!

Will keep you posted on the developments ...

-Manish

[nsheldon]

Hi Manish.

I don't claim to be an exceptionally experienced mixing artist, but I do have experience with some Sony headphones. I have the MDR-V900 (not the newer HD models) so I can give a bit of feedback on the V900s.

Overall, they are decent headphones. They seem to be a little hot in the upper frequencies and the mid ranges aren't quite flat to my ear. They also seem to have some resonance at certain midrange frequencies (to be expected for any closed-ear design). However, they are overall a reasonable pair of headphones. They are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever used (as well as some of the heaviest). They have unusually low impedance for such large drivers, making them suitable for consumer electronics as well. However, for the same price as the MDR-V900s, you could get more accurate and less resonant headphones.

Regards,

Nathan Sheldon
http://www.nathansheldon.com/

[lekanut]

i ve got a couple of sony 7506,i was never delused..i think it s a good deal for the price....especialy in terms of reliability!