The Best Headphones for Mixing and Mastering (ALL Models Compared)
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Justin Colletti reviews the top pro level headphones for mixing and mastering, focusing on open back models from brands like Audeze, Neumann, Focal, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Sony, Focal, Steven Slate, Shure, Audio Technica and more.
Article Version: sonicscoop.com...
Headphone Links:
Audeze MM-500: bhpho.to/3QyekR5
Focal Clear Pro: sweetwater.sjv...
Beyerdynamic DT Series: www.sweetwater...
Neumann NDH 30: www.sweetwater...
Sony MDR MV1: www.sweetwater...
Austrian Audio Hi-X: www.sweetwater...
Slate VSX: www.sweetwater...
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#headphones #musicmixing #mixingengineer #proheadphones #mixingheadphones #podcast #justincolletti #audioengineer #musicproducer #listenable #mixingengineer #sonicscoop #interview #Audeze #Neumann #Focal #Beyerdynamic #Sennheiser #Sony #Focal #StevenSlate #Shure #AudioTechnica
![Best Headphones for Mixing: $400 & Under [2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mPPmlXcrCOg/mqdefault.jpg)
Article Version: sonicscoop.com/best-headphones-for-mixing-and-mastering-the-ultimate-buyers-guide-2023/
Headphone Links Below. (Affiliates Links, Click to Support the Channel at No Cost 🙂)
Audeze MM-500: bhpho.to/3QyekR5
Focal Clear Pro: sweetwater.sjv.io/c/3177824/794166/11319?u=www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=Focal%20Clear%20MG%20Professional
Beyerdynamic DT Series: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=Beyerdynamic+DT&irclickid=UiKUjiwdAxyNRaZ0i2WejQ8cUkF1qaSIN2%3AHS40&irgwc=1&utm+medium=SonicScoop&utm+source=Impact
Neumann NDH 30: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=Neumann+NDH+30&irclickid=UiKUjiwdAxyNRaZ0i2WejQ8cUkF1q8zsN2%3AHS40&irgwc=1&utm+medium=SonicScoop&utm+source=Impact
Sony MDR MV1: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=Sony+MDR+MV1&irclickid=UiKUjiwdAxyNRaZ0i2WejQ8cUkF1q8wIN2%3AHS40&irgwc=1&utm+medium=SonicScoop&utm+source=Impact
Austrian Audio Hi-X: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=Austrian+Audio+Hi-X&irclickid=UiKUjiwdAxyNRaZ0i2WejQ8cUkF1q83EN2%3AHS40&irgwc=1&utm+medium=SonicScoop&utm+source=Impact
Slate VSX: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=slate+vsx+1990&irclickid=UiKUjiwdAxyNRaZ0i2WejQ8cUkF1MxwsN2%3AHS40&irgwc=1&utm+medium=SonicScoop&utm+source=Impact
@SonicScoop what do you think about the BEYERDYNAMIC DT Pro x 900s??
Hello, I just want to use one earphone and don't want to be tired of switching devices all the time depending on the type of music. I listen to 80% classical and 20% jazz and pop. I have also seen the mm500 so far, and I think the instrument part is quite good, and the vocals are in the front, so the female voice sounds good. Do you recommend other headphones at this level? I think the sound field of the mm500 is okay. For classical music, the instrument tone is not too modified. , the low-frequency dive is enough for jazz. I don’t know if I understand this right?
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Why Mix on Headphones
02:48 - Criteria for Best Headphones for Mixing
06:16 - Best Overall Headphones for Mixing
10:47 - Focal Clear Pro MG
14:21 - Beyerdynamic DT 1990
17:13 - How Your Headphones Affect Your Mixes
18:53 - Neumann NDH 20
25:45 - Sony MDR-MV1
30:24 - Austrian Audio Hi-X65 & Hi-X60
34:24 - Slate VSX
43:18 - Blue Mix-Fi
44:07 - Sennheiser HD 650
45:18 - Shure SRH 1840
46:28 - Ollo S4X
48:08 - Check Out The Courses
48:51 - Sign Up for the Membership
49:47 - Goodbye
You literally covered every model I've been interested in, such a great and thorough video! Thanks for putting this all together.
I've these models: Focal Clear MG Pro, Neumann NDH30, Hifiman Ananda, Sennheiser HD660s, Beyerdinamic DT770, Audio-Technica MX-50 and Sennheiser HD-25.
Every headphone has a "tone". But my choice is the Clear's and the Neumann's.
Good review!
Awesome to hear! Those would be my choices out if those too.
-Justin
Try newest Arya Organic, supposedly better than Focals.
Arya organics are next level
@Cp48533 Would you fellas suggest Arya Organics or the HE1000 Stealths , taking into consideration the latter is a only a couple bills more than former?
I've had the Beyer 770's and 990's for years but I've recently bought a pair of their DT 1990 Pros and they sound wonderful especially for mastering. But I do run them through Realphones which just fine tunes them on the high end smoothing them out a touch. They really are very good. 😎
I love mine. They remind me of my NS10s.
I got the 1770 pro I can hear the sub better
“ headphone bias”. I love that. I’m not a mastering engineer, but I absolutely learn so much from your channel! Thanks so much.
So glad to be useful!
-Justin
I have nothing to say about quality of headphones, but have to mention that picture of sound in headphones and speakers is different. Speakers give you more precise detailed about panorama. Using headphones you can hear sound from right or left ear separately. But in real we listen by both ears, even if sound source is located at one of sides. So, I would think it better to combine both methods of mastering- phones and speakers.
I settled on BDs. Open & closed for mixing & recording. Verry happy with them. I do have other headphones but the BDs are the go to. My favourite cheaper headphones have always been Sennheisers.I'm not a pro.
I like hd650 better then beyerdynamic
Used Beyerdynamic 770, 990 and then 1990. I am very satisfied with the last one with analytical earpads. Great transient response and detail. But, as mentioned in the video, SoundID from Sonarworks is a good idea to use with. Not saying that the 1990s sound bad (although the analytical earpads don't have that much subs), but I prefer as neutral sound as possible, and that's what SoundID helps me achieve. When I mixed things on my speakers (bedroom speakers, Yamaha HS7+HS8S), there was always some issue in my mixes, also based on feedback from my colleagues. Because let's face it, bedroom is not a studio and it never will be. But whatever I mixed primarily on these 1990s has always been met with great feedback from colleagues who have much better listening conditions than me. So to sum it up, I can't tell you BD 1990s are best, or better than this or that, but I can tell you they are very good and my work results have been noticably better. Also they are quite comfy. I can work with them on the whole day, unless it's 30°C outside and 28+ inside, obviously. Cheers.
Hello budy, how are you? Help me with a question, using the DT990, did you like your mixes? I also use a Yamaha HS7 in a room, and my mixes don't sound good (I feel like I don't hear anything as it really is)
@@beatsbyfrancotrapboy Mixing on speakers is very dependent on your room. I find the overall response better in calibrated headphones. But headphones might be biased too and they don't show everything the same way as speakers too. Learn to work on either of those and check with the other system and try to balance the result so it sounds good on both.
@@JK_EU I have DT 1990 and I am one of the people who consider them little too bright it the 8k regions so I made a little correction with SoundID. I set them at 30% dry/wet with EQ only between 7.2k and 9.2k. That's like -2.5db @ ~8k.
I took the 1770 pros because I work with a lot of sub/bass freq, do you recommend me this types to ?
Time stamps would be nice.
I no longer have room for monitors- i ran Adam audio T7’s- so i go between my audio technica ATH M-40 closed backs and R70 open backs. Then, if i feel like hearing them in different rooms, i have a couple of room emulations- abbey road and realphones
They aren’t the same as monitors, but, like you said- i know these headphones, and make adjustments accordingly. Finally, it’s off to the car.
I get really great results with the Slate VSX system. I have nicer audiophile headphones, but having the information from the room modeling helps me dial in ambience and make better choices when i’m using width enchantment plugins….i find using the audiophile stuff works better for mastering because you can hear distortion from limiting much easier.
Me too, but the stereo image is actually the one thing I don’t trust with VSX (at least with the room models, the headphone models are ok). Great for balance checks though.
VSX is not a gimmic I've been using them since the inception. They deserve a technical Grammy award. It's amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a $9 headphone with great software.
I check my mixes on the Focal Clear Pro. No complaints.
Also, get sonar works and it's software can flatten your headphones for you. I am impressed what it did with my ATHm50x's
it's not flattening *literally* but it targets towards their SR curve.
It can definitely be helpful on a lot of headphones!
-Justin
@@Lychegsye-nc6td yes thanks :)
For me the Focal clear mg pro wins. MM500 only loses with comfort
Nice video! Have you listened to Sennheiser's 560S headphones? Cheap in terms of price and "quality impression", but you can hear low frequencies in them much better than in 650. Still, the sound is a very characteristic Sennheiser sound - midrange/top end.
I’m not familiar with the model. I would love to hear them!
-Justin
What about the use of a good DAC/Headphone amp?
That's kind of important. Just don't rely on internal soundcards in computers, mostly. A neutral and analytical hi-fi amp/DAC like the Audio-gd R28 can help, but most pros make do with less.
yes. I love my MM-500. no joke. Invest in good headphones if you can't get a great room
headphones beat room by miles easy
smash 2k and u "have it all"
@@starkid9736 2K is not the frequency I pay attention to. The 2k is easily audible even on cheap speakers. What I notice about these headphones is the wonderfully flat low mids and bottom end. Usually, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to implement it into room acoustics.
I own a pair of the Audeze LCD-X 2021 headphones so, what is your opinion regarding the Audeze LCD-X 2021 ranking?
Have you tried pairing the Audeze’s with the Reveal+ plugin? What are your thoughts, is it worth the extra 199$ for mixing purposes?
absolutely stellar and super useful review! just recently got a pair of Neumann NDH 30 and I'm loving them! I totally agree with you they do not offer a 'pleasant' sound and they make you work harder to get your mixes right! I am coming from a pair of Audeze LCD-X 2021 and Sennheiser HD600; I will still be using those 2 pairs as I think they bring something more and help me as additional reference for my mixes. The only thing am still learning with the Neumanns is the treble response. I find it a bit dull and my mixes are a bit bright when only mixed on the Neumanns. Would you agree the treble response is perhaps a bit dull? one final cherry on the cake would be for you to comment on Headphone amplifiers for all these headphones. I am currently using a Rupert Neve Precision Headphone Amplifier I love (have tried many others but always go back to the Rupert). What suggestions would you have for headphone amplifiers for mixing and mastering? Again, thanks soooo much!
Those are some great options to have! Yes I suppose "dull" is a potential word to use for the Neumanns compared to other options, though I avoid using it because it has a negative connotation. They definitely don't hype up the top end or scoop out the midrange like a lot of headphones do.
They NDH 30 will encourage you to add additional bottom and top to your mixes, which is their potential benefit, if you need a push in that direction. However, if you're already doing enough (or too much) of that, then a more hyped up or "Hi Fi" kind of headphone may suit you better.
This is why monitoring is a such a personal choice, and you really have to try things!
Headphone amplifiers are a whole separate topic! Any of the headphones here are low enough impedance and high enough efficiency that any old headphone amp of good quality should probably be fine. But the NDH 30 are more power hungry than most on the list. Something like the super high end LCD-5 probably need even more power, and may not be suitable for all consumer style portable headphone amps.
There can also be subtle differences in tone between amplifiers, but those differences are nothing compared to the differences between models here! That is a deep topic of its own, but one with relatively smaller rewards than this one, as it is a more niche subject and the differences are nowhere near as dramatic.
Very best,
-Justin
Hey! thanks so much for your detailed response. really appreciate it!
@@SonicScoop hi !
How are the treble on the ndh30 compared to the Focals?
Thank you
I have pair of the DT 770 pros 250 ohm, and what I like about them is the detail, you can pick out every instrument clearly, I have been listening to music for almost 60 years and with the DT-770's I hear things I have never heard in songs before.
Man I wish I have seen this before I bought the Neumann NDH 30. I wanted something that can mix and that I can listen to movies and music.
Audio Technica's R70X are sleepers. So few mentions or reviews, but they're AMAZING!!
I do mention them in the article version of this. Very good headphones, and I prefer them to the Sennheisers in the sand category, even though they are less expensive. Very lightweight and easy to wear, too.
Very best,
Justin
I use AKG712, these cans are great, zero fatigue after many hours... I use closed back Sennheiser HD25s for artist/tracking ...
Best combo
Which would you say are best for low end accuracy? That’s my biggest problem with working in headphones and I have to for my environment
Absolutely, that's one of the biggest things great headphones can potentially help with. I wish I stressed that even more at the beginning.
The first two pairs I mention in this video are my top picks for bottom end: The: Audeze, followed by Focal Clear.
Some of the others are very good in the bottom too. But those top of the line models are top of the line for good reason. The low end on the Audezes especially are in a league of their own, with the Focals being a close second.
The best low end I've found for $300 or less are still the Blues, but they have more competition these days. The $300 VSX can do surprisingly well in the bottom.
All of my other top picks have good bottom, but those are the standouts for me.
-Justin
The AKG K712 Pro is missing here . I use them for many years now and didn`t found better ones in this price range in sound and comfort
The step up from them is likely the Audeze MM-500.
And steer clear of Focal. They have a reputation for poor quality control as well as headbands that break easily.
The mids aren't that flat on them, for me and I end up with more lies with my mixes, although I think there great for tracking when recording guitar & vocals.
Really curious about how mm100 compares to ndh30, strictly for mixing and mastering
As far as the Slate VSX - You can use software like Waves NX with any headphone to simulate rooms. So I would think Neumann headphones with the Waves software would be a more revealing choice at about the same price.
Which you choice vsx vs hd490?
I prefer the LCD X 2021s over the MM500. They have more bass and I like the pinna gain/upper mids better as well. The MM’s are a bit forward in the upper mids and that hampers it’s mixing ability. They LCD X cost less too (and come in the same cool pelican case)
Very happy with my NDH-20's: very neutral to me, and indeed, ypou have to 'work' on your mixes as they are quite neutral, but isn't that the point?
With VSX, why don’t you just reference a song that you like and know well in each “environment?” Theoretically, if it is not a gimmick, they should lol sound very close to the same with a well-mastered professional reference.
You're a total geek, and I mean this in the best possible way. Have you tried earphones, too? Etymōtic's ER4SR, for instance?
Thank you! I’m not familiar with the brand, but would love to hear them.
-Justin
Which headphone amp do you use?
Mdr7506 , "hyped" look at a freq response of them. They are flat through the lower and upper midrange. I have never found another headphone that measures that flat. It's been years since I looked , maybe a slight lower mid bass lift of a dB or two around 120hz. ... I preferred the originals with samarium cobalt magnets, lower distortion, or my hearing and expectations are different now since my first pair. A different magnet equates to a different driver.every headphone I have heard is dark mud compared to the 7506. An industry standard with studios and a/v engineers for a reason... the originals were better though. Been in production 30 years or so ? List for $150 in 1998 money.
I have the MDR-V6 which is an older model (red stickers on side instead of blue), but I think it has neodymium magnets. Have you ever heard them? People say they are a little warmer sounding.
I also have the MDR-7550 (EX800ST in Japan), which are very good in-ear monitors, I think, at least for their time (around 2010).
Music isn’t a fashion show? 😂 I often , sitting alone in my dark studio wonder if I look cool. JK! Thanks for review.
I am quite curious about the Slate VSX models and might give one of them a try sometime. For me, the Beyerdynamic 1990 are also quite intersting, because I used to use the DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm for years for my mixing and mastering, and they did a really good job, especially considering the price. I wonder if the 350 price jump to the 1990s is worth it. It might be, as supposedly, the lowend is more precise and the Beyer Peak less pronounced, but I haven't yet tried them myself. For someone on a really, really tight budget, the DT990 Pro would still be something worth looking at in my opinion.
I just got them after being on the fence for a while, and after a couple days of using them I kick myself in the arse for not doing it sooner.
@Ferrous_Bueller nice! I really want them too. Not sure if the pro and pro x versions are worth the extra money? Did you consider these too?
@@jasonm9825 as far as I know, they only come in two versions now, the Essential and the Platinum. Only difference between the two is the latter gives you more rooms. But Steven’s has coupons to upgrade to the Platinum at certain times of the year doe $100, so I went with the essential and I’ll upgrade whenever they have a coupon
Hi , could you use chapters on your video ? Thanks !
No love for Akg pro 702??? They give a great stereo image
They sound like a pair of speakers and not a pair of headphones, too.
Martinez Susan Harris Michael Martinez Timothy
My husband told me about your article/blog and I read it. Then I hopped on RUclips and your video popped up. I watched the entire video and I'm glad I did. I originally bought the first edition of the Slate VSX as soon as they were available which worked well, but my model broke after about two months of gentle use. They kindly sent me a new pair, but I've yet to use it again because of that issue. I've heard they've strengthened the band with the newer models and fixed that issue. Good for them, I'm sure they're better now. After that incident I purchased the Focal Clear MG Pro and then a few months later, the Neumann NDH-30 (since I own Neumann monitors).
I agree with everything you've said (about the models I own). I use the Focals mostly for music production & when I need a little excitement (during quiet hours) due to the great bass response and overall 3-D sound. Feels like I'm wearing monitors on my head. I got the NDH-30s for mixing at night/quiet hours and so I could check them against the KH120 monitors since they're the same company. The Neumanns are not particularly "fun" or "exciting" but I knew that going in lol. That headphone/monitor combo seems to translate very well, which is what drew me to that brand.
Even so, I'm considering getting the Audeze MM-500 because I hear they are great "overall" and I think they could be good for both me and my husband to use/reference our own projects and client work, but may only be a "hair" of an improvement over the models owned vs the additional cost. Since you have and referenced all of them, do you think the MM500s would be a good addition considering the headphone models I already have? (FYI my husband loves and uses the Sennheiser HD650s and 280 Pro).
Thats good. Would you like just give away one of your headphones. Because am using 50 bucks headphone and sound horrible. Anyway I got used to learn it and am doing my mix for my songs using this. Cheers
In VSX you must use the hdlinear setting, as the headphone itself is only a blank canvas for modeling, not meant to mix without the software, ever.
My focal trio6 are sonically on par to Steven Midfield in VSX.
Functionally the best way to learn VSX is this: find a room first that gels with your references. Then, the best way to learn a room is to reference WHILE you mix!!!
When you inevitably switch to another room, put your reference in it first!! Even 10-20 seconds, then switch to your mix. Then you’ll begin to understand what sticks out and why what monitor set will help you and when. You trust the reference and if switching to it by moving from Zuma to a car sounds less wow, then once you move to your mix you’ll have the context of comparison being between your reference and you mix rather than that AND the fact that you just changed the room. Then all of the above teaches you what to listen for in a room or monitor set when you no longer depend on the reference.
Yes, I think I mention this in the video. The Linear setting is IMHO the best feature of the VSX!
I kind of wish they just sounded like that without the software :-) I don't necessarily need all the other bells and whistles, and if they could make headphones that just sound that way at $300, they'd be a great buy. But all those other features are fun to have for sure! Maybe useful too?
A lot of people using the VSX really seem to love them though and swear by the results they are getting. We have one member of the channel who has been mixing on them and his work sounds GREAT. So they are totally a viable solution.
-Justin
I gotta say that I could care less about how headphones look. I am an audio engineer. Sound first, comfort second and looks a distant 100th. But, I don't do videos, so, there's that. thanks for the reviews. I ended up with the Sennheiser 650's after trying the Neumann NDH 20's. I am buying the NDH 30's to try them. For 20 years I lived on Sony V6's. I was a live sound FOH guy and they had a cut that let me hear over the room and the earpads were small and so I wasnt' struggling with them to toss them back and listen to the room. Not the best for studio work tho...
whats the best headphone mixing that are flat as possible?
Clark Robert Lee Deborah Harris Timothy
i have used many headphones 🎧for mixing and mastering
every time i hear 👂 my music and other people music on Neumann ndh 30 I don’t like it at all
but man when mix with it it sounds great on every other systems and monitors
Perez Anthony Martin Susan Gonzalez Mark
Anderson Brian White Karen Anderson Steven
I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD660S's as i wanted around 150ohm which they are exactly, balanced cables with 4.4mm Pentacomm balanced jack plug & output as well as plain stereo cables & a 6.3mm stereo plug,open backed for music listening & music & video editing...i luv them,lots of bass but being a bass player i can put up with a lift in the bass region...amazing when used with balanced headphone outputs..even my cheap Zen DAC V2 sounds amazing in balanced mode with the 660S's....🎧👍
660 is pretty rad. I sold it off as I prefer my HD650's sound.
Good video. Well done. Organized, articulate, good perspectives.
I have twelve high quality headphones, including Focal, BD, Neumann, Audeze, Sennheiser etc. The best for mixing and mastering (checking mixes) are Neuman NDH 30's and 20's. None of the others can touch them,
Looking at NDH 30 black edition to replace my old ass AKG K702.
Any thoughts on the Ollo S5X?
Wonderful review. I use Focal Clears ( not MG Pro) . They have been on sale for a while at about $900. But I always use them in mixing with Sonarworks Sound ID to get them fairly flat. This is a great choice.
I would pronounce it Aud-ease.😊
Having just invested 500€ in the Beyerdynamic dt 900/700 pro x headphones im very interested in your opinion on those cans.
Amazing video! The best I've watched on the headphone for the mixing. Can you please recommend the best headphone for an aspiring voice actor? My primary usage is to monitor my own voice recording or other voice actors' recordings. What I most care is about hearing the micro accents and nuances on each spoken words.
I also thought that MM-500s are the best, I went in to get LCD-Xs and almost walked out with Focal Clear MG pros instead, the only thing that stopped me was that MM-500s were just released and I really couldn’t decide then.
I have to really disagree about the SRH1840s, I’ve owned them for years and know them inside out, but they’re too risky to use for mixing. If you have a pair, play a low E sine wav (41hz or so), it sounds like there’s a saturator on it. The more you turn up the volume the more it saturates. The only way to get them to sound clear in the lows is to play them at super low volume. Basically, if they’re your only pair you can’t accurately make decisions on anything below like 300hz or so, especially if you monitor at different volumes. I’m surprised by how many people don’t notice this design flaw.
Personally, I also thought NDH30 sounded pretty bad… it was at a store and maybe they weren’t burned in. But they sounded tinny like beyers, very little low end and no depth.
I think I need to hear them again. For me there’s really only the Focals or MM-500 or HD650/660, everything else would feel like a compromise.🤔
No love for Ollo S4X??? They are amazing....and not bad price
@sonicscoop
Modhouse Tungstens are better than all of those.
I have the Neumann NDH 20 headphones, and I trust them more than my monitors for mixing and mastering. For context, I have older, lower range monitors with limited room treatment, although I do have a bigger space to mix in relative to other bedroom studios.
Oh man, have you heard of the HEDDphones?
I have! I keep asking Fredrick to send me a pair and he keeps saying he’s going too :-) I think he may be waiting til the next generation is available. Really looking forward to hearing them.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Fantastic, I so want to test them also. I have the studio monitors type 20 and they are amazing.
No AKG ?. I commend you.
This was incredibly insightful. Thank you so much ❤
So awesome to hear. Thanks for checking it out!
-Justin
I have the Shure, definitely great sounding, but also fits the best, and not too heavy, I forget I’m using them!
They are great I use them as well
I would give a try to Sennheiser HD 660 S2. They have the nice miss of the 650 but now they added low end extension
Switching from better sounding monitors to NS-10s in an under treated room improved my mixes. I wonder if the Slate cans have an NS-10 profile …
They do
Just a quick question, which amp would you use for the Neumann NDH30s? I'm a complete noob (with regards to mixing). I'm running Logic Pro on an imac. Do i even need one to drive the 120ohms ? Cheers
Most consumer headphone amps should be sufficient to drive them to an appropriate level.
Outboard headphone amps are generally not required for most contemporary models of professional headphones.
Sometimes they can be a helpful nice to have, but they are by no means required.
The headphone amps in practically any piece of prosumer audio interface gear is going to be sufficient, and the headphone jack in your computer probably will be too.
Informative review covering plenty of the available options. Unbiased too, great stuff.
I've bought NDH 30s from Thomann after watching this video and returned them a couple of days ago. Unfortunately they sound too warm and too forgiving - they never show harshness or too much brightness + the low bass is a bit weakened, a bit sterile. My old DT880 Pro and my studio monitors (eves sc2070s) showed me many flaws that I couldn't hear on NDH30s while mixing which is surprising. Well, I guess it's good for my bank account
Do you EQ headphones? We shouldn't be using headphones as is, throw an EQ into the master bus to correct the headphone for a flat sound, then turn that EQ off before exporting the mixdown. Use frequency response graphs posted online to help you flatten them out. A 20-20kHz sine sweep should sound constant without any jumps in volume once you are done.
@@Jason75913 yes I was using EQ correction
I love my Neumann Ndh30's! So flat and distortion free! I've seen a few people mention they preferred them over any other headphones for mixing and they have used Audeze and Focals etc. They really are great especially for the $650 price.
yep I own them too and they are amazing.
Are the ndh30 sounds like they're 310s?
Yup same here, and especially use them for mixing - work well together with their KH monitors
Yes, I love them.
Mine made me retire my Sennheisers. These things translate mixes almost perfectly. I absolutely adore them.
The *SNAP* they put on a good snare blew me away the first time I listened to them.
adding chapters to the video would help navigate the long run time for all the headphones listed.
I like my Austrian audio hi x65, take sometime to get use to it, kinds of like fuller range of ns10s, mix sounds good on them, sounds also good on my mains. I think they are winner of last namm?
Problem with the MM-500 is the huge jack that you can't plug to your audio interface, it is the reason why I won't get them unless they provide the right cable
I’m surprised to hear that. Where do you live? Here in the US 1/4” jacks are THE standard headphones jacks on all pro audio interfaces, even the cheapest ones.
That said, there are easily purchased and very inexpensive 1/4” to 1/8” connectors. (Or as you might call them, “3.8mm” or something :-)
I wouldn’t be surprised if Audeze even includes one, but I can’t remember.
Ive been using The Neumann Ndh 30s for 6 months now. Theyve turned out to be very very reliable. Coupled with sonarworks.... The best way I would describe them? They dont lie.
That’s what’s great about them!
-Justin
It's strange to me that for either monitor or headphone mixing and mastering that each individual's actual tested hearing frequency response curve is never touted as a major factor. Even going to a music store to test headphones for yourself only tells you what headphones help you develop a delusion about which one is better, but they are only better according to your specific response curve and not for an objective measure for what pair would be best for a given person for mixing and mastering. ...
(I'm not an audiologist, so just think of the following conceptually. I'm sure there are other factors and methodologies to consider that I'm not aware of.)
What should really be the standard, and then the choice of headphones won't matter so much, is that perhaps once per month, a listener does a high-resolution hearing test on their system of both ears together and independently at different volumes (SPL) using the headphones they intend to work with. The test should be taken three to five times and averaged. The resulting frequency response curve is then used to shape a final output equalizer that compensates and flattens the curve at the final output for that listener, giving them a more objectively normalized mixing/mastering experience. The same for any given monitor setup. (This final output equalizer might have to be dynamic to account for varying sound pressure levels (SPL).) ...
I would've suggested that there should be compensation also for the known frequency response curve of the make and model of headphones/monitors in use, but this would already be accounted for during the listener listening test as the headphones/monitors would've already imparted their curve onto the listener's response curve.
This is where reference tracks are invaluable. Most folks don't know any of this and it sounds like a hassle versus using reference tracks, analyzers, and other existing tools to help anyone be less dependent on their imperfect hearing altogether.
Along the way, we'll also become familiarized with how our own hearing boosts certain frequencies, varying by individual.
@@Jason75913 - Very true. Reference tracks are the better, easier solution.
Does anyone have thoughts on the DT 900 Pro-X (open) vs DT 700 Pro-X (closed)? Do the 700s have slightly more hyped up low end and less straight forward mids just on acount of being closed?
I think you described it pretty well there!
If isolation isn't a concern, I generally recommend open backs for mixing as you can get a more straightforward frequency response, all else being equal.
But yes, there are conditions under which closed backs can have a bit more hyped up low end, which some may prefer.
There are open backs with really, really good low end out there though. The 900s are definitely among the better and more "luxury" feeling open backs in their price range.
I hope that helps!
-Justin
Thank Justin. THis is a great video. When I mix, I'll mix on the speakers to get a vibe but once I get to my headphones, certain things need to be tamed or brought up.
The Drop version of Beyer Dynamics DT1770 is DT177X. It corrects problems associated with the original. I also have Focal Elex's which are quite unreliable in low mids and bass. I highly recommend the DT177X. I do most of my mixes on them in combination with Adam A8X monitors and it's an excellent combination. There is very little difference in adjustment of a mix when switching between the 2.
@DIRTYLITTLEPRESET Mostly Latin flavored funk-jazz. I used to do a lot of rock and pop, not so much any more. In the meantime I sold my Focal Elex cans and Adam A8X monitors. Upgraded to Adam A8H monitors and added a HiFiMan Arya Organic pair of cans. I use the Aryas only with Sound ID Reference software by Sonarworks. Otherwise they are very midrange-scooped. Adam A8H monitors have a much more accurate mids campared to the old A8X model. I have a treated room and no need for software correction.
No love for AKG ?
I've used AKG 702 for a long time. Very comfortable, light as a feather and very detailed sound. One invaluable addition IMO is Sonible Balance - in particular to check the bass is right.
@@rogergamon I use 712Pro and are great for bass and detail at a great price but i would love to try the k812
Oh man, AKG were one of my first favorite brand of headphones. I still have my old AKG K240s somewhere around here.
I did reach out to them about getting demo models, but never heard back, and so kind of forgot about them. Apologies! If I ever do hear from them, I'd love to have a listen to their latest models.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop No problem Justin great video as always.
I have the AKG K702 and im very happy with them, actually i was recomended by stimming from diynamic to buy them
Using K702 for many years now, need to replace ear pads. Looking now at NDH 30 to replace K702.
This video (and article) has probably sold me on MM-500 more than others. Holy hell am I torn between MM-500, LCD-5 (rip wallet) and LCD-X, even Focal Clear MG to a point.
I produce a pretty wide range of styles, but I lean toward mixing bass a lot. MM-500 sound great, I like headphones that are more in your face in the soundstage, but I'm worried they may sound too thin and clinical on the bottom end for general listening. Perhaps some subtle EQ may help, but I have no idea. This is why I may lean toward LCD-X considering I am very much part of the electronic music and even metal production arena.
What do you think?
EDIT: Went ahead and ordered a pair of LCD-X in the end. Excited to try them out once they arrive, I think I can expect a whole another world of mixing after using DT-990's for years.
😱xrtullor⁉️used 990s⁉️let him cook using lcd x🔥🔥🔥🗣️!!!
@@rtrtrtrt4790 How do people keep recognizing me at the most random places remains beyond me
How do you like them for mixing?
@@officialdiomer After many months of use... I've got to say they are phenomenal for mixing.
Before saying anything else, I must mention I have done EQ correction to these headphones. You kinda have to due to the severe, bizarre dip around 3-5kHz. I've used oratory1990's EQ profile, using APO Equalizer + Peace addon.
But once you get used to this correction, mixes start translating really well across systems.
I think the biggest points with these headphones are the sense of stereo image and the bass range. It feels like listening to an actual room. It's like I've been listening to flat 2D walls of sound before, and now I finally have a 3D room to work with. I don't think I can go back after this.
The bass is really, really deep and defined. Considering I make bass music, they work very well for mixing subbass area, there's definition to it. Very good performance here, it was what I was looking for.
There's just this sense of crispiness to perceiving everything that is going on in the whole spectrum. You really hear so much more if you have experienced ears to back it up.
Overall it performs amazingly for mixing. It has its quirks with the frequency response, but you'll learn to live with correction. I just sometimes forget to turn correction back on after listening through speakers, and end up ruining my mixes lol
I've never found headphones that can accurately represent how a kick will sound in any room or car. Speakers were always the only way for me. But I'm willing to give them a try now that it's 20 years later. Okay wait, did you say transient accuracy? On headphones?!?
It is totally possible in some of the better planar magnetic headphones.
-Justin
White Scott Rodriguez Susan Walker Eric
What is the meaning of these comments? Been seeing a bunch of them lately.
Manny Marroquin MM500 plus dSoniq Realphones for low end extension, and crossfeed, plus high quality headphone amp... under 2500 in total, beats almost everything, and most speaker setups. MM mixed latest Kendrick Lamar album on them. They're heavy and thick...but dang that's the combo. Did a review on my channel.
I really can't decide whether to get VSX or NDH 30. Seems like the Neumanns are the better Headphones in general but it'd be easier to mix on the VSX… Mixing on monitors isn't suitable for me. Any advice?
Both are great. The NDH 30 aren't "pretty" but they will encourage you to make your mixes sound big.
The VSX are very affordable and offer one of the best options in their price range and below. They also might have more low end, which can be helpful if you're turning out mixes with too much low end.
But if your mixes are bass light, the NDH 30 can help with that.
Very best,
Justin
Knew he was a reputable source once I heard how crisp the audio was in the video
magnificent podcast!! one of the best comparisons I've ever seen.
BUT, .... what about Heddphones?? Are they as good as they say?
Regards from Spain!!
Thanks! I hope to get my hands on the new versions soon. The new ones weren’t announced and the old ones weren’t available when I did this.
-Justin
Harris Timothy Martinez Joseph Lewis Jose
What the heck are you referring to?
This is one of the most professional and easy-to-understand explanation on how to pick your right headphones. Great, highly beneficial video I can recommend to any serious creator.
Awesome to hear! Thanks for tuning in.
-Justin
Sennheiser 650's all the way!
mein bruder
Jawohl! @@Jason75913
Starting at $300, time to skip the entire video..take care
We ARE talking about the “best” headphones for mixing.
Not “potentially adequate headphones if you learn them exceptionally well through a ton of trial and error”.
In my opinion, it would be very difficult to get reliably good results under that price, using headphones as your primary reference.
Not to say that it is impossible. There are a few rare exceptions who have been able to do it.
… But if you look behind those stories, you often end up finding out that headphones are a secondary reference for them, and not a primary reference.
$300 may sound like a lot to you, but we were talking about getting results that are difficult to get without spending $3000 in studio monitoring and acoustic treatment.
Re-calibrate your expectations!
Hi, which one of them has better sub bass extension?
Most mentioned in the video likely do pretty well there, double check by web searching for reviews.
Why didn't you mention Hedd Heddphones?
ALL models of headphone compared..? What
Yes, I made efforts to compare ALL the best open back models from ALL the major pro audio brands.
I only missed: Hifiman (which are not a pro audio brand) AKG (because they didn’t send anything), and one older high end design from Sennheiser that’s not very commonly seen.
I also didn’t include a few things that weren’t released yet like the Heddphone two and the Sennheiser 490 and the Avantone Planar II.
I included all of these (and Hifiman) in future videos and written content.
When starting out it is definitely overwhelming to pick a room with VSX, but I went with the NS10 environment and the Archon room midfield monitor (forget which speakers they’re emulating). I typically head into VSX after getting a fader balance on speakers, basically when it’s time to zero in on the midrange. I don’t really use the Archon room to mix, but it’s nice to flip into periodically to refresh or make sure I’m not hyper-fixating on something.
Like any audio production tool, the amount of time invested is directly linked to the utility you’ll gain. Even between the different car emulations they have there are big differences in how the low end is represented. All of these nuances are useless if you aren’t mixing a lot of different projects through them, but overall I think VSX deserves the amount of hype they get online especially when you factor in the price point.
VSX for me is a game changer, and probably the only tool that I will buy again in the audio world without any doubt. Ive stepped up my mixing game A LOT and that also impacted in the amount of work I get. This is sounding like and ad but I swear its not lol It takes time and listening to get used to it, but once you have your "setup" is a bless. I was tired of double-triple-checking all mixes I was doing, both in my treated room (that still has flaws even with heavy treatment) and my other headphones. Now I use a combination of Archon Studio (mid-field) and linear mode and I have to guess a lot less (Zuma sounds soooo nice too). I suppose its getting used to how a headphones sounds, but the ability to "know" more than one room and check in various references for me is amazing.
How is the build for the VSX? Ive seen some reviews in the past saying they tend to break from light bending. is that really true?
@@Itz_Gomi Build quality as far as I know was a problem with first releases, but is solved now. Have mine for a year now and 0 problems.
@salieto9597 Thanks for the reply. I'm definitely gonna look into getting em soon.
@@Itz_Gomi for me they are a extremely well thought tool. I think you have a really long trial period if you order through them (dont remember it correctly) so you dont loose nothing trying
Dt 700 here. Very worthwhile
Good review. I like the fact that you say that it is personal and mention the inverse sound. You don't talk about amps or how they color the sound, the $2500 you spend on a good amp. The OHMs... most of there need a strong amp to push them so that is something to consider. Frequency response... an amp my push it but not have the frequency response so again, not a true representation of what these an do. My favorites are the Audio-technia m50x and they work on an inexpensive amps. I am used to the way they sound but still chock on several sources. The headphones are only part of it and just takes the room out of the equation