headphones and "monitor" headphones?

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Escalator?

New member
I'm looking at a bunch of headphones, looking to buy at least one pair for recording purposes. I notice that some of them are advertised as "monitor headphones". (I started my window shopping at websites like Musician's Friend, etc.) And some of them are just called stereo headphones.
My question is, do some of these phones provide flat response like nearfield monitors? - i.e., so you could use them for monitoring?
And is the name under which a pair is advertised - "monitor" vs. no "monitor" in the model name - any good indication of whether it's designed for flat response and monitoring, or just for recording? Or is that not something to go on?

Obviously mixing on headphones has its limitations even if the frequency response is right, because you don't hear how it's going to sound in a room, but I'd love to have a pair of headphones that could do a similar job to what nearfield monitors do...

E?
 
Escalator? said:
And is the name under which a pair is advertised - "monitor" vs. no "monitor" in the model name - any good indication of whether it's designed for flat response and monitoring, or just for recording? Or is that not something to go on?
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Behringer puts "Pro" into the name of almost every piece of gear they make, but very little of their stuff makes it into pro studios. :D

Of course, I am one to talk. I mix with computer speakers and headphones. :eek:
 
It's "marketing" and buzzwords...... headphones are good for tracking and listening for minute details such as low-level noise and distortion (assuming a good pair of headphones), but they are a horrible substitute for speakers....

Don't beleive everything you read in a company's literature or stamped on the front fascia of gear
 
Monitor headphones usually have an impedence of several hundred ohms, while "standard" headphones usually have 32-64ohms.

You need a fairly powerful headphone amp to drive monitor cans, because of the insane the impedence. I hear that the purpose of so-called monitor 'phones is so that you can plug it into low impedence-highoutput sources(poweramplifiers) and not blow the phones. For monitoring purposes I guess :)

If you don't plan on doing that, get lower impedence cans.
 
noisedude said:
Has anyone got a link to that Behringer chair spoof?
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he he he What??? I think noisedude has officially gone bonkers. Behringer is making chairs now? If their cheap I'll buy two.
 
well, I can't afford near-field monitors.

I have a pair of old dynamic stereo cans, which are quite nice except the bass response is too strong, or treble is too weak, or both. And I'm now getting completely different sounding mixes on my speakers and the cans. it's quite confusing... my stuff sounds better in the cans and worse on the speakers, but other music I have on the PC (ie, songs off cd's) sound very similar in the cans and speakers.

what are the best/most affordable headphones i can get for doing some decent mixing? i need some accurate sound!
 
It boils down to what works for you. What matters is what comes out the other end, not how you got it there.

Some percentage of home users cannot use speakers because of backgroup noise or disruption to other portions of the house. For these, headphones may work fairly well.

Ed
 
NationalSandwic said:
well, I can't afford near-field monitors.

I have a pair of old dynamic stereo cans, which are quite nice except the bass response is too strong, or treble is too weak, or both. And I'm now getting completely different sounding mixes on my speakers and the cans. it's quite confusing... my stuff sounds better in the cans and worse on the speakers, but other music I have on the PC (ie, songs off cd's) sound very similar in the cans and speakers.

what are the best/most affordable headphones i can get for doing some decent mixing? i need some accurate sound!
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What type are you using now? What is your budget?

I just picked up some Audio Technica (ATH-M30) headphones for tracking ($45-$60 US), but also use them to test out my mixes. I think they are one of the better headphones for <$100 US. I have no idea if the frequency curve is flat or not, but they do allow me to hear things that my speakers don't. Exclusively mixing on headphones is probably not a good idea, as it gives you an altered perception of the stereo field (too isolated). I mix using a combination of speakers (computer satellites + sub) and headphones. Then I burn the mix and listen on as many other systems as possible, taking notes on things I don't like. After that, I remix and retest. It takes a few CDRs to get it right, but they are pretty cheap.
 
I use Behringer Headphones for recording rap artists that have a habit of dropping them to the floor when they're done.

I Recommend Beyer/AKG/Sennheiser for use on any set of ears that has a brain in between.
 
One can mix with anything that produces sound, including headphones. Regardless of what you use, it boils down to listening to what you have and being able to make mix changes that yield the required result.

Once you figure out how to do that, you're set.

One should also keep in mind that there many levels of recording use. Some are semi-pro with lots of gear. Others are simple home users with familys and kids.

I mix with PC speakers. I learned early on that my system is overaly heavy in bass. I now adjust the bass accordingly, and good things come out the other end.

It also helps to have external systems to test a mix on. Things like a good car stereo and home stereo are examples. These are the things that someone who ends up with the CD are going to use. Using them as a sounding board for mix results will generally provide guidance on how to get good results the first time.

Ed
 
Ed Dixon said:
One can mix with anything that produces sound, including headphones. Regardless of what you use, it boils down to listening to what you have and being able to make mix changes that yield the required result.

Once you figure out how to do that, you're set.
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This is true... however, why make it harder on yourself than necessary?

Learning how to translate mixes via headphones is difficult, and many times is still a crap shoot... the right tools for the job make the job easier.
 
See the earlier post about speakers, noise, family, and kids. Many home environments are not all that suitable for monitors.

There is no question that better tools will generally yield better results. However sometimes $ constraints and environment issues preclude their use.

Ed
 
prestomation said:
You need a fairly powerful headphone amp to drive monitor cans, because of the insane the impedence. I hear that the purpose of so-called monitor 'phones is so that you can plug it into low impedence-highoutput sources(poweramplifiers) and not blow the phones. For monitoring purposes I guess :)

If you don't plan on doing that, get lower impedence cans.
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That's interesting. The Audio-Technica cans (the ones mentioned a few posts ago) were one of the main sets I was looking at. They are one that is billed as "monitor" phones.
But it sounds like they are usable without the super-cranking amp. That is what I'd assume from Scrubs' post.
Maybe this is just another case of a product name being altered to make it sound cooler and fancier than it is.

If they're just a good sounding pair of phones they're probably still high on my list anyway.
 
Escalator? said:
That's interesting. The Audio-Technica cans (the ones mentioned a few posts ago) were one of the main sets I was looking at. They are one that is billed as "monitor" phones.
But it sounds like they are usable without the super-cranking amp. That is what I'd assume from Scrubs' post.
Maybe this is just another case of a product name being altered to make it sound cooler and fancier than it is.

If they're just a good sounding pair of phones they're probably still high on my list anyway.
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I plug them into the headphone out on either my Tascam US-122 (during tracking) or my computer soundcard/speakers during mixdown. I don't own a headphone amp.

I think the ATs sound nice without too much bass, etc. However, I have done no testing as to their "accuracy" across frequency ranges.
 
Escalator, I make this point every few months: since phones are so cheap and light, why not buy a few top contenders and try them at home? Make sure you can return them for a full refund, of course. I did exactly this and was surprised by how different they sounded. The ATs you mentioned were among the group I brought, but I kept the Senn 280s (an easy decision for me and my tastes when I compared the models). I spent an extra few bucks to return the three models I didn't buy--a worthy small investment to be very satisfied with an important, long-term puchase.

Good luck,

J.
 
noisedude said:
The jpeg .... it's a spoof of Behringer .... I swear it's true .....
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Yeah! I saw the spoof. It was actually funny, and no you are not going insane. I think I am. :D
 
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