Mixing Headphones

inbloom27

New member
Don't flame me, please : ] I'm going away to college and am starting to realize that bringing my mixing speakers is not a viable option. Its going to be easier to mix on headphones and really check my mixes at my house (I only live an hour away from home and I'm working a few studios in the area) or on other systems. Any suggestions for a good pair, maybe $150 or less and no more than $200. Thanks!
 
I really like Audio Technica ATH m50 headphones. Not perfect but very good for about 150 bucks. It is helpful to do A/B comparisons with known mixes (you are probably already doing this) which cuts down the mixing time considerably.
 
Grado 125's -- You don't want anything with a closed back.

That said -- As wonderful to listen to as they (125's) are and as "accurate" (for lack of a better term as far as headphones are concerned) as they can be, no headphone is a substitute for proper monitoring. Expect to be misled, expect levels to not match, expect tonality to not translate.
 
Audio Technica ATH-AD700's. You can find 'em for about $100.
I think they're a little flatter than the Grado 125's, which can be a bit dark. (although the 125's are really nice cans)
And for sure they're more comfortable.

But as Massive said ...... go open back for mixing and you have to have a decent headphone amp too.
Don't just use the cheap little headphone out of your ipod or stereo or laptop.
 
Thank you guys. I know that headphones are not going to be accurate but bringing mixing speakers to school is not really an option. I have plenty of systems to try my mixes out on and I'm going to be working at a few studios where I can check my mixes.
 
I use a pair of Audio-Technica M50's and I love 'em. I usually have to turn the volume up a lot to get a good volume level with them compared to my in-ear buds or regular speakers, but the bass sounds are great, though at times the more treble sounds can get lost in the mix when I would be able to hear them fine using other earphones/speakers. All in all, I think they're good for the price to give you a different listening environment for mixing/playback (especially for good bass sound), but I wouldn't rely on them solely.
 
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