Best cheap headphones for Home Recording Studio?

scdaymon

New member
Hi there guys!

Can you advise me on that question.
I bought the Seinhneiser Hd201, but they are awful.
I considering on AKG K44.
I'm sure there must be plenty of another best suited headphones for mixing and mastering, but I'm trying to get the best I can afford (and I really can't afford much more that this).
Do you know this AKG K44 headphones?

Or would you advise others (relatively cheap and good)? :rolleyes:

Thanks
 
There really aren't any headphones suitable for mixing (I won't even go into how often headphones are used during mastering).

If you're looking for something to zero in on anomalies and check edits and what not, go with anything that reproduces reasonably well -- You can almost guarantee they'll be open, they don't need to be expensive (Grado makes a set -- SR60's? -- something along those lines -- Freakishly cheap and quite nice). But if you're actually looking for accuracy and consistency for mixing purposes, you aren't going to find it anywhere with your ears covered and isolated...
 
But if you're actually looking for accuracy and consistency for mixing purposes, you aren't going to find it anywhere with your ears covered and isolated...

Well, it actually makes sense. But from what I read, heaphones are much less expensive than speakers. I have a good pair of speakers:Creative Inspire T10. Guess I could work it that. Here are the specs:
• Speaker Power: 5 Watts RMS per channel (2 channels)
• Frequency response: 80Hz ~ 20kHz
• Signal / Noise Ratio (SNR): 80 dB
• Dimensions (PxLxA) column (13.7 x 9 x 19.4) cm

What do you think? It will do the work?
About monitoring the recording process (vocals and instruments) that’s another questions isn’t it? Guess for that any good headphones will do…
 
max budget? if £100 then m-audio av 40's. I use them and they sound great to me compared to when I mixed on headphones
 
Well, it actually makes sense. But from what I read, heaphones are much less expensive than speakers.
True to some extent -- But only one is the proper tool.
you don't want speakers, you want studio monitors, they are designed for the thing
Just to avoid any confusion -- "Studio monitors" are speakers. I hate to say that most boxes with a "Studio Monitor" sticker on them aren't even necessarily good speakers (but I digress). And quality traditional loudspeakers (Bowers & Wilkins, Tyler Acoustics, etc., etc.) are going to be far more accurate and far more consistent than most "cheap" boxes that say "studio monitor" on them.

THAT ALL SAID --

Your monitoring chain is the absolute most important purchase you will ever make as far as audio is concerned. Every single decision you make is based on how your monitoring chain interacts with your ears (and subsequently, your brain). Nothing else will ever be nearly as important, everything else pales by comparison.

Cut corners and go "cheap" anywhere - But never on your monitors. I know people who have been at this for years - decades in some cases - and they can't get a decent mix. They bought cheap monitors. I also know people who invested wisely in quality components that are cranking out listenable mixes in a matter of months.

SO - It begs the questions - What sort of budget are you trying to stick to and are you willing to hold off for a while to save up for something decent if necessary?
 
Ok, thanks ollie99.
That's a little expensive for me right now, but I'll check them out.
Maybe I can find them in some secondhand online store or whatever.
Otherwise, I'll just have to wait. Cannot afford that.
Guess I'll do the trick with the T10 Inspire Speakers, and some cheap (relatively speaking... the Seinnheiser aren't so cheap)... for now!

Thanks guys
 
Your monitoring chain is the absolute most important purchase you will ever make as far as audio is concerned. Every single decision you make is based on how your monitoring chain interacts with your ears (and subsequently, your brain). Nothing else will ever be nearly as important, everything else pales by comparison.

Oh dear Lord!!!
I really must think this through... :facepalm:
 
Oh dear Lord!!!
I really must think this through... :facepalm:

John's right tho. ;)
Every decision you make regarding your mix...from reverb to volume and pan is gonna be made based on what you hear.
If you can't hear what's really happening in your mix, you can't make accurate decisions on what to do with it.

I used to use a nice home stereo system with lots of watts and when I'd mix, I'd (obviously) make it sound good on that system.
But when I'd take it to my truck or another stereo, it sounded like ass. Muddy, boomy etc.
Not that my ass is muddy or boomy (usually) :D
but it just didn't translate worth a shit.
But I got myself a good set of monitors and treated my room (took me a couple years to get it sorted) I started putting out some good mixes.
Well, less like ass anyway. :D

Think about it dude.
 
I love it when the works "Best" and "Cheap" are used in the same sentence.

I have some pairs of HD201's in the studio, they were bought in to have extra sets when tracking a 12 piece vocal group. Funny enough they are the preferred headphones by the artists that come in, they are light weight and they sound good, especially for the price.

Would I mix or master with them? Never! In fact I almost never use headphones during mixing, I may put a pair on near the end of the mix session to just have a listen but no decisions on the mix are made with headphones.

Alan.
 
Every decision you make regarding your mix...from reverb to volume and pan is gonna be made based on what you hear. If you can't hear what's really happening in your mix, you can't make accurate decisions on what to do with it.

In the long travel of music production, which i've just begun, i came to realize the importance of what you're saying my friend.


took me a couple years to get it sorted. I started putting out some good mixes.

I guess that will be the way. Maybe in some years, I'll get the stuff I want.
By now, I'll try to get some studio monitors (maybe those from m-audio), to get started.
And when I say "by now"... it really means, in some 5 ou 6 months!!!
Ps: Well, I'm portuguese...have you've heard about Portugal?! This country is a mess.
I'm a lawyer (much more like a legal adviser... but I got a nasty payment!!!).

Anyways... thanks a lot, Dogbreath, for your help, and thanks for your good mood and sense of humor! ;)

Thanks to the others as well.

I'll keep struggling to become the next Jens Bogren!!! :D
 
I love it when the works "Best" and "Cheap" are used in the same sentence.

:D

I know what you mean. But there is really nice gear, that doesn't cost a lot.
For instance: my electric guitar, Cort X1, it's a really nice guitar for playing a lot of stuff, and it was really cheap.

But I guess in general, good gear costs a lot of money...

I have some pairs of HD201's in the studio (...) Funny enough they are the preferred headphones by the artists that come in, they are light weight and they sound good, especially for the price.

I really hate those HD201... and I used to trust a lot in Seinnheiser.
You just can't hear the things properly... not the sound quality, that may be good, but it's like it needs power supply... it has very low response.
I might prefer those little MX 370 headphones man!!!
 
I used to have the HD201's but I broke them \o/ I suppose the quality wasnt so bad but they were not particularly comfortable - and I broke them rather easily which comes to question the build quality?
Now Im going to buy these.
 
Now I don't want to ---- That sounds like something *I'd* write.

Geez, do I really have that obvious of a style...?

(EDIT)

Yep -- https://homerecording.com/bbs/equip...nes-home-recording-studio-342294/#post3868296

Wait a minute -- I didn't even need to Google that -- It's part of this very thread!!!

So what's the angle here? Are you a spam-bot that steals people's posts from the same forums and then suddenly links to vacation homes or something?
 
Shouldn't headphones be part of the evaluation process? I've heard things that sound decent on speakers but phones reveal issues and vice versa. The goal being to make the mix sound decent no matter what you listen to it through.
 
Shouldn't headphones be part of the evaluation process? I've heard things that sound decent on speakers but phones reveal issues and vice versa. The goal being to make the mix sound decent no matter what you listen to it through.

I think that headphones should be used in the evaluation process. I use about 4 different sources to evaluate my mixes. Of course most of it is with the monitors, but I use the headphones quite a bit also.
 
Here is an article you can read Studio Headphones then I will add this as a novice, not knowing your expertise. You can spend a bazillion dollars but if you don't know what your listening for it will do no good until you do know. Whatever you use cheap or expensive you need to know how it translates to different sound systems be it the best money can buy, a car stereo or a boombox. Yes great equipment can reveal more detail but that does not mean you can't achieve a decent mix on a lower budget if you put the knowledge and work behind it. Things that cost nothing can make a huge difference from mic placement to the sweet spot in the room to E.Q. I know just enough to be dangerous but my mixes get better as I learn more, I mix something then burn it and listen to it on different systems and critique it then go back make adjustments and do it again...learning my systems weak spots and my own. I am not suggesting you mix or master on phones but if that is all you have use it until you can save for better and learn everything you can while honing your ears and your skills as well as listen to a ton of different music and how it is mixed. I am new here and am excited to get some mixes up and having them critiqued by folks that know WAY more than this newbie.
 
Let me echo what others have said. I've been in many studios from high-end professional to cost-effective home studios over 35+ years. Monitors and headphones are not only key to producing an excellent product, but are a long-term investment compared to many other items in a studio.
 
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