Most Neutral, Well Balanced and Flattest Headphones For Audio Mixing / Mastering? - Page 2

you might want to check out some of the modded Fostex cans, particularly Mr Speakers Mad Dogs, and for greater neutrality, LFF's Paradoxes.

Manufacturers claim all sorts of frequency ranges for their headphones, and they almost always lie, at least when it comes to decibel tolerances. The exact science of headphone measurement is by no means an exact science, at least not yet. I would look less at stated frequency ranges, and more at third party measurements - stuff like www.innerfidelity.com and their measurement database is a great place to start, though there's a lot of post-processing applied to the data.

Regardless, Sennheiser HD600 or even HD650 is a great bet. HD650 may be a bit harder to drive though - certainly if you're planning on using one from a laptop headphone socket, forget it.

Also, Koss ESP950. New prices have jumped up on these in the last month, but used you should be able to find one well within your budget. The ESP950 is pretty flat, at far as any headphones can be called flat. Well, one headphone can - the Sennheiser HE90. Does that count?

Koss has a lifetime, no-questions-asked warranty too, which is spiffy if you're going to be abusing your cans. The price includes an amp, even if it's not a very good one, and if you're going to be using headphones to produce, you may as well use electrostatics which are as revealing as anything. Always double-check your mixes on monitors though, because even the flattest headphones aren't flat enough.

For maximum resolution, you may be able to pick up some Stax Lambdas or their variants used. Even a basic 2020 or 2170 system will do nicely. I don't think they're that quite that neutral, they tend to be a little bit on the lean side, but man, they sure are resolving. To do better you need to step up to high-end electrostatics and spend real money.
Edited by catscratch - 8/30/12 at 10:57pm

 

Is there a reason you want to go with headphones over monitors?  A pair of Yamaha HS80M's (or the equivalent Genelec, Mackie and similar products) would be a much safer and useful investment at that level.  Few real professionals primarily mix or master on headphones.

Understood about the apartment.  Earlier you'd said open headphones were fine so it wasn't quite clear at that point that monitors were ruled out for your particular application.

 

I'm not a sound person, but I have lots of friends in sound here in Hollywood.  TBH, most of them use 7506's and don't even bother with the 7520 (but then they're very cheap).  

Mmm...? Denon make great headphones including the D2000's, but anyone who uses them for mixing purposes should be stopped. And possibly slapped. Although it could explain why so much pop music is badly mixed!

 

I'm assuming that you were alluding to me with that statement, since I was the only one who said that the D2000's are not good for mixing prior to your statement. How do you know that I don't work in the business?? If you had took the time to look at my profile you would have seen that I have had 20 years in the business and counting. I have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours in studios and now record with my own little home studio. No I'm not a professional (i.e making a living out of it) studio producer, but it doesn't take a professional studio producer to advise that the D2000's are not good for mixing. Just anyone with experience in audio and a little common sense.

 

Why haven't you added Grado's into your recommendations?   

I'll second the KRK KNS-8400s.