[Claritas]

 
I really liked the 8400s when I had them at home and recording some snippets BUT I didn't like them for just listening and enjoying music. Too tilted up-top, too cold. But for recording and probably mixing they should do excellent.
 
I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned Shure SRH940s!!
Yes they are bright and their bass attack is lacking (i.e. not boosted, no slam) but I don't doubt they'd do great in that setting. Personally I preferred them over the KNS.

 
KNS8400 is cold, not sterile-sounding but clear and analytical. The treble is crisp, but not too much. In both respects, it reminds me of K70x.
 
SRH940 has a good soundstage for a closed model, unquestionably better than KNS8400, and resolution is comparable to it. I couldn't take the uncomfortable hot highs, so I decided not to buy it.

 

[Diseree]

My recommendation is ATH-M50x. It is not so expensive, but very good for monitoring.
Bass is moderately strong. It is the newest cans among my headphone collection.

 
MDR-7520 is also my favorite. Its sound is not so flat, but you can hear very subtle detail.

 
My best favorite is K701, though it is not a closed back headphone.
It is not suitable to arrange elelctronic drum groove or synth bass, but very good for acostic sound.

 

[gelocks]

   
Really? "Too tilted up-top, too cold" doesn't sound very neutral to me. You'd probably end with a warmer-than-desired mix.

 
I never said they were "neutral"...
In fact, none of the headphones I listed are probably considered "neutral". But at least to my ears some are more "even" than others. And yes, you'd have to take every headphone characteristic into consideration when using them to "mix", definitely. Most of these are "bass light" as well, so you will have to be aware of that so that you don't go crazy bumping bass/mid-bass too much.
 

  Maybe neither is a top choice, then. From what you're saying, the SRH940 isn't neutral, though more than the KNS 8400.
 
I do have read reviews calling the SRH940 "neutral" or "linear," however. Should I swap the SHR1540 for the SRH940, in my opening post?

 
Yeah, I find the SRH940s a "step up" over the KNS's, from sound to comfort...
 

  1) Over the SHR1540?  --> Yes, I'd use the 940s over the 1540s no doubt about it. 1540s are warmer overall, have big bass and you'd probably have to compensate more when mixing.
2) In the opening post.
3) In the opening post.
4) In the opening post.
5) In the opening post.
6) Why? --> If the 940s and 8400s are "bright", then this one TAKES THE CAKE. The bass is almost non-existent as well. Though, keep in mind that it seems a "newer" version was created according to John here: http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2014/01/05/sub-500-closed-back-headphone-roundup/
He mentioned: "Apparently customer feedback was mixed because Spider decided to tweak the design and release an updated version, which is what I’m covering here." So... take this with a grain of salt.
 
7) Do you know how it sounds, compared to the K550? --> Sorry, never heard the K550s, but I can say that if the fit is correct, the K551s are actually very good sounding and can be found cheap used!

 

  Which one among those would be your favorite monitoring/mixing monitor, and why?
 
Yup. Read that one. But most of the close cans that are most interesting today (MDR-7520, Spirit Pro, Alpha Dogs ...) didn't exist when this article came out. 

 
 
All of them when they're new, IIRC. 

 
I would take either the SRH940s, Yamaha MT220s or the Alpha Dogs with a bit hesitation (due to their warm tilt over the 940s... I prefer brightness for monitoring and/or mixing but I'm not real good nor a professional at doing this stuff so, again, take it with a grain of salt).
 
Agree, a sound pro should one of these days do another one of those roundups with all new offerings.

 

[port11]

  I would take either the SRH940s, Yamaha MT220s or the Alpha Dogs with a bit hesitation (due to their warm tilt over the 940s... I prefer brightness for monitoring and/or mixing but I'm not real good nor a professional at doing this stuff so, again, take it with a grain of salt).
 
Agree, a sound pro should one of these days do another one of those roundups with all new offerings.

 
Do the Thinksound On1's have any advantages sound quality wise over these? 

 

[gelocks]

   
Do the Thinksound On1's have any advantages sound quality wise over these? 

 
Haven't tried them, but seeing that they are on-ear, not sure if they suffer the usual characteristics (i.e. possible boomy bass with last octave of treble missing and uncomfortable for long sessions...) Those seems to be hyped right now but again, haven't tested so ignore comment!

 

[grizzlybeast]

playing the same track that I didnt like on the yamaha where i heard the sibilance and the SPIRIT PRO is showing the same thing.  So i will say it is the track being revealed at this point. 

 

[Sinocelt]

  KNS8400 is cold, not sterile-sounding but clear and analytical. The treble is crisp, but not too much. In both respects, it reminds me of K70x.
 
SRH940 has a good soundstage for a closed model, unquestionably better than KNS8400, and resolution is comparable to it. I couldn't take the uncomfortable hot highs, so I decided not to buy it.

 
It sounds like using the SHR940 (and, to a lesser extent, the KNS8400) as reference would cause a sound engineer to reduce the highs too much in the mix.
 
Of course, most sound engineers get used to their headphones' peculiar quirks, they learn to adjust subconsciously, which is why they keep using the same headphones even when better ones come out. Using a new pair of headphones, even if technically much better, means having to learn how they translate to near-field monitors all over again.
 
In this thread (in the opening post, at least), my focus is on neutral, high-performing headphones, because they're the best choice for someone who hasn't yet formed "headphones habits."
 
 

  I never said they were "neutral"...

 
And I never said you did. Quite the contrary, in fact, since my question was based on your own sound evaluation.
 
 

  In fact, none of the headphones I listed are probably considered "neutral". But at least to my ears some are more "even" than others. And yes, you'd have to take every headphone characteristic into consideration when using them to "mix", definitely. Most of these are "bass light" as well, so you will have to be aware of that so that you don't go crazy bumping bass/mid-bass too much.

 
Ah, but that's the thing. That's what I'd like to avoid. Of course, you can get used to any pair of headphones and know that those are bass-light, so you must be careful not to bump the bass up too much when mixing, or that those are bass-heavy, so you must be careful not to bump the bass down too much when mixing. But in this thread, I'm trying to list headphones that sound engineers could use without having to learn how to compensate for FR biases. 
 
 

  Yeah, I find the SRH940s a "step up" over the KNS's, from sound to comfort...

 
Good to now. (My question was between the SRH940 and SRH1540, though; not between the SRH940 and the KNS 8400.)
 
 

  I would take either the SRH940s, Yamaha MT220s or the Alpha Dogs with a bit hesitation (due to their warm tilt over the 940s... I prefer brightness for monitoring and/or mixing 

 
Why?
 
 

  Agree, a sound pro should one of these days do another one of those roundups with all new offerings.

 
That'd be cool. 

 

[Sinocelt]

  My recommendation is ATH-M50x. It is not so expensive, but very good for monitoring.
Bass is moderately strong. It is the newest cans among my headphone collection.

 
I thought the ATH-M50x was, but for look and a detachable cable, exactly the same as the ATH-M50. Isn't it the case? How would you compare it to the MDR-7520? Why do you recommend the ATH-M50x over the MDR-7520?
 
 

  MDR-7520 is also my favorite. Its sound is not so flat, but you can hear very subtle detail.

 
Not so flat? So what's the FR bias?
 
 

  My best favorite is K701, though it is not a closed back headphone.
It is not suitable to arrange elelctronic drum groove or synth bass, but very good for acostic sound.

 
Have you tried the K812?

 

[grizzlybeast]

   
 
 
 
Not so flat? So what's the FR bias?
 
 
 
 

mids and mid bass but not a whole lot. 
 
so far the pro is the most balanced headphone I have heard.

 

[Sinocelt]

  so far the pro is the most balanced headphone I have heard.

 
Spirit Pro, I presume.

 Did they really need to make headphones with cups for kids? How many 7-year old engineers are there in this world? 

 

[gelocks]

  Ah, but that's the thing. That's what I'd like to avoid. Of course, you can get used to any pair of headphones and know that those are bass-light, so you must be careful not to bump the bass up too much when mixing, or that those are bass-heavy, so you must be careful not to bump the bass down too much when mixing. But in this thread, I'm trying to list headphones that sound engineers could use without having to learn how to compensate for FR biases. 
 
Good to now. (My question was between the SRH940 and SRH1540, though; not between the SRH940 and the KNS 8400.)
 
Why?
 
That'd be cool. 

 
Well, I think you are looking for a unicorn... a headphone like that doesn't really exist as far as I know... if it did, this enthusiast hobby wouldn't really exist... All headphones will have quirks, heck, even very even headphones such as the HD600/800, Shure SRH1840s, etc. have their own characteristics (hd600/srh1840 neutral-ish but warm and missing a bit of sparkle, hd800 seems to be a bright headphone overall, etc. etc.).
 
Between the 1540 and 940 I'd still choose the 940s. 1540s == boosted bass, intrudes a bit on lower-mids, I find the 940s more even overall even if they are brighter...

 

[grizzlybeast]

   
Spirit Pro, I presume.

 Did they really need to make headphones with cups for kids? How many 7-year old engineers are there in this world? 

my guess is that they stuck with what they already had as far as design because they thought it was somewhat successful or because they got good isolation with that design. (over ear doesnt mean best isolation always). And yes the Spirit pro. like it and the yamaha a lot. The pads are more than tolerable for me but by large margins I prefer over ear.
 
I think they are great for someone who doesnt plan on taking them everywhere to enjoy for hours. The studio isnt like that anyway. There is a different way of using hp's professionally that doesn't demand comfort. You are so focused on studying the sound that you forget about them and you will take them off soon enough anyway.
 
The hd25 has become a very popular professional tool and it is on ear. It goes to show in the end that to someone who is most concerned about the sounds they are making and adjusting certain things like the small size of pads become a lot less important. 
 
Trust me I hate the size and want them bigger but I will feel guilty when I let them go once my home studio is finished.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

 
edit:
in short overcompensation is tougher to deal with than under compensation. 

 

[Sinocelt]

  Well, I think you are looking for a unicorn... a headphone like that doesn't really exist as far as I know... if it did, this enthusiast hobby wouldn't really exist... All headphones will have quirks, heck, even very even headphones such as the HD600/800, Shure SRH1840s, etc. have their own characteristics (hd600/srh1840 neutral-ish but warm and missing a bit of sparkle, hd800 seems to be a bright headphone overall, etc. etc.).

 
You can't reach perfection, but you should keep trying.
 
The Spirit Pro, from all accounts, is very close to ideal, sound-wise. It's just the comfort factor that seems to suck (according to InnerFidelity, Digital Audio Directions, the
 
 

 
Between the 1540 and 940 I'd still choose the 940s. 1540s == boosted bass, intrudes a bit on lower-mids, I find the 940s more even overall even if they are brighter...

 
Hm, OK. I'll add them to the OP.
 
 

  Trust me I hate the size and want them bigger but I will feel guilty when I let them go once my home studio is finished.

 
You will let the Spirit Pro go? Didn't you say you were going to keep it? Why let it go? Because you won't need it anymore once you've got a properly sound-treated recording space?

 

[gelocks]

 
You will let the Spirit Pro go? Didn't you say you were going to keep it? Why letting it go? Because you won't need them anymore once you've got a properly sound-treated recording space?

 
I think he's going for the Sennheiser HD8 (DJs)...