[bodger]

Hi,
I'm a sound engineer needing to mix rock/pop/funk/soul/acoustic music on headphones. I read an article in Sound On Sound magazine recommending Sennheiser 650 and AKG K701. However, as I will be mainly using them with the headphone amp in my Focusrite saffire, and with cheap behringer headphone amps, would the lower impedence 595's be a better choice?

I don't need them to sound hyped or exciting, just an accurate balanced sound, especially in the bass end (my studio monitors are extremely bass light). I need to know what is really happening in the mix, so i can make confident decisions.

I guess i could also get a CMOY off ebay, if nessesary, but i don't have a lot of cash.

Which cans would be the most suitable for my needs?

 

[oxymoron]

Hi, my K701s are easier to drive than my K240M [600 Ohm version] that I previously used to monitor through an Edirol UA-25 at night. I imagine that both the Saffire and the Behringer should have no problems driving them. The bass is presented better in the K701 and the highs less reedy than the K240M. I haven't actually mixed on K701 (and probably won't), but I can report that they're even more comfortable (both physically as well as sonically non-fatiguing) than the K240M's for several hours worth of extended monitoring and noodling.

I used to have the ATH-M40fs. While they were fairly comfortable and presented a pretty accurate sound, I have no regrets about selling them and getting the K701. As I've written elsewhere, I did not believe in burn-in before, but the K701 did benefit from it in my experience.

 

[Davesrose]

Neither the HD650 or the 701 will be driven well with the Saffire, and they're not really good monitoring headphones for rock. I'd recommend the Sony MDR V6 first and foremost. The HD650 is most appropriate for monitoring for classical music. Of the three you list, the HD595 is best and would work better on the Saffire. If you're more into bass heavy stuff, you can look into some Beyers.

 

[bodger]

So you'd rate the V6 higher than the 595's? The sony's are both cheaper and have better isolation, which would benifit me.
Can an £80 headphone really provide the level of detail i need? I was looking to spend more like £180, but if those or the 595's would work the best with my setup, and for my mixing needs, then great.

 

[oxymoron]

I agree that the V6/7506 are fine recording phones, especially for performers in acoustic or vocal work. They're sealed so you'll get minimal bleeding onto your live tracks. From the engineering end, they'll also likely to reveal more clinical details, like reverb tails, on a per-track basis.

I thought at one point that the V6's might be flatter than the Senns or AKG. However, having listened to the 7506 recently, I think they're a little hyped in the bass, which would lead you to a bass-light mix if you're relying on them (but it doesn't sound like you are) for an idea of what's happening below your monitors' low threshold. You'd still be getting a snapshot of what your mix sounded like on those cans (just as you would for the 650 and 701). I still believe that your mix will be better represented through your nearfields than any headphones.

Having said that, as you know, you can "learn" almost any setup and compensate accordingly. That learning can include (eventually) the integration of what your particular headphones are telling you. In which case I'd go back to my comfort argument!

 

[mirumu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodger /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you'd rate the V6 higher than the 595's? The sony's are both cheaper and have better isolation, which would benifit me. Can an £80 headphone really provide the level of detail i need? I was looking to spend more like £180, but if those or the 595's would work the best with my setup, and for my mixing needs, then great.

The HD595s are not detail masters by any means, especially if the amp doesn't keep them well controlled. At their worst the sound can be a bit muddy and murky. I've not heard the Sony's but I have no reason to doubt the general opinion, they're often recommended for this task.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodger /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you'd rate the V6 higher than the 595's? The sony's are both cheaper and have better isolation, which would benifit me. Can an £80 headphone really provide the level of detail i need? I was looking to spend more like £180, but if those or the 595's would work the best with my setup, and for my mixing needs, then great.

Yeah, I think the Sonys are popular because they're great for monitoring and offer best bang for buck. The HD595s are more listenable for extended periods though. The Sonys are more like regular monitors which have a slight exageration in the upper mids. The HD595s have more of a soundstage and presence (in some ways can be more on the side of neutral). The Senns are a bit airier too since they're open. If you need isolation though, that calls for the V6 again. So your call

 

[oxymoron]

Turnkey.co.uk seems to have the 7506 (pro version of the V6) and the 650 (I didn't see the 701, but they have other AKGs) as well as the Saffire.

See if they'll let you try various headphones through the Saffire there. A good pro shop here will let you listen for hours, and I have no reason to doubt it's the same in the UK. Also check out the pro/prosumer forums like soundonsound, mixonline, homerecording.com, bigbluelounge, etc. Head-fi is great, but the focus here is more the enjoyment of music than its production. The analogy would be going to stereophile.com or audioasylum when you're looking for studio monitors. And I mean that in the best way!

 

[bodger]

Thanks for the advice, theres a turnkey near me, so i'll go an have a listen. I have also posted on the other forums you suggested.

 

[msflsim]

bodger

Have you looked into AKG K-271s?
They have a very 'flat' response with bass going as low as 20hz. That might be an option for you because your monitors dont go very low.
I have the k271s and i use them for mixing, tracking and general music listening.
I originaly bought the k240s (they didnt have k271s in stock at the time) thinking that it will sound 'simmilar' to k271s..was i wrong.

You live near Turnkey? Give K271s a listen..they are closed back and have very good detail presentation..singers taking breaths, cables dangling..wrist bracelets..i heard those kind of details with k271s that i couldnt before with my k240s and E5c (those are iem's but still).

Good luck!

Peace
Nik