[MentalEclipse]

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking for a pair of phones that will sound great for listening, but can also serve well as studio-monitors. I heard the "AH-2000's" have a flat response which would be great for mixing. Do there cans provide a flat enough response for mixing or are these exclusively for listening?

I also read that the isolation of on the AH-D2000 wasn't particularly good for closed-phones. Does anyone know how the isolation would compare to the K-81DJs or something similar? If the isolation is really "bad" and I can't listen to them in public I may want to find a pair of headphones made specifically for mixing and buy a cheaper pair for listening on the go. I'm hoping that the D2000's will do both of these things (listening in public and mixing) however I'd like to hear what you guys think since I'd rather not gamble with almost $300.

If the D2000s arn't good for what I’m looking for, are there any other phones around the price that will do well for what I'm looking for (or just for mixing)? I know the RP-21s are only $99 and have good isolation. I may just buy those if I can't find a better set of cans.

I'd really appreciate your recommendations.

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MentalEclipse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Everyone, I'm looking for a pair of phones that will sound great for listening, but can also serve well as studio-monitors. I heard the "AH-2000's" have a flat response which would be great for mixing. Do there cans provide a flat enough response for mixing or are these exclusively for listening? I also read that the isolation of on the AH-D2000 wasn't particularly good for closed-phones. Does anyone know how the isolation would compare to the K-81DJs or something similar? If the isolation is really "bad" and I can't listen to them in public I may want to find a pair of headphones made specifically for mixing and buy a cheaper pair for listening on the go. I'm hoping that the D2000's will do both of these things (listening in public and mixing) however I'd like to hear what you guys think since I'd rather not gamble with almost $300. If the D2000s are not what good for what I’m looking for, are there any other phones around the price that will do well for what I'm looking for (or just for mixing)? I know the RP-21s are only $99 and have good isolation. I may just buy those if I can't find a better set of cans. I'd really appreciate your recommendations.

I haven't heard the D2000s yet, but I do have a pair of D5000s. I also own a pair of RP-21s. I also have a DAW. If the primary use is for mixdown/mastering and isolation, I would personally go with the RP-21s (I am not very impressed with the D5000s isolation). I'm not sure I would call either of those phones flat, but the RP-21s are a bit closer to flat than the D5000s. Plus the RP-21s were intended for studio use. Not to mention you could buy some cool software or softsynths, or some other studio gear with the money you save by going with the RP-21s over the D2000s.

Just my 2 cents.

Hope that helps some.

 

[MentalEclipse]

Thanks lmilhan. I could always use more soft synths/Effects.

Also, the Sennheiser: HD25-1 look really great, and are in my price range. How would these compare to the RP-21's? I read that the sound-stage is "much" less then the RP-21's but the bass is much nicer on the HD25-1's.

Being more of a "bass" kinda guy, this makes the HD25-1's seem like a really good alternative to the RP-21s. Should I be concerned with the soundstage?

 

[tbonner1]

Read Skylabs posts on the D2000 and RP-21; he has both.

Hang around Protools people online so you can share soft synth libraries. When you ask most experienced Protools people what effects they have, the answer is "all of them".

 

[MentalEclipse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbonner1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Read Skylabs posts on the D2000 and RP-21; he has both. Hang around Protools people online so you can share soft synth libraries. When you ask most experienced Protools people what effects they have, the answer is "all of them".

I'm looking forward to skylabs comparison between the RP-21 and the HD25-1. I think I've come to the conclusion that the D2000s are going to be to "open" for what I'd like to use it for.

I'm an "ableton: live" user myself cause I love the interface for recording and production. I do admire the audio summing quality of "protools", but I tend to write tracks with lots of live synth tweaking.

 

[splawren]

I'd agree with your conclusion - I have the D5000's and pretty much use them for listening only, not for mixing (SONAR). I use to use the CD3000 for mixing, but now just use my monitor audios and no headphones since I havent yet found a satisfactory replacement for a headphone monitor. I'd say the Denons probably give a bit of bass boost and less mid/high drive (i.e. not dead-pan neutral), making them OK, but not optimal for mixing.

 

[tbonner1]

Quote:

I'm looking forward to skylabs comparison between the RP-21 and the HD25-1.

Me too. However, this is high praise for the RP-21 from lmilhan.

 

[MentalEclipse]

I actually just bought the RP-21s. I'm really impressed with them so far. I just started using these on some tracks and I'm amazed at how better the clarity has become in my mixes. I'm not sure how they compare with "Monitoring Speakers", but I'm very happy with my purchase. I got them for $99, which is a terrific price for these phones.