# Headphones for composing and mixing?



## Viegaard (Jan 13, 2017)

Hello.

I tend to do most of my "work" in the late evening hours and into the night - Which means I cant have my monitors on.

I currently own a pair of Beyerdynamics DT-990. But they are getting old and I have been told that for my needs perhaps DT-880s would be better - Since they are more neutral when it comes to "bass".

Any other good models out there? They need to be as comfy as the DT-990s and an upgrade - Unless I end up buying another pair of DT-990s.

*NB: They also need to be great for the composing part. And Im not looking for budget 10 dollar headphones.*


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## TIM_STEVE_97 (Jan 13, 2017)

Here are a few that I have my eyes on.. and definitely recommend for mixing
Grado PS500e - Recommended by my mastering engineer friend for mixing.. haven't tried yet
DT 1990 PRO - Since you have used the 990s try the 1990 pros or even DT 1770 closed back version.
Sennheiser HD650 - Probably my favorite of these.. has wider soundstage though,might not be as comfortable as 990s
Dt-880s are semi open back. comfort and sound being at par..
All the above are certainly an upgrade..(expect 880s) even by price haha..
Hope this help!


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## TIM_STEVE_97 (Jan 13, 2017)

Also forgot to mention..
I would suggest getting the sonar works reference plugin and choose the headphone that they support which is the most comfortable..
link:
http://store.sonarworks.com/collections/individual-calibration-items


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## JohnG (Jan 13, 2017)

AKG K701 or 702. Same headphone but slightly different ear cups and hardware. Very accurate. Sennheiser HD 600 are also very good.


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## Viegaard (Jan 13, 2017)

TIM_STEVE_97 said:


> Here are a few that I have my eyes on.. and definitely recommend for mixing
> Grado PS500e - Recommended by my mastering engineer friend for mixing.. haven't tried yet
> DT 1990 PRO - Since you have used the 990s try the 1990 pros or even DT 1770 closed back version.
> Sennheiser HD650 - Probably my favorite of these.. has wider soundstage though,might not be as comfortable as 990s
> ...



I was just told that 880s would be an upgrade. Cause 990s had a little more "bassy" side to them - not as neutral as 880s.


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## robgb (Jan 13, 2017)

You might check out Samson SR850s for about $40 on Amazon. And don't laugh. They're great mixing headphones. Seriously. Grados are great, too.


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## Symfoniq (Jan 13, 2017)

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x if your budget is below $150.


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## EC2 (Jan 13, 2017)

Although BD´s 880 might be more neutral than 990s, they will still sound bassy and hyped (almost as if you pushed the "loudness" button on an old hi-fi amp) when compared to any AKG headphone. That´s not to say that they aren´t good, especially in order to quickly get into a vibe when composing. In fact, although I am an AKG guy I like the 880s quite a lot because of their "vibyness".

If you should go for 880s than watch out for the differences in impedance. AFAIK there are three versions available: 32, 250 and 600 Ohms. The 32 Ohm version is designed for use with portal devices and will quickly begin to sound nasty when plugged into a proper headphone amp, 250 Ohms are ok-ish when used with a solid hi-fi stereo amp´s headphone output, and 600 Ohms should be your weapon of choice when and if you have dedicated headphone amp or an audio interface with sufficient headphone output level.


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## Viegaard (Jan 13, 2017)

EC2 said:


> Although BD´s 880 might be more neutral than 990s, they will still sound bassy and hyped (almost as if you pushed the "loudness" button on an old hi-fi amp) when compared to any AKG headphone. That´s not to say that they aren´t good, especially in order to quickly get into a vibe when composing. In fact, although I am an AKG guy I like the 880s quite a lot because of their "vibyness".
> 
> If you should go for 880s than watch out for the differences in impedance. AFAIK there are three versions available: 32, 250 and 600 Ohms. The 32 Ohm version is designed for use with portal devices and will quickly begin to sound nasty when plugged into a proper headphone amp, 250 Ohms are ok-ish when used with a solid hi-fi stereo amp´s headphone output, and 600 Ohms should be your weapon of choice when and if you have dedicated headphone amp or an audio interface with sufficient headphone output level.



Im on a RME Babyface (the old version)


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## Vin (Jan 13, 2017)

http://vi-control.net/community/threads/the-ultimate-headphone-thread-headphoneamps-added.35400/


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## tack (Jan 13, 2017)

http://vi-control.net/community/threads/professional-reference-headphones.58458/


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## Parsifal666 (Jan 14, 2017)

I have Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, and they're just fine for midnight.


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## MarcelM (Jan 14, 2017)

Viegaard said:


> Hello.
> 
> I tend to do most of my "work" in the late evening hours and into the night - Which means I cant have my monitors on.
> 
> ...



buddy, hands down. 

Sennheiser Orpheus


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## soundmind (Jan 15, 2017)

robgb said:


> You might check out Samson SR850s for about $40 on Amazon. And don't laugh. They're great mixing headphones. Seriously. Grados are great, too.


I use the SR850's for broadcast work and in a pinch for a final mix, they have been reliable and comfortable. Great value.


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## passsacaglia (Jan 16, 2017)

soundmind said:


> I use the SR850's for broadcast work and in a pinch for a final mix, they have been reliable and comfortable. Great value.


I wanted to try out a "budget" headphone. Ordered a pair after many hours of reading, "listening" and comparisons on HeadFi (read the whole 290+ pages thread) from Aliexpress. There's a brand called ISK pro audio (some GZ threads about them), I have a condenser mic which is g r e a t, so I thought, why not try their headphones and bam! What a strike.* ISK HF2010,* such a success.
Now that they have opened themselves up after burn-in, Absolutely fantastic headphones. Like a mix between the V shape from m50x, the tight sound and clarity from DT880/990 and the clean crisp and space from the open AKG phones.
Seriously one of my best purchases 2016 for sure. For a closed variant the HP2011 seems to be quite awesome too. Also think the Samsons should be good they make good monitors  Also cheaper on Thomann.
I really think they should have more light. Know Viegaard wasn't after a "budget headphone", but this bastard is absolutely among the bigger brands in terms of quality, comfort and sound!
When listening to the YT clip, comparing the sound from the recordings (some pretty bad ok) to the other high quality headphones..they sound so much fuller and better, and I agree. Would seriously take these over m50x, DT770. Every single day yes. It feels like you're in a recording studio with great acoustics and superb monitors and you're in the good spot, 40 bucks, I'd say try them at least!!

The price tag should be at least 140, for sure. Check this page for a review:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/585356/the-takstar-technical-pro-gemini-greathon-cyberx-qpad-thread/4425

and you can also read some reviews on the amazon clones:

http://a.co/igrNi65

"Listening as I type these lines to the bassoon in Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, I'm honestly not sure how anything could be much better"

"Bought them due to a review on YouTube. Almost, and I mean like *99.9%, as good as my BeyerDynamic DT990 PRO headphones. Open, extremely comfortable, and unbelievably good sound for the price*. They also do not require amplification like the 990's. The 990 Pro's are triple the price of these, plus the additional cost of an amp. If you are looking for open headphones, then pick these up immediately. You will not be disappointed."
Personally I think they sound like Semi-Open due to the glued sound and tight and extremely present bass. And I agree, you will NOT be disappointed. Nice if you can save a lot of cash and get a really great product.


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