I know this has been discussed many times but I need a pair of headphones to do mixing on late at night since I don't have too much time during the day and can't turn the monitors on past 8pm.

I know mixing on headphones is taboo but I have too.

Also not to mention i'm having trouble hearing where my bass needs to sit. So cans with great bass detail and clarity is key. I'm mixing mostly rock/metal/modern rock/alternative.

My budget is 500-600$

I've been researching some cans out there these two i'm interested in:

Beyer DT880 32ohms
Ultrasone pro 2900 (anyone use these yet)

Already have the ATm50

If there are better phones out there please chime in.

I really like the Sennheiser HD 600.

I don't know if you can call mixing on headphones taboo anymore, it has become part of the new era that the digital revolution has ushered in. At least half the people who listen to your mixes will be doing so on those white ear-buds Apple gives out with all iPhone/iPad/iPod or (insert iGadget here)

I can't speak for Sennheiser past the HD 380, but I always hear good reviews from "big name engineers" about the HD 600.

+1thumbsup

AKG 701s are my go-to cans..

CKenterpro:
I currently use ATH-M50's when checking my mixes...and I like them a lot....so I would love to hear your thoughts on what you do decide on getting and how they compare to the ATH-M50's...I hope you will come back to this thread and give us a report!

Doon - Tracks - SoundCloud

In my experience nothing up to $600 is better than AKG K 701 for mixing. No "great bass detail", though, but much more accurate overall than most headphones.

'tweren't completely my experience, as you know. Although I agree with your assessment of the the 701, I prefer the Denon AH-D2000.

https://gearspace.com/board/high-end...ml#post5571869

I admit I never gave the D2000 a chance (impossible to find here)

Since I got the D7000 based largely on Piedpiper's recommendations and couldn't be happier, I have to say, better try the D2000 as well.

Agreed.
701 are fantastic, not flattering.
M50 and Senny 600 are good as well.

Beyerdynamic dt770s have really exposed a lot of things to me that I've missed in the near fields. They are also super comfortable and dig all the way down to 20hz accurately.

I use the AKG702s, pretty much the same as the 701s. With the headphone adjustment VST on the main buss, RA-labs HDPX, the bass image improves dramatically and they come closer to the speaker experience than others I've tried.

Thanks again for the encouragement. The 2000s are pretty similar to the 7000, but not as clean, especially in the bass.

Also, the Senny 600 are 99.99 percent as good as the 650.

Not sure I'd put it quite like that but there are those that make a case for preferring the 600s in some ways.

Yes there are!
I'm talking price/performance.

So i'm now debating between the hd600 hd650. Don't know which one will suite me best.

Which one has smooth highs and good bass. I am having trouble getting my bass to sit just right. And my highs are kind of harsh in the mids and muffled on the high end clarity.

Problem is, you want cans that accurately reveal problems, not ones that will smooth them over. Either Senns will smooth them over, IMHO. Flattering and non fatiguing, yes, accurate reference tools, no. I would choose the Denon 5000 or even the AKG 701, and did. And I have them all.

Man....There is a ton of these threads, pick one!

Beyer DT880 32ohms



just ensure you go with open back phones

spek

+ 1

Why the 32 Ohm version and not the 250 Ohm "pro" version?

Oliver

I think i might go with the Denon ah-d5000's now. Although there are not too many sites that carry these. Why is that? I wish I had enough mula to get the 7000's. Anyone else use the 5000's and is there a huge difference compared to the 7000s.

I will probably never use HD600 again for mixing, I've had such a bad experience with how the bass translates. AKG K240s aren't pleasant, but seem to give better results for me.

Not particularly "slutty", but I really dig on the AKG K99's for some reason.
What's nice is that, new, you can find 'em around $70 from "more expensive retailers". Can find 'em pretty steady between $50-65, though!

/salute to cheap'ish internet vendors! heh

Denon doesn't market through pro audio venues so much as home audio dealers.

Except for being brighter around 7-10k accentuating sibilance, the 5000s have a theoretically flatter response, but the 7000s are definitely cleaner, and more open in a wonderfully refined and transparent way. The 2000s are actually very similar to the 7000s response-wise, but not as transparent. If you can afford them, the 7000s are definitely a more inspiring jump up from the 2000s than the 5000s. IOW, if you can easily afford the 5000s, you should consider the 7000s. If the 5000s are a stretch, you should maybe stick with the 2000s. The 5000s kind of suffer from middle child syndrome. Though, for those who are used to brighter cans like the Beyers and the 701s, they may feel more at home with the 5000s.

The other interesting point is the Denons, being closed back, have that advantage for tracking, from the standpoint of both the artist and the engineer if they are in the same room as the client, flying notably in the face of the assumption, stated above, that open backed cans are the only way to go for real quality. After questing for the most neutral useful reference headphones, I'm very happy with all the Denons at their respective price points.

And I'll reiterate what I've said in other threads that I am a dealer for all the brands so I have no special affiliation with Denon. The personal preference of any given customer draws on many issues, though.

OP says he needs to hear where the bass needs to sit... I haven't heard headphones that can tell you that, but good luck...

I mix on headphones all the time. I'm in an apartment, and unless i drop thousands on upgrading my rockit 5's and room treatment (when i can hardly monitor loud and/or very often), I'll stick with the headphones and then use my krks to check levels. I find doing all my eqing, compressing, limiting, reverbs, delay etc is more effective in the cans and when I'm done a mix, there's usually just some quick level adjusting. I use AKG 240 studio headphones, around $100 new (if they still make'm). I should also mention that I've been slightly forced to use headphones over monitors because of where i live and previously lived for years now so its what my ears are used to and sometimes that really is the best reason to use something. You can listen to my stuff on my website or blog to see if you think my work is even "good" cause that might also validate or disvalue my 2 cents.

I think people vastly overestimate the cost of room treatment, and the need to upgrade monitors. I think most hobby / home mix rooms could be vastly improved with only a couple hundred bucks spent (assuming DIY). Just sayin...

I agree with the 2nd bolded quote, ultimately knowing what to expect from your monitoring situation is pretty crucial, and can compensate in many ways (although not ideal....).

That's one of things that drove me to the Denons, as well as neutrality and transparency across the board. Most cans have a big broad hump in the lower mids/upper bass, and then roll off in the low bass. The Denons have a slight slow steady rise peaking in the very low bass before rolling off. This rise compensates for the lack of bass feel that you get from full range speakers in a room. They are also much cleaner in the bass than any other cans I've tried. Once you calibrate yourself to it, you can indeed get an accurate take on the bass with the Denons. As you said in your other post, calibrating yourself to what you know is the key, regardless.