tenovao.info Open in urlscan Pro
146.190.98.255  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content
Menu
Menu
 * Home Recording Studio
   * Choosing a Computer
   * Which DAW software?
   * Audio interface
   * Which microphones?
     * microphone polar patterns
   * Choosing studio monitors
   * Studio headphones
   * Controller keyboards
   * Soundproofing
   * Acoustic Treatment
   * Cables and stands
   * Online Music Production Courses
 * Equipment reviews
   * Microphones
     * Shure SM7B
     * Audio Technica AT2020
     * AKG C214
     * AKG C414 XLII
     * AKG C451 B
     * Best Mic for Recording Vocals
     * Aston Origin
     * Best live vocal microphone
     * Rode NT1-A
     * Neumann KM 184
     * Neumann KMS 105
     * Neumann U87 AI
     * Sennheiser E965
     * Shure KSM9
     * Telefunken M80
     * Sure Beta 58A
     * Shure SM57
     * Shure SM58
     * Sennheiser e835
     * Sennheiser e845
     * Sennheiser e935
     * Sennheiser e945
   * Studio monitors
     * Smallest Monitors
     * iLoud micro monitor
     * iLoud MTM
     * Genelec 8030C
     * Neumann KH 120
     * Adam Audio T5V 
     * KRK Rokit 5 G4
     * Presonus Eris E3.5
     * Genelec 8010a
     * JBL 305P MkII
     * Mackie CR3-X
     * PreSonus Eris E5
     * Yamaha HS5
   * Audio Interfaces
     * Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD
     * Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen
     * RME Babyface Pro FS
     * Solid State Logic SSL 2+
     * MOTU M2
     * MOTU UltraLite Mk5
     * Universal Audio Volt 276


Menu
 * Home Recording Studio
   * Choosing a Computer
   * Which DAW software?
   * Audio interface
   * Which microphones?
     * microphone polar patterns
   * Choosing studio monitors
   * Studio headphones
   * Controller keyboards
   * Soundproofing
   * Acoustic Treatment
   * Cables and stands
   * Online Music Production Courses
 * Equipment reviews
   * Microphones
     * Shure SM7B
     * Audio Technica AT2020
     * AKG C214
     * AKG C414 XLII
     * AKG C451 B
     * Best Mic for Recording Vocals
     * Aston Origin
     * Best live vocal microphone
     * Rode NT1-A
     * Neumann KM 184
     * Neumann KMS 105
     * Neumann U87 AI
     * Sennheiser E965
     * Shure KSM9
     * Telefunken M80
     * Sure Beta 58A
     * Shure SM57
     * Shure SM58
     * Sennheiser e835
     * Sennheiser e845
     * Sennheiser e935
     * Sennheiser e945
   * Studio monitors
     * Smallest Monitors
     * iLoud micro monitor
     * iLoud MTM
     * Genelec 8030C
     * Neumann KH 120
     * Adam Audio T5V 
     * KRK Rokit 5 G4
     * Presonus Eris E3.5
     * Genelec 8010a
     * JBL 305P MkII
     * Mackie CR3-X
     * PreSonus Eris E5
     * Yamaha HS5
   * Audio Interfaces
     * Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD
     * Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen
     * RME Babyface Pro FS
     * Solid State Logic SSL 2+
     * MOTU M2
     * MOTU UltraLite Mk5
     * Universal Audio Volt 276


CHOOSING THE BEST STUDIO HEADPHONES FOR MUSIC PRODUCTION

WITH SO MANY TYPES OF HEADPHONES, WHICH ONES ARE BEST SUITED TO YOUR STUDIO?




Article by: Paul Narang
Date: May 2023



Every recording studio will need at least one pair of quality studio headphones.
But for music production, you’ll need to consider buying more than one pair for
different tasks.

For mixing, editing and mastering, there’s:

 * Open back headphones
 * Semi open back headphones



And for musicians to wear while recording, there’s:

 * Closed back headphones
 * In ear earphones



If you’re on a budget, or you only want one pair of headphones:

 * All in one headphones




STUDIO MONITORS VS HEADPHONES

Most of you will be carrying out most of your mixing on a pair of studio
monitors. But what if your monitors are small, and lack the low bass
frequencies? This is where a pair of open back headphones can come in really
handy. You’ll be able to check the mixes periodically, to get a good estimate of
what the bass really sounds like.

It’s the same for anyone who hasn’t acoustically treated their room with panel
absorbers and bass traps. You won’t be hearing an accurate representation of
your music, as the sound of the room can really distort the sound from your
monitors. This is where you can use a pair of open back headphones to check the
details.




OPEN BACK HEADPHONES FOR MIXING AND EDITING

Using headphones is like looking through a magnifying glass, where you can fine
tune the details, perfecting the EQ, and making sure there’s no frequency
clashes. You’ll also hear a vocalist’s breaths, and any pops or distortions you
might have missed.

It’s a way to hear the sound directly. Perhaps not the most natural way to
experience music, but very useful for getting a clear indication of what you’re
working with at source. It’s just what you need for close up listening while
editing.

Open back headphones have a naturally airy and open sound because they’re
designed with a grille section which allows sound out, and into the room. Stereo
imaging becomes clearer and wider, and you can hear exactly where the sound
sources are placed on the sonic stage.

There’s two reasons why the open back style might be the best studio headphones
for mixing and mastering:

 * Room acoustics

If you have a small or odd shaped room, and you haven’t invested in acoustic
treatment, you won’t be getting an accurate representation of your mix. So
anything you change to sound good on your speakers, might sound wrong on another
sound system. The best open back studios headphones are very accurate, and will
give you the confidence to know you’re making the right mixing decisions.

 * Complaining neighbours

We don’t all have the luxury of fully sound proofed studios. In fact many
recording musicians work from a corner of the bedroom, or at a desk in the
lounge. Using headphones means you can keep working through the night without
annoying your flatmates, family or neighbours.

 * Working on the move

I’ve used open back headphones to mix and edit musical material in cafes,
temporary recording setups, and shared workspaces. It’s incredibly liberating,
to be able to travel with just a lightweight laptop and pair of studio
headphones.



LIMITATIONS OF MIXING ON HEADPHONES

Listening on headphones, no matter how good they are, will always be a different
experience to listening on studio monitors. The very fact that you can hear
everything in so much detail means you might find yourself leaving some parts
too low in the mix. So make sure to check the sound on speakers from time to
time, so you can compare the two sounds.

Open back studio headphones aim to deliver an accurate, revealing sound, rather
than make the music sound good. But to sound natural, there has to be a
substantial boost in the bass, to make up for the lack of physical bass you’d
get from a speaker.

When you first start mixing on headphones, it can take a while to judge the
right amount of bass for your mixes. One good trick is to try comparing your
mixes with commercial mixes of a similar genre.

Over time you’ll soon get used to the sound of your headphones, and will
intuitively know what translates well to speakers.

Sennheiser HD 650

I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 (Amazon) headphones for late night mixing, or
getting a quick second opinion on my mixes.

They have a very natural sound and reveal hidden details I wouldn’t have
otherwise heard.



ABOUT THE SENNHEISER HD 650

For my needs the Sennheiser HD 650s are the best studio headphones for mixing
and mastering. There’s much more expensive models, such as the HD 800 S and the
HD 820, but for value, the HD 650 are unbeatable, and very popular as reference
headphones throughout the music industry.

I find them really comfortable for long listening sessions, often completely
unaware I’m wearing them after a while. They have a very refined, neutral sound,
with no extra bass or excited upper range frequencies to fatigue my ears.

The detail is exceptional, with a well balanced and intimate soundstage. I’d
describe it as having an honest, accurate sound which immediately makes clear
anything which needs adjusting – volume levels, panning, Eq and effects levels.
I also plug it directly into a laptop with no problem at all.

HD 650 on Amazon

HD 650 on Sweetwater

HD 650 on Thomann



CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES

Closed back headphones are designed differently to open back models. Rather than
prioritising audio quality, they prioritise efficiency in sound leakage. The
best closed back studio headphones don’t allow much, or any sound into the room,
making them ideal for ‘tracking’ – recording while listening to a backing track.



CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES FOR TRACKING

Ideally you don’t want any of the backing track to leak out of the headphones,
or it will get recorded along with the vocalist. It limits what you can do with
the recording – you want the cleanest sounding tracks as possible for editing,
mixing and arranging.

Sony MDR-7506

Closed back headphones lack the clarity and accuracy of open back headphones.
But they’re great at containing the sound within the ear cups, which is far more
important for tracking.

I use Sony MDR-7506 (Amazon) headphones for tracking. Many studios have several
pairs of these on hand.



MORE ABOUT THE SONY MDR-7506 HEADPHONES

When choosing a pair of headphones specifically for tracking, the most important
factor is sound leakage. This should be given higher priority than the quality
of the audio.

The Sony MDR 7506 has some of the lowest leakage of all closed back headphones,
making it the ideal choice when you need to contain the backing track, and stop
it getting picked up by the microphone.

They’re comfortable and lightweight, without too much pressure on your ears.
This is a good combination for the studio, as you want your recording artists to
feel as natural as possible.

The sound is surprisingly good for the price, with a reasonably balanced sound
and prominent bass. The higher frequencies are a little too pronounced for
critical listening, but for tracking they sound great.


Sony MDR-7506 on Amazon

Sony MDR-7506 on Sweetwater

Sony MDR-7506 on Thomann



SEMI OPEN BACK HEADPHONES FOR THE STUDIO

Semi open back headphones are a combination of open and closed back headphones.
They’re open, but not to the full extent of open back headphones.

I used to have a pair of the budget AKG M80 Mkii headphones which sounded great
for the price, but I believe they have now been discontinued.

I don’t see much use for semi open back headphones in the studio, as they’ll
bleed sound while tracking, and limit the audio quality while mixing.




ONE PAIR OF STUDIO HEADPHONES FOR MUSIC PRODUCTION

If you only have the budget for one pair of studio headphones, for mixing,
mastering and recording, look for a pair of high quality closed back headphones.
Using just one pair of headphones in the studio is a compromise, but certainly
possible.

Consider a pair of high quality closed back headphones, such as the
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The sound quality is very close to open back
headphones, with a well balanced sound across the frequency response. Comparing
the M50x to the Sennheiser HD600, the biggest shortfall is in hearing the
soundstage clearly. There will be some limitations in fine tuning the panning of
instruments.

Audio Technica M50x

One great benefit of the Audio Technica ATH-M50x is if you’re in a noisy
environment – the closed design will help keep sound out, so you can hear what
you’re doing.

It also works the other way, keeping sound in if you need to mix in a quiet
space like a library.


ATH-M50x on Amazon

ATH-M50x on Sweetwater

ATH-M50x on Thomann





EARPHONES AND IEMS

In ear monitors, or IEMs are generally used on stage to enable performers to
clearly hear themselves and each other. But they can also be used in the studio
for tracking as some musicians find them more comfortable than the standard
closed back headphones.

Shure SE215 Pro

There’s a huge range of earphones to choose from, with high quality sound and
sound isolation. For the very best, there’s the Shure SE846 Pro.

But if you’re using these for tracking in the studio, there’s the industry
standard, and budget friendly Shure SE215 Pro.




HEADPHONE AMPLIFICATION

You might be wondering if you need a separate amplifier to go with your high
quality open back studio headphones.

It depends on something called impedance. Don’t worry if this confuses you –
you’re a musician, not a physicist!



HEADPHONE IMPEDANCE

Impedance is an ohm measurement (Ω), which tells you how much amplification your
headphones require.

Standard headphones are commonly 32 ohms, which is considered low impedance.
These don’t need much power, and are well matched to potable devices, like
mobile phones.

But high quality studio headphones can be anything up to 600 ohms. If you plug
these into a mobile phone, they won’t have enough power, and will suffer in
sound quality.

Normally every model of headphones has its own impedance rating. But the
Beyerdynamic studio headphones make an exception, and come in a choice of 32,
250 and 600 ohm models.



USING THE RIGHT HEADPHONES FOR THE JOB

If you intend to listen critically, for mixing or mastering, its important that
you hear accurate sound through your headphones. That’s why it’s important to
match the impedance of your headphones with your audio device. Not matching
properly can result in unwanted coloration or a reduction in bandwidth. 

Correct ‘impedance matching’ means using an audio device that has an output
impedance less than one 1/8th of your headphone’s impedance. For instance if you
have a pair of headphones with the standard 32 ohms, you should be matching it
with a (portable) device which has an output impedance of less than 4 ohms.

But if you have a pair of fancy studio headphones, they’re likely to be higher
impedance – perhaps up to 600 ohms. So in theory, to get the best sound from
these headphones, you’d need an audio interface with a headphone impedance of
less than 75 ohms.

So to be on the safe sound, choose an audio interface with LOW impedance.



HEADPHONE SENSITIVITY

When looking at amplification requirements, there’s something else to consider
too – sensitivity or efficiency. This is a measurement of volume at a specific
power input. It’s typically measured as decibels per unit of power (dB/mW). Like
impedance, sensitivity also affects volume, but in a different way.



DO I NEED A HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER?

My Sennheiser HD650 is 300 ohms. I plug them into the headphone socket on my
audio interface, which works with a wide range of impedances. I’m very happy
with the quality of the sound.

Apogee Groove

If I was plugging them into my Mac laptop or iPhone, they’d still work fine,
just a little quieter.

But if I needed to do some critical editing or mixing with just the laptop, I’d
look into getting a separate headphone amplifier, such as the tiny USB powered
Apogee Groove (Amazon), to boost the signal.



GLOSSARY: CIRCUMAURAL VS SUPRA AURAL



Most studio headphones are cup shaped – they completely envelop the ear. This is
the case for both open and closed back headphones. The technical name for this
is circumaural.

 * Circum = surrounding
 * Aural = the ear

Some other consumer headphones sit on the ear, and are called supra aural.

 * Supra = on top of
 * Aural = the ear


CONCLUSION

Investing in a pair of quality open back studio headphones for your studio is a
wise choice. A pair of reference headphones will give you the clarity needed for
checking those tiny details in the mix that you might not have even been aware
of. That’s until you hear your mix on somebody else’s speakers, when it may be
too late!

If you get to know one pair of headphones well, you’ll eventually get used to
the sound, and you’ll instantly know how they translate onto a pair of
loudspeakers. Also, if you need to mix at an unfamiliar studio, you can take
your headphones along for a familiar reference.

You can even do the majority of your mixing on studio headphones. Just make sure
to check regularly on your studio monitors or another sound system, to make sure
you’re happy with the overall sound balance.



EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO GETTING A PRO SOUND. I’VE MADE A GUIDE TO HELP YOU
CHOOSE THE BEST ONLINE MUSIC PRODUCTION COURSES AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW



 * About
 * Contact
 * Disclaimer
 * Privacy Policy

© SOUNDREF 2024
 * Home Recording Studio
   * Choosing a Computer
   * Which DAW software?
   * Audio interface
   * Which microphones?
     * microphone polar patterns
   * Choosing studio monitors
   * Studio headphones
   * Controller keyboards
   * Soundproofing
   * Acoustic Treatment
   * Cables and stands
   * Online Music Production Courses
 * Equipment reviews
   * Microphones
     * Shure SM7B
     * Audio Technica AT2020
     * AKG C214
     * AKG C414 XLII
     * AKG C451 B
     * Best Mic for Recording Vocals
     * Aston Origin
     * Best live vocal microphone
     * Rode NT1-A
     * Neumann KM 184
     * Neumann KMS 105
     * Neumann U87 AI
     * Sennheiser E965
     * Shure KSM9
     * Telefunken M80
     * Sure Beta 58A
     * Shure SM57
     * Shure SM58
     * Sennheiser e835
     * Sennheiser e845
     * Sennheiser e935
     * Sennheiser e945
   * Studio monitors
     * Smallest Monitors
     * iLoud micro monitor
     * iLoud MTM
     * Genelec 8030C
     * Neumann KH 120
     * Adam Audio T5V 
     * KRK Rokit 5 G4
     * Presonus Eris E3.5
     * Genelec 8010a
     * JBL 305P MkII
     * Mackie CR3-X
     * PreSonus Eris E5
     * Yamaha HS5
   * Audio Interfaces
     * Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD
     * Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen
     * RME Babyface Pro FS
     * Solid State Logic SSL 2+
     * MOTU M2
     * MOTU UltraLite Mk5
     * Universal Audio Volt 276

Close