What are your go-to headphones for mixing!

[John Willett]

If people really want to compare....

I have the HD 800, HD 650 and HD 600 (HD 580 Jubilee actually - same as the 600 but with a different paint job) and a Grace m903 headphone amp.

If you really want to hear the differences I can bring these with me to the Bristol Sausage Meet and if you bring along the K802 / K712 etc. and some known music we can compare.....

[Guest]

If people really want to compare....

I have the HD 800, HD 650 and HD 600 (HD 580 Jubilee actually - same as the 600 but with a different paint job) and a Grace m903 headphone amp.

If you really want to hear the differences I can bring these with me to the Bristol Sausage Meet and if you bring along the K802 / K712 etc. and some known music we can compare.....

Is this an event for lovers of bangers, or something more naughty...

P.s. I'm waiting for my next pay cheque and then getting the AKG 712s as I'm skint at the moment

[ConcertinaChap]

I'm starting to feel like the poor kid in school here, slumming around with my 702s!

Say not so! Not when you've just convinced me that now's the time to buy a pair of 702s.

CC

[Martin Walker]

If people really want to compare....

I have the HD 800, HD 650 and HD 600 (HD 580 Jubilee actually - same as the 600 but with a different paint job) and a Grace m903 headphone amp.

If you really want to hear the differences I can bring these with me to the Bristol Sausage Meet and if you bring along the K802 / K712 etc. and some known music we can compare.....

Now THAT's a good idea John

Martin

[ConcertinaChap]

Well here's a thought, then. As I say I'm just about to buy a pair of K702s. If someone else can bring along a well used pair then in the spirit of scientific enquiry I'm prepared to put my new K702s on one side until the SoSmeet. We'll be able, once and for all, to see how much difference burning in makes.

CC

[TheReson8or]

Hi,Since buying the K712 pro , my mixes have improved..no doubt! Dave

[Hrodulf]

Just wanted to tell you that we at Sonarworks just updated our supported headphone list! Here's what you can use now -

AKG K141 MKII
AKG K240 MKII
AKG K701
AKG K702
AKG K712
Audio-Technica M20x
Audio-Technica M40x
Audio-Technica M50x
Beyerdynamic DT770 80 Ohm
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
Sennheiser HD280
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser HD600
Sennheiser HD650
Shure SRH840
Sony MDR7506
Superlux HD681

Sign up to trial the plug-in here - Free trial!

Or just send me a message and I'll get you the link to our latest plug-in release. It will be functional for 21 days.

If you were one of the blokes beta testing the previous 2.2 headphone plug-in, message me and I'll get you a free licence for this version as well!

P.S. My desert island cans are Audeze LCD-2. Marvelous sound and extra firewood if things go south!

[FREisound]

SONY MDR 600 - a legend!

[Jack Ruston]

P.S. My desert island cans are Audeze LCD-2. Marvelous sound and extra firewood if things go south!

Ha. Have you tried the LCD X? Flatter than the 2s or 3s. Apparently the new EL8s are very similar but at a fraction of the price... More like 500 quid or so. They will be a game changer if so. As they say (on Gearslutz). I believe the SOS review wheels are in motion.

J

[Hrodulf]

Yeah, supposedly the X'es are flatter. Though you need to keep in mind that I run my headphones calibrated, so they should be very accurate. +/-0.3dB, if my engineers are right.

I still want to hear what Audeze has done with the EL-8 series. First impressions from people whose ears I trust are not very positive.

[Orgo]

AKG DF 240 or Beyerdynamic tesla DT 1350.

The more surgical the better and DF 240's are.
Teslas are sickeningly loud and teleports
you right in front of an rather bold Genelec setup.

[Martin Walker]

I'm starting to feel like the poor kid in school here, slumming around with my 702s!

Let us know what you think of them, Martin.

Ok - a few days on, so here are my initial thoughts for what they're worth.

I still have my trusty Sennheiser HD650's, and have always been pleased with them, but last week bought the AKG K712 Pro's in search of 'deeper and easier to judge in mixes' bass.

I was well aware from this forum that the K7xx series sound initally hard and plasticky at the top end, and need at least a few tens of hours loosening up before any serious listening takes place, so I plugged them into my audio player and left them doing just that for a couple of days.

First listen to the K712 Pro's confirmed the lovely bass end, but the top end still sounded very harsh to my ears.

That is, until I downloaded Sonarworks' ( http://sonarworks.com ) Reference 3 headphone calibration plug-in, whose Hrodulf posts a lot here.

The difference was night and day - when I first tried the Beta of Sonarworks with my HD650, the plug-in did sound slightly different, but not so much that I anticipated having it in circuit all the time. However, with the K712 Pro it turns a a harsh, bass heavy monster into a superb listening experience.

At this possibly early stage I still can't see how AKG have managed to market a set of headphones that sound so dreadful as is, when they can sound so stunning after some corrective EQ. I'm very pleased I bought the K712 Pro's, but thus far I can't imagine using them without the Sonarworks plug-in.

Any thoughts from AKG users - am I not yet used to the family sound?

Martin

[Sam Inglis]

I wouldn't describe the K712s as 'dreadful', by any means, but yes they do have the AKG family sound and that means they are quite bright. I always feel there's something artificially wide about the way they present the stereo field, too, as though hard-panned things are made slightly more prominent than centre-panned stuff.

Personally I prefer phones with a fuller mid-range and a less pushed top end, but I don't think it's hard to adapt to the K712 sound.

[The Elf]

I'm surprised that they sound so bad to you, Martin. Please bring them with you to the next meet and we'll make some comparisons. For them to be so overtly bad I'm wondering if you've got a rogue pair - if not I'll be making you an offer for them!

[Jack Ruston]

Those AKG's do need quite a bit of time to soften up. I found that when I reviewed the 812s.

J

[Guest]

At this possibly early stage I still can't see how AKG have managed to market a set of headphones that sound so dreadful as is, when they can sound so stunning after some corrective EQ.

Martin

This is a worrying turn of events

[Martin Walker]

OK, perhaps I overreacted in saying 'dreadful', and I did go on to say that they CAN sound stunning with a few EQ tweaks

However, I did so after nearly nine years with the Sennheiser HD650's, which have a very nuetral yet revealing sound, and my two sets of monitor loudspeakers (ATC SCM10 Pro and AVI Biggatron Red Spot), both of which are small sealed designs with a largely nuetral sound.

I still love the AKG K712 Pro's with the corrective EQ to make them more nuetral-sounding, but I am having difficulty adapting to the AKG family sound as is, which apparently so many other musicians love. It's very revealing, but with my heritage difficult to adapt to. I'm sure I'll get there - my shock was in hearing how much 'better' to my ears the K712 sounded with the corrective EQ from the Reference 3 plug-in (a MUST now in my book )

Will report back again after more burning in, mental adjustment, and some practical mixing work using them

Martin

[John Willett]

I'm surprised that they sound so bad to you, Martin. Please bring them with you to the next meet and we'll make some comparisons. For them to be so overtly bad I'm wondering if you've got a rogue pair - if not I'll be making you an offer for them!

So it looks as if it will be a good idea for me to bring my Grace m903 headphone amp along then

It will take any input - analogue balanced or unbalanced, digital wired or optical or USB.

[The Elf]

I'm surprised that they sound so bad to you, Martin. Please bring them with you to the next meet and we'll make some comparisons. For them to be so overtly bad I'm wondering if you've got a rogue pair - if not I'll be making you an offer for them!

So it looks as if it will be a good idea for me to bring my Grace m903 headphone amp along then

It will take any input - analogue balanced or unbalanced, digital wired or optical or USB.

Oh, my aching credit card...

[Guest]

Martin - look forward to hearing your thoughts once you've burned these in. I'd be interested to know if anyone else uses these reference plugins, it's bit much having to fork out for headphones only to find you still have to use a plugin to get the maximum benefits!!

[Martin Walker]

Martin - look forward to hearing your thoughts once you've burned these in. I'd be interested to know if anyone else uses these reference plugins, it's bit much having to fork out for headphones only to find you still have to use a plugin to get the maximum benefits!!

The AKG K712 Pro's are loosening up nicely, and I'm now beginning to appreciate their different family sound compared with my Sennheiser HD650s. Yes, the K712 top end is still slightly 'hyped', but it's really helping me sort out mix details, while the bass end is now more 'natural' and extended to my ears than the HD650s.

Judging by the improvements so far, this AKG burning in seems quite a radical process!

Martin

[Guest]

Judging by the improvements so far, this AKG burning in seems quite a radical process!

Martin

Looks like it - I take it you are not using the reference plugin as the AKGs slowly 'mature'

[Martin Walker]

I'm using the phones both with and without the plug-in at the moment - like you I can't envisage always having to use the plug-in whenever I want to plug in the phones, so I'm getting used to their sound 'as is'.

Martin

[Guest]

Martin any update a week on?

[Martin Walker]

I'm absolutely loving the bass end now, but am still reserving judgement about the top end, which still sounds oddly peaky to my ears without the plug-in

Martin