Mixing Headphones

[forumuser641699]

I'm experimenting with mixing on headphones and getting some good results, I no longer have a treated room or the option for it so this looks like the way to go plus I can mix on the sofa with the laptop.

Currently using Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro which I like but wondering what others might recommended that would be superior.
Budget around £1000 and I hear good things about Audeze (LCD-X) and Focal Clears.

What I'd like to know is am I going to experience light and day comparing my DT 880's to either of those or similar? Or is it a lower margin of difference, 10% improvement? 25% maybe? Do I need to spend that much?

I am working with mostly acoustic folky music.

[Sam Inglis]

I'm not familiar with the DT880, but I doubt you'd notice a night and day difference compared with the Focals. No doubt the Focals are better but I'd imagine the tonality is quite similar.

The LCD-X are very much their own beast, and don't really sound like moving-coil headphones. They have amazing low end, super low distortion and an incredibly punchy presentation of dynamics. The flip side is that they can seem a bit soft at the top end.

[Wonks]

The LCD-X don't seem to have a very flat frequency response. But probably no worse than say the AKG 712. Enough dips and peaks above 1kHz IMO to make using some correction software fairly important if you don't want to miss things going on in the 5 kHz, 10kHz and 15kHz regions. And there is a significant boost of up to 15dB above nominal output level in the 18-20kHz region, so if you can hear up that high (I certainly can't), without correction you may be tempted to mix things slightly dull unless you keep cross referencing to existing tracks.

[Bob Bickerton]

I have a set of DT 880s and have enjoyed them since I let go of the HD650s, which I found uncomfortable. Recently though I bought a set of the new DT900s (fully open back). They’re comfortable and more open than the 880s, so I use those now.

But as has been said, you won’t hear night and day differences with top end headphones. Whether the difference you hear is what you prefer and what you’re prepared to pay for, is your own call.

Bob

[tea for two]

Currently using Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro which I like but wondering what others might recommended that would be superior.
Budget around £1000 and I hear good things about Audeze (LCD-X) and Focal Clears.

is it a lower margin of difference, 10% improvement? 25% maybe? Do I need to spend that much?

I am working with mostly acoustic folky music.

When I auditioned Focal Clear Mg I found it a Monster on Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Grunge, Nu Metal. The oomph presence, the bass, the guitars, the drums.
But Focal Clear MG wouldn't be my choice for Folky.

For similar reasons Audeze LCD- X wouldn't be my choice for Folky, LCD-X for me is more for Bass heavy styles.

Instead I would funds permitting choose Hifiman open backed He1000Se I auditioned were outstanding on Folk, Choral, Orchestral, Jazz, World, Country.
It's £2K now on sale but there are under and around £1K Hifiman as Ananda, He6se well worth audtioning
I would avoid the cheaper Hifiman Sundara as it's boxy muddy.

The DT880 were too harsh at top end for my ears : they hurt my ears lol. So they went to a good home.
Going to these £1K ish headphones you should hear a jump in clarity alongside less harsh hearing at top end which makes it easier to mix master on.

But there are other £200-£400 headphones worth auditioning perhaps they would suit : as DT900 Bob mentioned Bob does a lot of Folk Choral Orchestral professionally. Also AKG K712 which I use for some pseudo Choral, pseudo Orchestral for my own music, Shure 1840 worth auditioning.

[forumuser641699]

Thanks guys, I should have mentioned I have sonarworks for EQ.
Where I live there's no option to travel to demo so I'm looking for recommendations, especially for the folky acoustic music preference.

Honestly I have no idea so hearing it's not going to be night and day helps me with my budgeting. I wonder if something in the £500-600 region might be a better investment.

[Drew Stephenson]

Might be worth considering the Avantone planars, considerably cheaper than the LCD-Xs and might give you a lot of the same benefits.
I believe Concertina Chap is a big fan.

[Sam Inglis]

I rate the Neumann NDH30 and Shure SRH1840 very highly, and those are both within the lower price range.

[Stuart79]

I have a pair of Shure SRH1840s and find them easy to work with. Previously owned HD650s and while I enjoyed listening to music on them I found it difficult to mix low end. I find this a lot easier on the Shure phones. So it's a +1 from me.

I was mulling over a change/upgrade as my pair are well-used and showing their age a bit. But then I noticed that Amazon here in the UK have the 1840s at a significant discount so I just bought another pair.

[forumuser641699]

I rate the Neumann NDH30 and Shure SRH1840 very highly, and those are both within the lower price range.

Thanks Sam. Just reading your review of the Shure:

One of the problems of mixing on lesser headphones is that it can be hard to identify the point where a phenomenon such as sibilance becomes a problem. Some headphones have you reaching for the de-esser whatever the singer and whatever the mic, but with the SRH1840s, I never found myself trying to solve issues that weren't really there.

I've noticed this with my DT 880, am I hearing issues that are not there. I also noticed I missed some clicks and thumps on the DT 880 that I heard on my monitors.
The issues I have with mixing are in the lower end, too much, too little bass and boxy sounding acoustic guitar that should be full with nice bass.

The Neamann's look good too, which of the two would you take to the desert island?

[Sam Inglis]

The Neamann's look good too, which of the two would you take to the desert island?

Tough call. The Shures are significantly more comfortable and perhaps just a shade more neutral in the low midrange. The Neumanns sound cleaner, for want of a better word, thanks to their very low distortion.

[forumuser641699]

The Neamann's look good too, which of the two would you take to the desert island?

Tough call. The Shures are significantly more comfortable and perhaps just a shade more neutral in the low midrange. The Neumanns sound cleaner, for want of a better word, thanks to their very low distortion.

Ok, seeing as Stuart pointed out the discount on Amazon, the Shure's are currently almost half the price. I'm going to take a punt, can always return them I guess.