Best headphones for monitoring.

Devil#20

Any good recommendations for a set of monitoring headphones to use with a DI media interface. I do have good quality hi-fi headphones but I've heard that you don't want them to be that revealing and you'd be better off using something that is designed to be a monitor headphone specifically. Not sure why that's the case but maybe somebody could educate me on that matter too.  

grappagreen

Sennheiser HD600's or 650's.

Si

Stuckfast

Why would you not want them to be revealing?

If they are genuinely actually good quality hi-fi headphones then they'll be fine. If "hi-fi" in this context means they have a huge boost at the low end and at the high end to make them sound more impressive, I'd get something more neutral.

Devil#20

grappagreen said:

Sennheiser HD600's or 650's.

Si

I have a pair of HD600's but they are very much a hi-fi headphone.Stuckfast said:

Why would you not want them to be revealing?

If they are genuinely actually good quality hi-fi headphones then they'll be fine. If "hi-fi" in this context means they have a huge boost at the low end and at the high end to make them sound more impressive, I'd get something more neutral.

Exactly this. I heard that something with a flatter response might be better. Is there a clear distinction between a hifi headphone and a monitor headphone. I genuinely don't know. I have a pair of HD600's and some Grado SR325's. 

mrkb

I thought HD600s were pretty flat - only a small increase at 3-4k

AutoEq/results/headphonecom/headphonecom_harman_over-ear_2018/Sennheiser HD 600 at master · jaakkopasanen/AutoEq · GitHub

Loads of frequency response plots here
innerfidelity-allgraphs-updated-alphabetical.pdf (wordpress.com)

Musicwolf

I'm not familiar with Grado but the HD600's would be on the list of suitable candidates and yes, you would want them to be revealing.

ElectricXII

I use Audio Technica ATH-M20x 'phones. They're cheap and cheerful but better than Hi Fi ones for the job.

mrkb

ElectricXII said:

I use Audio Technica ATH-M20x 'phones. They're cheap and cheerful but better than Hi Fi ones for the job.

I dont understand that comment - you need a flat response set of headphones to hear the mix (rather than bass and treble heavy consumer ones) - why do you think "HifI" (which I assume means relatively flat eq response) is not suitable?

Devil#20

mrkb said:

ElectricXII said:

I use Audio Technica ATH-M20x 'phones. They're cheap and cheerful but better than Hi Fi ones for the job.

I dont understand that comment - you need a flat response set of headphones to hear the mix (rather than bass and treble heavy consumer ones) - why do you think "HifI" (which I assume means relatively flat eq response) is not suitable?

I've just looked at a few of the frequency response plots for comparison. The Grado 325's have a nice flat frequency response but their square wave response is terrible. Now that's not an issue listening to hifi sound. However, square wave response on some others is a lot better. What's the significance of that regarding monitored DI output where you might have a lot of deliberate clipping in the mix? In other words do I want something with a good square wave response?

Stuckfast

Most of these tests are just different ways of looking at the same parameters, so for example the square wave test isn't really about what the headphones will sound like when you listen to a square waves -- it tests both frequency response and transient response among other things. I'd say the Grado 325s score pretty badly on all points really. In the 30Hz square wave test you can see that the overall square shape of the wave is completely lost. This correlates with the poor low-frequency performance shown in the frequency response graph. The 300Hz square wave shows a lot of ringing and general mess which is consistent with the transient response that takes a long time to settle, and the very uneven mid-range frequency response. 

colourofsound

Another vote for HD600s. They're as flat as you're going to get in any headphone really.

The important thing is not the headphones you use, but that you know what they sound like and where their weaknesses are. In combination with decent stereo monitors plus some consumer sources, you should be fine.

I'd spend less time worrying about the frequency responses and more time making music

Winny_Pooh

"DI media interface"? Explain the application?
Will help to know if you want closed or open back too.

uncledick

AKG K701s work for me.  Punchy and revealing - well suited to rock/pop.  I have some Grado GS1000s which are my choice for just 'listening' and more in the spectrum of the HD650s (but better imho).  

Rocker

You won’t go wrong with Stax headphones. 

Devil#20

Stuckfast said:

Most of these tests are just different ways of looking at the same parameters, so for example the square wave test isn't really about what the headphones will sound like when you listen to a square waves -- it tests both frequency response and transient response among other things. I'd say the Grado 325s score pretty badly on all points really. In the 30Hz square wave test you can see that the overall square shape of the wave is completely lost. This correlates with the poor low-frequency performance shown in the frequency response graph. The 300Hz square wave shows a lot of ringing and general mess which is consistent with the transient response that takes a long time to settle, and the very uneven mid-range frequency response. 

And they ain't particularly cheap either. Winny_Pooh said:

"DI media interface"? Explain the application?
Will help to know if you want closed or open back too.

I wan't them for monitoring generally or monitoring whilst recording and possibly recording through a mic so that would mean closed back if I was using a click track.

Stuckfast

TBF I tend to find there's not always much correlation between what sounds good to me and what measures well on these sorts of test. For example I really like the Shure SRH1840 headphones and they don't measure particularly well in every respect. But what they do have is a very flat frequency response through the midrange where our ears are most sensitive.

skitzigol

Superlux HD681 if you are on a budget!

ElectricXII

mrkb said:

ElectricXII said:

I use Audio Technica ATH-M20x 'phones. They're cheap and cheerful but better than Hi Fi ones for the job.

I dont understand that comment - you need a flat response set of headphones to hear the mix (rather than bass and treble heavy consumer ones) - why do you think "HifI" (which I assume means relatively flat eq response) is not suitable?

I meant consumer headphones, not necessarily "Hi Fi",  which I was using as a generic term for phones which are not specifically designed for monitoring.

jhindsight

If you want to get a flat and honest response with headphones you might have to pair them with a plugin

sonar reference 4 headphones - this applies an eq curve specific to your make/model of headphones removing any colouring your headphones apply to the sound

https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid-reference

Goodhertz Can Opener - emulates monitoring speakers in your headphones.
https://goodhertz.co/canopener-studio/

I've found these two used together give really good results