Should You Mix with Headphones?

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Id say be careful of ear fatigue on headphones! Take breaks. Theres something about the noise being pumped directly into your ear.

Swiftopher

Details here though you can just watch Sage's video!

This is from the Ask feature: Consistency: The video emphasizes that even though headphones might not be perfectly flat in their frequency response, that response is consistent. This means if a particular frequency is boosted on your headphones, it's always boosted, making it easier to learn the quirks of your specific pair. (1:15-1:30)

Higher resistance headphones often have a better bass response because they require more amplification to power them. This results in a flatter frequency response in the lower frequencies, which is often desirable for mixing. (2:38-2:55)

Learning the Translation: It takes time to get used to how your specific headphones translate sound. This is because you'll need to consider how your mix will sound on other systems. You'll probably need to make adjustments to compensate for the unique frequency response of your headphones. (3:04-3:10)

Headphones generally provide a more confined soundstage than speakers. It feels like the sound is inside your head, lacking the spaciousness of speakers. (5:25-5:35) Speakers: Wider Experience: With speakers, both ears hear the sound from both channels simultaneously, creating a wider and deeper feeling of space. This is because the sound bounces off the walls and interacts with your ears. (5:35-5:59)

Benefits of Limited Stage: While a smaller soundstage might seem like a downside, it's actually useful when you're mixing because many people listen to music on earbuds, which have an even smaller soundstage than headphones. (6:45-7:14)

While the video doesn't explicitly state that earbuds are problematic for mixing, it does highlight why they're problematic for listening to mixes:

Earbuds: Tiny Soundstage: Earbuds have a very limited soundstage. The sound is delivered directly to the ear canal, bypassing the ear's natural ability to process spatial cues. (6:55-7:00) Impact on Mix Perception: This tiny soundstage means you'll lose the sense of space and depth present in a properly mixed track when listening on earbuds. It can make mixes sound thin, flat, and lackluster. (6:55-7:00) Headphones: Better Translation: Because headphones have a larger soundstage than earbuds, a mix that sounds good on headphones will generally translate better to earbuds than a mix that was created solely with speakers in mind. (6:55-7:14)

gossipboynyc-VN

Sonarworks Reference plugin is nice combined with high end open back headphones.

trevorgordonofficial

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD600s, which are great monitoring headphones. Very flat response (except sub-bass), fully open back which allows for a much wider soundstage. I'll also mix to a reference to ground myself and use frequency analyzers for checking the sub bass during the process. Once I feel happy with my first pass, I'll render it and listen on a few different sources (my wireless earbuds, my phone speaker, and my car) to get a sense of the balance. I'll also listen to the reference through those systems. So far I've gotten pretty good results, and while I'd like to have a proper monitoring set-up someday, this works pretty well for me.

graniteoverworld

I've been mixing with headphones for several years now.

Actual monitor speakers are nice, but if you can't afford it, studio-grade headphones are a very close second, depending on the brand.

Be careful though, as excessive use of headphones while mixing may cause fatigue, so remember to take a break every 30-45 minutes.

FerinSonny

check if frequency response is good in both ears after purchase. if some frequencies are louder or quieter than others in different ear. some models may have issues like that

maRRso

Great video! Extra cons that I hear in others' headphone mixes most of the time: Too much reverb, too much highs and not enough low end (or the opposite depending on what their headphones are lacking). And of course, not referencing enough when using their headphones.

Jrel

Thats why reference tracks should be used.

dennisg

You just need to know your headphones very well and have worked and listened to a lot of music with them.

alfredomanzano

I use Sound ID Reference with my Audio Technica R70x headphones. And it does the job! Mixes come out really well after testing them on a basic mastering chain. I listen to my mixes in the car after I've done a session on my headphones to get an idea of what I'm doing wrong in the mix.

Erebus

i transitioned from adam audio t7v’s (very solid speaker, eric valentine uses them) to audeze mm500’s, and the difference in my mixes has been huge. i can hear as low as 5 cycles on them, the transient response is extremely punchy - especially in the lows - and the overall frequency response is much closer to flat than it was on my adam’s. if you’re not able to get a great sounding room, i 100% recommend audeze’s

nateknowles

Would you be willing to do a video on how to choose headphones for mixing, especially affordable ones (like $50-$100 USD, absolute max)? This video of yours has been the most useful explanation I’ve found so far. A lot of the explanations on forums I’ve seen basically say “it doesn’t matter since you should mix/monitor/master on speakers anyway.” This is not accessible (or useful) to a lot of people, since it maintains a financial barrier that favors people who can afford high-quality monitors and professionally treated rooms. It doesn’t seem realistic, especially in countries where there is increasing economic class inequality. They also don’t account for the possibility of an EQ that’s calibrated to specific headphone models to yield a relatively flat response (removed before finalizing project + export). Squiglink seems like a useful tool, though I’m still not sure how HRTF fits into this. Thanks for providing so much consistent, precise, and hyperbole-free content!

madawade

I got some mm-500s and love them. But any decent headphones if you get to know them and how they translate you can get a good mix.
A room is ideal though

fnord_lander

I often mix and master with headphones. But I can't mix sub bass well with any of them. I think no headphones are good enough to make consistent sounding sub bass in any mix and master. Having a good pair of calibrated audio monitors, even in untreated room, can make you mix sub bass better.

GustavoM.D.