The BEST Studio MIXING Headphones + Plugins - The Pro Audio Podcast

What an amazing presentation! This man knows what he's talking about! How rare to find one like him, it helped me really much to get an idea what is out there and where they all stand compared to each other. Thank you very much!

[@DanielStaff_]

Personally use sienna from acustica audio. highly recommend.. has many more options that have been captured very well, from clubs to cars, outside stages, supermarkets, studios and monitors.

[@hireality]

Insightful and inspiring, well done gentlemen👍 37:50 “...it goes beyond the level of speakers”, a wonderfully passionate Tom comments on the AMT equipped HEDD Heddphone🙂 Also Tom’s tips, Slate VSX, is quite intriguing👍

[@j0hnc00]

36:54 Headphone technology now surpasses the best of speakers ... in detail damn (y)

[@kadiummusic]

Love my DT 1990 Pros, use them with the calibration in Realphones and they sound superb! 😎

[@proFscarfmaNhaT]

Where to begin. First. Amazing video. 2. Never owned open backs before but really want some. Been using M50’s for years. Currently with 2i2 3rd gen. Have an untreated room with KH120 monitors. Tired of mixing with the M50’s. Love recording with the monitors but cannot hear enough detail. HD600’s seem like a good idea and affordable. I’m not a pro but I love mixing when I can hear lots of detail. Naturally I am very sensitive to sound so the more detail the better…don’t know which phones to get! 🙏🏾

[@StevenLeeMusician]

I'm in exactly the same situation. Not into plug ins so much either. What did you get?

[@proFscarfmaNhaT]

I got some Neumann NDH 30’s. They’re actually really nice. Great for recording my bass.

[@Lebron069]

Very insightful! The only problem I have with mixing with headphones is to judge the leveling of HiHats. Most of the time I turn on my speakers I notice that the HiHats can be 4 to 6 db less in energy. Does anyone else has problems with leveling in headphones? Right now I got the Focal Clear Mg Pro and the LCD-X here for comparison!

[@DemiGodsMusic]

Many thanks for doing this guys, a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

[@MarcoRaaphorst]

must say I specifically mix meant for headphones doing podcasts. and the lack of crossfeed can be a plus. you can go into more extremes you will only hear on headphones. but when your reference is speakers and you use headphones, something like canopener can be great.

[@whatisiswhatable]

4:45 “Things always become a lot more difficult when it’s small.” Yeah, that’s what she said

[@genkibald]

This is brilliant. So much better informed now thanks

[@veggienation4537]

Thank you...exactly what I've been looking for.

[@bartnettle]

Great Video; very informative and your passion shines: Your advices are most valued, Thank you

[@audiobunny1767]

awesome 👏🏻 video, many thanks! LCD-X's for me, topped off with SS VSX's!

[@dsomerville5293]

I use GoodHertz Can opener with Hornet VHS. Best set up I have found

[@Forwhomthebelltolls24]

So I just watched a long Audeze commercial and Slate Digital paid just couple of hundreds. Who will use something like Penrose for mixing?

[@PeterWoodx]

Really useful and informative video - thank you!

[@anatol1204]

Nice video .I regret the money i spent to all the speakers i bought.I ll buy an lcdx and stop there

[@StevenLeeMusician]

I mix and master on an Tascam DP 24SD portastudio. Used portastudios for 30 years. It's just for me and the band. So, I'm not looking for top end studio quality stuff, I like what I get in the analog world. Plus I'm old and that's what I'm comfortable with :) What is a great Headphone for that situation. Something that sounds great without plug-ins?

[@UTSONUT]

thanks so much for this video! These comparisons are crucial for an educated buyer , especially for studio use. i really want to ask you 1. how do you feel while wearing the heddphone ? ( i have tried the LCD X and i found one thing to be extremely annoying = if i moved my head down (forward ) to use analog gear etc, it kept falling off my head, and also the weight did bother me after an hour. can you tell us if the heddphone fell off your head if u moved it forward (gravity) 2. can you tell us how the heddphone did with the RME UCX 2 headphone amp? i hope to use it with that 3. LCD X vs Heddphone . would you say in terms of neutral freq. response and soundstage , stereo width, the heddphone wins? 4. A question about your speakers! could you tell us why you choose Genelec THE ONES over for example ATC? do you find the SAM technology to calibrate well and quick you a more neutral response in your room? Thanks a lot!

[@Barnsey87]

When I got told to buy speakers bc you can't do music production with headphones I got studio monitors and within a week they got put back in the box. Headphones are king

[@mbaudio2574]

Very informative, thanks!

[@falconsito]

Hey! Ty for this! also, , is there a headphone you could recommend for under of 200 eur? (of course not being at the level of the others, but something decent and plain enought to start with?) Ty in advance!!!

[@leonid998]

My comment about opensource alternatives to mentioned software solutions gets deleted all the time. Please tell what's going on here?

[@llgms]

When you say Reaphones smears the transients, which module of it do you mean? I would assume it's safe to use if you bypass the room emulation and HRTF ?

[@thomasfokas]

Great video. Thx, guys.

[@manuelsirotti9340]

Thanks for your professionalism. I love that goodherz plug in I actually decided to leave it on the master even after I finished the mix on the headphones because the track sounds better even on the monitors with a more open stereo image and the transients are cleaner. Do you agree ? Or do you think it makes no sense to leave it once the headphones are removed? But I like the song on the monitors much more with this plug in! ps What do you think about Ollo s4x ?

[@dirlogic]

Brilliant video. Thanks!

[@stephendenagy3396]

Excellent video! Question, though. What about Tube amps? I have fallen in love with the Valhalla 2 and my Focal Clear Mg. Just sparkles! The level of detail “seems” greater with the tubes over an SMSL 500 series. For instance on classic jazz, like Vince Guaraldi, I can clearly hear the almost inaudible brush strokes swishing around the drum head. But for mastering, too colored?

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

It may sound great, but it's not more "accurate".

[@CB-bi1be]

Why is he wearing headphones that aren’t even plugged in the entire time? Or does he have the only wireless audeze lcd x in existence!

[@erkamau9629]

Hi, great video! Few words about Sienna and good headpnes to bundle ? What about cheaper "clones" as Superlux and Monoprice ? In win7(not tested in w10) Vrmbox is ok and good amp until 250 ohm. Correcting the frequency response to be near the Harman curve, a stereo to binaural converter and impulse reverb it would be possible to come close, and with few money, to other expensive bundle. What do you think ?

[@kylemcdonnell86]

HD600s corrected through Sonarworks, you may experience some distortion coming from the low end because of the boost you would need to do to the bass

[@johnaudio2024]

Hi Kyle, I use HD650’s with Sonarworks, there is a option to use a “safe gain”, so you won’t clip the output. It turns down the output after correction.

[@kylemcdonnell86]

@@johnaudio2024 you can still get distortion from the headphone without digitally clipping. You would have have to boost the low end quite a bit and while the output on your PC would not digitally clip, you may experience harmonic distortion.

[@phildobson1221]

Amazing thank you

[@ChestermereToday]

Hello! Is it worth an SPL Marc One w/ lcdx over a ifi dac? Is there going to be a huge quality improvement over my Apollo twin X ? Thank you. Or should I rather invest in a Focal mg for my secondary system? Thank you again.

[@alexdgoldberg]

Thanks for doing this! So if you use Realphones in addition to Can Opener and Sonarworks, do you keep the Correction & Angle/HRTF modules off? And keep speaker/subwoofer, ambience, density/warmth & tone (if needed) on?

[@craigwallace-gibb897]

Hi guys - wondering whether these high quality headphones are all 5.1 capable?

[@j-6998]

The Realphones plug in by dSoniq seems to have the same features as Can Opener plus much much more. So is it safe to conclude that if you get Realphones you do not need Can Opener?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

Certainly the Last time we played with realphones, it didn’t do crossfeed without the room emulation on, it just had an eq that compensated for the mid dip that you get from speakers at a certain angle. In Standard mode canopener doesn’t change the sound or smear the transient response, it just does imaging, which is exactly what you want to retain accuracy and detail, especially with a decent set of headphones.

[@j-6998]

@@ScanProAudioTV I have the trial versions of both plug-ins which I am using now. So then I would need Can Opener plus Realphones? Are you saying "Standard Mode" in Can opener is all you would use or need with Realphones? What about all the other features in Can opener? What would be the practical use of all those features in conjunction with Realphones? Also, in the Master bus, which is last, Can opener or Realphones? FYI I'm using HD600 headphones for the mix proper, and then I listen for an additional sonic reference with MDR-7506 phones plus my flat nearfield monitor speakers. Best Regards and thanks for this Video.

[@citadelo5ricks]

I have the Audeze Mobius, which is like the Penrose, and I can tell you right now the DSP in the headphone adds a discernable latency. Enough for me to not be able to track with it.

[@poulwinther]

Read the headline again, maybe....

[@citadelo5ricks]

@@poulwinther True, but I'm giving solid free info to people on your video.

[@starkid9736]

a strong amp fixes this.. so it was in my case simply ifi zen stuff power = bass control is a real thing

[@bjmora9612]

Reviewing this one again as I've changed my monitoring chain (mostly ITB, the smallest home studio setup you could imagine). I've been using Hifiman's wired DEVA for the last few weeks, which is an entry level planar; would you still recommend Realphones over GoodHertz if given the choice? I have even contemplated Realphones just for the headphone correction (using the Sundara's curve), then Goodhertz for the crosstalk.

[@bjmora9612]

Or I may just use Realphones...

[@leonid998]

but how about austrian audio hi-x65?)

[@kliqueeject5050]

Great advice I learnt a lot! I’ve always struggled mixing in headphones, I will give these plugins a try, something else I notice when mixing in headphones is the BPM seems to be different, maybe it has something to do with latency hitting your ears as they are closer I’m not sure? Thanks :-)

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

If you're using plugins microseconds of latency will play tricks with your ears.

[@marc8vino]

Isn't using software EQ correction degrading the sound? Would it not be better to use eq on the likes of an RME ADI 2/4?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

EQ is EQ, no matter where you place it. Certainly something like Pro-Q does not degrade the sound, especially in my favourite 'neutral phase' mode. I do love using the one in my ADI-2, as it is very convenient and I don't have to worry about turning it off to bounce, or my system sounds not playing through it, but it doesn't have as many bands available as Pro-Q.

[@ChrisKeyman]

Hello, what about the neumann headphones that you have there?

[@Trishomusic]

Tom Autobot You da man🙌

[@2020shredfest1980]

If you had to recommend between these two, which would it be: Audeze LCD1 with Reveal+ or Slate VSX ?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

It's two completely different things, the LCD-1 has tons of detail (but the room emulation side of reveal isn't the best), VSX has the comparison thing down, but there's almost no detail in the headphones. Personally i would suggest LCD-1 and the curve from my LCD-1 video ( or the free version of the reveal plugin) + Acustica Sienna (Spitfire room) for the room emulation... The LCD-1 curve in sienna is screwy, but the room emulation is spot on.

[@2020shredfest1980]

@@ScanProAudioTV Many thanks for your reply. Cheers!

[@minja38]

Thank you very much. I was thinking between the two as well , and decided to go with LCD-1. Do you mind asking what you mean by the details? Is it more like transient detail or the details in general?

[@ChrisKeyman]

Hello. What about the Lcd-xc ?

[@unsertrefflicher4678]

Nee some help. What does he mean when he says: you need some "EVEN" headphones but not "FLAT"? Sorry I am not English and I don't understand what he meant with ·"EVEN".

[@kanedmx]

No akg no sure?

[@SN-je5ej]

Surprised to see you talk so highly of VSX. I used to think it’s snake oil tbh.. will try

[@ScanProAudioTV]

We’ll be honest… a well balanced frequency response and some cross feed is our preferred monitoring setup. However, due to the way the VSX rooms have been analysed it can be invaluable for comparing your mix. The club especially really does sound like a terrible echoing cavern, but it’s really easy to identify elements that can be tidied up.

[@bobbyhexbeats]

Good vid chaps thanks. But... I love my car tests!

[@producertv8964]

Is there any headphone that is a close Alternative to the Genelec 8351 in the backround?

[@marcusbornold]

What about LCD-2 clost back? (Mixing in the living room 😉)

[@shadouxg7150]

The fr is bad

[@ognyankoynashki]

The current version 2 is from 2020 and Yanai maybe is speaking about the older version.

[@shadouxg7150]

@@ognyankoynashki really ?

[@angelus1417]

Here’s a question, what do you put first in the chain in your master bus. The corrective eq into can opener or can opener into the corrective eq?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

We’d go eq into canopener It’s also easy to stick a bass shelf in for writing in canopener if you want a bit more sub for the creative phase, then knock it off for mixing.

[@angelus1417]

@@ScanProAudioTV yeah I’m just gonna copy what you did in Pro Q3 and then the settings you shown for can opener. Just wasn’t sure of the order. Thanks for the help :)

[@angelus1417]

@@ScanProAudioTV how are you finding the translation of your mixes done on the LCD 1 with the eq correction and can opener applied , compared to the LCD X, mainly for dance or electronic music where the low end is key. You produce DnB right?

[@misterringer]

How would you compare the LCD-1 to the Penrose? Trying to deicide if I want an all-rounder like the Penrose or if the LCD-1 is worth the price difference sound-wise. Also, does the Penrose come with the 3.5 mm trrs cable? Thanks!

[@ScanProAudioTV]

Yes Penrose comes with the cable. LCD-1 does have more detail, but you do really need to run reveal with it to get the tonal balance spot on. The Penrose does an awful lot for the money it’s incredibly well balanced totally, but does obviously need to be kept charged, it won’t work at all if the battery is dead.

[@misterringer]

@@ScanProAudioTV Thanks!

[@jadonharper1493]

22:38 *raises hand*

[@tapuwaprince]

If you were to use canopener for crossfeed, sonarworks for frequency response correction, and realphones for room modelling. In what order would you place the plugins on the master buss for the best result?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

If you were using realphones for room modelling it will do both crossfeed and frequency correction on its own. The downside of the room modelling is that is loses the transients that you can hear with planar and other high end headphones. If you found that Sonarworks (or most likely morphit) had the best model, then use that first, then any crossfeed or room modelling plugin.

[@mmancini]

@@ScanProAudioTV Are you considering Sennheiser HD650 as "high end" headphones? I like the Canopener/Morphit combo but RealPhones looks quite good. What do you recommend for HD650's?

[@ScanProAudioTV]

@@mmancini The 650 is now end of life :-( . The 600 was always a bit more linear and the 660 is more smiley face curve than the 650 was.

[@mmancini]

@@ScanProAudioTV Thanks for the reply. I just ordered the Mass Drop Sennheiser HD6XX. Are you going to do a review on Acustica Sienna?

[@producertv8964]

And what’s the best headphones now for mixing? I’ve tried the HEDDPhones with Can Opener Plugins but I can’t really mix on them like on my Genelec 8050 Speakers

[@ScanProAudioTV]

The latest revision LCD-X or Focal Clear Pro MG are both good bets for that high end speaker like balance, without going super analytical like the heddphone.

[@producertv8964]

@@ScanProAudioTV I've tried the Focal Clear MG Pro's. They're a bit dark in the treble but the bass response and mid range are very good! Now I'm testing the Audeze LCD-X 2021 Version. I like the overall sound a lot BUT! I can really hear more Details and what's going on in the Music on my old Genelec 8050's Speakers! And this is strange.. I thought it should be the exact opposite? To me no Headphone I've tried sounds like my Speakers. Maybe I've got to try not only Can Opener but togheter with an Room Sim Plugin..? It would be nice if you can review also the new Focal Clear MG Pro

[@ScanProAudioTV]

@@producertv8964 Yes, full review and eq guide for both the 2021 LCD-X and clear pro mg coming up. We’ve just taken delivery of a new GRAS analysis system and it’s really good, a vast improvement in accuracy, so that’s what the videos were waiting on. LCD-XC 2021 is also really good, that’s coming up as well, almost prefer it to the LCD-X after EQ.

[@producertv8964]

@@ScanProAudioTV that’s great news! Thanks for your quick response! 😃 I hope those videos come soon because I’ve got only around 30 days for testing my Audeze LCD-X before I’ve to send them back or make a final decision for purchasing

[@ainnelrosirrosias3338]

​​@@producertv8964hich one did u end up with ? Cheers

[@devizl]

plz bro could u review the avantone planar red u should hear them thnx in previous

[@ScanProAudioTV]

Didn’t like them, felt muddy, unbalanced and a distinct lack of transient detail, never heard a planar sound anything like it.

[@oinkooink]

My mixes routinely suck. I don't think anything will help.

[@focuspixvideoaudioservices68]

Hmm,,, I'm wondering why one would try to replicate a flawed environment such as cross-feed from drivers in a room!? I guess its to replicate time, air and space etc but even so...surprised there isn't a more sophisticated method for simulating air and time... Love to know professor....

[@rokgulic3095]

you missed OLLO Audio,... :)

[@thomasfokas]

Are the HD650 headphones worth the extra $100 over the HD600 headphones?

[@teeaymusik9811]

No! The Hd600 is one of the best headphones and super neutral

[@ChrisBessy]

@@teeaymusik9811 for me the 2 problems with hd600 .... you can hear good the bassline under 70Hz .... and you hear very good the details after 8kHz. For the rest, the hd600 for me is the more neutral I have hear in my life.

[@petermalin1998]

I own both the HD 600 and HD 650. I recently bought the HD 400 Pro and it is definitely better for mixing than the HD 600 and HD 650. It is more neutral, has better soundstage and better detail. Surprisingly, it is also cheaper.

[@90kguy]

How can audio be so bad while using sm7b mic on "pro audio" channel. Taking any mixing advices here could go very wrong... please, take care for Your listeners and make sound better.

[@davidguerrero1636]

I have the HEDD headphones, they're pretty useless. MM-500 FTW

[@RodizellMusicalOne]

You guys are forgetting about good ole Neumann NDH20’s

[@ognyankoynashki]

He had them on the wall but never spoke about them :D

[@milosevicbojan07]

Ovaj lik je Srbin,to je sin DragAn

[@kdakan]

If you're going to use headphones for extended periods, you will have health issues with your ears. Both outside your ears, like bruises, and inside your ears. I know because I've done that. So don't do it. I'm sure this guy doesn't do that either, although he seems over enthusiastic about mixing with headphones. He will use the headphones with the correction plugins only to check the results of his mixing using monitors.

[@kanedmx]

More sugar($) more sweetness ;)

[@mastersbyiggy]

First!

[@ScanProAudioTV]

Cheers Tom, Hope you are well :-)

[@AleksanderCalkowski]

Great video but the sound sucks 🙂

[@sigmundklaus]

this is so misleading on so many levels - nothing more than an infomercial

[@teeaymusik9811]

Not rlly.. The plugins are good and also the shown headphones.

[@kdakan]

Exactly, he doesn't mix using these products, with the headphones, he only checks the results of his mixing using monitors. Extended use of headphones damage your ears.

[@elielsolis]

You say it’s misleading but give no clear argument. I see it as very logical. Most people listen to music on headphone this days, it makes sense.

[@va941]

Please give me number one reason for your statement. Otherwise youre just opening and clousing your mouth, making yapping noises.😂

[@stevetech5150]

what does the statement, "meant to be heard" even mean? that is part of the problem. hearing (perception) is 100% subjective. i get such a kick out of listening to "audiophiles" making these statements. however, i have noticed that any live performance i have heard is the most dynamic, bass heavy, treble heavy, mid heavy experience i could have. yet these alleged audiophiles swear that the intended "way to be heard" is the flattest frequency curve possible. fact: no truth telling human on earth would choose a flat frequency response over a nice reproduction of any recording with an emphasis on both the upper and lower frequencies heard by the human population. True Audiophiles are Unicorns. They don't exist. They just think they hear something the other 8 billion humans on Earth don't hear. News flash. They don't. They just have bigger ego's and are able to convince others that they are superior, when they are not. Some people love low frequencies. Some love the uppers or mids. No one is right or wrong. But at least they found a way to make money.

[@stupidusername38]

Will Scan be selling the slate VSX 2.0 headphones noting that a competitor has claimed exclusivity here in the UK?