Why I Advise Mixing & Mastering On More Than One Set Of Headphones

Why Mixing On 1 Pair Of Headphones Doesn't Really Translate To Speakers (inc My Personal Choices)
My name is Paul Third and I am a Scottish youtuber / audio engineer / mixing engineer / audio geek. I mostly cover audio engineering related content ranging from audio plugin shootouts / plugin comparisons (acustica audio plugins, universal audio etc etc) to actual analog vs digital / gear vs plugins plugin tests via access analog and mix analog. I even include ddmf plugindoctor tutorials in my plugin reviews so you can be your very own plugin tester and experiment and understand whats actually going on under the hood.
All of my content is produced in Presonus studio one 6 which is my main daw and in terms of my audio interface I record and monitor through a universal audio apollo x6 through topping dx7 pro+ dac/amp and use a JZ V12 for all of my voice overs.
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[@PaulThird]

buymeacoffee.com/paulthird (if you got any benefit from my video, helps a lot to keep the channel away from sponsored content & reviews) For anybody looking for more information on all things mixing on headphones check out my playlist kzbin.info/aero/PLmcBOB8VmXMJWLjteAkum3HBZWpwh5hY4&si=2EgPLWntrSzjUxlR

[@UncleBenjs]

Studios looking dope in the background. Love the lamps

[@PaulThird]

Yeah I'm happy with the finished end result, it's just getting the right angle of the camera now

[@UncleBenjs]

​@@PaulThirdGreat video. Really good points made so far, nearing the end of it. I'm another that will vouch for vsx also, but I do have some PDP MUM 6's on the way also, even so I'll still very much be using VSX as its too good

[@PaulThird]

Sounds like a very good investment from what Ed has told me

[@WyattBrown377]

Those lamps need more lava

[@Stormsurf001]

Thanks Paul - I dug a little more and yes, the MM-500 is effectively a rebranded/updated LCD- or a slightly degraded LCD-5..

[@PaulThird]

Yup. Just all clever branding, and it worked

[@somedood6621]

I have the audient id44... i feel like a separate headphone amp would help. what headphone amp/dac would you recommend?

[@PaulThird]

Topping l30ii if you just want to upgrade the amp

[@EdwinDekker71]

I've had pretty good results with Beyer dt 700 pro x and Akg k 712 pro using Canopener and Morphit. I was using yamaha HS8 monitors in a decent room but had to move and now it's just not possible to mix on speakers. Now I think I'm starting to prefer headphones actually. Thanks for the vid, atb

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@JalalYouCrazy]

Paul, great vid! Quick question as I’m a little confused. When using Realphones to emulate different studio environments should I use the Harman curve? Or is it recommended only for when mixing without studio emulation enabled. Also, do you recommend using the Harman curve in addition to the Headphone EQ calibration that dSONIQ provide with the software. To clarify, I have the Hifiman Sundara headphone profile on my Realphones account but I don’t know if I should enable or disable this when using the Harman curve. Thanks, your channel has helped so much.

[@PaulThird]

When not using room sims.. Harman When using room sims.. Realphones calibration The handy thing now with realphones v2 is that you can now put auto eq harman settings manualy into realphones and save it as a snapshot so you can easily switch from realphones studio environments with their sundara calibration and sundara with harman without room sim

[@JalalYouCrazy]

@@PaulThird Yeah it’s super convenient. Thanks a lot.

[@JalalYouCrazy]

@@PaulThird Okay, so another question lol… I know on your podcast episode with Emrah you guys said that Realphones has crossfeed and I’m assuming that is just the angle and HRTF control in the Realphones software. Should I just be using the “Headphone Targets - Balanced” preset for my Harman snapshot as you have to start with some sort of preset I believe. Sorry, I just want to get this perfect and I’m so close lol (I’m using the custom AutoEQ Harman curve for this snapshot like you said). Thanks again.

[@PaulThird]

Just trust it. Put in the auto eq harman setting and use that without all the room correction. Don't add in anything else. Just see realphones as a place to switch harman eq's. When using room corrections don't use the Harman eq as the room sims are made to work with measurements/correction eq based on an anachoic chamber NOT harman which is speakers in a treated room. I don't know if you can use just the crossfeed on its own with the harman eq. I don't know tbh. That's why me and emrah use canopener. Seperates the process. Realphones is difficult cause it really made to be a complete one stop shop. I would never reccomend playing about with advanced settings unless you have speakers in a well treated room in front of you and that's what you want to replicate in headphones I don't touch it. I just stick the ollos through it, use their own calibration eq and away I go

[@JalalYouCrazy]

@@PaulThird Will do. 🫡

[@Right_in2]

What do you think of the DT1990 Pro? What other headphones do you think would accompany them well? Sandaras? or get a topping headphone amp first. Thanks, love your videos!

[@PaulThird]

Not a fan of beyers at all being honest. I dont advise them

[@sebastianhanzlik4644]

Great video. Thanks. Wonder how rme adi-2 crossfeed compares to can opener?

[@PaulThird]

Emrah told me its very good but I think he still uses can opener.. I think

[@vincecrow4512]

I don’t need multiple pairs of headphones because of the headphone correction system I’ve come up with. If you would give it a try, you would see for yourself 😉. I saw a famous mastering engineer say one time that all mixing on different speakers or headphones does is confuse you. Get one headphone system that shows you everything, and learn it super well.

[@PaulThird]

Doesn't exist. Still to hear a headphone that has the super clean low end & ultra fast decay of ananda nano with the expansive soundstage of HE1000SE, and also sounds ultra realistic with realphones, AND work amazing for atmos AND sony 360 You can't do any of that with headphone correction

[@unclemick-synths]

Which famous mastering engineer and what system do they use?

[@vincecrow4512]

@@unclemick-synths it was either Bob Katz or Bob Ludwig. I get them mixed up all the time haha. 2 Bobs that both are famous for mastering. I don’t know what set up he was using, I just remember hearing that quote in an interview one time.

[@unclemick-synths]

@@vincecrow4512 sounds like Katz. I did his whole calibration thing years ago and learnt a lot from it. He was even kind enough to verify the loudness of a WAV file I sent him while I was setting up. These days I have a different philosophy - cube speakers first to nail the mids and then full-range, and I also vary the monitoring level.

[@thapixelduveet1860]

Have you tried the Neuman ndh 30's? I have them and to me they sound very balanced. They are supposedly factory tuned to the harman curve by default. I tried sonarworks on them but for me it was best without. What are your thoughts on this?🙃

[@PaulThird]

Nah check auto eq and you'll see how much NDH 30 is off. You still need 6 or 7 bands of eq to get them to harman

[@bornunderaredshroud]

Show us a mix done on these headphones man

[@PaulThird]

Go on the most recent episode of the working audio tools. Me and Ed did a mix comparison just last Saturday

[@SynthStreet]

Dear Paul, i am getting the Hifiman Nano headphones, but I’m a bit confused about the amp. I currently have the Motu M2 but just ordered the Topping L30 II after watching your videos. But i heard Ed recommend the Topping A30 pro. Do you think it might be better to go with the A30 Pro instead? Thanks for your insights!

[@PaulThird]

L30ii is one of the best measuring headphone amps on the market. Only difference with a30 pro & l30ii is that l30ii is unbalanced and a30 is balanced but doesn't matter as l30ii still measures better if I recall

[@SynthStreet]

@@PaulThird Wow, thanks a ton for the super fast reply!!! It really cleared things up for me, i can unbox my L30 II now. Your the best Paul! ♥👏

[@RayFerretti]

Zakk Cervini uses Sennheiser HD600 and Apple Earbuds and far as I know does not use any correction software.

[@PaulThird]

Probably cause the HD600 are pretty close to harman bar the lows. Some believe they don't need to eq the HD650

[@huberttorzewski]

Zakk mixes are great but overcompressed. Balance-wise the guy is really great, love his work. He checks his mixes on Barefoots and in his car also from what I know

[@QFXmusic]

Great info :) How do you get the Atmos simulation on the Ollo ? Which program very interested to try that setup

[@PaulThird]

Acustica sienna sphere. Has system wide as well

[@Stormsurf001]

Paul - have you tried the Audeze MM-500? There's a lot of hype that these are the new standard for headphone mixing. Would love your opinion.

[@PaulThird]

No but from those that I know who have the opinion is that it's all hype. Just basically LCD-X with a different tuning that would be wiped out by harman anyway. Actually somebody commented that the soundstage was purposely narrowed which really wouldn't work for me

[@romanx3267]

can you post the eq curves for the ananda nanos?

[@PaulThird]

Available for patreon members

[@romanx3267]

@@PaulThird aaa thanks didnt know that

[@CamariMusic]

Thanks for the video. Slate VSX and you’re good. I’ve heard things I’ve never heard before on VSX as well. On several occasions I’ve reached to take off the speakers which WERE NOT ON.

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@danceswith7wolves]

Lol, I've thought my speakers were on by mistake a few times

[@psybursonic]

I love VSX, it’s amazing for getting the frequency balance right. Especially low end, But my monitors are way better for the dynamics. Really VSX in combination with a well treated room and good speakers is the ticket imo. I wouldn’t want to be without both.

[@CamariMusic]

@@psybursonic you're gonna be surprised soon...

[@psybursonic]

@@CamariMusic ooo, I hope so. If they made a higher end VSX headphone option I’d buy it… but I’d probably still work mostly on my focal monitors, as I’d just prefer working on speakers most of the time.

[@eazyhiro9689]

Are you still a fan of the Ananda Nano? I love my Sundara! Would love an upgrade them but atm a bit unsure after reading Amir‘s review. Would appreciate your input. And thanks for all the great content here.

[@PaulThird]

Don't trust any of Amir's reviews when it comes to egg shaped cups. Every hifiman he measures with egg shaped cups results in too much distortion cause he can't get a good enough fit on his dummy head I've had the nanos down at MSM's (who has mostly every headphone under the sun) who rated them and Ed found them superior to his Audeze closed backs, so much so that's he's managed to get Hifiman to send him a pair so he can judge low end better.

[@eazyhiro9689]

I just got mine. Soooo good! Just one little question: which harman curve do you use? Same as Armin's?

[@PaulThird]

Auto EQ has one

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

An interesting thing about using auto eq to tune to harman. I noticed that every eq i used sounded slightly different. This is due to the Q values being different on every eq, even with the same settings. I couldnt get any to null with each other. The difference was tiny though.

[@PaulThird]

Proq3 is the biggest culprit. The rest I don't really think it matters. Depends what eq you use

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

@@PaulThird Ya, it's barely noticeable to be honest. It's just a bit odd that there isn't a recognised standard for Q size. With digital parametrics anyway.

[@joechapman8208]

For peace of mind I just used the AutoEQ curve for Equalizer APO, and then i put that into EqualizerAPO set to run as a startup app and routed it to Voicemeeter Banana. That keeps the correction separated from my DAW's path to the audio interface, so as long as I'm on the headphones I can safely bounce audio without the correction affecting it. Only when I go to monitors do I have to turn off the headphone correction.

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

@@joechapman8208 I've considered doing something like this alright. Might just give it a try. I wonder if they will make an actual plugin version of that at some stage? Auto EQ developers should add an EQ plugin or two to it. Something like nova EQ or similar as it's free.

[@joechapman8208]

@@bugeyedmudafuka2 Maybe, but if they did it would have to be an app rather than a plugin, I think. I'm not sure if they could justify the development costs with the potential sales on the other side of that project.

[@WillyJunior]

I can NOT get transients right in headphones and it drives me insane. Luckily I have monitors too but man, I always make things too aggressive and punchy in headphones.

[@PaulThird]

I'm guessing that you don't have headphones with a fast decay time? Honestly, if you listened on ananda nano you'd hear every transient detail. Can kinda drive you nuts a little bit having that much detail but that's why I like to have the HE1000SE as they are so relaxed. If you have both worlds you should find a really nice balance

[@WillyJunior]

@@PaulThird I've tried all kinds of headphones. The decay time thing is based on very sketchy science.

[@PaulThird]

Not any science involved with me there, it's purely just what I hear. I took the nanos to MSM's (who's got like 10 or 12 various pairs of headphones) and Ed's studio and they were both impressed. Ed so much that he's asked me to set him up with hifiman so he can get the nanos. The nanos are just so incredibly fast and punchy. Ed liked them so much that in his words "these piss all over my audeze closed backs" If you want aggressive and punchy on headphones.. Hifiman Ananda nano. Then you'll know what I'm talking about

[@maxterwel]

Hi paul, what do you think of using IEMs, some have perfect harman curve others have up to 16 drivers including planar ? Also, do you think low impeadance IEMs or headphones can still benefit from a DAC ?

[@PaulThird]

I'll let you know when theaudio oracle mk3 come. As of just now I've got 2 harman IEM and I couldn't trust either on a full mix. Good for premixing but lack soundstage of over ear

[@maxterwel]

@@PaulThird do you think some cheaper ones are worth buying as a reference in addition to open backs since they lack sub extension and detail of iems ?

[@PaulThird]

Who told you that IEM have more detail and sub w extension over open back?

[@maxterwel]

@@PaulThird Frequency response graphs and personal experience but i never tried anything above 400 euros or any planar headphones (tried planar iems tho)

[@PaulThird]

You've definitely not tried the right headphones. When you get into realms of sundara, ananda nano, ldc-x, verum etc you'll know what you are missing. Just cause a headphone shows stock with less bass doesn't mean that it can't be eq'd to have the same low end. As long as the headphone has clean low end with minimal THD you'll be able to get arguably better bass response. If you hear the ananda nanos for example, no IEM will compete with that low end, audeze can't even get that detailed low end. Graphs only tell a portion of what we actually hear. Once you get into the higher end planars you'll be amazed. Tbf even sundara has awesome bass. It's a planar thing.

[@DeadBird-wp9of]

Pretty true: Transients usually can't be identified with Beyerdynamics headphones (I use KH 310 Monitors).

[@PaulThird]

Tbh its the same on sennheisers and most dynamic headphones. If you want transients, planars are the path

[@saricubra2867]

@@PaulThird The DT 770 Pros ruined me, i love how they sound and they are so cheap. The problem with planars is bass issues and bad sensitivity, just like electrostatic speakers.

[@PaulThird]

Planars are actually more accurate for judging bass on headphones. Beyers are overly distorted and don't take eq well. I can't trust anything on them tbh. I just had to advise a mentoring client to ditch his dt990 proX cause his mixes sounded great on them, but translated to nothing else. Had to remove 10db of low end to get it to an average hip hop target. All because he couldn't hear the bass properly on them. And there is no such thing as bad sensitivity. Just low and high. Headphones with lower sensitivity will need more gain in order to drive to the specified output level. Headphones with higher sensitivity need less gain. That's why I always advise investing in a good clean near zero impedance headphone amp. That way you can use anything

[@saricubra2867]

"KH 310 Monitors" Because they are 3-way. After hearing music on the DT770 Pros i came to the conclusion that 2-way speakers aren't that good, either on Dynaudio, Mackies, Adam's...

[@saricubra2867]

@@PaulThird dt990 proX sounds worse than the original dt990, they changed the drivers, that's why. And the dt 770 pros's bass sounds crystal clear, so much that using a clean EQ only boost transient attack and is an issue for mixes. The pro X versions are just bad in general, they are overall worse than the models that they were designed to replace.

[@Sandvinch]

So would you still recommend we add canopener on budget headphones like the Sony MDR-MV1 for soundstage? Or just leave it without it and just eq them to harman?

[@PaulThird]

Canopener on every headphone. No headphone has built in crossfeed. Regardless of the soundstage you still need to bleed left into right and right into left for accurate speaker translation. Canopeners algorithm does it the best to my ears

[@Sandvinch]

@@PaulThird Okay, and out of every budget headphone that you recommended for soundstage. Which one would you highly recommend out of all the budget headphones you mentioned regarding soundstage?

[@PaulThird]

I can't say, I've not listened to enough headphones. You need to really experiment and demo as many budget headphones as possible. Sony's have awesome soundstage that's really but sundaras have a narrower but more "realistic" soundstage. You need to hear it for yourself and see what's good soundstage to you

[@emexldj]

Hi Paul. I've been using Hifiman Sundera, Toneboosters Morphit and Canopener for a couple of years so when I stumbled on your videos recommending the headphones and software I was pleased. Can you advise if I should be ditching morphit for a diffferent EQ curve or an I ok sticking with Morphit?

[@PaulThird]

How close is morphit to harman?

[@emexldj]

@@PaulThird Yes

[@emexldj]

@@PaulThird Sorry I'm not sure how I would measure that?

[@sparella]

​@@emexldjIs Harman your target curve in Morphit?

[@PaulThird]

Use auto eq to get your harman eq moves, put it into your eq (bar proq3 as the Q needs to be recalculated) Use plugin doctor or bertom curve analyser to compare the curves of both

[@mixphantom0101]

Not a criticism, but it seems like a bit of a kerfuffle to try and crowbar your headphones into sounding like speakers 😉. Every step of the way introduces more variables and potential failure points, and the end result is only a "best guess" no matter how you measure. I understand the motive as I actually own half these plugins and have tried most - but if the software is unable to make my NDH30s sound the same as HD650s the logical conclusion is that the entire process is not accurate and therefore potentially causing more harm than good. If you have a pair of ATH30s and listen to all music, films etc. with them without correction your brain has been trained enough to know how music sounds to you. "Correcting" with EQ may be initially satisfying but since your brain will adapt to the new sound you haven't actually changed anything. Mix translation is at it's core... an average... only the most "averaged" mix will translate from laptops to audiophile - and these days, even the cheapest headphones are capable of reproducing the entire frequency range well enough to be considered average. By average I'm not inferring mediocre but more like the mathematical "median".

[@PaulThird]

That's why i tune my main headphones to Harman so I'm not being distracted by their individual hifi curves. Tuning to harman gives me a close (not exact) representation to speakers timbre wise, and both bring tuned to it allows me to hear the actual specific character of the headphones ie wide detailed soundstage or fast decayed detailed slam. Gives me a consistency that allows me to easily go between the HE1000SE and ananda nano without being confused by the stark contrast of their tonality which would definitely impact my mixing decisions. And because to my ears harman translates really well to my speakers it allows me to use sonarworks on the kali and presonus to get those 2 in the same-ish ball park for consistency. At the end of the day, if I can get through say 3 pairs of headphones and 2 speakers and the mix sounds consistent in all of them then that's telling me that I'm using the right setup. That's why at the end of the mix I'm finding that any mix I do these days will sound great on any headphone hifi curve cause at the end of the day they are all trying to get mixes predominantly done on speakers to sound "more pleasing" in their own way. So to mix on headphones you are essentially looking for very good speaker translation. That how I see it anyway. I don't double think my setup now. I just go through the same setup and at the end of my mix it's normally hitting the izotope balance curve for that genre (not that I'm specifically trying) and my mix makes sense on multiple setups which is all I want really. It's just forcing myself to go through that whole setup and stop being lazy, cause when I do that I nearly always need to go back and make tweaks the next day I can hear my older mixes and tell which ones I half arsed the translation checks on

[@mixphantom0101]

@@PaulThird I totally get it... I hadn't finished the acoustic treatments in my room with old panels just stacked up against the wall and made the mistake of measuring my room in that state - the result I got was so good that I don't want to change anything for fear of screwing it up! Everything currently in the room is influencing the sound... so that's the end of it! Permanent mess but +/- 3dB before room correction ;-) Consistency is everything so once you have a system that works for you the extra mile is worth it. I'm surprised that you and Ed haven't remixed some of your old tracks - great way to hear your progress!

[@PaulThird]

Remixing the client album has been really beneficial for me. If I've got the older podcast sessions the plan is to remix a few that I think would work well for the portfolio

[@sagarchawla8145]

Hey Paul, I have recently bought the DT1990 and use them with analytical pads paired with the FiiO k7 dac amp, that samples upto 384khz @32 bit depth. I use Sonarworks for eq correction + my own lil tweaks to taste with virtual monitoring at times (their can opening options). I have been getting phenomenal results with this setup. The details are so distinct that I was sitting in front of my desk for about 6-8 hours on a stretch cuz generally I take a break every 2 hours when I produce or mix (especially). My question to you is, do I really need the upgrade to a high end planar magnetic or this will do me good. Cuz I already have a mix that is translating almost 85-90% to where I want it to go. Some thoughts ?

[@PaulThird]

Do you want 85-90 or 100%?

[@sagarchawla8145]

@@PaulThird of course the full Monty, just that to go another 1200 bucks is kinda not in the books right now for me. So I was thinking of learning my setup rn a bit more. And if I still need that last 10-15% I shall save up and invest. Thoughts on audeze lcd x if we are talking planars?

[@PaulThird]

Hifiman sundara if you are on a budget. I prefer them to Audeze anyway

[@sagarchawla8145]

@@PaulThird please specify why do you prefer hifiman over audeze? I’m scared of hifiman as I have their basic he400se but 1 side gave up on me. I rarely used them about 6-7 times for 2 hour sessions at max. There QC isn’t upto the mark.

[@PaulThird]

I use hifiman daily. I prefer sundaras soundstage

[@PatFleck]

Have you tried OLLO's?

[@PaulThird]

Did you watch the video?

[@PatFleck]

@@PaulThird I'm up to 22:29

[@PaulThird]

Cool so you've seen the ollo S5X part

[@PatFleck]

@@PaulThird When I said 22:29 I meant 11:29. DOH! I had to go out somewhere. Found it now, what an eejit... :)

[@WorkingAudioTools]

🤓🤓🤓

[@PaulThird]

Remember to check out my audio podcast with Ed Thorne 🤓

[@huberttorzewski]

I feel sorry for anyone that needs to mix on the headphones exclusively. It's really painful and difficult to make it as good as the speaker mix because generally headphones have a much wider sweet spot for a proper eq and level setting. What starts to sound worse on speakers sound still good on headphones and when it's already sounding bad on speakers you can hear it on your headphones as well (I mean high quality monitors vs 500$ headphones). On the cheap monitors it's the other way around sometimes so it all depends on your studio setup. Very difficult topic. I don't recommend mixing on headphones if you want to maintain good hearing for a lot of years also. It's not that good for your hearing

[@PaulThird]

It sounds like to me that you've just not got a very good headphone setup tbh. What are you describing are the classic signs of a poor headphone setup. Plus the whole "you'll hurt your ears" thing is complete BS. I've been mixing on headphones for over a decade and I just had a hearing test 2 months ago. Perfect hearing. All relative to how loud you listen and how long for

[@huberttorzewski]

@@PaulThird had Neumann NDH30s(didn't find them helpful, too wide sweet spot) , DT880 Pros (my favourites for sibilance and mouth clicks check cause they have 8dB boost in the highs), DT770 Pros (I hated them), Audio-Technica M50X (they're good for tracking, just not for mixing), some Shures 200$ish, VicFirth SIH1 (drummer headphones - actually they were one of the most honest headphones in the upper bass for checking that)

[@huberttorzewski]

all connected directly to Apollo8p headphone output

[@PaulThird]

So you've not tried any high end planars? not eq'd your headphones nor used a crossfeed algorithm? And using a sub par headphone amp? If all that's true then I would say you haven't really properly gave mixing on headphones a proper crack

[@IntheDAW]

I find dynamic driver headphones are the ones that really have a hard time with eq and dynamics. Hifiman and other planar magnetic headphones actually are very responsive to eq and dynamic processing

[@ayoubmisbah2190]

You mean realphones dosent work with hifiman headphones??

[@PaulThird]

It works but just not as well as the ollos do as they are purposely built with that purpose in mind. I used sundaras with realphones for a long time but ollos are just a different gravy in my opinion

[@ayoubmisbah2190]

But whene i ask realphones about end game headphones to use with realphones are teling me about audeze lcd x and u think the hifiman ananda nano and he 1000 se better than this shoud be better than ollo ​@@PaulThird

[@PaulThird]

@@ayoubmisbah2190 most likely what headphones they reccomend for mixing in general. They haven't done measurements for my current hifimans so they haven't tried every headphone. Whereas Ollo S5X is built a very specific way. Sounds a little odd on its own as the side image almost feels disjointed and unnaturally wide but when put through realphones or room sims, makes absolute sense and is almost like proof to me that they are genuinely tailor made for that purpose Audezes and hifimans aren't tailor made for realphones or room simulations. With every headphone there is a difference in soundstage, transient response, tonality etc etc so they essentially should require their own algorithm to get absolute realism. Realphones, sienna, NX, dear vr, is a fixed algorithm unless you go about playing in the advanced section which I don't advise. You get a pair of headphones that best suit the medium and i believe for me that's the ollos. Realphones don't change the algorithm per headphone, it's just the eq that's changed. Not saying you can't use other headphones that realphones have measured, all I can tell you is that the ollos do the "speaker in a room" thing the most natural and realistic to my ears compared to other headphones I own

[@sparella]

​@@ayoubmisbah2190Ollo S5X is rather new to the market and a smaller company compared to the others. They don't have the exposure yet. My favorite thing about Ollos (S4R in my case) is that they are user repairable and replacement parts are available, so my investment will be usable for a long long time.

[@ayoubmisbah2190]

@@PaulThird so can i work professionale with sundara and topping dx3 pro plus with realphones

[@triplebeam23]

How do you mix the low end ? All of the open back headphones I've tried when mixing 808s or deep bass.. they sound like shit .. so I'm curious on what you do?

[@PaulThird]

What headphones have you tried?

[@triplebeam23]

I have a pair of sennheizer HD 650 which i plan on selling. right now im using audio technica M50 which i also hate lol .. so ive just been using my kali audio 8s paired with their 12 subwoofer..im kinda stuck to what sweetwater has to offer because i suck at saving and just use their payment plans .. i dunno if you ever go on sweetwater but if you do what would you recommend on there? ​@PaulThird

[@MikeOshkanov]

You just need to boost like 10db of low frequencies to properly hear the low end. And it really works

[@PaulThird]

Planars all day long for low end. You need headphones that can handle the heavy bass boost required to get them to harman. Once you eq them to harman you'll notice you don't have any added distortion, you need clean low end so sweetwater wise I would say audezes and ensure you have a very clean headphone amp or a DAC amp like RME ADI 2 pro FS as you need an amp that can drive the planars efficiently and cleanly to really get the most out of the low end response. If you mix too quiet you will always struggle with low end on headphones

[@saricubra2867]

@@triplebeam23 The DT770 Pros are better headphones than both. The M50s disappointed me, they sound kinda boxy.

[@thisscottishaspie5961]

🤓🤓🤓

[@PaulThird]

Remember to check out my autism channel if you want to learn more about my life 🤓🤓

[@dukeGed]

hello im thinking about Neumann NDH 30 vs HIFIMAN ANANDA Nano what would be your choice? my plan is tu use 3band eq on my babyface fs to eq them a little, thank you

[@PaulThird]

Put it this way, my buddy Ed Thorne has NDH and as soon as he heard my nano last week vs his audeze, sennheiser and NDH30 he automatically made me send an email on his behalf to my contact at hifiman. That's how much he was blown away by the detail of the center image (vocals, low end, transients). NDH don't slam, they are just.. Nice sounding. Nothing special to my ears but that's what I hear from most dynamic headphones. Planars are king BUT I would be eq'ing them properly to harman, you need more than 3 bands for the nano

[@dukeGed]

@@PaulThird Thank you for your response, i have never had Planars, so its interesting, 3 band is better than no bands :) or you suggest put some eq on the daw for example some specific eq on listen bus in studio one?

[@PaulThird]

Harman Eq on listen bus in daw. Equaliser APO eq for outside of daw Or you can use realphones (you can switch room simulation off) for both which is what I do

[@borisborisov500]

Ever since i got a transparent dac, amp and a set of arya stealth, tuned to harman, and canopener doing crossfeed, my music has never translated better. All thanks to listening to you in your old video and podcast episode covering this very topic. Thanks dude

[@PaulThird]

🤜🤛

[@bakerlefdaoui6801]

The undeniable factual truth from this video would be : You should grow a Mustache Paul !

[@PaulThird]

I just look homeless with a tache 😂

[@Herfinnur]

How come you always skip over Austrian Audio's offerings (I believe the open-back ones are called Hi-x65)? They're the only brand making headphones specifically for studio work yet I don't think you've ever even uttered the name of the company. Is it because you know some shady shit about them? Do they eat live babies or something? Because of they do, I don't think that should reflect on the merits of their microphones and headphones

[@PaulThird]

Heard them in LA and didn't like them. Didn't find them special or anything. I'm a planar guy so dynamics underwhelm me in comparison I was also using oc818 in my videos for a while till the tech packed up in the mic

[@lusid_music_uk]

Thank you for what you do Paul. It’s funny that I find myself already doing a very similar process. I “finish” the mix using only my HD650’s (eq’d to Harman) then I’ll break out the crappy mono bluetooth speaker, apple airpods, abbey road studio 3. Do some tweaks. When it sounds good on all of them then I consider the mix “finished”. So far I haven’t heard any translation issues anywhere. I think the crappy bluetooth speaker (JBL CLIP) is actually the most revealing part of the process for me. It’s quite unforgiving with any issues.

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@tomhuvenaars3580]

I bought the hifiman Ananda Nano because of your video and with the Harman curve and i have the topping professional e2x2 pfoo my mixes are better then ever and translates realy good thank you paul!!

[@PaulThird]

🤜🤛

[@tmutt9er1]

i know you probably did a video on it already but how do you feel about the sienna rooms from acustica??

[@PaulThird]

Dont like it for stereo

[@substance90]

My endgame headphones - Dan Clark E3 - ended up causing me even more financial damage because after hearing them I couldn’t stand producing and mixing on my Neumann kh120s 😅 so I had to spend quite a bit of money on new monitors too.

[@PaulThird]

MsM has the Dan Clark stealth and he highly rates them

[@jimi272]

If you spent that money on PDP MUM-8‘s it’s not much money „wasted“

[@Dystopian84]

@@jimi272 PSI speakers are by far the best in that price range and unlike PDP : no DSP nonsense

[@MusiclyricsByECDaleyC]

Great input, thank you Paul!

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@hoopscentral1828]

I mix atmos with apple airpods

[@PaulThird]

👍

[@MikeFromDownUnder]

Thanks for sharing this! 👍

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@Dtaylor6989]

I just purchased the Hifiman HE1000se, since they are the same price and the Audeze MM-500. I also purchased the Hifiman Ananda Nano. I like the idea behind you logic. I've heard from others about doing the same. I also already have Beyerdynamics DT770 Pros (250 ohms), Beyerdynamics DT990 Pros (250 ohms), KRK KNS-8400, and Sony MDR-7506s. I mostly use them for Tracking and Beat Production. What would you Headphone Amp or DAC do you recommend currently for the Hifiman headphones and the others. I see that Topping has the DX9, but not sure about it. I'm also looking at the RME ADI-2 PRO FS R Black Edition AD/DA Audio Converter. The goal is to using them for Mixing and Mastering only. Oh and as for an interface I have the Audient ID14 MKII, which I plan to upgrade soon. Thanks.

[@PaulThird]

Topping dx7 pro+. That's what I use. That'll sort out your headphones and speakers

[@Dtaylor6989]

@@PaulThird Do you know how well it works with Audient Nero? Thanks again.

[@PaulThird]

You don't need Nero with it. With dx7 pro+ I have 2 sets of monitors connected and I can connect 3 headphones at a time if I wish. You just switch inputs and outputs with the remote. It's even got super hi res Bluetooth so you can connect your entire system to your phone and play whatever you like out it

[@Dtaylor6989]

@@PaulThird Nice, I guess I can sell it and make some money back. I haven't been utilizing right for a while. So there's no need to let it collect dust. While I have you, what would be a decent upgrade from the Audient ID14 MKII. I just want to use it for mobile only. I need something that will stay on my desk. Thanks again for everything.

[@PaulThird]

If it's portable then topping e4x4, best headphone amp of any interface on the market. Only standalone DAC's and headphone amps will result in slightly better results but we're scraping the barrel being honest at the level of topping. Depends on how inputs you need, whether you need adat etc I use it for my podcast and recording videos cause I can take it anywhere and it's bus powered. Loop back. Good ADC. Steal for the money

[@danceswith7wolves]

I went and ordered the topping preamp

[@PaulThird]

Which one?

[@danceswith7wolves]

@PaulThird L30II got a good deal on it. Its unbalanced hopefully that won't degrade the audio too much

[@danceswith7wolves]

Currently paired with Beyer 990 pro 250ohm which my focusrite 2i2 Gen 1 headphone amp struggles powering. I've been eyeing the m-100s however the 990s are pretty good I might wait until the m-300s get released before I upgrade 🤭 any recommendations in the $500 range?

[@PaulThird]

L30ii measures better than balanced ones so there no issues. More power than anyone would need.

[@PaulThird]

Headphone wise it depends on what kind of character you are looking for. What kind of sound do you want out of them