Best Closed back Headphones for "Mastering" under $600

[isostasy]

Except it also isn't actually very well extended in the sub-bass, despite what the 'subwoofer in an IEM!' marketing says.

Man when are you going to stop? You get proved wrong in one thread making baseless claims about cable impedance then you move onto another. Of course the tech is portrayed through marketing speak but it doesn't mean what's actually going on is a lie. There's 2 dynamic drivers with crossover, leaving one to take care of sub 200Hz frequencies just like.... a subwoofer! You might not like the sound, and you might not like marketing (guess what, most of us dislike marketing), but that doesn't mean you're justified in using pseudo-objective arguments to prove that you're correct.

It does extend well in the sub-bass. Yes, it drops off between 2.5-5dB below the harman IE 2019 v2 target at 20Hz, depending on which channel you measure and where you're normalizing, but this doesn't mean it's not 'well extended'. Yes, it's not the best extended, but that doesn't mean it's not 'well extended' at all.

Suggesting the MH755 as an alternative isn't helpful either, as you can't reliably get a genuine copy any more. Besides, you're far more likely to notice the region it overshoots the harman target, ~100-500Hz, than the increase in sub-bass. There's also far more variance between copies: some of the ones crinacle measured way overshoot the bass and are going to sound overly warm.

n.b. in the original marketing video from crinacle himself, he explains the crossover is less about reproducing sounds down to 20Hz, as single dynamic drivers are perfectly capable of doing in IEMs already, and much more about the shape of the bass shelf: keeping the response flat down to ~200Hz and then starting the bass rise below that. So, again, please stop complaining that the 'subwoofer in an IEM' was ever about better reproducing sub-bass frequencies, because the marketing itself doesn't claim that.

 

[markanini]

you can't reliably get a genuine copy any more

The Sony SBH series IEM+BT receiver combos include genuine MH755. The tips are the best I've ever had. The BT receiver can be used with other IEM and some headphones, not great but perfectly serviceable. For the same price as the Truthear.

There's also far more variance between copies: some of the ones crinacle measured way overshoot the bass

We can't know how much sample variation Truthear has yet to say whether Sony is worse across the board. But overshooting the bass vs Harman is not a bad thing. Especially the in the area around 200Hz it addresses the shoutiness of Harman-IE.

 

[isostasy]

The Sony SBH series IEM+BT receiver combos include genuine MH755. The tips are the best I've ever had. The BT receiver can be used with other IEM and some headphones, not great but perfectly serviceable. For the same price as the Truthear.


We can't know how much sample variation Truthear has yet to say whether Sony is worse across the board. But overshooting the bass vs Harman is not a bad thing. Especially the in the area around 200Hz it addresses the shoutiness of Harman-IE.

True, this is how I got my MH755 but wasn't aware you could still get hold of them this way. Thanks for the reminder.

I was going by crinacle's measurements, this is the biggest difference I could find between two Zeros, and this between the MH755. My point wasn't about the subjective qualities of the bass, though I don't necessarily disagree with you regarding that 200Hz region (I've found I do quite like a bit of warmth there rather than having that Harman dip). I was specifically addressing the claim that the Truthear Zero is not well extended in the sub-bass, however, and that there's some marketing ploy to cover this up.

 

[jae]

K371 for cheap, alternatively DCA Aeon RT Closed or 2nd hand DCA Noire/Aeon 2 Closed. All should be EQ'd.

Alternatively get a $15 Moondrop Quarks DSP for in-ear monitoring.

 

[aspillane789]

Realistically speaking, mastering with a single headphone should be considered very dangerous. Quite frankly, I don't think you can confidently publish a commercial song without checking it on a speaker. Sometimes it's better to check things like noise with headphones, but judging the overall balance, transients and space can be especially difficult with them. When it comes to lows, even without very expensive speakers and a well-treated room, a small monitor will do a job for you if you have enough experience, but in that case headphones are a practical way to check the lows without spending $$$$. The low end of the Neumann NDH30 is very good.

Either way, I recommend using headphones along with speakers.

I completely agree. i just have no choice but to master on headphones atm . one day ill get the dream mastering control room. maybe lol

 

[Deleted member 60987]

Hey guys! surprise here. I ended up getting the Sennheiser hd 560s :0... Im not saying im keeping them, ofcourse i can return them. But with oratory eq its boring. And thats what i need! to my ears i hear ZERO coloration. Its very neutral. Need to spend more time with them however, and do a couple masters to see how i perform with them. only$200 so well i guess i potentially saved money.

I already miss the k371. But they were too euphoric imo for critical tweaking.

I have the 560s and 361, which are almost the same as 371. Maybe a little less bass. The 361s are more immersive. I think 560s may be more balanced and the 361s a little more V shaped for enjoyment. That said, are the 560s lacking in clarity a tad? Both very good. But mastering? I would probably go with the 371 because the 560s could make you master with a V shape to make it more immersive. And most people are already going to be listening to tracks on something with a V boost. You don't want it to be too extreme. That said, I never found glaring errors just mixing and mastering with MDR 7506. Now I have a ton of headphones to listen on but it only confuses me. I don't know which ones are accurately projecting hi hat volumes. I now have to use Rokit 5 Gen 4 to see what it sounds like over speakers. Plus I have some cheap Mackie and Presonus, but those will definitely boost that frequency at the cost of low end.

 

[Robbo99999]

I have the 560s and 361, which are almost the same as 371. Maybe a little less bass. The 361s are more immersive. I think 560s may be more balanced and the 361s a little more V shaped for enjoyment. That said, are the 560s lacking in clarity a tad? Both very good. But mastering? I would probably go with the 371 because the 560s could make you master with a V shape to make it more immersive. And most people are already going to be listening to tracks on something with a V boost. You don't want it to be too extreme. That said, I never found glaring errors just mixing and mastering with MDR 7506. Now I have a ton of headphones to listen on but it only confuses me. I don't know which ones are accurately projecting hi hat volumes. I now have to use Rokit 5 Gen 4 to see what it sounds like over speakers. Plus I have some cheap Mackie and Presonus, but those will definitely boost that frequency at the cost of low end.

Probably use speakers to guage any music you mix, as long as they've been measured anechoically and are anechoic flat or you can EQ them to anechoic flat. I'm not a music maker, but I'd probably use headphones with EQ to make sure the bass was containing the detail & definition I wanted - simply because it's way easier to get good defined bass in headphones than it is on a speaker system in a room, but I'd use speakers for the rest of it. And if I had to choose which headphones to use for the purpose I'd choose my EQ'd HD560s.

 

[Deleted member 60987]

Well that's an issue. I don't use computers to record. So do I look for a site that shows how to adjust 12 band graphic EQ for various headphones? I have a ton but could use them on 1 as an absolute flat headphone.

 

[Robbo99999]

Well that's an issue. I don't use computers to record. So do I look for a site that shows how to adjust 12 band graphic EQ for various headphones? I have a ton but could use them on 1 as an absolute flat headphone.

I dunno, if you're making music I'd probably go to the extra minimal effort of being able to apply parametric EQ to your various systems (including headphones).

 

[Deleted member 60987]

I do. I have standard treble boost and bass cut for drums and vocals. That isn't the same as mixing down the whole thing using a headphone that tells me the volume of each track with a very flat response.

 

[Robbo99999]

I do. I have standard treble boost and bass cut for drums and vocals. That isn't the same as mixing down the whole thing using a headphone that tells me the volume of each track with a very flat response.

It seems to me we're talking about different things.

 

[solderdude]

Best Closed back Headphones for "Mastering" under $600 .... *when EQ and speakers are not an option*​

Consider:
DT150 with EDT 100T pads (utalitarian and cheap)
OLLO S4R(1.3) (small pads, comfort leaves to be desired)
Austrian Audio Hi-X60
AKG K361 (low budget alternative)

All of the above are very seal dependent.

 

[Deleted member 60987]

Best Closed back Headphones for "Mastering" under $600 .... *when EQ and speakers are not an option*​

Consider:
DT150 with EDT 100T pads (utalitarian and cheap)
OLLO S4R(1.3) (small pads, comfort leaves to be desired)
Austrian Audio Hi-X60
AKG K361 (low budget alternative)

All of the above are very seal dependent.

The 361 have awesome bass. If they added a touch more brightness they might be my favorite.

 

[Deleted member 60987]

Hi, i would recommend the AKG 371: as close as possible to an almost perfect response curve. Distortion negligeable, and decent sound stage. There a few negative points,mainly the transmisse cable: so please read Amir's review. Nevertheless, It is a great closed monitoring phone for very little money. Regards

I got the 361s because I thought the 371s had a tad too much bass. That said they are probably both 9 to 9.5 out of 10. Really good headphones. For mixing or listening, though for listening I would add a touch more treble to the 361s to make them perfect for my taste. For the price you can't go wrong. Something that good at around $100 bills? Not too shabby.

 

[Deleted member 60987]

I like my modified Sony MDR 7506 though I've never tried to mixed with them. Here's a miniDSP EARs SBAF compesated measurements

RAW minidsp target curve:

Here's the SBAF compensated measurements for the modified Sony MDR 7506: 1% THD @ 104dB SPL, 20Hz

The 7506 were all I used to record and mix for years. They are very good because they won't throw you off much in any direction. With the possible exception of hi hats. I really don't know which of my headphones are giving me a reliable volume on them and I have over 10. They hit that 4-5hz gray zone where headphones are all over the map with peaks and dips. I think that is out of the range of most instruments so cans can sound very good with variety in 5-10khz, but for mixing it would be nice to know which ones are telling me the real mix.