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Upgrade Sennheiser HD 650s to Planars for mixing/mastering work?

bbizzle

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Hey all! Been a lurker in here forever. Had a question for all of you.

I only use headphones occasionally for mixing/mastering work when I'm on the road. I currently use Sennheiser HD 650s with sonarworks to correct the EQ. But I see myself using headphones more and more in the near future.

I've heard a lot about planar headphones but never actually listened to any music on them. I'm considering upgrading my headphones (sennheiser HD650 + sonarworks) to try to improve my ability to mix/master music. I have an RME Babyface FS interface, so I should be good to go for headphone amp. I was looking at some Audeze and Dan Clarke Audio headphones for this purpose. Anyone have any experience or suggestions? Improvements in the soundstage and lower distortion would be welcomed :)

Thanks in advance. Love this community :)
 
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I am partial to DCA hps. Was looking for good soundstage / placement and low distortion. I bought the Drop Aeon Closed X, and was very impressed with how they sounded on an ifi hpdac 2. I now have an RME ADI 2, ACX sounds great with a small 5db bass shelf.
My daughter liked the sound so much she asked for a pair for graduation, ACX wasn't available so I bought her an Aeon 2 Noire - another excellent headphone, pricier definitely, but better soundstage and on point Harmon tuning. She uses it with an Element 3 dac/amp. Love them both, to me nothing like snappy planar performance.
 

DVDdoug

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Most pros advise against mixing on headphones unless you're making a binaural or headphone mix.

But if you are going to use headphones the most important thing is to "learn your headphones". If you already know how to make a good mix on the Sennheiser's you have to re-learn on the Dan Clarke's.

And of course they should be comfortable for you.
 
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bbizzle

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Most pros advise against mixing on headphones unless you're making a binaural or headphone mix.

But if you are going to use headphones the most important thing is to "learn your headphones". If you already know how to make a good mix on the Sennheiser's you have to re-learn on the Dan Clarke's.

And of course they should be comfortable for you.
Do you think there is any sonic benefit going from the 650s to Dan Clarke or other headphones? Or is it more just personal preference? I plan to EQ for flatness as my studio monitors are currently treated and eq'd to be flat from 20 to 20K. Thanks
 

garbulky

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Do you think there is any sonic benefit going from the 650s to Dan Clarke or other headphones? Or is it more just personal preference? I plan to EQ for flatness as my studio monitors are currently treated and eq'd to be flat from 20 to 20K. Thanks
What monitors do you have?
 

markanini

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I've never used a planar or a headphone over €400 for that matter, but headphones that do the Harman bass shelf are a god send. When I suspect some element of a mix has too much sub bass I slap on my headphones and and a door opens to where I can hear exactly what's going and match to my mix to my reference tracks. It was a lot more trial and error before when I only had open back headphones on hand. Open back headphones sure can sound great for enjoyment but at least to me they don't give much utility.
 

SMAC88

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I have a pair of Sennheiser HD600 and HiFi-Man Sundara (Planar). From my experience with the Sundara you get a nicer representation of the bass and the transients, the soundstage is more open. In the Sennheiser everything seems compacted and messy, it's more difficult to spot resonances. But with the Sundara you will get tired sooner, they are not so good for long sessions.
I use the Senn as reference too, I didn't dismiss them, they are amazing on what they do.

As a side note: I used to have Sound ID before but then I switched to Sienna (Acustica Audio), really happy with the results. Sound ID sounds much more "phasey".

Lot of people praise the Audeze LCD-X but didn't pull the trigger yet.
 

Hipper

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I get the impression planar, and electrostats, are a bit of an acquired taste, therefore you should trial any headphones before committing to them. As mentioned, comfort is also a big factor. Mind you if you find head crushers like the 650 (my experience) fine you can wear anything. I now use the much more comfortable, looser, HD800. It has bigger ear pieces that cover even my big ears. Of course it has a bigger price too!
 

bequietjk

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I always felt like my HD600 translated pretty well to my car stereo. But it was always the bass I would have to go back and mix in.

I've not yet listened to the HD650 and wonder if it would be the choice pick for this scenario. Though, it's hard to beat actual monitor speakers for mixing. However, I will say that I once used DT770s for mixing and got really picky and refunded them, only to want them years later (now). My suggestion would be to try the DT770.
 
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We just got aeon 2 noire, we own 4 hd 650. I cannot do critical mixing on the hd 650, but the noire is in another league. It not only sounds more tonally correct (i am using the white pads), it is mainly much more transparant.
 
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