Whew mixing in cans....definitely possible but you may have to scope out quite a few pair before you find the ones that work for you. OR....if you notice you're bass light/bass heavy, you could always try and somewhat compensate with an eq in line to sort of flatten them. Just don't export with the eq enabled. I'd not even want to try something like that, but then again, it depends on how extreme things are.
 
Cans are strange animals. Sometimes you get a pair that is cheap but they rock, other times a pricey pair can suck. The best ones for me have always been the AKG-K 240 DF's. They don't make them anymore though. A pair went on me a few months ago so I replaced them with the AKG 240 studio model. Huge difference for the worst in my opinion. The studio version sounds good, but they don't sound like the mix I created. So I'll be on a mission this month to try and find something that compares to the K 240 DF's I have left that work. They have a model that took their place, but no one ever seems to have them for me to try.
 
Sennhesiser has some good cans too...but it depends on the model and when they were made. For example, I remember bitflipper saying he had a pair of the HD 280 pro and they sounded bass light to him. The ones I have here, made a few years later, are loaded with bass to the point of me having to run a little high pass at 60 or 80 Hz to calm them down a little.
 
We just got a deal on 5 pair of KRK cans for the other studio. I'm not sure the model number right now, but when I used them for tracking vocals they sounded quite impressive. I didn't really spend a lot of time with them nor was I mixing with cans that night, but I plan on checking them out a bit more extensively to see how they sound while referencing a mix. I'll let you know how they sound as well as the model number if you're interested? Sorry I can't be more helpful.
 
Here's what I'd suggest if it's possible for you:
 
1. Most online music stores have a return policy. Use it and abuse it. Seriously. That's the price they have to pay having a "shipping" business like that where you can't physically be there to try stuff out.
 
2. If you have a store that has a nice line of cans there, bring a few mixes you know like the back of your hand and reference them. You'll know when you hear the right set of cans....I promise. You may also want to bring some individual instrumentation CD's along with you. This shows you how instruments sound by themselves and this can help paint a better picture for you.
 
For example, mixes sound good in my AKG studio cans...but there are elements that I would change if I were mixing in them. My guitar sounds don't sound like they do in my 240 DF's, which sound so close to my real monitors, it's scary. So when I hear my guitars in the Studio AKG's....I know they aren't right. There are some other things that are strange in them as well. If I would have tried them first without just buying them from Guitar Center, I would have never purchased them. So this round, I'm going into things totally different. The KRK's we bought were a deal...which you try to jump on when you own a studio and can get these things in quantity for a fair price. People just need to hear stuff at a decent quality....we don't need to impress them in cans. :)
 
Anyway, good luck John. I've been here man...and it's frustrating. Especially if you can't have monitors due to apartment or family etc. That's what made me mix on cans exclusively. While I had pretty good results, I didn't mix anything that made me truly smile until after I was in a place that allowed me to have the right monitor rig. Hopefully you'll fair better than I did when I was in your situation.
 
-Danny

Danny Danzi
Whew mixing in cans....definitely possible but you may have to scope out quite a few pair before you find the ones that work for you. OR....if you notice you're bass light/bass heavy, you could always try and somewhat compensate with an eq in line to sort of flatten them. Just don't export with the eq enabled. I'd not even want to try something like that, but then again, it depends on how extreme things are.
 
Cans are strange animals. Sometimes you get a pair that is cheap but they rock, other times a pricey pair can suck. The best ones for me have always been the AKG-K 240 DF's. They don't make them anymore though. A pair went on me a few months ago so I replaced them with the AKG 240 studio model. Huge difference for the worst in my opinion. The studio version sounds good, but they don't sound like the mix I created. So I'll be on a mission this month to try and find something that compares to the K 240 DF's I have left that work. They have a model that took their place, but no one ever seems to have them for me to try.
 
Sennhesiser has some good cans too...but it depends on the model and when they were made. For example, I remember bitflipper saying he had a pair of the HD 280 pro and they sounded bass light to him. The ones I have here, made a few years later, are loaded with bass to the point of me having to run a little high pass at 60 or 80 Hz to calm them down a little.
 
We just got a deal on 5 pair of KRK cans for the other studio. I'm not sure the model number right now, but when I used them for tracking vocals they sounded quite impressive. I didn't really spend a lot of time with them nor was I mixing with cans that night, but I plan on checking them out a bit more extensively to see how they sound while referencing a mix. I'll let you know how they sound as well as the model number if you're interested? Sorry I can't be more helpful.
 
Here's what I'd suggest if it's possible for you:
 
1. Most online music stores have a return policy. Use it and abuse it. Seriously. That's the price they have to pay having a "shipping" business like that where you can't physically be there to try stuff out.
 
2. If you have a store that has a nice line of cans there, bring a few mixes you know like the back of your hand and reference them. You'll know when you hear the right set of cans....I promise. You may also want to bring some individual instrumentation CD's along with you. This shows you how instruments sound by themselves and this can help paint a better picture for you.
 
For example, mixes sound good in my AKG studio cans...but there are elements that I would change if I were mixing in them. My guitar sounds don't sound like they do in my 240 DF's, which sound so close to my real monitors, it's scary. So when I hear my guitars in the Studio AKG's....I know they aren't right. There are some other things that are strange in them as well. If I would have tried them first without just buying them from Guitar Center, I would have never purchased them. So this round, I'm going into things totally different. The KRK's we bought were a deal...which you try to jump on when you own a studio and can get these things in quantity for a fair price. People just need to hear stuff at a decent quality....we don't need to impress them in cans. :)
 
Anyway, good luck John. I've been here man...and it's frustrating. Especially if you can't have monitors due to apartment or family etc. That's what made me mix on cans exclusively. While I had pretty good results, I didn't mix anything that made me truly smile until after I was in a place that allowed me to have the right monitor rig. Hopefully you'll fair better than I did when I was in your situation.
 
-Danny

Hi Danny this is why I think if you are going to mix on cans you have to know how to read meters.  It's the meters that correct the cans mistakes.  I know that is counter-intuitive for an old school ears man like yourself but as a visual mixer, which I am and they do exist, you can pull good mixes.  I've just finished mixing my uni project and when I went into the studio what I heard in the cans translated perfectly in the studio.  The studio is a pro studio too. 
 
Ben

John-J
I mix in the cans, I know people are opposed to this but I've gotten some pretty good mixes. I was using some pretty good Sony cans, but recently got some Ultrasone Pro 900s. They sound "completely different" than the Sony's, really rich and deep bass. The impact on the sound while mixing is profound. I would like nice near fields, but I don't have that option right now. But I can't say enough about the Ultrasone Pro 900s, they rock pretty hard.

I've had the Ultrasone Pro 750's for a few years now and truly do love them. I generally do all my recording/mixing/gaming during the night (after the little one's have gone to bed) and rely on these a lot. However, I do use my monitors (the next day) to compare/see and see how everything translated. I just can't say enough about the clarity/quality of sound on the 750's........I can only imagine the 900's to be much better.   

Ultrasone baby!  I'm a fan.

Out of curiosity, how much better are the Ultrasone's from the standard ATH-M50's everyone always recommends?
 
Regards,
Dan
 

Comon guys you are still all talking about rubbish.
 
These are serious headphones.  The OP says good cans compared to really good cans. Here are the really good cans.
 
https://www.staxusa.com/earspeaker/stax-sr-009.html
 
And look they are only $4,500!  I am not even sure the driver unit comes with them at this price.  Also you need a nice serious amp to drive them too. They are not effecient.
 
All I can say is the Stax SRX's I had were seriously amazing.  It was like sitting in front of a very serious studio monitor.  Still not sure about mixing on them though.  I think some of the points I made earlier still apply.
 
Ok have done some research.  There is a passive unit that can be used which relies on the power of the power amp driving them.  Mine had the passive drive box (ie step up transformer I would say as per Quad Electrostatics)
 
But for another $2100 you can get their own power amplifier:
 
https://www.staxusa.com/stax-srm-007tii.html
 
Just out of interest back in the day when some of us had Quad Electrostatic speakers, one of us built a transformerless output balanced class A valve amp with no output transformer.  He modified his Quads and bypassed the step-up transformer that is also in the Quads hence driving the high voltage elements direct from the balanced amplifier. The result was ridiculous compared to a transformer based valve amp driving the Quads with their transformers in circuit. (transformers are crap!)
 
Stax are doing exactly the same thing here with this driver amp. That would really be something to hear I bet.
 
 

The Shure 940's translate admirably. I seldom have to make serious adjustments from the cans to monitors. 
 
I think the key for success for those of us who have to mix with headphones 90% of the time is to start with decent headphones. And then study the differences in what you're hearing between the monitor and headphones. I find programs like focusrite vrm box and tonebooster's izone useful as well for learning how your mix "might" sound everywhere else... Overall, as a songwriter I get good results through the shures. If I were mixing for other's in a professional setting, I may not be so easy to please relying on just headphones.

dcumpian
Out of curiosity, how much better are the Ultrasone's from the standard ATH-M50's everyone always recommends?
 
Regards,
Dan
 

Not radically different, Dan. The Ultrasones are much brighter and flatter in the high end, and even more bass-hyped than the ATH-M50s.
 
It's not that the AT's are accurate - they're not - but that their imperfections are somewhat beneficial. Just as the legendary NS10s had those screechy tweeters that helped you nail the midrange, the ATH-M50s have a boost in the mud range that helps you get clarity down there.
 
What the Ultransones would do for you is give better detail in the highs, which is the AT's greatest weakness. I could see that being a big plus for editing. I have a pair of open-back Sennheisers that have much better highs than the ATs, and prefer them for editing.
 
I suspect that with enough practice, it's possible to achieve a good, translatable balance with just about any pair of headphones, as long as they aren't severely deficient. It mostly comes down to training your ears to recognize what a good mix sounds like in them.

The only problem I have with the ATH-M50's I use is really my own fault...my mix comes out of my DAW into a Mackie mixer aux channel and the seriously limits my ability to hear anything below 60hz. I can see it (in any analyzer), but I can't hear it, at least until I turn on my monitors and sub. I really need to add a separate headphone amp to monitor through.
 
That said, one of these days I need to find a high-end store that carries these headphones. Not buying anything for that kind of money without hearing it first, lol. I live in the country way outside of Richmond, VA, and high end audio equipment just isn't really appreciated. If Best Buy doesn't carry it, it must not be that good...
 
Regards,
Dan
 

Incidentally, I just picked up the AKG K-240 MKII's today...which supposedly replaced my old trusty K-240 DF's. These MKII's sound terrific all across the board for me and obliterate the gold 240 pro's. Definitely worth checking into for $149. Just right on the low end, mids and highs. I'm quite impressed. I like these better than my DF's. I haven't mixed in them yet, but the sound on mixes I've done already as well as me playing live into them and other pro mixes sound as they should. I'm pretty stoked!
 
-Danny