Oh, and one thing I don't like about the M50s is the ultra thin "leather" lining of the inside headband....mine is already frayed and worn out :(

Don't think it can be replaced........

Hi jwh,
Ya know, the Sony 750x line is actually super common...I see those things everywhere. Do they sound the same as the K 271's that I'm using more these days? No....but they should be pretty much OK for most headphone mixing tasks. That said, headphones are like studio monitors...they're a personal thing. Some folks like some kinds, others like others. It's not right or wrong, it's just different ears and skulls and...well, people.

In any case, if you don't like the 7506's, best bet (IMHO really the only bet) is to try some others out before buying. Grab your reference CD, take it to a music shop and A/B. 

Dean

I like the AKG K-240 DF's myself. I believe they are discontinued, but I've been told the ones that replaced them are even better. I've spent years with my 240's and absolutely love them.

While I'll never consider myself a purist, I can say that though my mixes were always fair in cans, they didn't improve until I got a good monitor rig. Though I completely understand what it's like to be forced to mix in cans, I also whole-heartedly feel you are your own worst enemy when you "just accept" that and don't look to better your monitor environment. Though great mixes have come from cans, in my opinion it's a much better situation to listen through good monitors to where you instantly hear what needs to be fixed. In my opinion, no matter what cans you have, you just about always have to compensate for something or make a decision that is really not audible.

Ever make a mix, take it out to your car, write down all the changes you'd like, go back into your studio and not hear these changes in your cans or monitors? So you do what? You compensate for something you don't really hear. You know you have too much bass going on, yet you don't hear too much bass in your studio. So you pull it out anyway and keep on experimenting until you pull the right amount of bass out, or find the right frequency and cut it.

I just wrote an article for Wusik online magazine and one of the first things I mention in it, is not to mix in headphones. If you truly want to become a better engineer and have better, more consistent sounding material, you need good monitors with monitor correction and some room tuning. But if I were in a situation to where it was not an option, the AKG's are the best cans I own that give me mixes that are very close to what I'd come up with on my monitors. They still fall short, but I'd call that "fairly acceptable".

Those Sony MDR's you have jwh, very bass heavy (at least the 5 sets I have here are) and lack mids. They are great cans though because they are loud and drummers love them. I'd never attempt a mix on them though, that's for sure. I really think you'd like the AKG's. They are about $100 more, but well worth it in my opinion. Flat sounding, yet accurate.

-Danny

bobguitkillerleft


I have some SONY MDR-7509HD,as I thought if I "buy the headphones I can't really afford",it will be WAY cheaper,than "buying the monitors I really can't afford"!

Anyway,they are ok,but like headphones in general,the real levels of Bass that are on the track,are sometimes a huge guessing game.
Bob 

MDR-7506 (10Hz-20kHz)  MDR-7509 (5Hz-30kHz)


I'm not sure if this is the same for my MDR-7509HD,but I thought the spec. difference between the 2 seemed interesting.


I can mix on them [as far as I can tell[?] but,the only thing I'm trusting ATM,is my lonely TANNOY "Eaton" HPD 295 10" "dual concentric" monitor[yes I only have ONE!!]


A set was given to me years ago,but one didn't work,and as I was living,where ever I could[as I was mostly out touring,and paying rent seemed ridiculous,when you were only back home for 2 nights in every 3 months] I "stupidly THREW the NON WORKING ONE OUT!!",totally not realising what I had.


I hope to eventually find another,that doesn't involve $1000 AUD,and shipping from England,as although,on "this new Sonar/Daw adventure",I wen't and bought some KRK Rokit 5s[G2] This Tannoy seems to find everything the "headphones" and Rokits DO NOT.
Bob

Give a try to the Sennheiser HD 600's.  These are very well balanced headphones.
 
Kevin Kascak

I like the HD280's from Sennheiser, they're nowhere near as bright as my other set, HD25's

Oh thank goodness, Jonesey. I was starting to feel like a freak over here with my HD280s. They fit nice, sound good, tweaks seem to translate well to the monitors and although I haven't worn them for more than an hour or so at a time (I take lots of breaks) they don't seem to cause much ear strain. At $100 they're a good deal. I do want some MT50s at some point but that will be a luxury purchase.

They are also extremely comfortable.

After wearing the HD25's for more than about 20 minutes, I just want to rip them off my head

Yup. It's like they're not even on your head. I've almost walked away from the rig with them still on and hooked up.

You're not alone, Beepster. I use HD280's, too. But for tracking, not mixing. Great isolation for monitoring while singing. But too bass-light for mixing.