Headphones for hip hop production

Hi,

I have Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. The sound is pure magic regarding to medium and high frequencies. I think its good for mixing because the sound is not drowned in bass, but... i'm having troubles mixing basslines because i can barely hear them through my headphones (i have to take them off to make sure the bass is not to high or low trough the mix). Looks like they are not balanced enough for hip hop mixing. Should hip hop MIXING headphones focus on Bass, Mids and highs or balance between all frequencies ?

What do you old school hip hop producers look for when buying headphones ? What are your favorites and why ?

I usually use headphones when i mix so i look forward to have something i'm confortable with. Headphones are expensive and there are so many kinds... Trying to get info before i buy. Still, gonna keep the HD 280 Pro, the sound is just incredible. You hear sounds you never heard before in a record you played 150 times before.

Thanks !

I use the HD25's MKII's but they also lack in the low end. Not as bad as the ones you have but they do lack.

I am used to it now though. I know where they lack. Just monitor the EQ's when mixing, listen on multiple systems (which you should be doing anyway). The only time I worry about bass is when your mixing down.

I never produce solely through the headphones anyway, only usually for late night/early morning work.

Of course, i listen to my mix with and without my headphones, and on other systems too. But while i am MIXING was my question.

JamesJeffery wrote:The only time I worry about bass is when your mixing down.

That is not answering my question... When you guys MIX, which headphones do you use so you can hear your basslines, but not too loud, so the other frequencies dont drown in low ends ? What are your favorites and why ?

Anyone else ?

You'll find mixed reviews of these all over the net but I've been using these for the past few years and to me they sound really nice - basslines sound really clear. Not to mention the comfort and low price tag

Funkologist wrote:

You'll find mixed reviews of these all over the net but I've been using these for the past few years and to me they sound really nice - basslines sound really clear. Not to mention the comfort and low price tag

I can't say a bad thing about this headphone, especially when retail price is taken into account. It can be found around $60 or even less. I heard there are a lot of counterfeit MDR-V6 sold on eBay, so be aware.

Mine is Sony MDR-V6, which is basically the same headphone, but it is from SONY's consumer division. (I don't believe that they actually sound different.)

I recommend replacing the original earpads to this one:
Beyerdynamic Velour Padded Earcushions for DT250, DT280, Sony MDR7506 and Sony V6 Headphones and Headsets
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/313962-REG/Beyerdynamic_942704_Padded_Earcushions_for_DT250_DT280.html
I use them and they are much better than Sony's earpad.

Sony MDR-V600, on the other hand, is terrible sounding headphone, low range is exaggerated and muddy. I had it before MDR-V6, and now I feel ashamed that I thought it was a decent headphone. Do not get MDR-V600, as you might damage your ears with it!

RootsRenegade wrote:That is not answering my question... When you guys MIX, which headphones do you use so you can hear your basslines, but not too loud, so the other frequencies dont drown in low ends ? What are your favorites and why ?

Anyone else ?

You need to be a bit more clear in what context you are using the word mix. If anything the HD25's are the answer, go check out some reviews. Used by DJ's globally with great reviews.

Pendulum use them. Hows that for bass?

^I heard those sony's are really good!. Ive got audio technica's, ATH-M40FS they're rated to be flat monitoring headphones. I like them alot personally, and I got them on sale for just under a bill. They've got good bass response, not enough to over power everything else though and like I said flat so you hear all the frequencies pretty evenly.

As far as getting the flattest frequency response from a headphone and having it be somewhat linear in the way they respond to mimic studio monitors on your head, one of the best answers would possibly be a form of "audiophile" headphones. I.E Audeze LCD or HIFIMAN headphones. However, to keep costs reasonable, I highly suggest the Sennheiser HD600.

I was also in the position where I needed proper headphones to get work done at night and also not bother others at certain times. I find the 600's to be spot on as far as their flat frequency response is concerned. They give a true representation of the sound(s) that are being used and aren't "bright" in any area of the frequency range. Definitely a good buy for what they go for on sites like eBay. A cable upgrade would only add to the quality of the sound. Hope that helps.

Those look real dope ^^
But pretty hefty pricetag

RootsRenegade wrote:That is not answering my question... When you guys MIX, which headphones do you use so you can hear your basslines, but not too loud, so the other frequencies dont drown in low ends ? What are your favorites and why ?

Anyone else ?

when you mix bass you shouldn't use headphones - they are just not physically big enough to reproduce it properly. you need real speakers to move some real air if you want to get a real picture.

any headphone you get with 'heavy' bass is likely going to be gimmicky, hyped crap.

stick with yer sennheisers

good tip^

Beats By Dre

imakebeats1999 wrote:Beats By Dre

You are kidding, right?

You have to pay a lot to better these.

just got the sennheisers hd 555 recently. they sounded nice, BUT there was one thing

this image means that hd 555 and hd 595 basically same. excluding this stupid sticker though=) i just removed stickers, and they started to sound DAAAAMN NICE. spent about 60$ on used ones.
ps. hd 595 cost about 150-160 lol