Who do we trust? Speakers or Headphones?

hey, I got some cheap speakers on my 2k and some good Sony headphones.
Wich one should I trust more?
my kicks sound more bassy in my speakers, my snares sound louder in my headphones....

I suggest playing ur favorite cd thru both so you can hear the difference........also take notes on it.......then you will become to know how ur music is suppose to sound on both

if your using high end monitoring headphones you would be good
but most headphones color the sounds and of course they dont have flat response ,you want some flat response to get full detail of what you are really making , but to mix your tracks on anything else but studio moniotrs your ears will get lied to
studio monitors with a flat response are accurate for your mix they give u full detail of what each instrument and drum sounds like ,you can make a mix then bring the track to the studio and say dam i didnt notice that or dam i dindt think the kick sounded like that,

I trust headphones and speakers depending on which kind of both. Quality studio monitors can give you a good idea of what your music sounds like in its "pure" form but you have to keep in mind the people buying your stuff most likely do not have studio monitors, so thats where the headphones can play a valuble roll.

I got some expensive Sony head phones (not sure of the model #) but I don't trust them. They don't sound the same as my Yamahas do. They give me a false impression of the bass range

it all depends on what kind of speakers/monitors and headphones you use. i first use my sony studio headphones mdr-7506, then listen closely on my monitors. if all is good, i play the mix on my regular mid-fi speakers to see how they sounds. most people don't have monitors and will be playing it in just regular speakers, so that is important. i've noticed that usually regular speakers lack some of the highs that are clear on monitors and headphones.

also, a trick when mixing-turn the monitors/speakers or headphones down realll low and make sure you can hear each instrument and how they compliment each other.

so u guys suggest to test both when i'm makin' a beat?

i use studio headphones my friend gave me. i use them most of the time cuz my family hates loud music (grrrr....). i would go with the monitors if you have some good ones. if not, sony all the way. yeah, sure: it might sound different in the studio, but who cares? damn near anything can be fixed in the studio via eq and effects.

actionated wrote:also, a trick when mixing-turn the monitors/speakers or headphones down realll low and make sure you can hear each instrument and how they compliment each other.

thats shit is golden info

never mix with headphones ... youre ears need space between soundsource and your ears to accurate ..

that what I think, I mixed I couple of times with headphones and the mix just gets crap ...

do like this ... try to readjust your eq if you have one on your stereo
to get it to be as flat as your speakers can be

remember that if you have to much bass on your stereo you will end up mixing down the bass in the mix ...

oraziodelcore wrote:never mix with headphones ... youre ears need space between soundsource and your ears to accurate ..

that what I think, I mixed I couple of times with headphones and the mix just gets **** ...

do like this ... try to readjust your eq if you have one on your stereo
to get it to be as flat as your speakers can be

remember that if you have to much bass on your stereo you will end up mixing down the bass in the mix ...

Hmmm i'm wonderin' what Headphones you using, because its possible to do a mixdown with Headphones. Next to my passive Alesis M1's and Active KrK RP8's i'm often do a mixdown with my Senheiser 20's (in late hours)

I asked the same question on another forum and this guy gave me this answer, that scared the heck out of me. From now on, I'll be mixing ONLY with monitors....

I gotta tell everyone a story on why you shouldn't wear headphones while mixing. I used to always use headphones to mix for about 5 years straight. I would always toggle from minimum to maximum volumes to try to get the mix to sound good at all volumes.

One night I was sittin there with my friend when my left eye started twitching a bit abnormally. I told my friend that it was twitching and he was like "it's all good, it happens to me all the time"........also, my left ear was abnormally sensitive to sound all of a sudden and even a hit of a snare or a punch of a pass hurt my ear a bit.

I wake up the next morning and my face feels weird, my tongue feels a bit tingly, or asleep, too. I walk in the bathroom to look at the mirror to realize that the complete left side of my face is parylized. Can't raise my eyebrow, can't close my eye, can't smile with the left side of my face, can't do the SMALLEST movement with the left side of my face at all.

Obviously I do what most people would do and go straight to the doctor. They call me in from the waiting room right away (obviously because these are symptoms of a stroke)........of course it wasn't a stroke though. I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, a condition that happens when you pinch the nerve located inside your face right by your ear. Sometimes it's permanent, sometimes it isn't. They explained to me that there is no known "cause" for this.......but at the same time they said people typically get it from air blowing into their ear (fans at night, driving with the window open, etc). I immediately knew it was from the air pressure of the headphones, which is way more intense than a fan or an open window.

I was prescribed a few pills (actually I had to take 10 pills a day) and also had to get an eye patch. I was so pissed but I couldn't even yell F*CK because the left side of my lips didn't work, so it sounded more like HUCK.

Luckily, my face was back to normal within a month and I will never take my face forgranted again, as well as my hearing. I'm really lucky to not be deaf.

Today's lesson in audio engineering: stick to speakers/monitors as much as you can. I love to use headphones but it's just not worth the risk.

That sounded really scary .. it`s important to give youre ears some rest , not maraton mixing a hole day .especially when you mixxing down..
especially with headphones .. youre ears are youre most important equiptment !!! take care... peace

I always use headphones