Absolute FLATTEST MOST ACCURATE headphones...

[auraluxstudio]

What are the most flattest/most accurate headphones that would be the best for mixing and mastering music?

 

[eddantes]

If there was only a target we all agreed on - then there would be an answer to your question... But as is... You will need to tell us the target curve you think is the right one.

 

[auraluxstudio]

If there was only a target we all agreed on - then there would be an answer to your question... But as is... You will need to tell us the target curve you think is the right one.

Flat from 20Hz-20k. A straight 3 dB tilt downward is what I prefer on studio monitors.

 

[staticV3]

What are the most flattest/most accurate headphones that would be the best for mixing and mastering music?

Bad news is that any headphone that's flat (=Harman) out of the box is closed-back and therefore has highly volatile response depending on seal. So while it may be flat on a GRAS HATS, it could be all sorts of things on an actual human head.

Open-backed headphones like the HD800S, Hifiman Arya, DT880 on the other hand perform very consistently on a variety of human heads, but they're almost never flat out of the box.

So, the solution is to take an open-backed headphone and EQ it to be flat.

 

[Dunring]

Sonarworks sells calibrated headphones so you'll have an individual profile to flatten it with eq. The Sennheiser hd600 is one, the Yincrow Calf ear buds are another that measures flat except for the sub bass rolloff.

 

[Zensō]

Flat from 20Hz-20k. A straight 3 dB tilt downward is what I prefer on studio monitors.

A headphone with an uncompensated, slightly downward tilted flat response from 20Hz to 20kHz as described above won’t sound anything like speakers with the same frequency response. What you really want is a headphone that adheres to one of the common target curves such as the Harman OE; this will get you much closer to the sound of a good speaker in a good room. The Dan Clark Expanse is one (pricey) example of what you’re looking for.

Dan Clark Expanse Headphone Review

This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the Dan Clark Expanse open-back planar magnetic headphone. It was loaned to me by the company and costs US $3999. The design takes that of Stealth headphone to another level with nicely done grill on the outside. It is very comfortable to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

A Deep Dive Into Harman Curves - The Long Way Round (Part 1)

In Part 1 of the Harman Target Curve deep-dive series, we explore the fundamental of human hearing and how it is related to the Harman Curve.

www.headphonesty.com

 

[ferrellms]

What are the most flattest/most accurate headphones that would be the best for mixing and mastering music?

SoundOnSound engineers like lots of phones including Shure SRH1840, which they have specifically called out for mixing and mastering use. The last time I looked at the Sonarworks headphone response website, it had about the flattest response of the headphones measured. With the Sonarworks correction filters I purchased not engaged, the SRH1840 to my ears are very accurate (the improvement with the filters in was slight, definitely there but subtle.).

They are reasonably comfortable and so transparent that you forget you have them on.

 

[Zensō]

SoundOnSound engineers like lots of phones including Shure SRH1840,which they have specifically called out for mixing and mastering use. The last time I looked at the Sonarworks headphone response website, it had about the flattest response of the headphones measured. With the Sonarworks correction filters engaged, the SRH1840 to my ears are very accurate (but the improvement with the filters in was very slight).

When Sonarworks says a headphone is “flat”, what they‘re actually saying is that the headphone adheres closely to their house target curve, which has the 3K boost like most targets. The Sonarworks target is supposedly very similar to Harman 2015, but with an octave lower bass shelf.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

it doesnt matter since the '' ear simulator '' is not your ears, flat things works in speaker world... not headphones/iems

That being said, the best you can do is find a very good neutral IEM and make it custom to your ears, a CIEM.

 

[kemmler3D]

Basically what I've learned after way too long - there is no such thing as a "flat" headphone.

Your ear (and head and torso) naturally creates some EQ of sound coming from around you. (This is called HRTF.) Everyone's HRTF is different.

The problem with headphones is the sound doesn't come into contact with your head or torso or even most of your ear. So your HRTF is taken out of the "signal chain" so to speak.

This means the headphone needs to add it back, artificially. This is why the harman curve is "flat" but actually varies like +/- 10dB.

It's a good starting point for an "average" HRTF but since no two are the same, you basically just need to find a headphone that sounds flat to you and EQ it a bit further.

For cans that take EQ well, look for low distortion. I have the Focal Elex, which can be EQ'd pretty flat, and I was struck by the distortion measurements that Amir made of the Audeze LCD-XC which had practically zero distortion.

 

[sejarzo]

SoundOnSound engineers like lots of phones including Shure SRH1840, which they have specifically called out for mixing and mastering use. The last time I looked at the Sonarworks headphone response website, it had about the flattest response of the headphones measured. With the Sonarworks correction filters I purchased not engaged, the SRH1840 to my ears are very accurate (the improvement with the filters in was slight, definitely there but subtle.).

They are reasonably comfortable and so transparent that you forget you have them on.

A detailed comparison of the SRH1840 to some others mentioned in this thread on @solderdude's site:

SRH-1840

back to Shure back to measurements home published: Jan-22-2020, updated: Aug-06-2022 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons flat…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

 

[markanini]

Mix and master on speakers.

 

[Zensō]

Mix and master on speakers.

I don’t disagree, though I do think headphones can be a useful tool when used in conjunction with speakers.

 

[GXAlan]

Is it possible to 3D scan and print your ears and then use a microphone in the canal and see what gives you the closest flat response in your ear? Or would you EQ a speaker to be flat to mic and then record that speaker EQ through the 3D printed ear?

 

[kemmler3D]

Is it possible to 3D scan and print your ears and then use a microphone in the canal and see what gives you the closest flat response in your ear? Or would you EQ a speaker to be flat to mic and then record that speaker EQ through the 3D printed ear?

It's somewhat possible, but keep in mind that the head/torso also affects FR. And, you'd need to get a scan / mold of the entire ear all the way up your ear canal. I am not sure that nobody ever does this, but as you might imagine it's not a common practice.

However, you can get microphones that go in your ears, although I don't know how accurate they are.

 

[Keith_W]

It's somewhat possible, but keep in mind that the head/torso also affects FR. And, you'd need to get a scan / mold of the entire ear all the way up your ear canal. I am not sure that nobody ever does this, but as you might imagine it's not a common practice.

However, you can get microphones that go in your ears, although I don't know how accurate they are.

Those are said to model HRTF but does not account for your ear canal or the compliance of your eardrum. So it gets you most of the way.

In Medicine, it is possible to do CT scans and reconstruct 3D models from the scan. I suppose it would be theoretically possible to CT your head and reconstruct a measurement system that perfectly models your head, pinna, and ear canal, and then measure your eardrum compliance by using some kind of transducer to perfectly replicate your HRTF on your personal measurement model. But that seems like an incredible amount of trouble and expense to go through, not to mention the radiation.

 

[solderdude]

What are the most flattest/most accurate headphones that would be the best for mixing and mastering music?

Mixing I would use some headphones with slight roll-off in the lows (similar to not too large speakers) and slightly elevated treble.)
Monitoring might even do with wonkier response and more elevated upper mids/lower treble so you can hear 'details' better (think DT770/AT/MDR7506).
This allows you to spot 'sharpness' and details. The lower subbass will ensure the result will not be bass shy.
OLLO S4R (1.2) is a closed option when you don't want to EQ headphones.
Hi-X60 (also closed) is another good option.
SRH1440, 1840 both could be used.

You could do the final mastering (checking the final recording) with the same headphone with some EQ or using a headphone that does not have elevated treble.
HD600 (with some added sub lows), OLLO S5X (with felt or wait for OLLO S5X 1.1) or any of the above headphones with some EQ.
This requires a 'hifi' headphone where mixing requires analytical headphones.

Consumers will be listening to 'hifi headphones' so that is what the final evaluation should be done with (when speakers are not an option).
These will have a 'Harman-ish' sound signature (speakers in a room, when such would exist) so elevated low bass that must impress, nice smooth not elevated treble and not too bright. That will be the target that most people enjoy.

 

[Phison Audio - Sonny]

On audiometer headphones there is a required headband pressure of 10N

For long time listening it is to much.

The pillow around the ear gets compressed.
Even small deviation of placement on top of the GRAS will give difference of 1 to 2 dB on the same headphone.

So even if the headphones has a “flat” response, it is difficult to actually get the same result from time to time you put them on your head.

In ear headphones need to be cast to your ears. Because volume of your ear “tube” to the ear drum is different from left to right and from person to person.

BR Sonny

 

[markanini]

I don’t disagree, though I do think headphones can be a useful tool when used in conjunction with speakers.

That's reasonable. My suggestion is demo as many headphones as possible, if you are used to listening critically you will hear what sounds correct to you. Headphones can't be one size fits all, even some of the individualized solution suggested fail because individual fit is a too large factor. If you need a place to start look at ones near the top of this statistical rankings list: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/RANKING.md

 

[ferrellms]

When Sonarworks says a headphone is “flat”, what they‘re actually saying is that the headphone adheres closely to their house target curve, which has the 3K boost like most targets. The Sonarworks target is supposedly very similar to Harman 2015, but with an octave lower bass shelf.

I am looking at their measured frequency response not what they say.

If you prefer subjectivity to measurements, they definitely sound better, with more extended bass than the Sennheisers and AKGs, both of which I am familiar with. I trust the Sonarworks measurement because it is an average of several actual phones and not a one off and is what they use for calibrating their filters, widely used by experienced pros around the world. Also SOS, more than any self-declared expert (of which this forum is full, some of whom do their own measurements which come out differently, not clear why), knows what they are talking about when it comes to monitoring recordings due to their experience with many high end phones and monitors in many studios.

Go with what the REAL pros recommend.