Headphones v monitors

[The Reverend 48]

I am interested how you guys listen to the music posted here
I use mostly my Berhinger MS 40 active speaker/monitors but also use headphones (cheap but good Sennheiser HD202)...
If I'm lazy I use my laptop speakers but I hate em cos they loose the quality
The headphones seem to be best but I hate wearing them....
What works for you?

[Greeny]

I have some quite good 'cans', but I hate wearing them for recording. They make me sweat too much. So I end up using cheap, in-ear headphones. I figure if I can make the song sound good on those, it'll be even better on proper speakers / headphones.

I prefer listening back on proper cans, but even better, I love listening to stuff in the car after it's been burned to CD.

Another interesting thing is that (for me at least) songs never sound as good on the BR Micro as they do when they're exported to mp3, PC, CD etc. Acoustic guitar especially sounds much more natural when it's taken off the Micro. Maybe it's just me though... !

[SteveB]

48 - Interesting question. And may in fact hold the answer to the sometimes varying responses to frequency levels from the Forum posters. I have a Tower PC, and a monitor bought specifically without those awful intergrated speakers. I have attached Labtec speakers to the PC, and into those speakers I can also connect headphones, of which I have a couple of pair, including the Beyer DT-100 (as seen in my studio pic). When I listen to songs from the Forum (and I have to admit I'm tediously slow in this), I like to give the particular offering at least 4 plays. Usually 1-speakers, 1-headphones, 2 speakers - though this listening session can well be spread over a half-hour period. I think it was TED who commented that 'Gearheads are friggin weird...', well,  without wishing to incur the voluble wrath of TED, I would suggest to anyone serious about creating music to buy the best possible equipment. Decent headphones are essential, as is the practise of NOT wearing them all the time. Some of the older Members on here have spoken of hearing loss, and over time it is a very real danger and a Musicians worst nightmare.

[Tangled Wires]

I often work on songs at lunchtime at work, so normally use my I-pod headphones in that instance. When at home recording I nearly always go through my desktop PC speakers, which are very good quality, or a good pair of cans that I recently purchased

[Blooby]

I often work on songs at lunchtime at work, so normally use my I-pod headphones in that instance.

Wow.

I try to use monitors to help with ear fatigue, but I try to swicth between headphones and monitors while trying to create a proper mix.

Blooby

[launched]

I have been using the same headphones for years (Sony MDG-G52) - cheap, but I like them. No home stereo, but if I want volume I have cheapo pc speakers.

Car audio is my haven. I love listening to music in my vehicle.

I am looking into getting some better headphones - any suggestions. Something that isn't to shrilly..

[Tony W]

I'm all over the place with this answer. I listen to a lot of the posted MP3's on cheap speakers at work. I will play some while at home and very nice quality PC speakers.

I was recording with Ipod earbuds for a while, then tried using my skull candy headphones. The skull candy headphones are by far my favorite for all applications now except for one minor detail. I sweat my face off when wearing them.

I'd love to wear them at work, I'd receive so many less phone calls.

[Bluesberry]

I just bought a nice pair of active monitors (Yorkville YSM2P), so I use these some now, but I still use my bookshelf stereo via aux in a lot, also I use my Sony boombox via line in, also I have a reasonably good pair of Sennheiser (HD 25-SP)cans, and a cheaper pair of Sennheisers (PMX 40 Ipod cans) and I use IPod earbuds too (just to see how it will sound to all those people that listen to music that way now).  I always make a mp3 and listen in my car stereo at various stages of the process, especially at the end.  I guess you could say I have many listening ways.  For working on something for long periods the active monitors is the only way to go for me.

[Bosko Schwartz]

Good topic, 48!

When listening to music posted on the forum, sadly, about 90% of the time, I have to listen on cans, and the ones I use are cheapo Magnavox that fold up for compactness.  I have two pair and oddly enough, they sound pretty good.  I should probably use my better headphones, but I keep them downstairs in the music studio and I'm too lazy to tote them back and forth.  Once in a while, I get to listen on the decent PC speakers I have, but I work mostly at home and usually listen while working, and there are usually other people present in the house, so that is rare.

As for mixing, I mostly use a pair of M-Audio Studiophile BX8a monitors, but I also always make a point to listen with a pair of good cans as well.

As for playback of my own mixes after being burned to CD, much like Greeny, Mark and BB, I primarily use the car stereo, but I also use a good Sony home stereo as well as a decent set of PC speakers with a subwoofer.  I always listen on those three different stereos before calling a mix a wrap.

[Flash Harry]

I have a lovely pair of tannoy monitors but they're just too big for any room I have in the house. I can't wait til I can convert my garage and get them wired in. The car stereo is the 'reference' gear. I have a pair of Sony DJ cans for recording. Not much sound spillage.