@ The Young Noisemaker,

Yes, it can also serve as 'Audio Interface'... but unfortunately, don't expect spectacular results from this one !

It might certainly never replace a dedicated 'Audio Interface', even a 'low-end' Model...

Here you have the stated Features of that 'Focusrite VRM Box' (and some of my personal conclusions about these statements as I own one) :

* Virtual Reference Monitoring lets you audition your mix in different environments through different speakers just using headphones ( *yes* )
* Provides a significant audio upgrade from low-grade laptop headphone outputs ( *yes* )
* Pocket sized and built to last (Pocket sized *yes* Built to last It's plastic made, so we will see, but I don't think that it can last for eternity ! *no* )
* Pro Tools Native and HD friendly ( *yes* )
* High-quality audio playback interface ( Audio playback Interface, yes *yes* for the High-Quality this smells more like a 'Marketing Tip', if you understand what I mean... )

I found a Demo of this 'Focusrite VRM Box' on 'Soundcloud' :

'Focusrite Virtual Reference'

Maybe it can give you an idea to how work that 'Little Box' and the results you can achieve with it... *yes*

In fact, you must see that 'Focusrite VRM Box' more like a various 'Environments Simulation', rather than a pure 'Audio Interface' by itself, because it can simulate several different listening locations or situations, and above all, different 'Studio Monitors' Models, which original ones will cost you thousands of $.

My suggestion was in relation with your budget *yes* , where you can buy rather good 'Headphones' (according to the above suggestions provided to you by other Members), and eventually use that 'Focusrite VRM Box' to listen all your Audio stuff from diverse perspectives, through different listening environments, as well as through different 'Studio Monitors', in case that you must to deliver your 'Musical Works' to other people that have different Audio equipments or Audio gear than you. *yes*

 

Thanks for all these answers!

I'm surely gonna buy a pair of Audio Technica and a VRM Box (or an audio interface) and then add other stuff as i go. An hopefully, one day, my bedroom will turn into a real home studio
I'm not very sure about what audio interface to buy, but i will inform myself about that before i buy anything

Again, thanks

EDIT: The VRM Box is not longer on the Focusrite website, don't know why

 

Hi guys!

I'm upping this post because my financial statements have changed
I can now afford some monitors! as long as they are under 200€ each

So my question is now... Should i go for headphones anyway or are monitors better? (At this price i mean) I saw some great options in my price (KRK Rokit 5, Yamaha HS5-7, Adam F5 and Pionner SDJX) but i don't know if it's worth the price compared to headphones...

Can you help me one more time friends?
Thanks

PS: Or should i just save my money for more expensive monitors?

 

If you care about your ears's health, you should buy the monitoring speakers instead of headphones, but headphones are handy for periodically checking your mixes, so you can still buy them in the future when you get some extra bucks.
Yes, you can produce/mix/master or whatever on the headphones, but if you do it for hours everyday, think about your eardrums... They can't "breathe" at all and also the sound is generated from 1" away directly into your eardrums, while the sound from the speakers have to travel through the air first. Also you'll have a better picture about how that song might sound in a live situation, because there's no headphones on the crowd's head. If you really want something good for production/mixing/mastering, just wait a week or two and get 100€ more to your budget so you can afford the Yamaha HS8 which features more low-end than the models you mentioned and they're also pretty known for their sonic accuracy, they really translate great.
If you choose a 5" monitors, you will need a sub as well. Without it, there will be no shaky walls in your room, while the 8" models (like HS8) can deliver enough bass so you won't need to buy a sub anymore.

 

Get used headphones like K701 or K240M those are for 70-90€
Then Hifime 9018D for 130€ and there you have it. Even though it's single output only, it's small, lightweight and portable.

K240 Monitor are great for mixing, AKG stopped their production 8 years ago, but you can get used ones for very good price and usually in good condition.
K240 DF are awesome as well. Both are 600Ohm, but 9018D have enough juice to drive them properly, at least for me

Not all headphones are closed-back. Semi-open or open ones let air inside, so your ears don't sweat while being comfortable to wear even for long time.
Dunno about your theory of sound travelling across room
Monitors need way more power than headphones (usually Watts for speakers vs. miliwatts for headphones)
As long as you keep volume low in your headphones (max 90dB), there are no side effects, no hearing loss and it's much more precise and cheaper solution than low-end monitors. *yes*

Sure, a pair of Behringer 1002B is always useful ;)

 

To keep a soundsource so close to the ears for more than 6 hours, regardless if it's back-open or not (feature which is more sound-related rather than the comfort), they will still get your ears tired.
For me, i never found a headphones pair to entirely cover my ears without puting pressure on them, like keeping them sticked to the head as if standing between hammer and anvil.
Also if he trains his ears perception mostly on headphones, he'll have a hard time to accurately judge the mixes on the future speakers he will get later. There's no crosstalk between L&R either.
Don't get me wrong, the headphones shouldn't miss from any studio, they're good for checking stuff periodically or working on the road for like 2-3 hours continously, but from my point of view i wouldn't recommend them as the main monitoring solution.

 

Thanks for reply

So 8" speakers have more basses? Is it just because they are louder or because they do have more bass freq'?
Also, i always wanted monitors more than headphones because of the reasons you said, but there must be others reasons that make pepoles say that monitors are better than headphone right? What are they?

Again, thanks for replies everybody I would be totally loosed without y'all

PS:I've read that the HS8 had a frequency response between 38Hz and 30KHz, why so much highs? I'm not even sure a human can hear above 25KHz.

 

The highest frequencies reached are irrelevant when it comes about the actual accuracy of the monitors speakers themselves. Another example of "ultrasonic" highs is Adam A7x which goes up to 50Khz and i haven't seen any dogs getting irritated near them. It might banish rats or other parasites sensible to to ultrasonic frequencies though.

Anyway, about the difference between monitoring speakers and headphones is that the headphones can't provide the usual cross feedback between Left and Right channel which naturally occurs when you listen in front of 2 or more speakers in the same enviroment, when frequencies of the left speaker bouncing off the left wall and reaching the right ear and vice-versa. Also i already mentioned, it's more healthy for your eardrums, to make music for a lot of hours daily in front of your speakers rather than wearing the headphones all day. Headphones are great if they're used with moderation, but if you need a main monitoring solution headphones should be the least choice. (my2c)

 

Thanks for that quick response

The only problem is that the Yamaha HS8 are really out of my budget... But I guess it's better to wait until I got more money than buying bad speakers and have to buy better ones afterwards.

But the HS7 are really cheapers, what is the difference between these two? Do I really need 8" speakers?

As always, thank you guys and sorry for dumb questions

 

Don't worry, they're not dumb question. Is better for you to ask rather than not.
Well, the difference between HS7 and HS8 is that HS8 packs a deeper bass/lowend, so if you don't wanna invest in a sub pretty soon, HS8 are a better bang for the buck.
And yes, you would do a lot better if you wait a few weeks and get the extra bucks to afford HS8. I would do the same in your shoes.

Evo

 

Ok thank you I think I do not have any question left :D

Thank you everybody. You're the bests