Hello audioz friends...

I'd like some advice: what are the best headphones for mixing (semiclosed, closed, ohms etc.) and the best studio monitors not too large in size (power, 2/3 ways etc.) for a home studio producing Pop/Dance music?
The budget could go up to €300/400 for headphones and €500/600 for monitors (though for truly high-quality products, an extra €100/200 wouldn't be a problem).
> Also, is it necessary to have two supplementary small monitors like Auratones? Does it really make sense in a home recording setup?

A question: do the monitors require a separate amplifier to drive them? I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Thanks for your attention and help.

P.S.: Any extra advice is more than welcome.

 

Last edited: Jun 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Studio Monitors: https://www.spinorama.org/?quality=high&page=1&power=active&sort=score
Headphones: https://list.hangout.audio/iem/?tableMode=true&sort=priceLowHigh

 

There are no rules for headphones, but if you want something that is very balanced, the Sennheiser HD600 is what you want. You might need an amplifier. I mix on a FiiO FT3 with custom pads.

Monitors on the other hand, I think most nowadays have an amp integrated unless they're specifically passive. Can't really recommend anything other than Yamahas, I don't use monitors that much.

 

DT 990 Pro X: Beyerdynamic - 199 € incl. tax -> https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/p/dt-990-pro-x
Studio headphones for critical listening and editing (open-back)
Nominal Impedance Headphones 48 ohms

or

beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 Ohm - 159 EUR -> https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/p/dt-990-pro

Yamaha HS 7 - 225 € x2 = 250 € (For large rooms HS8!)
HS Series (HS5/HS7/HS8/HS8S)
https://europe.yamaha.com/en/business/audio/products/speakers/hs-series/

Hello ElMoreno, do you already have an audio interface?

 

Last edited: Jun 16, 2025 at 5:10 PM

I agree with @PulseWave :

For Producing and mixing :

Open headphones : Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X
Monitoring speakers : Yamaha HS8

I advise you to choose the HS8 over the HS7 because I believe the bass response in HS7 is not enough, especially at low volume.
I you are looking for smaller speakers I would look at Genelec's 8010 AP (I have no experience with them).

If you don't have a dedicated room that is treated for sound reverberation (even ever so slightly) where you can produce at a somewhat loud level without disturbing your neighbors I would look into more high end headphones models but in truth DT 990 Pro X are already great.

Telling us about your room or lack of and audio interface or absence of it will help us give you the right advices.

If you don't have an audio interface already, go with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen, some people like to say it's not great compared to so and so and use very specific arguments but I can tell you first hand that it's a good interface because I have a friend that's been using it for 6 month so I know it and it does the job as intended.

If you plan on tracking vocals or have the extra cash I would choose a Focusrite Clarett+ 2Pre from the start, this is the audio interface I have been using for 5 years now, it's better in every way and the preamps are in another league.

These tools give you a faithful, flat, clear and uncolored response wich is what you are looking for when you are producing and mixing.

Don't fall into the trap of spending thousands on expensive gear while your ears are not trained enough to take advantage of it.
You will be able to buy this high end gear without thinking about money if you can make decent a living from music.

There is a whole industry that revolves around getting you to gough your hard earned money for gear you don't need, don't be fooled by sponsored Youtubers.

Maybe not useful for your goals : For the vocalist (you ?) you need a pair of closed back headphones : Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X is great.
For the mic I would choose an Audio-Technica AT4040 or a Sony C-80.

Cheers !

 

There is no definitive answer, but for me, the DT 770 Pro (80 ohm) is the ideal affordable headphone for all tasks, from tracking to mixing and mastering. I worked for a long time with the HD600 and HD650 for mixing and mastering, using HD280 Pro and HD380 Pro for tracking, but I was unsatisfied with their frequency curves and always used a correction plugin (Toneboosters Morphit). Then last winter, I did several tests over several weeks, listening to many tracks that I know very well, pink noise, brown noise... to find the pair of headphones that would be closest to "my ideal curve" that would not require any correction. I used my HD650 and HD600 to try out all the curve simulations of the headphone models available in Toneboosters Morphit. And the ideal model/curve, for me, was the DT 770 Pro.

Some will say that closed headphones are not accurate enough for mixing, blah blah blah... but for me, the frequency curve is the most important thing, even if the HD600 and HD650 with correction worked very well, I prefer to use the DT 770 Pro.

I want to emphasize that there is nothing impressive, no WOW factor, with the DT 770 Pro. It is not "an experience" to listen to music through these headphones and they may even seem sonically disappointing in a shootout, but for me, it is a great working tool that makes me take good mixing decisions, which translates.

Auratone are useful, I have a pair that I use constantly but they are not essential in my opinion. Again, it's a working tool that doesn't sound impressive at all but gives a very accurate perspective of the midrange. You can only have one, especially if you're on a budget, which forces you to do a mono check at the same time ; )

 

Last edited: Jun 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM

Bad interface for headphones. It colors low impedance headphones and locks you in high impedance headphones that will be inevitably starved of power.

 

Tannoy Gold 8, Austrian Audio Hi-X65, Audient ID14 MKII