Topic: Noise-canceling over ear headphones that also are good for mastering?

[checht]

I travel w Bose noise canceling headphones. Great on the plane, not great to use mastering.

Anything out there that's better? Just give up and bring my Senn 6xx?

TIA

[fireonshakedwnstreet]

The million dollar question. I tried doing this when I first started and it was a disaster!

[Phil Zone]

I live by the Sony MDR-7506 they really are a gold standard for flat and reliable. They are a bit bright, but in a good way. I think the really high end listening headphones are not quiet as flat.

For mastering they are certainly a great pick, TV and Film industries live by them.

I also have used the wrong headphones in the past and it has ruined things... the noise canceling by nature modified the curve in a dynamic fashion, probably best to avoid for our application.

[checht]

I live by the Sony MDR-7506 they really are a gold standard for flat and reliable. They are a bit bright, but in a good way. I think the really high end listening headphones are not quiet as flat.

For mastering they are certainly a great pick, TV and Film industries live by them.

I also have used the wrong headphones in the past and it has ruined things... the noise canceling by nature modified the curve in a dynamic fashion, probably best to avoid for our application.

Love the 7506s, one of my go to pairs for mastering, along w a couple others.

How would noise canceling dynamically impact the sound when turned off? My use case is NC for the plane ride, but off otherwise.

[Phil Zone]

I live by the Sony MDR-7506 they really are a gold standard for flat and reliable. They are a bit bright, but in a good way. I think the really high end listening headphones are not quiet as flat.

For mastering they are certainly a great pick, TV and Film industries live by them.

I also have used the wrong headphones in the past and it has ruined things... the noise canceling by nature modified the curve in a dynamic fashion, probably best to avoid for our application.

Love the 7506s, one of my go to pairs for mastering, along w a couple others.

How would noise canceling dynamically impact the sound when turned off? My use case is NC for the plane ride, but off otherwise.

Ah, When it's off it certainly wouldn't make any difference to the sound. I would add, most NC headphones are meant for listening enjoyment though and not the most precise reproduction. That being said, there may be some serious headphones out there that are more flat. I am speaking in terms of the off the shelf Bose or Sony WH series and the likes of that, I have Sony WH-4000 and they are highly tuned with some extra bass and punchier mids. They sound great, I just wouldn't fully trust them for mastering.

Where I work around mastering we are always wired so I have little input on wireless products

[checht]

Used my Bose for the flight, arrived at my destination, and realized my host has a studio downstairs. There's 4 flavors of mastering headphones, currently using some flat AKGs.

Moral of the story, only stay with musicians!

[Chilly Brioschi]

Noise cancelling cans are not for mastering
Cans generally are not for mastering, but can be part of the process.

I always listen in my favorite Sennheisers, my car, and on my home system before I feel a recording as complete.
But I 'master' on my nearfields at the DAW.

[checht]

Concur, in general.

I'm on a 2 week trip, and need to release a few shows while on the road.

Larned abuut a possible option last night hanging in the studio with the band I'm recording: Slate headphone modeling. It allows one to listen in a series of differnt models of various studios and things like a standard car audio system, etc. https://stevenslateaudio.com/vsx

[voltronic]

For noise cancelling, I strongly prefer noise isolating IEMs instead. My Etymotic ER4XR are fantastic, even when background noise doesn't need blocking. They blow away all the noise cancelling headphones I've ever tried.

I would agree with Clem though, that you don't want to use these kinds of headphones for critical listening in post work. I alternate listening through my monitor speakers and my open-back HD650s.

[WiFiJeff]

I have used Remote Audio 7506, the weaponized version of the Sony 7506, for many years.  Rather pricey, but they keep outside noises down nicely without noise-cancelling distortions. 

[Chilly Brioschi]

I have used Remote Audio 7506, the weaponized version of the Sony 7506, for many years.  Rather pricey, but they keep outside noises down nicely without noise-cancelling distortions.

FOH is not mastering, but glad that you've mentioned these !

[Jackpine2]

I read a review of the Mark Levinson No5909 that was very positive. I decided to look on ASR to see what they said. The review was pretty mixed for a $1000 pair of headphones but the frequency response was mostly flat. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/mark-levinson-no-5909-headphone-review.35292/

[Chilly Brioschi]

Cans are funny, evey ear is shaped differently, but I do not doubt that those are awesome.
There is a spatial thing about nearfields, as well as a physical component.
It is one of the reasons that "shockwave" head sets work.

That said, I do not doubt that someone can master well on headphones, but it is not standard practice.

Why not try it a few ways, listen to your work on a few different systems and see if you hear differences from your mastering rig ?