Stereo imaging is another major issue mixing with headphones presents. The stereo field sounds markedly wider on headphones than it does on a pair of studio monitors because the left and right channels are literally sitting on each side of our head.
These are all challenges that must be considered when establishing the stereo image on headphones. Knowing and reminding yourself that headphones sound wider than monitors will help keep you from mixing narrower than usual.
A split second later, each ear hears the opposite speaker at a slightly lower volume. The left ear hears the left channel and the right ear hears the right channel, with no natural blending of the two.
Our brain notices material is missing, and we have a tendency to dislike what we hear. Again, this is a major challenge that mixing with headphones presents. There are also crossfeed plugins that artificially insert some of the signal into the opposite channel. Studio monitors perform their best in well treated environments. Doing so will minimize standing waves and early reflections that can blur an otherwise neutral response coming from your speakers. All sound being produced is directed into the ear canal which means you are able to hear more detail and minute elements of your source material will stand out.
This, combined with the intense isolation provided by the ear canal seal, is one of the biggest strengths of the in-ear monitor or earphone: running quiet. Blocking out the majority of ambient noise means you can listen at much lower volumes than other types of personal listening equipment. This may not sound very exciting, but it protects your hearing in the long run, and in the short run, prevents ear fatigue allowing you to listen more comfortably.
If you use your ears professionally, this is a huge benefit as it keeps your ears fresh and ready to work. You can read more HERE about how using in-ear monitors can protect your hearing. Earbuds are similar to in-ear monitors in they sit in the structure of the outer ear, but instead of being sealed against the in-ear canal, they are of an open construction.
This lets in more ambient noise which can be useful to stay alert in busy environments but degrades the quality of sound significantly. This is exacerbated by the fact that most earbuds are cheaply manufactured and intended to be used for casual listening, usually containing only one driver. There are exceptions to this rule, just as there are with every rule, but we recommend demoing any expensive earbud prior to purchase. This is an important step for any personal listening equipment, but in our experience, it is even more important with earbuds.
Essentially speakers mounted to a headband and by far the most ubiquitous of personal listening equipment, headphones are available from nearly every electronics manufacturer on the planet.
They come in two main varieties: open back and closed back. Closed headphones create a soft seal around or on the outer ear, blocking out much of the ambient noise, while open backed headphones create no seal allowing for greater comfort at the loss of isolation.
Their size can be cumbersome, making them less applicable for physical tasks but also allows them to contain larger drivers than earbuds or earphones. In contrast, when you listen to a track on headphones, the left and right channels are pumped directly into the corresponding ears without any left channel information going to the right ear, or vice-versa.
This makes things harder when making panning choices - moderate panning seems to barely shift sounds from the centre of your head, while hard panning can give the impression that a sound is right at the opening of your ear canal. For this reason, many headphone-produced mixes run the risk of a stereo image that appears too narrow when played back on speakers.
The difficulties faced by those having to rely solely on headphones for mixing have not gone unnoticed by pro audio software developers, to the point where plenty of software-based tools are available to help. To emulate monitor mixing properly on a pair of cans, you would somehow need to introduce some crosstalk artificially, and apps like CanOpener Studio by GoodHertz have been designed to emulate this.
In an ideal scenario, a quality pair of studio headphones with a relatively flat response should be supplementary to a set of monitor speakers, rather than a replacement for them. Invest in the best pair you can afford and get to know the sound of them so that you understand how to compensate for any quirks and foibles they might have in terms of frequency response and stereo image reproduction.
A good workflow strategy is to start your mix using your favourite pair of studio monitors, check it occasionally in your headphones for detail, tonal balance and effect placement, then use a variety of different monitors and headphones to reference your work.
These should represent a broad selection of the kinds of playback systems potentially used by listeners, including your smartphone, laptop , consumer portable bluetooth speakers, the audio system in your car and as many different sets of headphones as you can get hold of.
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