Today I added a new pair of headphones to my studio setup Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO Black Edition — a decision shaped heavily by a deep dive into the Sonarworks blog. For those unfamiliar, Sonarworks creates reference calibration software designed to neutralize the coloration inherent in both studio monitors and headphones.
Rather than investing in a more expensive pair, I opted for these headphones precisely because Sonarworks promised to “flatten” their frequency response with impressive accuracy. And I have to admit — they delivered exactly that.
The sound is strikingly linear, almost to an extreme. There’s no sweetness, no hyped highs or lows, no comforting warmth. Just a brutally honest, flat representation of the audio. At first, this can feel almost unpleasant; our ears are so accustomed to listening through layers of coloration — from consumer speakers and headphones to car stereos and phone speakers.
But when you strip all of that away, you’re left with an unvarnished truth that is both fascinating and challenging. It forces you to confront every detail in your mix with ruthless clarity. There’s nowhere to hide.
I’m genuinely glad I chose this route. These headphones compel me to approach mixing differently — more thoughtfully, with greater precision and a renewed respect for balance. It’s not about making things sound “nice” in the moment, but about sculpting a mix that translates truthfully across all systems.
In a world saturated with colored sound, this kind of flatness feels like an unexpected liberation — an invitation to hear music as it really is, not just how we want it to be.
