Everyone’s mixing on headphones these days. And I get it—when I started out, I was in a shared house with paper-thin walls and no real budget for proper monitors. Headphones were practical, private, and let me obsess over every detail without annoying the neighbours. But if you’re planning on doing this professionally—or even just trying to improve your instincts—relying solely on headphones will hold you back.
There’s a reason most of the top engineers in the world still use speakers as their main reference. It’s not about being old-school or snobby—it’s because speakers give you context. They help you hear music the way most people actually experience it: out in the real world, in real spaces, through real air.
Headphones Are Great—But They’re Not the Whole Picture
This isn’t a “ditch your headphones” post. Far from it. Headphones are incredible for detail work—editing, panning, hearing reverb tails clearly. They cut out the room entirely, which is useful in a lot of ways. But they also give you a false sense of precision. The stereo image is exaggerated. There’s no room interaction. And there’s no crosstalk—so anything panned centre actually sounds quieter than it does on speakers.
That last one’s important. In headphones, your left ear only hears the left channel, and your right ear only hears the right. But with speakers, both ears hear both channels—with your head in between. That little bit of overlap—called crosstalk—changes how the stereo image feels. It also makes the centre pop more. So if your mix feels balanced in headphones, it might sound lopsided or underwhelming on speakers. And if you’ve never heard that difference, you won’t know how to fix it.
Most People Still Hear Music on Speakers
There’s also a weird assumption going around that “everyone listens on headphones now.” I don’t buy that. Sure, a lot of people do. But think about where music is actually heard:
- Cars
- Cafés, restaurants, and bars
- Gyms and supermarkets
- Bluetooth speakers at home
- TVs, laptops, venue PAs
- Even just phone speakers on the kitchen bench
In most of these environments, people aren’t locked into the sweet spot with studio-grade cans on. They’re walking around. Cooking dinner. Driving. Hanging out with friends. If your mix only works in headphones, it’s not ready.
Speakers Let You Feel the Mix
One of the biggest things you miss on headphones is the physicality of sound. That chest-thump from a kick drum, the way low-end rolls through a room, or how a vocal sits in a space instead of on top of it. Headphones can be analytical—but speakers help you mix with your gut.
They also let you step back—literally. You can walk around the room, listen from the doorway, or sit in the corner and see if the balance still holds up. You’re not fixed in the sweet spot, which is exactly how most people will experience your mix.
“But My Room Isn’t Treated”
This is a fair point. Lots of people avoid mixing on speakers because their room is untreated or sounds weird. And yeah, bad acoustics can mess with your decisions. But you don’t need a perfectly treated space to start learning. You just need consistency, and a bit of curiosity.
Use reference tracks. Mix at low volumes. Pay attention to what your mixes sound like elsewhere—the car, your phone, your mate’s Bluetooth speaker. Over time, you’ll learn how your room behaves, and you’ll adapt. That’s how most of us learned, to be honest.
Calibration Tools That Can Help
And if your room’s a real challenge, you can use speaker calibration tools to compensate. These systems help flatten your frequency response so you’re making more accurate decisions:
They’re not magic wands, but they can make a huge difference—especially when used alongside proper acoustic treatment and reference tracks.
Want the Best of Both Worlds? Try Virtual Monitoring
If you’re stuck with headphones for now, there are some great tools that simulate the experience of mixing on speakers—adding crosstalk, room ambience, and even head movement tracking to make it feel more realistic.
- CanOpener Studio by Goodhertz – free, simple, adds subtle realism to headphones
- Waves NX – emulates famous studios, supports head tracking, and lets you choose from a list of headphone profiles
- Slate VSX – full virtual studio system with matched headphones and rooms
These aren’t perfect replacements for real monitors, but they’re a big step up from straight headphone mixing—especially if your room isn’t usable yet.
Pros Use Both
The truth is, most professional mixers don’t stick to one method. They flip between big monitors, nearfields, headphones, even laptops and phones. Every system shows you something different. And the more perspectives you hear, the better your mix will translate.
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about mixing—whether you’re chasing chart-toppers or just trying to make your own music sound great—don’t skip the speakers.
Even a basic pair of monitors in a slightly dodgy room will teach you things that headphones never will. You’ll start to hear space, feel energy, and mix with more instinct. And when your track sounds great in both headphones and speakers? That’s when you know you’re getting somewhere.
So keep your headphones. But don’t forget to hit play on the monitors now and then. Your mixes (and your listeners) will thank you.