Mix Challenge

I'm having trouble finding a good balance since I'm using cheap headphones and I think the sound isn't accurate. Any suggestions on what headphones I should purchase?

Moved to Production Techniques, as this doesn't belong in the dedicated game sections

Honestly, I will say move off headphones ASAP. While some people mix in cans, I think they do more damage than good, esp to anyone without strong experience.

Simple reason: the physics of a paper/kevlar cone a meter from your head and a mylar dome right on your ears are not the same things at all. The decisions you will make on one are not the same as what you would make on the other. Now seeing your mix needs to play adequately (never perfectly - perfect is your enemy) on any speaker, it is better to make speaker based decisions.

Adequate amps & speakers are far easier to find than high-quality cans. Look around the house or on used boards for entry-level Audiophile gear that is being moved along because it has been replaced. NAD, Marantz, Yamaha Natural Sound, Rotel, Projekt, Wharfedale, Jamo...

Avoid Home Theater & 5.1 anything (that generally includes Subs) at all costs. That advertised 20,000 Watts PMPO probably translates to about 1 Watt RMS so while it will go LOUD, it will never feel loud enough. I would use a Sanyo amp from 1980 with a heavy transformer that outputs a solid 8 Watts over a modern "light" amp as it will feel more solid when listened to.

Whatever you choose, learn it really well with great material. The Alan Parsons Project "Eye In The Sky" album will teach you more about mixing than all Prodigy albums as the material is acoustic. Not being anti synth as I am a synthesis but EDM mixes are not easy to learn Balance from seeing they use too many fudges. You can learn them later but if you think they are what makes Balancing/Mixing then you are on the wrong path.

You should never monitor above a quiet - reasonable volume. If it is loud enough for your neighbors to hear (like you hear their Gears Of Gore explosions) then you are doing it wrong.

:-)

^ There is a truth there, Eye in the Sky is a great album