Best Headphones ?

dasher

dasher

Well-known member
I'm going to direct an entire feature on the HVX early next year and wanted to buy a pair of headphones that are a bit above the Radio Shack Foam ear ones that I use with my fake ipod. I probably have about 150 - 175 in the budget for a pair right now.

I take sound extremely seriously as I've programmed 3 film festivals and have watched countless features that could not make the final cut due to lack of attention within that realm.

I myself will likely hire out a sound crew (with my gear) but too many times I notice directors not putting headphones on during the scenes.
 
Yamaha RH-5Ma is the pair I like best (most natural sounding, almost Grado quality) and they're only 50 bucks -- & they're comfortable so I can wear them for hours ... and oh, btw, they sound better than the industry standard.
 
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The industry standard is the Sony MDR-7506 for about $100. And you are correct in thinking that sound is probably more than 50% of the movie... It SELLS the pictures. Also keep in mind, most of that sound is "made" in the editing suite.
 
Sony's MDR-7506 are one of a few models that can be considered 'industry standard' and probably the single most recommended piece of gear on this board. They'll set you back about $100.
 
Yup, MDR-7506 are standard.

And remember that finding / keeping the location dead silent is extremely important though.

And if you're directing though and care about audio, try to hire the best boom op and sound mixer that you can. A good boom op keeps the mic much closer and saves time (less drops into frame during takes) compared to less experienced ops. It's a mixer's job to listen closely for good levels and notice any noise that the mic picks up. Sometimes you need to have these people be one and the same, but they're almost always better at one than the other.

It's definitely helpful to listen to this audio through headphones while directing, but your concentration should be on the actors. Having a dedicated mixer gives you a good safety net. And the best help you can be is back the mixer up should he have problems getting something quiet (i.e. convincing the DP to move a generator further away, turning a car off, enforcing cell phone ringing policies, ect...). Also good to have your mixer come with you on location tech scouts.
 
Definitely appreciate the advice. Will probably likely go with the Sony's and get a pair of Grado SR 60s as a back up.

Couldn't agree to the advice on hiring (yes budgeting money and feeding someone well) a boom op and sound mixer.

The picture is going to be dialogue heavy and involve some tricky accents... so every penny counts in production.

I'm such a sound nut that I look at flight patterns (you can talk to a person at a city hall to see about this) for days that I'm shooting. The earlier days I spent out in california, i had a lot of friends that filmed too close to airports.
 
Sony MDR-7506 are standard, yes, I have those and they are good and you can not go wrong with those.

But I like the new Audio-Technica ATH-M50 cans better. They just might be on the way of becoming the next "standard"...
 
How about the Grado SR80's? For 100 bucks. Anybody know how they compare to the sonys? I can't decide between the sonys and the Grados. I do know that everyone says Grados sound frikin excellent.

Is it a good thing to have all of your headphones on set match? So that everyone hears the audio the same way? Or is that trivial?

Thanks.
 
If you can get a good deal on the Sennheiser HD 25 (model with the split headband) then I'd second that suggestion. They have more isolation then the 7506 even though the ear cups are smaller. At least one place lists these available for under $100... but I'd like to hear that somebody had a good experience in getting them for that price... and from what seller. The problem with the HD 25 is that they're usually close to $200.

After that... I'm leaning towards the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro over the Sony 7506. Several people suggested the 280 in the same threads where I was bragging up the 7506 so I bought a pair when I saw a good price (Newegg had a special deal, $65)...

My only gripe about the 280 is they don't fold down like the 7506 does. The 280 is a commitment of space in your soundbag... still, I find myself making space for them because of the extra isolation over the 7506. The difference in isolation is significant, and gives me a little more confidence in my location sound.

Finally... the 7506 is still an excellent choice... and it really IS the industry standard in the USA. If you watch the BTS on ANY DVD... look at the cans on ANYBODY'S head... they will be 7506. I see them ALL the time... everywhere. The 7506 also folds down to very very small... and they sound great... and they're very comfortable. (On my head the 7506 is more comfortable then the 280... so I enjoy using them even for casual listening.)

Summary... HD 25 (if you can get a deal)... HD 280 (if you don't mind the big, bulky fit and style)... 7506 (if you want the USA industry standard in a comfortable headphone that folds down small, but doesn't provide as much isolation as the other two.)
 
MattinSTL said:
If you can get a good deal on the Sennheiser HD 25 (model with the split headband) then I'd second that suggestion. They have more isolation then the 7506 even though the ear cups are smaller. At least one place lists these available for under $100... but I'd like to hear that somebody had a good experience in getting them for that price... and from what seller. The problem with the HD 25 is that they're usually close to $200.

After that... I'm leaning towards the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro over the Sony 7506. Several people suggested the 280 in the same threads where I was bragging up the 7506 so I bought a pair when I saw a good price (Newegg had a special deal, $65)...

My only gripe about the 280 is they don't fold down like the 7506 does. The 280 is a commitment of space in your soundbag... still, I find myself making space for them because of the extra isolation over the 7506. The difference in isolation is significant, and gives me a little more confidence in my location sound.

Finally... the 7506 is still an excellent choice... and it really IS the industry standard in the USA. If you watch the BTS on ANY DVD... look at the cans on ANYBODY'S head... they will be 7506. I see them ALL the time... everywhere. The 7506 also folds down to very very small... and they sound great... and they're very comfortable. (On my head the 7506 is more comfortable then the 280... so I enjoy using them even for casual listening.)

Summary... HD 25 (if you can get a deal)... HD 280 (if you don't mind the big, bulky fit and style)... 7506 (if you want the USA industry standard in a comfortable headphone that folds down small, but doesn't provide as much isolation as the other two.)
Click to expand...

Personally, I absolutely love my HD 280 Pro's and they were well worth the price I paid, $56 on ebay and they are in pretty much new condition. The bulk of them doesn't bother me too much but it might for some people.
 
Remember to hire a qualified mixer/recordist and boom op. Understand that quality is something you pay for. Don't even think about skimping on your audio line items. Quality In = Quality out.

I am amazed at the requests I am receiving from all over to provide mixing/recording/boom op services for.... you guessed it $0.00. OK, so I've invested about $25K into my sound kit. I provide quality services to my paying clients. How can they expect me to provide quality for nothing?

I do a fiar amount of pro bono stuff for students and newbies in the off season. During the prime production season from June to November, I am loath to even reply to requests from folks who aren't even budgeted to replace my AA batteries!!!
 
I also own and use the Sennheiser 280s. I really appreciate the significant isolation they give. You really know what's coming in your ears is from the mics, and not masked by ambient sound. They are big, but the do fold up somewhat -- the ear cups fold up into the headband. At home I have the Grado 60s, which sound excellent, but offer no isolation at all. I wouldn't use them on a shoot, but I enjoy them for music, and for some audio work at home.
 
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