Headphone recommendations...

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Dave Draper

Well-known member
Bitten the bullet on a ZOOM F4, and would now like to invest in a proper set of headphones for monitoring audio in the field.

Most seem to recommend the Sony MDR-7506, but others complain that they are fragile and have some serious design flaws, resulting in torn cables / connection issues, causing them to stop working after only a few months of use.

What are your recommendations and why?
 
I have Sony 7506 and sennheiser HD 25 mk 2.

Both have their uses and very different sounds but I have lots of the sony's but just a couple of the sennheiser as they are a lot more expensive.
 
I've never read or heard of the Sony MDR-7506/ MDRV6 as being 'fragile'. It doesn't have a detachable cable if that's a 'Design flaw'. I've been using the 7506 / V6 for 20+ years and have put them through all kinds of abuse.. catastrophic damage can happen though, like being run over I bought a set of the popular Sennheiser HD280, but could not get used to the fit and sound after using the Sonys for so long. Audition as many of the popular field production HPs as you can, and judge by the fit and sound you prefer. Search this and other location sound forums, there are lots of opinions (and choices as well).
PS- I also use the Garfield Softie covers, which are 'warm in the winter / cool in the summer' as well as extending the life of the originals and keeps them from falling off in a rough usage.
PPS- The V6 is the lower cost 'consumer' version the 7506, but for all intents and purposes is identical in sound and build.. The only 'significant' difference is the label and the silver (vs. gold) plug.
 
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I'm in the MDR-7506 camp. Been using them for around 20 years. I own and have owned a bunch of them. They seem to hold up fairly well, imo. I can't recall any failures...other than one that got run over by a truck, and another that had the cable yanked out by a knucklehead (no, not me...another knucklehead); no cans would have survived either, I think. No real issues with cable problems, though I would prefer a straight cable to the curly cable. Some people replace the curly cable with a straight one; I may one of these days, but haven't been bugged enough to bother...I just cram the excess into my sound bag.

Pretty flat through the key spoken word frequencies. They are kind of bright starting around 2K and esp heading towards 10K or so. Seem to slightly emphasize handling, sibilance, and other noises that I don't want on my tracks...I find that a good thing; it makes me extra aware of noises that I should minimize or eliminate. If a track sounds good and fairly quiet on 7506s, then it's going to sound good to post. I find the 7506 to be slightly fatiguing after a long day of listening...but I think that's true of most cans (not that I spend much time with models other than the 7506). And they're available for under $100 (though buy from a reputable dealer...there were/are some counterfeit units out there). I'm not really in a hurry to switch. BTW- I'm talking about recording dialog...not for mixing music.

I have PSC Garfield headphone softies on most of my 7506s...nice in both warm/sweaty and cold/cold weather. I guess that eliminates/minimizes the pads from wearing out (an issue, but not a huge one for me)...And the colors help me quickly identify my cans and the ones I sometimes loan out (vs everyone else's). To say nothing of improving my sartorial elegance.
http://www.professionalsound.com/specs/garfield.htm

I find the 7506 to be slightly fatiguing after a long day of listening...but I think that's true of most cans (not that I spend much time with models other than the 7506). Ya, the HF boost probably contributes to that. And yes, I keep my levels as low as workable.

Some mixers like the MDR-7509 that has a larger earpiece. Some like the Sennheiser HD25 and HD280 (both nice). And some people Audio-Technica models; I think the M50 is the most common. Comes with three different detachable cables...so there's a shorter straight cable that's good for sound bag use, and a couple longer ones. That's a nice feature, I think:
http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/99aff89488ddd6b1/index.html

But for all that, I haven't been motivated to switch away from my 7506. I'm used to them, they're common, and they help me get a good mix. Sure, I'd probably say the same if I used something else once I was used to it. But there you go.

Great tracks can be recorded with all these cans...Maybe drop by a local dealer and see which feels most comfortable and stable (when you move your head) to you?
 
I've settled on the Sennheiser HD25 II aluminum and the HD380. I just couldn't get enough background noise attenuation from the 7506. The HD 25 I use on documentary shoots where I might need to offset a cup from one ear in order to hear the producer/director and the HD380's I use for best sound and background attenuation.
 
I used to use the Sony MDR-7506, and it's certainly a testament to their design that 25 years after they were introduced these are still pretty much the industry standard. But a few years back I needed a set of cans and picked up a Sennheiser HD280. I find them more comfortable both physically as well as sonically over a long day. There's something about the way the ear pads fit and how the high frequencies aren't overly bright that reduces fatigue for me. In fact when flying I like my noise-cancelling headphones for short flights but prefer the HD280 set for long hauls because of the fatigue.YMMV, but I really like the HD280 cans for dialog recording.
 
I like/liked the Sony 7509's, I have two pair, but Sony stopped making them. They do have a new version, but they don't fold-up, which may not be a big deal to some, but for field use, it's a necessity in my opinion. Some of my audio guys prefer in-ear monitors, as opposed to traditional over-the-ear headphones.

When it came time several years ago to buy a new pair of headphones for my, then new, 664 bag set-up, I went with Ultrasone PRO 900's. But they are $$$(unless you luck up and find them on a screaming deal on Amazon like I did. It was so good, that's why I bought them over the model the audio guy recommended). I went for these after one of my audio guys recommended Ultrasones. He used them in his bag, but a much less expensive pair. I don't remember the model he used, but they were well under $200, at the time.
 
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My experience is exactly the same as @Mitch Gross. I had/have at least 6~8 pair of Sony MDR-7506. But I recently got a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 just to see what all the shouting was about. I have been a Sony fan-boy essentially since I was a boy. But the Senn 280 beat the Sony in every way except the bulk and portability. But then they appear to be significantly more rugged in addition to better performance.
 
I bought the Senn HD280 pro six years ago and paid $78 (I checked my order on Amazon - funny how they keep records of your purchases - for me, my records go all the way to 1999!). I have used them occassionally, but the problem for me is that they are too enveloping and my ears get hot, unlike the Sony MDR V6. So I use the Sony's a lot more while the Senn mostly sit in a drawer. As a matter of fact, I bought 2 more MDR V6 when they were running a sale $50 for each.

I think it's pretty individual. The key from my point of view is to get to know your favorite headphones, that way you know what you are getting when you are monitoring sound - if they tend to emphasize a certain frequency or whatnot.

I personally use Tascam 70D for now - though I am thinking of getting the Zoom F4. The thing about the Tascam though, is that I found it best to add a headphone amp in the chain, as the amp in the Tascam is slightly underpowered for my taste. I use this as an amp: Superlux HA3D (which I have since learned, sadly is a ripoff of a SD headphone amp - I had no idea at the time, also, well, B&H are selling it). But in any case, a headphone amp might also be a small consideration when picking headphones in case you need it.
 
GaryNattrass said:
I have Sony 7506 and sennheiser HD 25 mk 2.

Both have their uses and very different sounds.
Click to expand...

Exactly this.

Used both the 7506 and the Sennheiser HD 25 II headphones. Almost always take both sets to a shoot and have both on cameras and a mixer. Usually default to the Senn HD 25 mark II to the mixer and the 7506s on the cameras. The 7506s are the equivalent of the Yamaha NS10s to the headphone world. They give a neutral sound that shows the flaws in the sound. The Sennheisers are pleasing but don't color the sound too much although they have a decent bass sound which could distort the mix if your destination mix will be on crappy speakers.

The Sennheisers clamp on the head more, so you have to move them around a bit, if you are doing an all day mix/shoot with them but the sound is WAAAY better than the 7506s by a magnitude of several times.

The long cord on the 7506 phones can be a blessing for a camera operator or a curse beyond belief. Depends on the application and you WON'T know until you are on set. Have both.

Location sound people are pretty much divided on them. Again it depends on the circumstance when you are bagging it with a mixer.

I usually end of going towards the Sennheisers but the ones I mentioned, the HD 25 mark II and not the HD 280s which compared to the HD 25 IIs are more designed for use with a stereo system when you want to get that pleasing engineered sound in your living room at the end of the day but not as a mixing tool on set although in a pinch they will do just fine.
 
Glad to see others recommending the sennheiser 280. I bought a set over a year ago and needed another set recently. I didn't know a better one to get so I ordered another 280 about a week ago. I'm not very knowledgeable about headphones but they work well for me so I'm glad to hear some more knowledgeable people recommending them :)
 
I have both the Sony MDR-7506 and the audio-technica ATH-M50x. I prefer the AT M50x - they isolate better the environment noise, sit more comfortably on the head/ears and hence less fatiguing in a long use, have better sound quality and have detachable cord. I didn't use the Sennheiser HD 25 MK 2, so I cannot compare.
 
Sen and Sony seem to be the only ones I see in regular use. I have a pair of MDR-7506's that I bought 1995 that are still going strong and they are in the field constantly, so not sure who would think they are "fragile" and I would question that persons handling of gear.
 
You must deal with more professional people than I do. You would be amazed at how people bend and twist the 7506 into unimaginable contortions just trying to unfold them. I have more than one pair that are bent beyond repair. One of them looks like someone stepped on it. And a couple where the coil-cord has just devolved into a twisty Gordian Knot. Yet others where the coil-cord is in excellent condition.

Furthermore, even if it weren't for the mechanical aspects I have proof that they degrade over time. I have pairs that look exactly the same and sound like completely different makes and models. I'm getting to the point where I don't trust them anymore.

It may be possible that the ones that fared badly may have been counterfeit. But I have never seen any information about how to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit.
 
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