Monitoring Headphones?

[Rick R]

"AT-MH50x...any thoughts on those"
The MH50x comes with 3 different cables: long, short and coiled plus a clam shell case. This model AT is highly regarded by Ty Ford and some other 'respectable' audio folks. Of coarse HPs are a personal preference, in terms of sound and fit comfort. And one should audition the ones in their price range. I'm partial to the Sony MDR-V6/7506... probably due to my using them for 20+ years... anything else, sounds and feels foreign.
This month's (Oct. 2015) issue Electronic Musician magazine has "A Musicians Guide to Affordable Headphones" which looks at models for engineers, musicians and DJs and should be of interest.

PS.. If one needs a longer cable, an HP extension can be employed for relatively low cost without serious degradation.

 

[henryqiu]

If you're actually shooting(not just on stix), I wouldn't recommend over the ear headphones. I don't understand why so many people shoot with a camera on their shoulder while wearing over-the-ear headphones. No offense, but whenever I see guys in the field like that I automatically think "studio guys" or "guys that don't shoot in the field full-time". I've used in-ears since the late 90's(NOT to be confused with earbuds). I started out with generic foam one's and switched to custom molded sets back in '07. I also tie into the camera with a mini "coily" cable so that I can take the camera off of my shoulder and sit it down, move it around, etc. and minimize the chance of breaking a cable. Some of my audio guys don't even wear over-the-ear headphones in the field when we're running around anymore.

How about Shure SE215? Brilliant headphones, I have them for few years now and never had any problems with them. Also it looks like they fit your description perfectly ... For the record wires do create little background noise but nothing that I can't deal with.

After reading these, finally gave the idea a shot, and bought a pair of Shure SE 215 a few days ago. It's somewhat a hassle to put them on, but in terms of sound quality, monitoring and isolation, they are indeed very good. Though not as good as my Sennheiser HD 25-I II, they are easier to carry around and attract much less attention.

Is there an wireless solution that I can monitor my h4n around the set without dragging cords and tripping fixtures? strange how noone is asking for that for shooting it's a problem I face every single shoot. So is there such thing? As affordable as possible just want to hear the conversation shooting with 50+mm lenses.

Wireless? The sound quality of the end result is unlikely better than FM radio but would have to come with the extra price and burden of a complete wireless system to only save the use of a little longer cord.

I've read a lot of good things about the AT-MH50x...any thoughts on those?

It's ATH-M50x, not AT-MH50x. It's the one that replaced the model ATH-M50, and is technically the exactly same headphone in an improved outfit. The major improvement over ATH-M50 is that cables are now detachable and even come with different lengths. But the sound quality and sound signature remain the same. ATH-M50 was one of the greatest monitoring headphones. That popularity now continues in the form of ATH-M50x.




A quick comparison based on personal experiences:


I own a pair of ATH-M50 but not ATH-M50x. They are great but not as great for monitoring purposes as Sennheiser HD 25-I II, for 2 main reasons: not as loud, by a big margin; not as lightweight for mobile use. Sennheiser HD 25-I II is better than ATH-M50 (or M50x), which by my brief experience is better than Sony MDR-7506. Sony MDR-7506 is cheap enough, durable enough, and decent enough for being a pro monitoring headphone for about everyone. Anything less than that may not live up to expectations. But there are better choices than 7506.

As for monitoring earphones, ATH-M50 feels somewhat more comfortable than Shure SE 215 (not sure about M50x in regard to comfort; probably same as M50). But Shure SE 215 feels more sensitive than ATH-M50 (or M50x for that matter), and comparing their technical specs seems to confirm that. Also, Shure SE 215 has really decent isolation, somewhat more than Sennheiser HD 25-I II, and obviously much more than ATH-M50.


If in-ear monitoring style is no issue, a pair of earphones, such as Shure SE 215, are (as already stated in the above quote) a perfect fit for all of the criteria listed by OP.


//

 

[Run&Gun]

henyqiu, the Westone UM PRO 20 in-ears are great, too. They're dual driver. I have the previous version and love them.

And I agree, I don't think I would want wireless headphones/in-ears for monitoring camera audio. If you hear a hit, dropout, etc. how do you know where it came from? Did it come from the headphones, the wireless going to the camera or if you have an audio guy and are going wireless to the bag is it the wireless going to the bag, the wireless going to the camera OR the headphones.

 

[Greg Smith]

Frank VM -- Thank you very much for mentioning the Shure SE215's. I had seen them in catalogs for years but honestly never put two and two together to think about using them for live monitoring. I bought a set and they arrived a couple of days ago. They were a little fiddly to get in my ears the first time, but once I figured out how they were supposed to fit, they were very comfortable, and I could wear them for hours. The sound is very detailed and has a great low end, and they are sensitive enough that my cameras and mixers can all drive them to a satisfyingly loud level. I can hear noise and scratches through them that I never knew was on some of my recordings. (For plain listening that might be a bad thing, but when trying to evaluate sound quality in the field, hearing the flaws is a real boon.) Every set of phones has its own distinctive sound, but overall these are as good as any full-sized cans I've used. I'll probably still wear my Sennheiser HD380's when I'm just sitting down and running a mixer -- but for run'n'gun with my head up against the side of the camera, the Shures will interfere a lot less with using the viewfinder and operating the controls. They also take up much less space in my run bag, which might save me from carrying another piece of luggage in some cases.

- Greg

 

[blueflame]

Sony MDR and ATH are not a bad choice. Or try looking further on some top list like Headphones Unboxed website for example.

 

[alohype]

Let me refresh that thread with question
Are there any good monitoring wireless headphones with wired option?