Sennheiser HD 202 and similar cheap Headphones (recomendatons?)

J

Jackson Miller

Well-known member
Hey guys. I am super short on cash. I was wondering how these Sennheiser HD 202s compare to the 280s. Has anybody used the 202s? Here is a link:

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-202/4505-7877_7-20656466.html?tag=mncol;lst

The 280s are up to par with the Sony 7605's apparenlty. So I am thinking of buying one pair of the 280's since I found a good deal, and then for my second pair, I was gonna cheap out a bit and get the 202's. I need two because I would like to always have two people monitoring audio or at least have the option. Isn't this a good idea? I direct, and will be behind the camera 80 percent of the time as well. I would like to monitor the same audio that my sound guy is monitoring. So I would take the cheap headphones. Are there any better options for 25-35 bucks? Can I get away with two of those and not get the 280's? I know the importance of more expensive gear, but I was just wondering about your thoughts and if you have any specific cheap reccomendations. Also, anybody tried the 280's?

Thanks. Need to purchase tomorrow or soon.
 
Entity said:
I know the importance of more expensive gear
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I think I know what you meant here, but I just wanted to point out the "expensive" and "quality" are not always one and the same, and you'll want the latter option.

I know people that use the 7506s and HD280s. It's just a personally preference in my opinion, but they do sound different from each other. If you get a chance to listen to both of them I'd recommend it.

My experience with cheaper headphones (those I haven't used the 202s specifically) has generally been that they're more fragile than the pro level cans, so you don't want to toss them around as much. That can certainly be a factor when you're directing and tossing them off and on all day in between takes to talk to crew and the actors.

What you might want to consider is grabbing 2 pairs of Sony MDR-V6 headphones (not sure if Sennheiser has a comparable option). They're the same as the 7506s, but technically non-pro, which really just amounts to not having a gold headphone jack.
 
Thanks, I was looking into those... it also seems they don't fold correct? Also, I don't really think I have time to listen to them unless maybe a best buy around me has them... hmmm. Any more opinions on this? Would pair of the sony's sound so different from the cheap senn 202's? That would be the cheapest thing for me...

And yes I know, but it is hard to get high quality stuff without spending money. And I have noticed that in the audio forum, the pros are quick to jump in and tell people that $500 isn't enough for an audio kit (which is true), but I was really just hoping to bypass all of that. Thanks a lot for your input though and like I said, I am eager to hear from others.
 
Oddly, the MDR-V6 has a wider frequency response (5Hz - 30kHz) than the MDR-7506 (10Hz - 20kHz). The 7506 added some cosmetic upgrades, and the response isn't as wide but is flat. And it's the flat response that makes them so popular for both field and studio sound. They are clean and pure... it's a much different sound when it isn't colored at all, but it can really help isolate problems when they occur. People who swear by the Sonys prefer the flat sound.

I've not heard the 202s, but I dig the 7506 cans. If you can swing one pair of those (priced the same as the HD280), then get a couple pairs of the V6 as your secondaries.
 
Entity said:
And yes I know, but it is hard to get high quality stuff without spending money. And I have noticed that in the audio forum, the pros are quick to jump in and tell people that $500 isn't enough for an audio kit (which is true), but I was really just hoping to bypass all of that.
Click to expand...

You might not want to hear it, but it's still true :)

You could perhaps look into Audio Technica's ATH-M20 or -M30. The 30's are around $40-50, and I got a pair of the 20's with some random mic bundle, I think you can get those around $30-40.

The 20's are heavy on the bass response, and they're a little tight, but I do have a freaky big head. I haven't tried the 30's or the higher end 50's, but you should be able to find them in you local music / audio shop.

I definitely prefer 7506s, there's really no contest, but the AT's aren't terrible phones.

You could also go with cheaper phones like the 202's for yourself on the camera and give the audio guy V6s or something like that.

Also, the MDR-V6 should be folding, as far as I remember.
 
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