sound leakage-proof headphones...good and cheap?

[Paul R Johnson]

I've been selling Taiwan Wired Headphone. Nei Hu District Manufacturer, Exporter these for a couple of years now, and I suspect they are the Vic Firth ones - Yoga will pop whatever make and model you fancy on them.

They do sound pretty weedy - but they are VERY loud and the isolation very good - but half an hour is about my limit before your head feels squashed. VERY good too for when the noise in the room needs reducing, stopping sound going in, too.

[Jon Fairhurst]

My experience is right in line with Seth's and Jims...

The HD 280 Pro cans are tight at first but break in nicely.

I prefer around the ear designs - but this is a personal preference. On ear can work too.

The 7506s are great for the field, but the HD 280 Pros are flatter.

I haven't tried the modded 7506s, so I can't speak to those...

[Michael C. Ray]

Sennheiser HD280's......

[Josh Bass]

Wow. Didn't realize there were so many responses! Anyway, stopped by Guitar Center and got some HD280s the other day, so quest over. Thanks for the recommendations.

[Jim Andrada]

Yes, that's the problem - my head is compressed and I can't find the right codec to restore it to its original condition.

[Greg Miller]

Originally Posted by Jim Andrada

Yes, that's the problem - my head is compressed and I can't find the right codec to restore it to its original condition.

Um, Jim, hate to tell you this but it was destructive compression. Even if you find the right codec, your head will always be missing a few bits.

[Jim Andrada]

Wow - and here I've been thinking all along that it was lossless! Maybe even a forward erasure coding.

This is bad - hopefully it's Cineform or some other intellectually lossless codec. I'm pretty sure it isn't ProRes because I don't froth at the mouth when I look at a MacBook.

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

Gotta be able hear the other instruments and the beat too, though. I promise I don't have it that loud. Even at very low volume, Sony 7506s leak out quite a bit.

Wow! Josh, have you had a hearing test lately? MDR7506 don't leak unless you've got them cranked up REALLY LOUD!

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Josh Bass]

Absolutely untrue. I have it just loud enough to hear the mix and myself/acoustic guitar/whatever simultaneously, and very faintly, I hear the leakage on the soundtrack. It's not real loud, but if a vocal/other instrument is alone in the mix and for whatever reason I can't gate it (want it to ring out or whatever), you can hear those little snare hits, etc. from the leak.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Josh, let us know how the 280s compare to the 7506s.

I know that 7506s are popular for tracking for the same reason they're good for field recording - their boost cuts through the outside sounds. (But from your experience, they cut into the outside sounds as well.)

[Josh Bass]

I will put it this way. . .I have an Imac, and use Logic for recording. My monitoring level is usually between 4-6 "volume bars". Generally not very loud. I realize of course you could raise instrument/track levels for the sole purpose of monitoring loudly, and that people track at different levels, so telling you how loud I set the speaker/headphone volume may not mean much. I certainly don't think of it as cranked.

[Jim Andrada]

Have you tried something like the Etymotic in ear units?

[Josh Bass]

I just got some HD280s. Tried 'em last night, did a "fake" recording. . .I heard NO spill. NOthing. If it's in there it's so buried as to be negligible.

[Jim Andrada]

But have they compressed your head yet?

[Josh Bass]

Indeed they have! I can now fit my noggin through any orifice in a piece of children's clothing, and even the "door" on a pair of boxers.