Sennheiser HD 202 II & 201 headphone Question

[Robert Lee]

Hi guys:

Was looking to get people's opinion of these 2 types of headphones, as use for remote shoots (documentaries, music performance, interview) with the Sony NX5U camera?

Do you find it get's the job done in monitoring audio levels, or you do feel there are others that are better?

Thanks!

Robert

[Brian P. Reynolds]

A radio station that I occasionally do work for uses the HD202 and over the years I have detested those headphones...
The cords going to each ear is annoying, the ear cups come off the headband when they become a little older and in a hurry you often put them on backwards.

If your looking to buy head phones for video work.... they should be closed ear, and make sure you can put them on one handed without looking at them as most times the other hand and eyes are being used for the camera etc.

I do like Sennheiser gear and own several pairs of HD280 (and love them). I'm a location sound guy and the isolation is brilliant but they may not be good as camera operator head phones tho.

I bought a pair of "cheepies" from a discount store for less than $20 and people that use them love the sound, they get dropped, thrown in the car, things put on them.... but they are robust and just work well. Remember your just using headphones for monitoring, not setting equalisers or mixing with them.

[Robert Lee]

Thanks Brian:

The past few weeks I've seen sites like Amazon selling the 201 headphones in the 15 to $20 range, and
just recently they're selling the 202 for 18 (70% off the retail price) which surprised me, for I was looking it for at least the basic (audio monitoring) for my vid cams.

I suspect that either they're coming off with better ones and surmise if I was going to get a cheapies
for something durable to do the basic I couldn't go wrong with that..

Robert

[Brian P. Reynolds]

Headphones like the Sennheiser HD 215-II would be better than the ones you mentioned (but I have never actually tried them), they would tick all the boxes for video camera headphones, single sided coiled cord, ear pad can be folded back to hear things around you as well (if needed), look robust in design. I dare say there would be others similar from other manufactures. Just a suggestion.......

[Andrew Smith]

I own a pair of Sennheiser HD250 Linear 2 headphones and absolutely love them.

However ...

The distributor in Australia has taken the slightly odd position of letting the retail shops sell the headphones but the end user has to go back to the distributor for spare parts such as replacement cables and ear pads. Make sure you are sitting down for this:

A replacement cable and connector for a HD250 (and equivalent units) is yours for $87. Yes, the cable.

Whereas I can purchase a replacement cable direct from the USA site for $20. And if there is any issues with making a purchase from Australia then I just get a friend in the USA to intermediary for me.

Moral of the story? Check the price of replacement parts before you purchase a Sennheiser. Nothing worse than facing up to being gouged by the sole supplier of parts for your country just so that you can keep your $400 headphones going.

Andrew

[Andrew Smith]

Good news! :-P

I phoned the Australian distributor myself and the price is only $42 plus $10 for delivery. Total of $52 for a headphone cable.

(Think of it as half the price of a Zoom H1 audio recorder.)

I think I'll still be purchasing from the USA store. Crazy not to.

Andrew