Headphones: Sony MDR-7506 vs 7509
 

It appears that the Sony MDR-7506 headphones are highly recommended, except that some would like the ear cups to be a little smaller, to prevent bumping into the camera.

Has anyone tried the Sony MDR-7509? These are supposed to be a step up.

I will be using these with a XL1s and/or a Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro mixer.

Any recommendations on other appropriate headphones for monitoring studio or field work would be appreciated.

Re: Headphones: Sony MDR-7506 vs 7509
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Dan Keaton : It appears that the Sony MDR-7506 headphones are highly recommended, except that some would like the ear cups to be a little smaller, to prevent bumping into the camera.-->>>

I have the 7505 and the earcups are a little smaller, but still with great sound.

The 7509's are a little larger than the MDR-7506 and at the time I bought my 7506's, they were twice the price (I got 7506's on sale for $89.95). They have better audio quality, but not twice as good. If I did more studio work I would consider them. However, I'd hate to trash a $200 pair of headphones.

Dear Jeff and Wayne,

Thank you for the information. I hope to find the units on sale. The 7506 is still $89.95 (at B&H) and the 7509 is twice as much.

If one were willing to spend the money for the 7509, should others be considered? I am very partial to Sennheiser, since I like the quality of their equipment, but I have no experience with their headphones.

Save your money, Dan, and get either the 7506 or the 7505. The reason I like the smaller 7505, is with the smaller ear cups I can still hear a bit of the world around me, which I feel is necessary for safety and other considerations when I am shooting and doing the sound as well. If I was an audio engineer who never left the confines of a studio, I would probably choose differently, but for out in the real world, the 7505 are great. But the 7506 are the headsets of choice of many pro audio people.

Dear Wayne,

Thats interesting, I never thought of it as a safety issue.

I will take your advice under consideration.

I own both the 7506 and the 7509's and they are very similar in size and shape but when you listen to them side by side you can definitely hear the difference. The dynamic range of the 7509 (5Hz-30kHz) is much better than the 7506 (10Hz-20kHz) and the audio quality just sounds so much more accurate. Of course the range of the headphones (7509) far exceeds both the range of most microphones and some people's hearing abilities so it isn't too much sweat. I actually bought the 7509's for monitoring the music I compose on my Roland Fantom at night when my girlfriend yells at me for playing too loudly, I also have a set of MDR-V600's. (older Sony's) for my camera monitoring backup set. The monitoring circut in the PD-150 is so poor it seems a waste to use a $260 set of headphones to listen to all that static in the camera when a $75 pair will work just as well.
Over at B&H they list all 3 pairs as follows and for the money I would buy the V600's again for the camera. (I was actually unlucky enough to buy all 3 of mine at music retailers and thus paid way too much for them)

MDR-V600 (5Hz-30kHz) $74.95
MDR-7506 (10Hz-20kHz) $89.95
MDR-7509 (5Hz-30kHz) $179.95

p.s. as for hearing your surroundings you can either listen through the video or uncover one ear, I prefer a pair of headphones that fit well and won't be to loose and fall off when I move around and bend down or won't be to tight and give me a headache after 12 hours of shooting. The Sony's have always fit me well which is why I still buy them.

Dear Rhett,

Thanks for the great comparison and advice.

This is a great forum!

Anyone tried the better earbuds? Would solve the problem of cans getting in the way of the camcorder.

I use the MDR-V600, but they have a rather large can and a 10' long cord which is a mixed belssing. Sound good though.

For comfort when using earphones to edit, I like the MDR-605LP, an open air design that is light and comfortable for long sessons, and decent sound for the price (under $50). The open air lets in ambinet sounds too (can usually hear the phone ring and wife call).