Headphones
 

I have been using the HD280 for about a year now, and they isolate very well....very comfortable, I have work them 8-10 hours in a day, but I do have small ears.....depends on the person I guess....Akg MAKES THE k271 , SUPPOSED TO BE VERY GOOD AS WELL.....also, BeyerDynamic makes some nice closed back caNS (DT-770 I think)...

I was able to do some side-by-side comparisions and the Sennheiser HD280 came out on top (now I just have to wait a week for the store to get them in stock). I also tried out the Sony 7506, BeyerDynamic DT-770, and Ultrasone 550. None of them were bad, but the HD280s, overall, seemed best for me. The only Q I have is their comfort over extended periods of time. The sales guy said though that if after a couple of days of wear they were uncomfortable to bringing'em back and they'd hook me up w/something else.



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The HD280s need a couple of long days to break in.

I bought a pair for my home studio, and vaguely remember feeling that they were too tight at first. I quickly forgot about that feeling, until...

My workplace bought a pair. When fresh from the box, they were much tighter than my home pair - until they had been worn for ten or twenty hours. Now they feel just as comfortable as the pair at home.

You might put them on a manequin or a cantaloupe or something when not in use during the first few days. Aside from that initial tight clamping pressure, I find them to be very comfortable.

Good idea about how to help break them in. I don't have a mannequin, but I do have a skeleton in the hallway (girlfriend is a pathologist's assistant).


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Remote Audio HN7506
 

Remote Audio takes a pair of Sony MDR7506 drivers and puts them in a set of sound isolating cans. I have a pair and love 'em to death.

RA's site:

http://www.remoteaudio.com/hn7506.htm


Avalible on B and H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

You might pick up Saint Saens' Danse Macabre and Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D minor to play for the old boy. He'll probably enjoy just about anything on the Theramin as well - just the thing to put some spark into the old bones! :)

Another voice weighting in on 7506's
 

I've been doing field video work with 7506's for a decade and there's a LOT to like about them. They're durable, highly efficient (need little power to generate a solid level) reasonably cheap, and so popular that it's easy to get replacement pads and replacement cords if that becomes necessary.

Having said all that I just don't consider them anywhere near "flat."

In fact to my ears they have a VERY pronounced upper midrange bump.

This is actually an excellent characteristic if you're in a field recording situation monitoring dialog or other voice based stuff in a live situation (like ENG work) but if you're using them for music recording or to proof a mix, you need to understand that they'll likely be overly bright compared to the actual source.

I love them when I'm directing, because they help me hear what my actors are saying - but I NEVER use them to listen to music or to mix anything important because they just aren't realistic.

My 2 cents anyway.

No AKG 171, please
 

I heard good things about the AKG 171 headphone but found them less than desirable. The wire spring on the headphone is non-adjustable and has so much force you can't wear them for even an hour. And while the frequency range is suppodedly flat past 20Khz, someone at AKG must have a good imagination. I can hear high-frequencies much better with my Sennheiser CX300 earbuds than the AKG headphone. But the AKGs should last forever for me... since I seldom use them :-( I suspect the best application would be for a drummer or musician working around high-dB audio for short takes.

Regards, Michael

Ernie (the skeleton) is all dolled up for the holidays (he's got on a santa hat w/black trim instead of white) so I think something a bit more season should be in order.

Now for something a bit OT:
I felt like w/the 7506's I tried out I had to turn them up louder to achieve the same level of clarity (for lack of a better term) than the other cans I demo'd. They also seemed to get "muddy" in a couple of spots on some sample program audio I brought w/me and the Senns I ended up going with did not.


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Just a quick follow up.

I've had the 280's for nearly two weeks now and I'm very happy with them. The sound quality, sound isolation, and comfort level all get a thumbs up.


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Glad to hear the Senns worked out. Enjoy!

The new Sony HD 7509 HD phones have bigger earcups than the 7506. The 7509 is more sensitive and doesn't have the sting of the 7506. (I like the sting)

Regards,

Ty Ford