headphone advice

[Michael Bendixen]

Can anyone spare some words on these headphones? The Sony MDR-7506 and the Sony Fantopia MDR-ex715L. The Fantopia is an inside ear type and the MDR-7506 is around the ear. Any comments on performance for monitoring audio?

Thanks

[Don Bloom]

I love my Sony's. They're very comfy for me and I can hear everything without problem. Thats good for an old guy like me.

Sony-Thats my vote (but I like the over the ear type)

Don B.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

I LOVE my 7506's. they are an industry standard for a reason. Not the best sounding, but very affordable, very common.

[Michael Bendixen]

any comment on the fanopia style. They're about $40 less expensive so that has me wondering. They've been recommended though.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Something to think about . . .
what happens when the client says, "Let me check it out"?

What happens when you say to the client,"Here, listen to this"?

I'd go with the 7506.

[Nick Reed]

The Sony 7506 is the "industry standard" but I found that they did not hold a candle to the Sennheiser HD280. Both were $99. The Sony's actually rest on your ear, the Senns go around your ear and cut out much more ambient noise. The Sony's were bright and irritating, the Senns, much more balanced and natural.

I very much disliked the Sony's and wondered how they ever became ANY kind of standard. Headphone dot com says the Senn HD280 is the best closed headphone that you can get. I was not prejudiced by the review because I read it after I had done the comparison at Ultimate Electronics.

Still, I did not buy the HD280's. I got the Sony E2, in the ear phones. They were $80 at Guitar Center. I like them because they are so small and portable. They block out a lot of ambient noise and the sound is nicely balanced (not too bright and not bass heavy). I would have gone for the E3's but they did not stock them and I felt that for audio monitoring the E2's would be sufficient. I am pleased with my purchase.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Whether you like the 7506 or not.....it's an industry standard.
They allow you to hear outside the headphone, and in a recording studio from an engineer's perspective, that's a must/need. That's just one reason, of course. Closed headphones, in ear headphones can sound better, but the industry chose a benchmark by demand, not by any other reason. The 7506 is tough, balanced, affordable, portable, great sounding, and safe in a studio and live environment. Completely closing your ear in a live shoot is foolhardy. And in a studio, where the 7506 was originally used, engineers need to be able to hear the producer and talent speaking to them, and a fully enclosed ear doesn't work there, either.
There are indeed better and lesser sounding cans out there. But the 7506 is a great benchmark tool.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

To add another perspective, consider what type shooting you are doing and how noisy the environment is. I recently went ballistic when I found that an interview I shot on location of an outdoor event with lots of ambient people noise and wind has a high pitched squeal (probably interference) under it! I was using decent quality foam headphones to monitor sound, but could not hear the high frequency noise.

Shortly after that I went out and got a pair of hard clamshell type phones that more effectively seal out the external noise.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Yup, in-ears with shooter's muffs would be great for high volume
environments, but when the client/director wants to listen to audio
you might get back more than just the buds and muffs . . . eeeeewwwww.
Personally, I would still rather hand them a set of headphones.

<<<The Sony 7506 is the "industry standard" but I found that they did not hold a candle to the Sennheiser HD280. Both were $99. The Sony's actually rest on your ear, the Senns go around your ear and cut out much more ambient noise. The Sony's were bright and irritating, the Senns, much more balanced and natural. >>>>

Do you know how efficient the HD820 are? Many times camcorders have
a pathetic little headphone amp and can't drive "normal" phones hard enough
to hear the squeals, buzzes, hums and low rumble. The Sony's are bright, which
helps us "more experienced" sound guys hear that range of freq ;|

[George Ellis]

I have been banging around on this one too. I was thinking I might have to go the fully closed way too with doing band and drum corps. I just cannot hear my audio over the noise. Or do the Sony's come through anyway?

[Jacques Mersereau]

With live drums near by, you'll want in ears (ear buds) and shooter's muffs IMO.

The transients (spikes) from drums and other percussion make it
very hard get isolation with regular headphones. The Sonys don't provide
that much attenuation as has been noted. For any kind of critical
listening in the middle of mayhem, you'll need all the isolation you can possibly get.

[George Ellis]

Thanks Jacques. I had not looked at it from that angle. That is a good idea. It will take less space in my backpack too.

[Jacques Mersereau]

The other good thing about using ear buds and shooters muffs is you
don't have to turn the buds up as loud to overcome the ambient band noise
as you would using a set of headhones.

You can do damage in either case so take care.