I'm looking for a pair of headphones I can use to monitor the audio on my camcorder (Canon XA20) or my external recorder (Tascam DR-44WL). I would like the set to be around the ear (for extra noise isolation) and closed back (for the same reason).

A model that I see recommended often is the Sennheiser HD-25 (closed back but on ear).

Another model I often see recommended is the Sennheiser HD-588 (around ear but open back)

The one model I've found so far with both close back and around ear is the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, but it's marketed as entry level.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for an around-ear, closed-back headphones in the $120-$200 range? I like Sennheiser but I'm open to other options.

Sony 7506 is considered by some to be a "standard", I have found them very satisfactory.

The Senn 280 is far from entry level, truly a great set of phones when you're looking for even response and good isolation. Of course to accomplish this they are a bit bigger than most.

I regularly use the Sony MDR-7506 and the Sennheiser HD280 Pro. The Sonys are indeed one of the industry standards for dialog as Battle wrote. Kind of a best-balance approach for the spoken word, with pretty good on-the-ear isolation, not too big, not too small, with a mid-range bump in response, so you can really hear what's going on with dialog.

The Senn always come out for music or for isolation. They're outstanding, with flat response across the spectrum. I've taken to using them for dialog, too, though the larger size can be a hassle, and they definitely keep your ears warm!

I think of these as the two industry standards, with many more people going for the Sony, but the 280s have a substantial following as well. That either of these will cost you $100 is one of the great bargains in pro sound, and there aren't many such! I highly recommend both, but currently use the 280s mostly.

I have the Sennheiser HD25 and 26 but seem to always come back to the Sony MDR 7506 as I have tended to use them or the MDR V6 over the past 30 years!

They are comfortable, sound good and don't break the bank, I also tend to prefer them for music listening too.

Thank you for the recommendations and the extra info on the Senn 280 Pro. I haven't been able to get my hands on any of these models so far, so my comment on "entry level" was based only on reviews and discussion boards.

For those who have used the Senn 280 Pro, any issues with the cable (where the cable meets the cup)? I understand these cables are not user-replaceable as in other models.

Headphones are generally a personal choice of sound and comfort. Audition as many of the popular pro field sound HPs mentioned (if possible). FWIW, I've been using the Sony MDR 7506/V6 since 1990. I recently tried the HD280, but the sound and fit was 'foreign' after using the Sonys for so long. Search here and other field sound discussion groups for some other possible contenders...

After my HD280's went missing a couple of years ago, I replaced them with a pair of Sennheiser HD380PRO headphones. I wouldn't want to go back to the clunky 280's. The sound is very similar, maybe just a touch better low and high end in the 380s, but the HD380 earcups are much smaller and the whole headphone folds up neatly into a small hard case that comes with it. They are much easier to use when operating a camera since they allow me to get my head closer to the viewfinder and the side of the camera, and I think they're more comfortable for long wear. All in all, much more practical for use in the field. I have heard some people complain that all the Sennheisers are tight and uncomfortable if you have a larger than average head. Not a problem for me (I've been accused of having a big head, but not in the physical sense), but it's something to be aware of.

I also have a pair of Sony 7506s which are good for basic interviews and such, but have a rougher sound to me than the Sennheisers. I wouldn't choose them for listening to music at home.

For real run'n'gun work, my favorite is a pair of Shure SE215 in-the-ear phones that are super compact to carry and totally unobtrusive when in use. I think the sound quality is every bit as good as the Sony cans, although the very different feel of them certainly takes some getting used to.

- Greg

I have and use both the HD 280's and the 7506's. I find that the HD 280's have better isolation so those are my go to for location work. Also the small exposed wire on the 7506's can get caught on something and break. both are affordable and used by a lot of professional sound crews.

+1 for the 280 Pro.

Someone recommended the Sonys to me long ago, and I used them for a while, thinking that they must be "the accepted standard." Maybe they were. Certainly they're good for monitoring dialog recording.

But when I listened to some commercially recorded vocals, I was shocked. For example, Judy Collins, instead of sounding golden-voiced, sounded like a strident harpy. Other source material was just as revealing. The Sonys have a pronounced midrange (maybe upper mid-) boost.

Somehow I found the 280 Pro, and I've never gone back. To my ear they have a much flatter (and therefore more pleasing) response. They also have better isolation. I've been using the same pair now for at least ten years. The headband is augmented with gaffer tape. But I've never had a problem with the cable or connector.

If you are only recording dialog, and want phones that put everything "right in your face" (which will, admittedly, help you hear unwanted noise), then perhaps the Sonys are for you. But for a more realistic tonal balance, and better isolation, you can't go wrong with the 280s. (Disclaimer: I have not tried the 380s ... perhaps I'd like them even better.)

I always use DT100s for isolation - have done for years, but they're too big for use next to the camera and the protrusions can scratch them! However, since I've been using in-ear monitors for my band, I've started using these for all sorts. I've got custom moulds which work really well, and they're so much more comfy that big over-the-ear types. I also have a couple of pairs of Shure SE215s and with their soft fittings these also work brilliantly with cameras. Can't praise them enough. My ears (which are quite big) now seem very sensitive to pressure - like from my old HD25s, and they're quite painful - and like my DT100s, stick out quite a way from your head.

+1 for the 280 Pro, Love mine! When shooting in noisy environments that outstanding isolation can save you.

But, I too use them in combination with Shure in ear buds (don't remember model but ran me around $100.00) when shooting inside. I am often shooting and directing interviews or such. All critical listening takes place with the 280s. Having good buds means I am monitoring audio at ALL times. Even when the 280s would get in the way of communicating with the talent.

A pair of 280s and a pair of GOOD buds would put you right in your $200.00 range. I must admit my "big head" side of me laughs every time I see a so called pro monitoring with his I-phone plugs ;-)

Steve

I think the 7506s are the industry standard. . .pretty much most location sound guys I've met use them. They probably ARE harsh. . .I think that's deliberate so you can hear dialogue better. . .they've likely got a peak where vocal frequencies live, and they're meant to exacerbate problems so they don't go unnoticed.

I have the 280 pros AND the 380s. I've used the 280s some but after trying the 380s use them more. . .I think they are more comfortable and they have a "3D" quality to the sound, in my opinion. I don't know how to explain it. . .when you listen to them it's more like you're sitting in front of nice near field monitors than listening to headphones. You can hear "depth" in mixed sounds like music. Plus you can actually hear/feel the bass in music. . .my 280s don't seem to do that.

Sony 7506 is considered by some to be a "standard", I have found them very satisfactory.
This.

For field work you don't need high end headphones. You listen for major issues ie clipping, bad connection, wind noise, etc. You use good headphones for studio work.

I will say I like the isolation of some of the sturdier ones even for field work. . .can be hard to tell if you're hearing that barking dog through your headphones or THROUGH your headphones, if you know what I mean. . .

This.

For field work you don't need high end headphones. You listen for major issues ie clipping, bad connection, wind noise, etc. You use good headphones for studio work.

Yes, agree most location recording you can't change a lot apart from problem solving, so literally any h/phones will suffice (there are acceptions tho) I have even used the cheap 'airline' phones on a couple of occasions.

You need good ones if you start tweeking the eq of the signal......

I use the sennheiser HD25, they're great field monitors, but they do get uncomfortable when wearing for longer periods. They make your ears hurt!

I use Sennheiser HD7's for other stuff. Very comfortable but expensive. They're not ideal though as they put some punch into the bass. But I use them for listening to music too!

I've used my HD 25's for about 20 years and , for field work , wouldn't use anything else - I still also have HD 414 and 424 headphones for use at home .

The main feature of the HD25 is that , as a professional product , all the component parts can be replaced and are still readily available - I just changed the ear muffs on mine a couple of months ago .

For over ear monitoring , the Beyer Dynamic DT 108/109 were the standard units

For field work you don't need high end headphones. You listen for major issues ie clipping, bad connection, wind noise, etc. You use good headphones for studio work.

That's what I was thinking. I want to hear any hissing, any ambience noise (if the gain is too high, for instance), anything that I can fix by dialing in my sound recorder properly. After all, even if the audio is fuller, richer, etc., through headphone A compared to headphone B, the recorder itself may not capture those nuances necessarily. But hissing, wind noise, clipping, etc, will be present everywhere (headphones and recorder).

That's what I was thinking. I want to hear any hissing, any ambience noise (if the gain is too high, for instance), anything that I can fix by dialing in my sound recorder properly. After all, even if the audio is fuller, richer, etc., through headphone A compared to headphone B, the recorder itself may not capture those nuances necessarily. But hissing, wind noise, clipping, etc, will be present everywhere (headphones and recorder).
That's an incomplete picture of monitoring in the field.

Fuller and richer is for listening to one's favorite music at home, can you feel the bass, do the cymbals shimmer...? The recorders are more than capable of capturing more nuance than an unfaithful headphone reveals.

A pair of consumer ear buds may overstate bass, or may leave it out. They may make upper-mids and highs super crispy. Any of these are monitoring problems that may lead you to make bad decisions in the field.

To add to Pete's list: phones should also reveal low-frequency noise that comes from HVAC systems and traffic.

Using one of the standards consistently over time will serve you well. You'll develop experience of how they perform, you'll better know what you're hearing means to the recording and what it means to audio post.

"Good headphones are for studio use..." may leave the wrong impression. There are many definitions of "Good" for different uses. Music consumer goodness doesn't belong anywhere in our workflows. For reference monitoring we're concerned with faithfulness. Even a faithful headphone has limited use in post sound for video, most of our work needs to be done with reference monitors.

the recorder itself may not capture those nuances necessarily.

I have to take exception to that. I would say that today's $100 digital recorder is capable of better accuracy and "nuance" than today's $100 headphone. For a given price, transducers are always more colored and less "inaudible" than the electronics. And today's electronics are amazingly good. If you can hear it on your $100 phones, your $100 recorder can surely capture it ... and maybe a few things you did not hear.

Mr. Rosenbaum makes a good point about LF noise. If your phones have an artificially boosted midrange, you might keep the playback gain relatively low to avoid painfully loud levels at your ear. And that low playback gain, coupled with the headphones' response curve, might keep you from hearing that rumble.

You aren't listening to an SACD playback, and you don't need to tell the difference between Alchemy and Zildjian, but you do want a full frequency range. And -- IMHO at least -- fairly flat response.

Agree with Seth and Greg 100%

This is what I am doing right now. I am editing clips sent to me by a client. He is out of state so I do his big important shoots but he also has two young men that are on his staff shoot testimonials on a regular basis. I am essentially editing amateur footage and it is a frustrating mess.

Even though I have four different monitoring systems hooked up to my editing system (why is for a different discussion) I put the HD 280s on a few minutes ago to help me concentrate on finding some problem frequencies. What I found was surprising. There is a very nasty clicking sound and I was not sure what it was. Once I isolated it by selecting it using a Spectral Frequency Analyzer I am now sure there was a rattle in the air handling system. They were on a cruse ship. Everything is metal, this rattle is probably in the duct work. As audio guys we are trained to be aware of such things. But the untrained ear is not. In the natural world our brain filters out background noises and we don't pay attention to them. The noise had to be very obvious in the room but the guys probably didn't even notice it. However, I am convinced that if they would have put headphones on to check their audio they would have heard how pronounced the noise was and would have done something about it.. That is not the only problem. Again, by selecting frequencies I found a very low end rumble that was not HVAC. I can hear the ships engines rumbling. The engine noise is easy to notch out without damaging the vocals. The rattle on the other hand is devastating, it is in the 1K to 2.5K range. All of this can be heard on the HD280s. If I would have been there I would have dealt with the rattle. In my opinion field audio does require critical listening and constant monitoring of all frequencies.

Kind Regards,

Steve

I've recorded dialog outdoors with a long shotgun where two of us were monitoring with HD-280 Pros. The people monitoring would say, "car coming" just before we were ready to do a take. Everybody else would be like, "Wha?" and a few seconds later they would hear the vehicle approaching. Happened all day long. We'd hear dogs, chickens, and aircraft that others wouldn't notice. The tough part is knowing what background sounds are acceptable and which cross the line. If you're too picky, you'll never hit record...

So that's the thing. Field recording isn't about hearing what you want to record. It's about hearing what you don't want to record. (Okay, you want to hear that there's a signal and that it's not clipping or too low, so you do want to hear the intended source to some degree. But it's the problems that you want to eliminate.)

Unfortunately, I found that there are a few plastic parts in the headband that are brittle. It's where the adjustment sliders meat the band. Some small bits fell off. They still sound great and are wearable, but they aren't secure on the head they way they used to be. I replaced them with 7506s for the sake of variety. The 7506s are lighter and a bit more comfortable. They sound a bit "prettier" to my ears as well, while the HD-280s sound a bit more flat and clinical. When mixing, I'd reach for my beat up Senns for sure. I haven't done much field work lately, so I have yet to use the Sonys during a shoot, but I have no doubt that they'd work well. And I don't know that they'd be more or less robust than my abused HD-280s.

At about $100, you can't go too wrong with either one. When you compare that price to a nice pair of studio monitors, headphones are an amazing bargain.

One other note: For recording at trade shows, I don't use either pair. I use earbuds, generally with one in the ear and the other out. That makes me more accessible to talk with people and more aware of my environment. It's simply more comfortable and less isolating. The downside has been that it's harder to hear clipping with the earbuds - for me anyway. Then again, it's loud at trade shows. It might be tough to hear clipping even with cans. Maybe I just need to crank up the monitor output gain...

Jon,

Noisy environments like trade shows are where isolation shines. At least for setting your levels. You can make sure your signal is strong enough not to be blended in with the background noise. But I know you know that....just saying.....

Good ear buds can be awesome. Sometimes I have to be at a tech table for many hours. I have to have clearcom in one ear and an audio record monitor in the other. Instead of being a Bozo the clown with two headsets on and one of the muffs pulled aside I use my sure buds for the record monitor, and hopefully a single muff headset for the com. But before I put the bud in one ear I have checked the signal pre-show with the HD280s. They are always on the table in front of me. In complex audio and video setups one thing I know for sure is that things can change. Just because it tested well in the morning does not mean you can ignore it. Ground loops can come out of nowhere and kick your but! When you get one, it is not a mater of it popping up as much as "how long was it there for". If it is an extended duration then someone got lazy and did not monitor. Lets face it, constant monitoring is a PIA, but the consequences of not doing it can be devastating.

Kind Regards,

Steve

Steven,

That's a great approach - calibrating the earbuds with your reference headphones. I'll be using this trick!

Of course, the other advantage of earbuds (at least if you don't bring your cans as well for calibration) is that they're small. I've been able to pack a DSLR, multiple lenses, shoulder rig, follow focus, preamp, on camera mic plus lavalier, earbuds, batteries, cards, and whatnot in a backpack that fits under an airline seat. Bring along a rollaway for clothing, toiletries, and monopod and you're ready to hit the skies. Grab the monopod, check the rollaway, and hoist the backpack, and you're ready to hit the convention center. I like being able to wear all my kit as I never have to set it down and turn my back to it on a solo shoot.

If I could go with one less lens, I could probably fit the headphones as well...

I spent the $300 and bought the Remote Audio 7506's. They are the best phones I've used for blocking loud ambient sound ( nascar, gun range, loud hip hop dj's) and allow you to hear what's actually going to camera, mixer or recorder. They have the Sony 7506 drivers built in to the phones.
No way would I have been able to shoot some of the insanely loud events with out them. My only complaint is that because of the fit to be able to seal out sound, they can get uncomfortable on your ear cartelige.

You can also order them with a mic with dual lines out- one output to camera and another to clear com, for example. I'm currently getting mine retrofitted with the mic and lines out.
The company is American and in Nashville. Nice people.
Bruce Yarock
www.videoproductionfirtlauderdake.com

It's been many years since I used the Remote Audio HN7506 headphones, I'd kind of forgotten about them. If you're in a truely noisy venue like an air show or car race, etc., these phones will do what no other set can do.

The Sony drivers are built into a hearing protection headset. That's a lot of isolation. Me, I'd only be using them where nothing else would do, but some would use them all the time. I found them pretty uncomfortable, but I have a very large coconut!

Regarding the HD-280 Pros, they are a bit uncomfortable until broken in, mainly due to high clamping pressure on the noggin. The bad news is that they can be fatiguing during that first week. The good news is that they aren't likely to pop off during an active take. The (standard) 7506s clamp more lightly, even straight out of the box. For all-day comfort, I'd choose the Sonys. For monitoring while running or riding around, I'd choose the Senns.

I don't have a problem with the HD 280s because I adjust them like this. If I want them run n gun tight I keep the side head size adjusters all the way retracted. At that place they are FIRM with a lot of pressure. For comfort I extend them down as if I had a bigger head and they can be adjusted to the level of firmness I want. In other words the head size adjustment changes the pressure from heavy to light for comfort.

Works for me, maybe I have an average sized coconut so they fit at both extremes???

If I have one gripe about them it is the way the top head band padding attaches to itself. Dumb method, I have to fight with it sometimes. Nothing a couple drops of glue would not permanently fix but I haven't done it yet.

Steve

I got a B&H news letter today and Fostex has a new release.......$1,499.00 for there latest studio cans....Really???

Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium Reference Headphones TH-900MK2 B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1220044-REG/fostex_th_900mk2_th900_mk2_premium_reference.html?utm_medium=Email%201615508&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_source=Newsletter%20160518&utm_content=Retail&utm_term=TH-900mk2-Premium-Reference-Headphones)

Seth,
You're right ...they are somewhat uncomfortable during long use time, because they press on your ears. I've gotten used to them, but only wear them at loud venues.
Currently waiting for mine to come back with mic and cables.
Bruce Yarock
VIDEO PRODUCTION FORT LAUDERDALE, SOUTH FLORIDA|MIAMI|PALM BEACH AREA (http://www.videoproductionfortlauderdale.com)

I got a B&H news letter today and Fostex has a new release.......$1,499.00 for there latest studio cans....Really???

Yeah, I kind of chuckled when I saw that yesterday as well. And it's not like Fostex is exactly in the elite echelons of exotic sound gear, either.

If you had $1499 to spend, considering that most of the headphones we're discussing here are $100 or so, you could buy any one of them and have enough left over for a Schoeps or high end Sennheiser microphone, which would undoubtedly improve your final product more than an extravagant pair of cans.

Decimal point missing?

Nope, no mistake: $1,499.99 and for an additional $299.00 you can replace the stock cable with a balanced one. Of course the kind of guy that buys these is the guy that wants to waste your time trying to tell you vinyl sounds better than digital audio ;-) ;-) ;-)

Like Greg said, think about how much good kit you can buy for $1,800.00

I am sure the Japanese cherry wood would hold up for about three days in my audio kit......

Steve

Well, if you really want to go crazy with headphones you could get the Stax SR-009

https://www.staxusa.com/stax-sr-009.html

And, since they're electrostatic drivers you need a good amp to power them. Something like this would do:

https://www.staxusa.com/driver/stax-srm-007tii.html

I've listened to them and yes they are better than any other headphones that I've ever heard.

Well, if you really want to go crazy with headphones you could get the Stax SR-009

They're not headphones, they're "earspeakers" according to the site. :)

- Greg

... the guy .... trying to tell you vinyl sounds better than digital audio ;-) ;-) ;-)



Well ..... it DOES :)

For those who's brains can ignore clicks, pops, and surface noise, vinyl sounds better. Me? I'll take analog tape, please. :)

Analogue tape is indeed a very good medium ( I still have a lot of original 15ips half track master recordings from the days when I used to record friends playing in bands ) but records , too , when well cared for and pressed in quality vinyl , really is the finest medium for home listening . My records don't have any pops or crackles , and even when played at 'realistic' levels , my recent purchases on 180g vinyl exhibit no audible surface noise .

I appreciate that digital media will measurably have a lower noise floor , but , subjectively , records do sound better .

For Sony 7506's, you can get an upgraded coiled cable that is vastly superior to the stock cable. It is made by Remote Audio and sold by Trew Audio. I had two pairs of 7506's upgraded.

For those who's brains can ignore clicks, pops, and surface noise, vinyl sounds better. Me? I'll take analog tape, please. :)

Oh, so your brain can ignore only tape hiss? ;-)

Oh, so your brain can ignore only tape hiss? ;-)

I hear the hiss, but if it's low enough, I tend to forget about it. Pops and clicks are like percussive events, so they always intrude for me.

Have you ever watched a film on an array of TVs with gaps (the bezel) between screens? It's really interesting. At first, one is very aware of the gaps. As soon as the story gets going, the gaps disappear in the mind. As soon as the key actor's face is intersected by a gap, the gaps re-appear. It's an odd sensation and shows how we can ignore very obvious flaws. Of course, different people have different sensitivities.

In my case, I tune out hiss quickly, but am never able to tune out pops and clicks. It doesn't help that I don't want to spend time and money on perfect cartridges, records, and cleaning. Digital definitely wins the convenience test. My personality isn't vinyl-compatible. :) That said, I still have my collection from the '70s.

Back on thread, I think there's a similar situation for selecting headphones. Is comfort paramount, or do you tend to tolerate it? Do you need a secure fit while actively moving about? Do you want a flat response for mixing? Do you want sound that "cuts through" for live monitoring? Do you want great isolation for loud venues?

The right answer depends both on the use case as well as the nature of the user.

As they say, "know thyself."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself