Freesound Forums

Hello all,
I'm finally in the market for some sealed cans.

Looking through this forum, I see that the Sennheiser HD 25 is highly recommended... is this pretty much the same as the HD 25-1-II?
I also read some people who like the the Sony MDR 7506 which I've used for field recording before. I like them but I don't really remember what the long-term comfort level is like.

I'm planning on using these for mixing soundtracks for film so I'd like an even frequency response, or at least one that is like a mid to high end speaker system. I'll probably be doing the final mixes on "real" speaker systems but it's good not to have to do too much tweaking!
I'd also like them to be as comfortable as possible for long mixing sessions.
My price range is more or less under $200.
Portability is a big plus.
Durability is also a plus, although I am not planning on using them in any 'extreme' situations such as DJing or river rafting with a field recorder!
I will likely not be using them with a headphone amp unless there is one in a mixing station at my film school.

Any firsthand experience with the ones I mentioned, or other recommendations?

Thanks!

I've had my HD 25-1 11's for over a year now and i'm well-satisfied,they are wonderfully lightweight and even look fragile but time has proved them to be tough and durable,and all the wires and parts are easily replaceable.I reckon the sound quality is excellent.
My only reservation is a rather tight grip to the ears that can feel a little uncomfortable after,say,an hour or more on the head.Also they don't fold up to a tight pack for minimum storage and portability,but i'm told the headphones that do generally are weak at the folding-joints.
So yeah....all-in-all a good choice imo.

I find the Sony 7506 to sound reasonably good for monitoring, and to be very comfortable for extended wear, especially when used with Garfield "Softies" (an aftermarket cover that fits over the earpads that I got from B&H in NYC). They don't fold down particularly well, though. Sony also makes a model 7505, which is similar to the 7506 but with slightly smaller earcups, that folds a bit flatter for storage or packing.

As far as comfort for long sessions is concerned I find myself veering away from cans to using in ear monitors more and more.I would never have even bought them had I not have had the opportunity to borrow a pair for an extended time. I thought that something stuffed into my ear would be irritating; after a few minutes I found that the 'in canal' sensation is gone and they are extremely comfortable, however I do use Comply foam tips rather silicone ones. Passive noise isolation is great (26dB), better than closed cans. Sound quality is excellent and immersive.

They are my first choice now for field recording, they beat cans in size, weight and comfort and you mostly hear what comes through the mics. The wires are also replaceable if need be.

There are many types available. The ones I use are Ultimate Ears:

http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/store/products/superfi5pro.php

I am very very pleased with them.

I'd vouch for the Sony MDR-7506s. I do soundtrack mixing for independent films and I always do fine dialog editing using these headphones. To my ears they have a satisfactorily flat frequency response although with a slight mid range dip (which will probably translate to some mid range "honkiness" when you play back a mix over a good pair of studio monitors). Bass response is excellent allowing easy detection of quiet low range rumbles, etc.

They are quite weighty and have a solid, "quality" feel. This makes them robust, and although I try to take good care of them they do often get thrown into boxes and bags when I'm out recording with no adverse effects. Despite their weight I find them comfortable for sustained use and regularly wear them for 4-5 hours with little fatigue.

As mab said they don't fold down particularly well. The other thing I find quite annoying is the curled cable. I read somewhere that Sony uses the curled cable to reduce cable stress/fraying - it works, although it also has the disadvantage of making the cable unusually heavy. When I'm field recording or running production sound I usually have to drape the cable around various parts of my body or the mixer, just to stop the weight of the cable dragging the headphones off my head!

You should be able to find them online for about $99; I think Amazon (in the US) actually sells them a little cheaper than that and the price includes free delivery. For me this price point represents excellent value for money.

If you're not one of those people who thinks you HAVE to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get a decent product like me, maybe you'd like the headphones I use, recommended to me by my voiceover teacher (who's been in broadcasting for over 45 years), the AKG K-55. Closed-back, circumaural, great all-around sound, even freq response, don't make you want to rip your ears off after wearing them for over an hour at a time. I do voiceovers professionally and I've used Sennheisers, Sonys, all the ones you'll usually be recommended, and these give you just as good of a sound and feel. The best part? They were $30. That said they don't fold up, so that's important to you I'd go with the Sony MDR-7506s as mentioned above, although I have to agree with audible-edge on the heavy cable thing; often I'd have like a full foot of the cable curled up in my lap or held in my hand when I recorded which was annoying; I never have to worry about that with my AKGs. I liked the Sonys too, but they weren't within my budget when I bought my headphones.

i don't know if you'll be able to find them for less than $200 (i'm in UK), but after using various 'phones, including in ear and reading a million reviews, i finally bought the beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's and they are everything i hoped for:
absurdly (in fact immeasurable by reviewers) low distortion;
excellent 'space' (near and far sounds very nicely distinguished);
loud (be careful, especially with such low distortion: no hints of excessive volume);
good impedance (will run off iPods etc., no need for headphone amp: 250ohm);
fantastic freq response: 5-35kHz i think, and as near flat response as you can hope for.
and they are very. very comfortable; i wear them for hours on end.
they are semi-closed; i got sick of not hearing anything outside the cans with my audio technica ath-m40fs which were very good (and great for DJs), but closed back don't have the airiness of sound and can make the bass seem tighter than it really is. and you don't hear the phone!
on current exchange rates, i paid $187 for them, but i am friendly with the guy in the shop, so i figure maybe $200-210?
they are fantastic!
(don't forget to break them in; 100-150 hours)
ps; my problem with sennheiser is that many of their headphones 'make stuff sound nice'; nicer than it really is, which is not what you want when mixing.

Hello all,
I have one Sony 7506 HeadPhone. Now i am well satisfied. It is wonderfully light weight and more comfortable then any other headPhone. All the parts and wires are easily replaceable. Sound quality is also excellellent. Sony also makes a model 7505, which is similar to the 7506 but this 7506 is more comfortable then 7505.

I used the Sony 7506 for years, until getting an Ultrasone 650 (review: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=568389&is=REG&si=rev#anchorToReadReviews), a better headphone IMO, but just out of your price range. The 7506s are comparatively light, and I still use them for field recording--the Ultrasones are a little on the heavy side and don't fold flat, but sound very spacious and clear, and reject external noise without making me feel totally isolated. They stay in my studio most of the time.

|(*,+,#,(#,=,*,+)(=,#,+,*)(+,*,=,#)|

I use a HD25 for a long time already, but it is more a headphone for live mixing purposes and not for studio work I find. The HD25 boostes a lot of low end and is not very true. Very affordable and a classic headphone for studio is the AKG K 141 (discontinued, but maybe in Ebay) The MK2 is about 119Euros. Cheaper is the K 121 (still available and around 90Euros).

Good luck

How do you make a headphone jack and speakers work simultainhously? I am using windows XP. I have a wireless outdoor speaker system and the transmitter plugs into the headphone jack, which automatically shuts off the speakers on the computer. I'd like them to stay on.
____________________
keyword research ~ keyword tool ~ keyword tracking ~ affiliate elite

Given that this thread was bumped I also wanted to suggest the Sony MDR-V6 for the budget conscious. Very close cosmetically and in terms of sound quality to the 7506s, but about $35 US cheaper. I think they have different drivers in them. We have a couple of pairs kicking around the studios for VO talent to use and they're great.