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Re: Headphones

Subject: Re: Headphones
From: "Scott Fraser" scottbfraser
Date: Thu May 10, 2012 7:42 am ((PDT))
At my studio I have maybe a half dozen Sony MDR-7506's & their consumer equ=
ivalent the MDR-V6, which cost less & are identical, (although some claim t=
hey are slightly different, with the V6 being a bit less harsh.) It's a com=
fortable phone which I can wear for hours at a time. It is also very hyped =
at the frequency extremes in ways that are quite useful for location record=
ing. If there is a slight issue with low frequency rumble you will be VERY =
aware of it with the Sonys. This has led to them being a de facto standard =
for film/TV recordists & FOH live mixers. This characteristic is quite usef=
ul also for editing as it reveals a bad splice very readily. I would NEVER =
attempt to mix or EQ a track with Sonys as the frequency response is simply=
 way too engineered for a pleasing, yet inaccurate result. The ear pads wea=
r out with heavy use, & are replaceable.
I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD280s, which I keep in the control room f=
or editing & noise reduction work. They are more accurate than the Sonys, &=
 heavier. The headband on mine broke within a year of light use & it is now=
 gaffer taped together. I have seen exactly the same break of plastic parts=
 on other HD280s. The weight of the Sennheiser causes them to press down on=
 the top of my head, which becomes slightly painful with extended wear. The=
 ear cup forms more of a chamber around the ear, causing less pressure & pa=
in to the pinnae. It also creates a resonant space which I hear as fairly b=
oxy sounding, in a not very pleasant way. The isolation is generally better=
 than the Sonys, however some lower mid frequencies of external noise, (suc=
h as my wife's footfalls on the floor above) I find are strangely accentuat=
ed, making them a bit more present while wearing the HD280s than when I rem=
ove them. I suspect the resonant space within the ear cup. I suspect also t=
he better isolation of higher frequencies makes the lower component which l=
eaks through appear more prominent.
Neither the Sony nor Sennheiser are in the same league audio-wise as the Au=
dioTechnica ATH-M50 which was provided with the sound package for a classic=
al music festival I worked last summer. The ATH-M50 was simply more refined=
 in every way than the Sony or Sennheiser. And about $50 more.

Scott Fraser





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