Headphone recommendation

[gareth dunster]

Hi. Anyone have a recommendation for good headphones for live sound pfl checks?
Decent isolation , neutral non-hyped sound ,sturdiness and comfort being the priorities. No shops will let me try headphones before buying here which I find bizarre.
I was looking at the Extreme Isolation phones, which would have to be bougt online ,but the claimed db reduction seems less than some regular closed back phones and the reviews are mixed.

[Hactar]

Not sure if they have enough isolation for you, but Sony MDR7506's are a solid pair of headphones, tough and comfortable.

That said, Sennheiser HD280's are also solid (and 32dB isolation), and there are certainly some people who like the EX29's.

[testing1two]

Audio Technica ATHM50 headphones are excellent for this.

[gareth dunster]

I was looking at the 280s, they look pretty tough and 32 db reduction is good.

[BassManMike73]

I LOVED my 280's, I'll definitely be buying another pair when funds allow.

[BassManMike73]

As for the extreme isolation, I've used both of the models the have (ex25, and ex29 or something like that?) and I spent a solid hour with the guy who designed them talking about them and trying out some different applications, and they're solid, very easy to repair, and great for tracking drums, but they don't sound nearly as good, or feel nearly as comfortable as the sennheisers.

[gareth dunster]

Ok, the ex29s are out. Not trying gear before buying really sucks.

[qervo]

ATHM50's I absolutely love mine. They won't break the bank and are very clear , comfortable and sound level with just a slight mid scoop. Trust me you'll like em

[Interceptor]

Another Sony 7506 lover here.

Great headphone for audio diagnosis. And, you can buy parts for 'em.

The real insight I've finally grasped is to spend a lot of time with whatever monitor you choose before you've got to make hard decisions with it as a tool. It really takes time to get a feel for what a monitor is saying. All monitors (speakers or headphones) have a voice. We compensate in reverse to their voice.

[Adam Harzuf]

Sennheiser HD25 II are a long time musical reference headphones for live sound engineers.
Easily driven from any mixer and sounds reasonably good on most, if not stellar on the good stuff.

MDR-7506/v6 are definitely NOT. They are more adaquate for field recording for video production.

Good IEMs are a useful tool for side stage mixing, but not so for PFL, it takes time to put them in or out..

[TimmyP]

The isolation and sound of the 7506 are terrible. The 280 are better. Except for soft highs the Extreme 29 are far better. On them, you can actually discern the elements of a mix, not just the loudest thing.

[gareth dunster]

Fwiw I found some 280s quite cheap (80 us$)and got them. Sound wise they're completely unspectacular. The response across an 88 key keyboard seems good and the lower range was excellent. No listening fatigue after 2 hours, so a very comfortable headphone. they are massive however.

[eukatheude]

+1 on the M50's. Had the for a couple of years now, really great cans.

[Big_Daws]

HD280 from sennheiser...

[winegamd]

Beyer dt770 pro's are great. I like them much more than the 280's even with the higher price tag. Much more open, smoother, more detailed in the mids, and have a very extended open bass response. The M50's are similar dto the 770's with a flatter upper mid response, but the bass is not as low. The first time I listened to the radio with my 770's I kept looking over my shoulder during commercials. It sounds like the people are in the room. They are that transparent.

[qervo]

^^ funny my M50's did the same thing to me. I kept taking them off my head and yelling "Who's there"?? But I was alone. Took some getting use to.

[praisegig]

Originally Posted by gareth dunster

I was looking at the 280s, they look pretty tough and 32 db reduction is good.

I use my 280's two to three times a week at church and gigs, with no problems