Recommendations for headphones for editing

[Steve Eisen]

Sony MDR-7506

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Ron Craig]

I use Sony MDR V6. Happy with those. They’re actually more of a field headset because they fold up. I like ’em.

[Andrew Rendell]

With that budget I’d spend it all on the headphones. I’d recommend trying a few pairs on as what you need for editing is the ability to wear them for extended periods of time without them really annoying you, so check that they sit comfortably on your head and aren’t too tight, but don’t actually fall off when you look around. I’ve got some Sennheiser HD480s next to me right now which are fine for me, also I like Beyer DT100s, but I think they’re probably a bit above your price range.

Decent speakers are going to be a lot more expensive than $100, (unless anyone else knows something I don’t).

[Mark Laslo]

Thanks All,

I checked out both Sony pairs at B&H and they look decent. I’m going to try and see if there is a place nearby that carries good headphones – probably Guitar Center would be my best guess. My next question is B&H offers them with the Pearstone Deluxe earpads and I was curious if either of you bought the deluxe earpads and if you thought they were worth it compared to the normal earpads.

I’ve used a pair of Sony’s before in the field and I do like them, very comfy. Thanks for the advice.

Mark

[Ron Craig]

I got mine stock; no add-ons. I think I might have bought them at B&H, in fact. Or maybe Amazon.

[Matthew Press]

Check out Adorama and save 20 bucks. Between 5th and 6th on 18th street NYC

Thanks
Matt

[Jonathan Ziegler]

For the money, I’m a huge fan of Direct Sound EX-25 headphones (or EX-29). These are passive isolation phones (no batteries) and I love these on set or in the studio – they wipe out all outside sound or noise and they don’t flavor the sound (like Bose and many others do). Here’s the site: https://www.extremeheadphones.com/ex-25.html – just search Amazon and you’ll find ’em. The EX-29 runs about $100. For a video – go here: https://www.purewaveaudio.com/product/DIS-EX25/Direct-Sound-EX-25.html (this is not my site) – there is a “Watch Video” link there where the owner talks a bit about them at NAMM.

Whatever you decide, skip the noise-canceling phones – they flavor the sound so you don’t get an accurate idea of what the final sounds like. Be wary of Bose – they flavor the sound a LOT – this mostly holds true for any consumer headphones. Skip the Monster Dr. Dre phones – absurdly expensive.

If you can afford it, consider the options from Ultrasone. I like the DJ1 for studio, but it runs about $200. Ultrasone are my favorites above Direct Sound.

The only other brand I like (and I’ve tried many of the ones in this thread) is Audio Technica for price and features, but I truly feel the Direct Sound offering is better.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Scott Sheriff]

Headphones for editing is really not the ideal way to go. A good near field monitoring set up is best. But I get your dilemma. When I need to use the phones around the edit bay, I pull out my trusty Sony phones that I use on shoots.
Sony MDR 7506 is what almost everyone uses on location, or in the field. These are full diaphragm, over the ear types. The 06 is the folding model, there is a non folder, too. They are reasonably comfortable. I say “reasonably” because any headphone you wear for along period of time will give you ‘cauliflower ear’, and cause ‘listening fatigue’.
Comfort is really the secondary issue because headphone will all ‘color’ the sound and make any mixing you do will sound different when heard in a monitor situation. The Sony has a pretty ‘flat’ response, and they sell them at most AV type stores, and I have seen them at Guitar Center. These are going to set you back around $150, but that isn’t a lot for good quality gear that will last. My pair is at least ten years old, and survived hundreds of location shoots, and still work great.

Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com

[Michael Gissing]

[Jonathan Ziegler] “If you can afford it, consider the options from Ultrasone”

+1 for the Ultrasone. They not only sound great but are low radiation and designed to reduce listener fatigue. I reviewed them for a magazine a few years ago and they stacked up for accuracy against my studio mix monitors.

The cheapest way to good quality is headphones. I recommend all editors have good headphones available to check critical sound. I get so many editors turning up to a mix saying – “gee I never heard that rumble/hi pitch squeal/truck reversing beeps/distortion/etc etc.

[Eddie Torre]

Not to play mother hen, but I’d really recommend against using headphones for any extended period of time.

I know a video editor who substituted headphones for the same reason you are considering. He was very cautious in his general listening levels (not a rock out kind of person), but ended up developing tinnitus. While the jury is out on the definitive cause, it’s not a far cry to assume he developed it from a combination of length of use (using them while working on projects) and fluctuating workflow levels (we all know how those can buzz you unexpectedly from time to time).

Headphones are okay for limited usage, but you may want to reconsider using them for a regular workflow.

Some people may use them regularly with no problems and that’s fine, but just keep in mind that you could feel like you are doing everything right and you might still be jeopardizing your hearing. It’s not something that might effect you short term, but it could down the road and it is most certainly not worth it.