Cliff, I've had a pair of Shure EC-3 inner earphones for the past 3 years and love them.
They're extremely comfortable and I have no problem driving them to a decent level from my camcorder's headphone jack.
However, they have been replaced by the model SE110.
The new model looks to be very similar so I'm sure they're just as good.
Shure has them for $119 in their on-line store but B&H has them for $99.
I don't think you'll be disappointed with them.

Mike

I'll second the Takstars. They sound like crap (for the most part) but they're loud and cheap. For anything critical, Sony MD7506 is the industry standard.

Bob - just did a search on ebay again - and I still come up with zero hits for "Takstar"

Could they be under another name??? I know you've mentioned that brand on more than one occasion but I'm not finding them anywhere here in the states.

So it sounds like that basically, I need to use something that can deliver sufficient volume and not be too concerned about the sound quality per se'.

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt | SoloVJ.com

Yup! I've looked on ebay, don't see and maybe a ref number? I've got some Sennies cans and they are great, but a lot of can for field work! I want something more "packable" - but close out the external noise. Often you can see me with my hands clasped over my Sennies, lowered & praying!

I found this:http://www.stgilesmusic.co.uk/Accessories_Takstar_TS-368_Headphones.aspTakstar TS-368 Headphones[/link]

These they?

TIA -

Grazie

Sorry guys,
several people sell them and rarely do they use the manufacturers name. Here's a eBay link to DJ Headphones.
Of course that's only good for a while so try looking under "DJ Headphones". They're made by Takstar and the model number is TS-600.
Be warned Sony make an expensive knockoff :)

Bob.

http://www.stgilesmusic.co.uk/Accessories_Takstar_TS-600_Headphones.aspAhah! These "Guys" have it for £29.99GBps[/link]

That's them, same box.
I wouldn't agree about using them for mixing though.
Price seems a bit expensive, that'd be around AUD 60, we paid less than that off eBay and at one stage I was able to get one of the eBayers in Shanghai to agree to sell me 50 which saved a bundle on freight.
I was going to contact Takstar direct and buy 500 however we've pretty much saturated our client base. First 50 went in a month, one guy came back and bought 5!

Bob.

I see it here on the US eBay website, but it is shipped from Australia.

John

Ahah! These "Guys" have it for £29.99GBps
=============
I see it on Amazon, UK for £16.95

It isn't available in the US as far as I can tell from a search. I don't know where Spot bought his. Maybe eBay from the Australian vendor?

John

The guy has a bank account in Australia but the goods aren't.

We've bought quite a few through him but there was another seller in Shanghai who hasn't been around for a while. The Australian guy seems trust worthy enough, I was just putting funds into his bank account without drama.

Bob.

Gotta say, one of the pleasurable aspects of monitoring this board is the joy of learning colorful new terms from people in other parts of the world. Farss' "Sparrow Fart Power" definitely qualifies.

I think the Bureau of Weights and Measures should make this an official measurement standard. They could call it "Sparrow Fart Power Units" or SFPU for short. For example, a AAA cell puts out about 300 SFPUs, while a typical firefly at night consumes about 0.1 SFPUs. Stretching a 1" rubber band to 2" represents about 5 SFPUs. I'm sure others can quantify common tasks using the new standard, which by the way is neither English nor Metric, unless we want to get anal (!) and specify birds from England or Australia.

As for headphones, keep in mind that if you go with the in-the-ear devices, I see two major drawbacks. First, it takes a bit of time to insert them properly, or at least it does with my Shures with foam pads. Secondly, the isolation is so extreme you probably wouldn't hear someone whispering to you that your lens cap is still on. So any time you want to take with someone you'll need to pop them out, which means more time putting them back in, and so on. However, you can buy a tiny amp and microphone that goes in-line with a push-to-listen button so that you don't have to remove them to hear someone. BTW I love my in-ear Shures, especially when flying. The isolation is wonderful in that context.

My solo Vj production philosophy is working with as small, yet high quality gear as possible. After having experienced both over the ear and in ear options, I find myself gravitating to the in ear due to how you really can isolate outside noise and concentrate on the audio while shooting. I thought maybe I was missing something but I've been using in ear phones with an inline volume option and so far it has really helped with as farrs put it - the "Sparrow Fart Power" issues with my HC7's.

Thought I would inquire one more time though...

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt | SoloVJ.com

Sony MDR-7506

Just for the record 1 Sparrowfart = 10^-6 Horsepower :)

On a much more serious note being totally isolated from your environment while using a camera in the sort of situations a journalist can find himself in is a bit of a worry. Not to be alarmist but way too many cameramen / journalists get to meet their maker sooner than they should. Take extreme care if you've isolated yourself from the sounds around you, our primary subliminal early warning system is our ears.

One trick I've learned, if you want to focus on listening to your audio, close your eyes.

Bob.

Since this thread appeared back in July, I've checked eBay (USA)several times, but never had any luck finding the Takstar TS600's that farss has recommended. Last night, I started digging around a little deeper, and I think I've found the same headphone being sold on eBay USA as the Gemini DJX-05. I'm basing this on the photos, and the similar specs, comparing the ad farss linked to and the Gemini ads I checked out last night.

I ordered a pair for just under US$35, shipping included. I'm an amateur with regards to video -- I'll probably use them when taping scouting ceremonies or band concerts -- but one reason I got them was to see how well they'll work for listening to my MP3 player while mowing my lawn. (Currently, I use cheap ear buds, with std hearing protectors over top of them, but its kind of clunky...)

[IMG=http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/timlan635/takstar-ts600.jpg]

[IMG=http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/timlan635/gemini_djx05.jpg]

I wouldn't waste money on anything cheap, unless I was happy to go back and redo the recording if necessary:

Beyer DT48 for quality (by far the best all-rounders and VERY rugged). Very old design, but very good.

Beyer DT250 for nearly-as-good quality (cheaper)

Beyer DT100/200 for isolation (quality rough but acceptable)

Sennheiser open cans (pick your favourite) for really good quality but useless for live monitoring

Notes:

Beyer do a 25 Ohm variant specially for cameras etc. You usually need the low impedance to get adequate welly* with battery powered kit.

Sennheisers are _usually_ too hi-Z for location use on batteries. Open headphones are a total waste of time for actual monitoring, although they might tell you something's getting as far as the camera. Even with closed cans, be aware that bass frequencies pass straight through earmuffs, so you usually have NO IDEA what's happening at the bottom end if you're in proximity to the sound source. thus, unless you know exactly what you're doing (or have to use roll-off for gun- or personal-mics), leave the bass alone entirely until post-production.

I like Sony cans too, but haven't found a good combination of quality and ruggedness. The good ones seem to be fragile.

If you want to be aware of the environment and still monitor, use DT48s with one ear off.

Beyer do a good range of spares for all their stuff, so a proper pair of cans can be kept fettled almost indefinitely. I have three pairs of DT100s with 27 years age difference between oldest and youngest. They sound the same!

All the options above aren't cheap, but neither is making a good pair of cans. Think about how much you spend on lenses - headphones don't look sexy, but they need to be good quality otherwise you simply can't hear what you're doing. DT48s were the standard BBC recordists' cans for several decades, which is why I know how good they are.

HTH.

S.

*Welly: English for, "turn it down - you can't hear me!"

I can recommend the Sennheiser HD 25-1 mk II - very good insulation, sensitive enough even for the EX1's mediocre monitoring level. Only yesterday they saved my piano concert recording - before it started, I asked the performer for his planned fortissimo passage; even though the monitoring bars were safe to the left of the red mark, the sound was distorted; I went one step further with my mic trimming and the final recording has great sound.

I like the HD series too, very much.

I suspect, however, that you heard clipping on the headphone amps in the camera (haven't used an EX 1 so don't know for certain). Your piano would probably have been fine in the ff bits, but I'd leave 8dB as a matter of course, in case the metering isn't right (non-linear, for example.

It's a problem I've often encountered with Sennheisers - IIRC, the original 414s were 2kOhms - way too high for battery-powered kit (with some specialist exceptions like the old Sony cassette walkman). They did make a low-Z special for a while (I have a pair), but even those are insensitive and quiet. It's a shame really.

I like Sony cans too, but haven't found a good combination of quality and ruggedness. The good ones seem to be fragile.

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-V6s for near 25 years now. They've been all over the globe with me and all that's needed replacing has been a pair of $8.00 ear pads so far. What's really nice is that they fold up into a neat fist sized package and within the supplied drawstring pouch can be tossed, without further thought, inside a camera case or bag.

I did have some really nice, small and reasonable-quality in-ear ones (MDR A40 faced forward) that had a plastic case/reel for the cable. Much nicer than the in-ear bud type, as the headband kept them in place properly, and they had a mono-stereo switch on the plug. I still have them, but one earpiece has lost the rubber surround that holds the transducer in and it flops around uselessly. Those travelled a lot...

I also had MDR -V5 (I think) which were superb (probably the best headphones I've ever owned, quality-wise), but the earpads fell apart and the headband broke.

Currently saving for some DT48s though.

Cliff, I also typically work in one-man production mode--mostly doing documentaries. I've found that some interview subjects seem to take longer to "warm up" and/or find it hard to look at me, the interviewer, if I'm wearing cans (Sony 7506). For these folk, the in-ear sound isolating ones are better.

Unfortunately, my dog enjoyed eating the rubber cups off my last pair so I'm in the market for a replacement--likely the Shure's that have gotten good reviews here.

Mark

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-V6s for near 25 years now. They've been all over the globe with me and all that's needed replacing has been a pair of $8.00 ear pads so far.

I'm glad my wife didn't know they could be replaced for $8.00, she made new ones from scratch, much better than the original though.

The original ear pads just rotted... That was for my ancient MDR-V600. the pads on my 7506s were a bit better.

Still can't understand their poor choice of materials, that old stuff is doomed.