senny hd25's. not that it matters nowadays with my hearing, but i've always used senny's since the late 70's.

This has been discussed somewhat recently.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=767118

Sony MDR-7506 circumaural closed back professional monitor headphone is the industry standard for field and studio work. A hundred bucks at B & H. The pads will wear out before the phones. Use them for radio work too. They are that rugged. Price, quality and durability considered, I wouldn't buy anything else.
What, I should get a gift certificate from Sony for the endorsement!

Oh, and BTW, those ear buds, forget about it, they fall out.
I would have to tape them in place, and that would pull the old man hair off my ears.
My ears look normal, but I must have some alien lineage because the buds, that I assume are engineered for humans do not fit, not ever.
Or, maybe I'm a Hobbit?

SONY MDR-7506 & SONY MDR-V600.
Tom

Yes, I agree that the Sony MDR-7506 are a great set of "cans" for field and edit room work. We've standardized on them at the TV station, and I also use them at home for practically everything from editing to just plain enjoying music.

Sony used to make a small, foldable "sports" type in ear (but with a headband) set that really sounded good for the size, and would fit in a small camera carrying case. I've been unable to find them listed in the last couple of years, however. I'm guarding my one pair with my life.

I use and old Sony MDR-7509HD set. They're not available anymore. I've even had them factory refurbished. Big and clunky...but the best sound ever! These are the more expensive granddaddy of the 7506's. Wear them for long...and they definately leave a lasting impression.

For location camera, i use Shure SE310 Sound Isolating ear buds. Really like them a lot, very light and comfy with great sound isolation. Not cheap though.

And for studio work, i use Beyer DT-100 old school cans when I'm not monitoring with reference speakers.

Paul.

If anyone is interested in the Sony MDR-7506, B&H is selling them for $75.

Here is the link. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?SID=VU1EekRRb0JDeDBBQUhWaVJLY0FBQUxu&is=REG&Q=&PID=552179&A=details&AID=10659349&O=productlist&sku=49510

It shows $99, but once you add them to the cart, it drops to $75.

wwaag

At work I use MDR V6 (consumer cousin of 7506; there's a great debate about whether or not these are exactly the same; I A/B'd them and couldn't hear a difference). These have plently of bass, a bit missing in the low midrange, and tend to overemphasize upper mids and high frequencies - which can be good for critical monitoring because you'll hear every flaw. I replaced the plastic earpads with cloth and they are so comfortable that I forget that I have them on.

For my personal phones I bought AKG K240's after listening to every set of phones at my local Guitar Center. They have a natural, detailed, and balanced sound - comparable to high-end speakers or nice studio monitors, though the low bass is a bit lacking. I found these $100 phones very comparable to the $200 Beyer Dynamic phones.

Replacement parts are available for both phones and the AKG website lists the name and phone number of the parts manager... Who actually picks up the phone when you call. He advised me to order the coiled cable from Amazon because it was $10 cheaper and the cloth earpads from him (free shipping).

If you buy either set you'll want to replace the plastic earpads with cloth. Sony doesn't offer cloth earpads, but Beyer pads are an exact fit (available at B&H, ~$20).

I'm comfortable using either set of phones but I favor the Sonys right now because they are insanely comfortable and the coiled cord is easier to manage (I've not gotten around to replacing the AKG's earpads and straight cord). The phones sound sterile and I get fatigued listening to music on them, but the over-emphasized high end ensure that I'll hear every flaw.

I do prefer the AKG's, especially when going for an overall mix. I hear plenty of detail, and I'm less likely to pull the highs and high-mids down too far (an issue with the Sonys before I became familiar with them). One of our engineers who swears by the 7506's felt that the AKGs sounded "too good" and that their warm, engaging sound would mask flaws in the material.

If earbuds are an option, I'm very fond of Klipsch. I use them for home theater and music and they sound very balanced; I probably would not have purchased the AKGs if I'd bought these earbuds first. I have a pair of Beats Audio that came with my phone and the Klipsh are much more balanced. JVC also makes a nice set of HD earbuds (~$35) and these tend to emphasize the highs and lows a bit more, similar to the Sony 7506/V6. I've also used Sony EX76 earbuds - nice sound with good bass but not quite as detailed and one side quit working rather quickly.

I have a nice little pair of noise cancelling headphones from Sony (mdr-nc6) that I use almost daily since I work from a home office. Great sound from these little buggers. The Mrs. bought them for me for Christmas years ago and they are still going strong.

I mostly use Mackie HR824 studio monitors but when I do need to use headphones I use the Sony MDR 7506.

W/out getting technical, the Sony headphones somewhat known as an industry standard, imho, they are comfortable and I'm able to go long sessions w/ out hearing fatigue. The sound is very accurate and great frequency response.

Slightly off topic, but I just bought a set of Philips "Android compatible" headphones on Woot.com the other day for $20. These are ones with an extra ring in the connector and an inline mic. They just came today and of course work just fine with my iPad. The headphones sound very close to my Bose or Sonys and the mic is handy for skype and phone calls. I suppose that the original marketing mistake was to call them "Android" headphones since they work well with anything. They are well worth picking up the next time this sale on Woot rolls around.

To monitor the sound I use a pair of Audio Technica ATH40's. Bought them for about $75, sound decent, built very rugged, very long cable.

I have no use for earbuds (the little critters that sit outside your ear) but love my old Shure E3C canalphones (they go INSIDE the ear canal). But I find they don't work very well unless you mount the little foam Shure olives on them; then they seal outside noise completely and the bass response is terrific. However, it's a pain to be constantly inserting/removing them, hence the AT headphones. The canalphones are wonderful for plane trips.

I use the Shure SRH440. Very much like the Sony MDR-7506 in both price and quality.

Tim Robertson

"I have a nice little pair of noise cancelling headphones from Sony (mdr-nc6)"

I have been using a pair recently while trying to de-click some copied vinyl LPs using iZotope Rx. One problem is that because they fold up they have hinges. They are inclined to creak, making it more difficult to find the real clicks, and with my lack of padding on top, the hinge at the top is a bit uncomfortable.

I am another one with non-standard ear lugs that bud phones don't fit.

I also have a Sennheiser HD420SL (very old) and a Sony MDR-CD380 that is fairly ordinary. I had to replace the cord on the latter because the original broke at the headphone due to poor strain relief. Sennheiser can suffer from this problem too. A local store had several models of Sennheiser on a rack to trial, and several of them had fractured cords at the headphone exit.

Oh, and I have a Sony cordless in a box somewhere that I don't use because it has a slight hiss that I can hear in the quiet even with my poor hearing.

My wife uses Sennheiser HD 212 Pro. I have reinforced the cords with tape as they exit the headphone body.

I've got a pair of 7506s - trouser-flapping bass, but incredibly harsh ear-shredding upper-mids and treble. If you really love ear-fatigue, or are already deaf, they are great. Good for editing - especially picking out problems in speech and distortion though.

I bought half a dozen Audio Technica ATH-M50s for my studio. Comfortable for long periods (physically and aurally), and great sound (better than my Sonys, Sennies, and AKGs). I use the M50 even for recreational listening. - cos my K701s are to inefficient for many players, and really need an amp.

geoff
(AT ATH-M50, AKG K141S, K240S, K240M, K270S, K271S, K701, Q701, K518DJ, Sennheiser HD280, Sony MDR-7506 Denon AH-NC800, AH-something-or-other-else. Have I got a headphone disorder or something ?!!!)

Sennheiser HD650 - one of the best headphones for under $500.

+1 for the Sony MDR-7506. Don't leave home without 'em. ;-)

~jr

I've never found a set of conventional headphones I could wear for very long with reading glasses, which I need at the computer. Very painful.

There are some really good earbuds $40-100 and I can wear my V Moda for extended periods without discomfort.

+2 for Sony 7506. I edit a recorded radio show, so they're used at least 4 - 5 hours a week, and I've had the same pair for several years. Just recently I've bought a pair of V6's because they were on sale for $50, but they're still in the box.

<<Just recently I've bought a pair of V6's because they were on sale for $50>>

Wow, great price - where did you find them?

Sennheiser HD280 Pro. I like that they are made to have parts like cables and cushions easily replaced. Plus, they sound great.