Headphones with the best isolation? (NOT IEMs)

[Mighty Motif Max]

Hi everyone,

 

I play with a variety of musicians at my church (my gigs are usually solo, church is band stuff). We have a rotating assortment of musicians of differing skill levels and hearing ability, and so it's pretty random with who's available at any given week. Occasionally we end up with a large-ish group, or just a smaller one with a loud guitarist, for example. In those cases stage volume gets higher than it ought to be (we're in a hardwood-paneled room, so everything bounces around too, etc - not much that can be done). I've been using headphones for the last few months to cut one monitor out of the equation. However, in situations where volume does become an issue (i.e. we have an acoustic drum set that week and I'm right by it), the current headphones don't do much. When I bought headphones I wanted something dual-purpose, where I could mix at a decent level on them as well as use them live; I opted for semi-open-back ones (AKG-K240 Studio). They're great most of the time except for a few instances. I have tried using 32db lowering earplugs underneath the phones but I find that I have a hard time turning up my monitor channel to a point where I can hear the higher parts clearly; the earplugs don't block out most of the low frequencies, so it turns to mud.

 

I'm thinking some kind of closed-backs would be useful. Budget is <$120. IEMs are not an option for a few reasons. So...what's the best pair of headphones you've tried from a sound-isolation standpoint within that range (or higher if nothing there works)?

 

 

Thanks,

 

-Max

[Reezekeys]

Years ago I recorded in a friend's studio where we were all in one room with the drums â it was a true "basement" studio, lol. We all had to wear cans but there was no way a standard headphone would work in this small space without having to turn things up to a painful level. He had what were originally ear "protectors" made for shooters! There was a company that installed the guts of a headphone driver in them and turned them into true "isolating" headphones. The downside is that they were somewhat uncomfortable â but they worked very well to block sound, that I remember well.

 

Unfortunately, a quick google search returns links to only active noise-cancelling headphones, even though I tried a few different terms. Maybe someone else here knows if these kinds of phones still exist and who might make them. HTH.

[PianoMan51]

I think this is what you remember :

 

https://drummingreview.com/headphones-for-drummers/

[Reezekeys]

Yes, you found them! Thanks.

[RandyFF]

Are noise cancelling headphones going to work for you? The Sennheiser HD 4.5 was originally at $200, black friday sales have them under $100, they have noise cancellation.

[Mark Schmieder]

I didn't reply at first, because I feel certain this topic was discussed recently, but at least that article/review link reminded me of a few things that can be easily summarized.

 

The EX-29's are pretty grainy, any my drummer complained that he wasn't hearing what he needed to hear in order to sync up well with everyone, as well as them being uncomfortable on his head (and mine as well), so I sold them. I think we actually ended up finding the standard 770 Pro's (low impedance version) to have adequate isolation and better presentation of the instruments in the mix, and the typical Audio-Technica's a close 2nd (probably the more recent upgrade to the "50" series as I recall, but I sold those too).

 

At a higher budget level, my newer closed cans from Beyer are perfect, but they did just release a mid-priced version of them. I seem to recall my Focal headphones also had great isolation and good monitoring for drummers, but it's been almost two years now since I last tracked a drummer using this technique (my jazz combo records the band as one unit with a few mics vs. isolation of each player). I think they were mid-budget. I may have discussed them in the earlier thread.

 

Some like the CAD cans. I think I remember those having good isolation, and possibly also the ones from ADAM (made by Ultrasone with special specs for ADAM) but those might be beyond the budget.

[elif]

If you want a full gel seal with an independently certified NRR... David Clark - 10S/DC - I have had a set for years. Recently. I sent them back for repair because one transducer developed a buzz on low notes. I said I'd pay, D/C said "No Charge".

 

http://www.davidclarkcompany.com/files/headsetmodel/imgstyle-detail/10S-DC.png

 

 

[EricBarker]

I'm a huge fan of the Sennheiser HD380 Pros, the big brother to the far more popular 280Pros. Unfortunately, the 380s never became a hit due to their higher price point, but as an owner of both, I can tell you the 380s sound quality and BUILD quality is a massive improvement over the 280. I have the unfortunate job of doing very detailed audio analysis while living in a small apartment next to a freeway. So I need good isolation with flat response, something that's virtually impossible. I don't know if the Senn 380s are THE best option, but they're the best out of the ones I've tried. I worked an AKG 271 into the ground, loved it. FAR better than the 240 (which I used in a different environment, but the low end is surprisingly lacking, and they finally lost their fidelity after tens-of-thousands of hours use. I love AKGs physical design, but I have to admit, the Senn380 is flatter and even more honest. The Senn280s, on the other hand, sound fine, but the build quality is AWFUL and they fell apart almost immediately. They sound great, so I duct taped them for years, but after a while they were beat up beyond use. The 380s sound similar (sightly less hyped), but are built with far less cheap plastic.

 

In short, put the Sennheiser HD380 Pro on your short list, you won't be disappointed... however, you may have trouble finding them, most places have given up on selling them because the 280 is cheaper.

[EricBarker]

Oh... I saw your budget is <$120. The 380 is $150.

 

In that case, a Senn280 would be fine, but you should baby it. Any music store should have them too, they're one of the (if not THE) top selling closed-back cans. Just know, the 380 will last twice as long.

[JohnDoe]

I have used the Sennheiser HD380 Pro for 5 years now and I agree with Eric B: you won´t be disappointed!

[WesG]

I have a set of Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones. They aren't as good at isolation, probably, as some of the drummer-specific models....but there is a fair bit there, and they sound great. I use them for mixing, when I need to have a listen to a particular channel, for example, when trying to troubleshoot a flapping gate, or EQing out specific bleed.

[Bill H.]

If you're a Costco member, Sony's top of the line over ear noise cancelers are currently on sale for $129. These are fantastic phones... I paid $50 more for mine. I'm a big fan of noise cancelers for noisy environments. These are my go-to phones when I DJ... flatter and more transparent than my Beats or V-Modas (which are designed for DJs) and because they're Bluetooth I use them for other things too. Wore them while watching Endgame last night.

 

I've worn a bunch of hats in my life - including as a Praise leader. If levels are uncomfortable for you during the service, light sticks, damped heads, small amps turned toward the wall... a few approaches we've employed in the past that helped.

[EricBarker]

Ugh, it appears the Senn380pro has, in fact, been discontinued in all but name. Sennheiser still lists it as an active product, but no stores carry them, and their price has skyrocketed on ebay/reverb due to demand. I smell forced retirement from Sennheiser, as their physical design is different from the rest of their cans. The new 300Pros that are designed to replace them use the same design as the 280pro, and are probably vastly easier to produce. Really unfortunate since complaining about 280 discomfort has always been a favorite topic on audio forums. Really really sad to see the 380s go, I only just got mine about 2 years ago and they've become one of my favorite closed-back sets, I'd been thinking of getting a second pair, but that's looking increasingly difficult.

[Mark Schmieder]

As the budget is smaller than I realized, the DT770 Pro is just a bit above that even during the BF sales, but the ATM-50's might be within budget -- especially if bought used (just be sure of which rev you're getting and whether it is priced appropriately).

[Dr Mike Metlay]

Another vote for the ATH-M50 in its various forms. I actually own three pairs: the original ATH-M50s, the ATH-M50x, and the ATH-M50xBT. Isolation won't be as good as what you'd get with the EX-29 from Direct Sound, but the audio quality is exceptional for the price.

 

Oh, and I should mention that I own a pair of EX-29s that still get use sometimes. They don't sound as good as the Audio-Technicas, to be sure, but they really do isolate well, and I actually don't find them uncomfortable at all, even over long periods. Must be my hard head.

 

[Mark Schmieder]

Yeah, the important thing about headphones is that our heads are all different, so it's always important to keep that in mind when reading someone else's comments about discomfort. My bigger concern about the EX-29's was the shoddy craftsmanship; they come apart rather easily and quickly in my experience, but luckily they replaced them for free (after which I promptly sold the replacements while they were still in good condition). There's even a marked-up version now that is branded by Telefunken. Same specs from what anyone has been able to tell so far.

[Ulf]

As you are used to the AKG studio headphones, I'd recommend the AKG K271 MK2. Great sound and good enough isolation for most occasions (if these doesn't do it you probably need a pair of drummers' cans, like the VicFirth). And they should fit your budget.

 

I love my pairs!

 

[Reezekeys]

Sound isolating and noise cancelling are not the same. Read the OP.

[GRollins]

There are scads of headphones out there and I've not tried even a tiny fraction of them, but when I went looking for closed-back headphones a couple of years ago, I ended up with the Beyerdynamic DT770. I come from a background in high end audio, so I'm more picky about sound quality than most people. I'd rate the sound as...adequate. Isolation...adequate, not stellar. Comfort: ear cups, excellent...headband, horrible. After an hour it felt like I was carrying a 2" x 4" across the top of my skull. I ended up wrapping a washcloth around the headband to soften it up. It's tolerable now.

 

I remember having had a pair of Koss PRO4aa headphones years ago that isolated fairly well. I just checked and they're still available, and at $99, within your budget. I cannot speak to current build or sound quality. I remember that I dropped mine and they were never the same afterwards. You can argue on the one hand that it was my fault for dropping them, or on the other that they should be able to take abuse. I won't pretend to split those hairs. I have a vague memory that they were heavy, but not necessarily uncomfortable. Don't take that as bedrock truth, we're talking forty years ago and I may not be thinking of the right headphones.

 

Grey