I've recently found myself in need of a decent pair of headphones - the type that cover more of the ear than just a pair of ear-bud wedged in your ears. I remember someone here on GameDev.net mentioning the Sony MDR series of headphones and saying that they had really quite good components for what they were. I've found a few different pairs for sale in the local area, but reviews generally say something different. For example, this pair seem to have mixed reviews (especially people being annoyed by the 'studio' in the name). But they do seem nice and cheap.

I suppose I should explain a bit more with what I am doing with them. I've got an external microphone/recorder (a Zoom H1 - it's ordered, but hasn't quite come yet) which I am hooking up to my DSLR camera to record some video. I'm also making a camera rig/cage to help reduce any shakes/jiggles. It's a fairly amateur setup, but the idea isn't to come up with the best setup - the idea is to make something for a local film festival/contest that will be a step above a cheap HD handycam. The headphones will be split off the line out on the mic, which will then run into the camera. So basically, the headphones will be used for monitoring the audio of the mic as the video is recorded.

So, any recommendations on reasonably priced headphones? Are the Sony MDR series any good, or was the original GDNet poster out to lunch?

Quote: Original post by Kryzon
Whichever you get, I would recommend against those that feature "bass-boosting" as you're tampering with the signal at the outlet - you should let your mixer alter the sound, not your headphones - so you need to search for those that most faithfully reproduce it.

Yeah, I can totally see that being true. I don't intend on getting anything with any sort of bass boosting.

Quote: Original post by Atrix256
Flat response means what goes in is what comes out, there's no manipulation of the sound to make it "sound better". That way you are hearing things as they are and can make them sound better yourself if you so desire :P

Flat response is definitely what I'm after. I do like to hear exactly what is being recorded.

Quote: Original post by taby
I second all of this... I've owned both Sennheisers (two models) and Sonys, and all were amazing. I spent about $300 each, I believe.

I was hoping to keep it around the $100 range or less. I'm willing to go as high as $150 or thereabouts, if it really is worth it.

Quote: Original post by taby
I can guarantee that it's really worth it. There seems to be layers of music that you won't hear on regular earbuds that spring out at you when wearing the nice Sennheisers. The best album that I've found that shows a clear difference is Chinese Democracy. There are so many layers of synth in there, I was shocked at how complex it really is, and how much I was missing out whenever I used my car stereo or iPod buds instead of the nice headphones.

I'm thinking something like this might suit you:
Sennheiser HD438. (I assume you have a Future Shop close by)

The HD555 model might also be within your price range if you find a good deal on them.

I do have a future shop nearby. I will admit though, I'm not sure how I feel about wearing something that looks like a pair of spinner car rims on my head. I guess if the sound is good though...

Something else I should probably have mentioned is that I do wear glasses, which might be a bit of a pain with the big headphones.

Quote:
P.S. I don't know if you've ever heard of CADVision Internet... it was big in Cowtown in the late 90s, run by Geoff Shmigelsky (past Entrepreneur in Residence at University of Calgary, and co-founder of the Singularity University). I worked for CADVision, and I loved Calgary. I miss that city very much, with all its culture and all its technology. I mention this because of where you're from, plus I also worked with a guy named Bud Bennett at CADVision. I don't know if you're related to him at all, but he was a frickin genius. :)

I can't say I've heard of CADVision. I've only been in Calgary for two years or so. I'm not closely related to Bud Bennett, but it's definitely possible that there is a relation further up the family tree.

I forgot to mention one other set that I've stumbled across - this one. Reviews seem decent. My only concern with those is they seem to have some pretty high impedance, so I'm a bit worried about how much the microphone (the Zoom H1) can put out on it's line out, especially if it is being split.

I highly recommend a pair of Grado SR60s. They're by far the best sound quality for the money. ($70) They are open headphones, however, so people around you will hear what you are listening to (not so good for cubicles).

[Edited by - CadetUmfer on September 8, 2010 3:37:47 PM]