Wireless Headphones

[mikeh]

I've tried a few brands of wireless headphones for the studio (and even just for listening to TV late at night). Of the 3 models I've tried, they all suffer periodic drop outs. I've had to stop in the middle of some very good takes because the monitoring dropped out.

So - who uses wireless head phones in the studio and who can recommend a brand.model that works (I don't want ear buds, I want over the ear phone)

I did a search, and there does not seem to be a clear "endoresed" barnd/model

[xstatic]

What you are describing is one of the many reasons why almost none uses wireless headphones. Have you ever considered the more conventional approach?

[orson198305]

You could wear ear buds & combine them with the use of ear defenders supplyed in many DIY shops.

[orson198305]

http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Wireless-Headphones--2382

[jeffree]

Mike, I went on a quest for great-sounding wireless cans about a year ago and eventually hit the jackpot. Scroll down for my lengthy review (the second one, by J. Hanson).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...Fencoding=UTF8

Still, as much as I enjoy the freedom of walking around the house and yard while listening to my mixes and enjoying other music, I'd never use wireless cans for actual studio work. The sound is just too inconsistent because of the radio-freq (RF) transmission. I never tried any infrared-freq (IF) models, which require close proximity and line-of-sight transmission, so you may want to focus on those models, which have a reputation for a more consistent signal but only over a short range. I know that Sony makes such a model. However, for pure sound, comfort, and design in a RF model, the Senn rs-130s are a fantastic value at about $100.

J.

[punkin]

I've tried both, the RF and the IR. The RF's suck but it depends...if you're in an area or location that might pick up interference. The IRs IMHO sound better because they're impervious to the RF inteference but, like the previous poster pointed out, they're line of site (like your TV remote). I like my IRs for sitting at the desk and I can push away with out forgetting to unplug (you ever do that?) I don't really expect or need them to work much beyond the desk area anyways.

[mikeh]

Thank you all for your replies. I have used the conventional (wired) approach forever. Wired works great if you sit at one application (tracking drums or tracking a guitar, etc) but for a multi task situation, freedom of movement would be so nice.

Like many (most???) on this site, I often act as musician and engineer, at the same time. I often switch from accoustic guitar to electric guitar to bass to drums to keyboards, etc. I often roll over cords with my chair, or stand on the cord and then move, etc. I've had headphones fly off my head numerous times and have damaged a cord on occasion. When sliding guitar straps on and off I constantly get tangled with the headphone cord, etc.

I just want something to allow me to track various instruments (I would never mix with phones). For that application I can live with some noise, but the drop out in the middle of tracking is a problem.

I'll take a look at the options you've offered and continues to used wired phones until I choose something to try.

Thanks again for the replies!

[jeffree]

Mike, the open-back Senn 130s, which sound excellent, or the closed-back 140s, which don't sound quite as good but which offer better isolation, might satisfy your needs. I think it hinges on where you live. My home is in a rather rustic area, so I experience no interference at all when I'm using my Senns in the same room--only when I head upstairs or outside. However, I've never used them in my studio because of the built-in compression circuit that keeps the overall volume at a more or less constant level. This leveling effect is fine for casual listening although I've never wanted to deal with it in my studio. I'm not sure if the effect would be distracting while tracking, but given their high-quality sound, they might be worth a try if you don't live in a congested area. Otherwise, I'd try the IF route.

J.