headphones

[kk4fpx]

Anyone know which headphone would be better for 10 meter phone use, mono or stereo ? My wife sleeps in the room next to this one and the wall are thin, it wakes her up. Not interested in the ones with mic.

[NQ6U]

What rig are you using? The phone jacks on modern Icom rigs work fine with any set of standard stereo headphones, don't know if that's the case with Yaesu or Kenwood. Like you, I don't care for a boom mic so I use a ancient pair of Koss 4AA cans (intended for music listening) and a Heil iCM mic with my 746PRO and have no complaints beyond the fact that the 'phones suddenly seem to weigh about forty pounds after a few hours of use.

[wa6mhz]

I use a Heil ProSet 6. Great headphones, not hard on the ears. Hear the faint DX sounds easily; and when Used with the right radio (like a FT5K) U can hear the 2nd Rcvr sound in the other ear so U can monitor the DX and the pileup all at once. use it everyday!

[K7SGJ]

What rig are you using? The phone jacks on modern Icom rigs work fine with any set of standard stereo headphones, don't know if that's the case with Yaesu or Kenwood. Like you, I don't care for a boom mic so I use a ancient pair of Koss 4AA cans (intended for music listening) and a Heil iCM mic with my 746PRO and have no complaints beyond the fact that the 'phones suddenly seem to weigh about forty pounds after a few hours of use.


Take the tuna out of the cans, and they will be lighter.

[KG4NEL]

Just avoid the ones that are marked as "open", and you'll be fine. Most of the ones under $100 (except for Grados) are closed-back, so sound leakage won't be a problem.

Oddly enough, I was on another forum just now getting headphone recs, but for music listening...as much as I'd like a pair of floorstanders in my office, I don't think that'll fly...

Edit - FWIW, if you have any inkling of being in a contest, you owe it to yourself to get a set with a mic, and either run VOX or use a footswitch. Once you've done that, you'll never go back to a hand or desk mic for contesting again, especially if you're computer logging.

[WØTKX]

You can always get an adaptor from mono to stereo.
And/or size changes. Radioshack, if they still exist. :dunno:

Some rigs allow you to do interesting things in stereo.
My Flex 3000 in stereo spreads the panapter.
Lower frequencies go left, higher go right. 8)

Others, as mentioned, can run the second RX in different ears.

Communications headphones are nice, as they stick to voice frequencies.

[kk4fpx]

I was thinking you would get audio in one on stereo headphones .

[kk4fpx]

I was thinking you would get audio in only one ear on stereo headphones .

[NQ6U]

I was thinking you would get audio in only one ear on stereo headphones .

That will happen if you're using an older rig. As has been said in several earlier posts, it depends on the the equipment you are using. Icom rigs at least as far back as the IC-736 will give you audio in both ears using stereo headphones. More advanced rigs will let you listen to both your main receiver and a split frequency or second receiver, one in each ear.

[WØTKX]

Can be true, depends on the way the jack is wired. The only way to know is plug 'em in and see. If needed get an adaptor, if you want both ears to work. Simple.

[KG4NEL]

That will happen if you're using an older rig. As has been said in several earlier posts, it depends on the the equipment you are using. Icom rigs at least as far back as the IC-736 will give you audio in both ears using stereo headphones. More advanced rigs will let you listen to both your main receiver and a split frequency or second receiver, one in each ear.

Diversity RX is craaaaaaazy.

I know it's supposed to make it easier, but it's a little distracting running a pileup and suddenly a W7 comes in from the room next door :-p

[kk4fpx]

I'm running a yaesu ft-450at. I may just buy or borrow a cheap pair and try them out and go from there.

[HUGH]

Avoid those advertised as having "extended bass response", you'll be likely to receive all sorts of thumps and rumbles from your radio. One of mine is a cheap Sanyo set, comfortable but the earpads are crumbling away.

[K7SGJ]

Avoid those advertised as having "extended bass response", you'll be likely to receive all sorts of thumps and rumbles from your radio. One of mine is a cheap Sanyo set, comfortable but the earpads are crumbling away.

Check again. That's not the pads, that's your ears.

[kk4fpx]

Thanks for the help. I did try a cheap set I could hear in both ears but one side was weaker.

[n0iu]

Maybe there was nothing wrong with the cheap headphones but your hearing could be worse in one ear!

[K7SGJ]

Maybe there was nothing wrong with the cheap headphones but your hearing could be worse in one ear!

There is a very easy way to check that.

[kk4fpx]

The only question I have left is....... how important is headphone impedance ?

[WØTKX]

Not very. If it's way off, such as 600-1000 vs 4-16 ohms, you will have a loss of output and fidelity.
But the chances of blowing something up is pretty remote, don't crank it to "11".

Yaesu 450AT uses a 3.5 mm mono or stereo plug, listed at 4-16 ohms.

What headphones?

[KG4NEL]

Not very. If it's way off, such as 600-1000 vs 4-16 ohms, you will have a loss of output and fidelity.
But the chanced of blowing something up is pretty remote, don't crank it to "11".

Yaesu 450AT uses a 3.5 mm mono or stereo plug, listed at 4-16 ohms.

What headphones?

600 ohm phones sound great with a headphone amp :)

With most portable devices and jacks...not so much :yuck:

[kk4fpx]

2x NEW VM Audio SRHP15 Stereo MP3/iPhone iPod Over the Ear DJ Headphones - Green
Sold by VMInnovations @ 33 OHMS. I ordered two because my grandson needed a pair also and they are cheap. They will be here sometime this week . I'll post my opinion after I get a chance to try them out.

[kk4fpx]

Well those headphones were heavy , the padding was hard and the sound was not good for ham radio . Now I have a set of Rosewell RHTH-11004 , $21.78 . They are light , soft pads , sound very good. They have a 3.5 mm plug on each end so the cord is replaceable . They are listed as 20 Hz to 20 KHz. I really like them ! They were listed on Amazon.

[n6hcm]

Now I have a set of Rosewell RHTH-11004 , $21.78

you paid too much: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826193067 but they get reasonable ratings. do they fit on or over the ear?

[K7SGJ]

you paid too much: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826193067 but they get reasonable ratings. do they fit on or over the ear?

Depends on how big your ears are.

[kk4fpx]

Ouch....... I do that a lot . They fit over my ears.

[n6hcm]

Ouch....... I do that a lot . They fit over my ears.

then i may need a pair. i hate having headphones sit *on* my ears.

[KG4CGC]

You can always get an adaptor from mono to stereo.
And/or size changes. Radioshack, if they still exist. :dunno:

Some rigs allow you to do interesting things in stereo.
My Flex 3000 in stereo spreads the panapter.
Lower frequencies go left, higher go right. 8)

Others, as mentioned, can run the second RX in different ears.

Communications headphones are nice, as they stick to voice frequencies.
Are outboard equalizers still available?

[WØTKX]

Yes. There are many headphone amp+eq boxes out there. From $30 to $3K+

[KG4CGC]

Yes. There are many headphone amp+eq boxes out there. From $30 to $3K+

Bang for buck?

[KG4NEL]

Depends on how much other "stuff" you want to do. If you have a bunch of inputs (or radios), you might want to look into a little outboard mixer. Most of the desktop mixers (Behringer, although I shudder at their build quality, Alesis, Rane, Mackie, Yamaha, etc.) have basic parametric equalization and a headphone out built right in. Commercial headphone amps are usually built to run a half dozen or more really-hard-to-drive cans, like you'd find in a studio setting. Audiophool headphone amps are built to suck the money right out of you like a bad date.

Parametric EQing actually takes a little more finagling to set up properly if you're using it for the intended purpose in getting a desired frequency response, but if all you're looking for is "I don't want the hissing to kill my ears", it'll work...

[KG4NEL]

If you're looking for just EQing and amplification with no extra inputs, go to Craigslist. Bands are selling off their gear all the time - you'll probably find a 1/3 octave (31 band) or 2/3 octave (15 band) EQs for a hunnad or less. I've used a DBX for probably ten years in my main tube stereo rig.

[WØTKX]

That's true, a lot of little EQ pedal boxes work fine as a headphone amp.

For portable music, I use a Sansa Clip that has a fair amount of power and a 5 band EQ.

For fussier stuff, I'm at home where the Behringer and Tascam mixers are at hand.