RFsound Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 As the "standard" (if there is such a thing) field headphones, I've seen a lot written about Sony 7506s. But in searching previous discussions, I didn't find anything about sibilance with these headphones. I've been using my current set of 7506s for about 6 or 7 years, and, although they've always tended to be on the bright side, I'd never noticed any significant degree of sibilance in them until recently. Lately I've started hearing quite a bit of it. When I do, I check the sound with headphones other than the 7506s to verify that the sibilance is in fact only in the 7506s and not coming through my mic(s). This issue is leading me toward trying some other headphones, perhaps Sennheisers, but before I abandon the 7506s, I thought I'd run it by this forum. My question is: can headphones develop a tendency toward sibilance over time and if so, is there any solution beside buying a new set? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and/or suggestions regarding this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 A friend and veteran sound mixer told me that the 7506's (any headphone, for that matter, but especially the 7506's for some reason) will lose their ability to reproduce lower freqs. over time... how this translates to an apparent rise in sibilance remains to be seen, but I would at least guess that based on the purportion that they lose low-end over time, that they could also display a rise in sibilance over time as well, or that the loss of low-end could be perceived as such. Are your gain / trim / headphone output levels consistent? Perhaps my friend will chime in... ~tt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Reineke Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 "Can headphones develop a tendency toward sibilance over time?". I suppose, but I've haven't heard of that issue much as they tend to get broken and replaced. You could replace the drivers, but why bother, a new set is relatively cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afewmoreyears Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well, as a user of these headphones for years, with all the other options out there I would have to say... if so not a game changer... at $99 a pop I usually swap them out every 18 months or so anyhow. Further, for dialog recording like we do... If I loose something at 30 to 70Hz I don't really mind... i am usually rolling that off anyhow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well, as a user of these headphones for years, with all the other options out there I would have to say... if so not a game changer... at $99 a pop I usually swap them out every 18 months or so anyhow. Further, for dialog recording like we do... If I loose something at 30 to 70Hz I don't really mind... i am usually rolling that off anyhow... ditto ~tt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpiegari Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 There has also been some discussion about 7506 knock-offs floating around with all sorts of quality control and sonic issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macrecorder Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 I had this issue with genuine 7506's. It became really noticeable, and interfered with my assessment of the audio. I could only speculate that they had deteriorated, so I just replaced them with a different make. I don't trust them after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 swapping the used pairs with new pairs every now and then - would it not interfere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 i felt my 7506 did not work out well with the Cantar when i got my recorder in 2007. i switched to HD25 SPII. worked with them all these years, despite issues with intermittence from their weird connector with two prongs. Switched to Ultrasone 650 Pro and now to 750 Pro. I feel good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 " can headphones develop a tendency toward sibilance over time and if so, is there any solution beside buying a new set? " yes, and no that is headphones can deteriorate over time in subtle ways that eventually become noticeable; they do, after all, take a beating. as a practical matter, replacing them seems to be the overall preferred way to deal with these effects of age, use, wear and tear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattinSTL Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 I give away headphones all the time... usually to someone I meet, who shows an interest in sound (not location sound, but just an appreciation for quality sound... i.e. not ear-buds)... after 6+ years I think you're overdue to pass those on to some friend's kid... or some friend. If you want to try what most location sound guys consider the top of the line... I've got some Sennheiser HD-25-1-ii that I'll sell you for $100/shipped... hardly used. I used to be a fanatic about hearing everything perfectly in the cans... which I still am at home with music... but for location sound I just don't really care if I'm using $100 cans or $250 cans anymore. Worst case scenario... give those cans away and replace 'em. You can even get them used, open-box... for around $75 from a reputable store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean McCormick Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 The only sibilance issues I can recall is when I'm monitoring a camera with a flawed return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris McCallum Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 I have always found Sennies to be a lot more sibilant to the point where I can't use them now without being totally distracted by it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Karlsson Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 I swapped my 7506 to HD25 for this reason and have been very happy. I also feel that the Sennys are a little better at blocking out noise, giving me a better sense if what is heard thru the mic. Funny thing here is that on a show I did last year thru this summer, there was one person that had severe sibilance on the return from camera, but nobody else did (usually 4-6 other people per episode). Also this person's sibilance was not present when monitoring direct from the mixer. I swapped to hd25 and the "problem" was gone. All that said, just finished up 3 weeks on a reality show with someone else's kit - 7506's supplied with it. Could I get the job done with these? You bet. In the end we are all nerds. We could do it with apple ear buds if we had to, but it would not look professional. That is btw why the 7506 became standard - it says "professional" right there on the cans, so the producer can feel assured when he /she looks over at us. Hah! Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFsound Posted December 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 "Are your gain / trim / headphone output levels consistent?" My mic gains and mix buss levels are consistent with what I usually do. If/when I hear sibilance (or any distortion for that matter) I try potting the headphone monitor way down to see if it's still there. In the case sibilance, it does seem to go away, so I feel assured it's just in my monitoring and not in the audio track. Thanks all for the great responses. Bottom line?…it's probably time for a new set of headphones. "If you want to try what most location sound guys consider the top of the line... I've got some Sennheiser HD-25-1-ii that I'll sell you for $100/shipped... hardly used." Thanks for that offer MattinSTL. I'll look into those Sennys and let you know. HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and best wishes for a great, wonderful sounding 2013!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Hey RF, You're welcome to try my Ultrasones if you want. Eric (Fishman) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFsound Posted December 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Hey RF, You're welcome to try my Ultrasones if you want. Eric (Fishman) You da man, Eric. We'll talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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