Newbie would love some help regarding best headphones and hearing protection

Miss B

Junior Member
Hi Guys, I'd appreciate if someone could help me please. I'm new to the forum and relatively new to the world of drumming, but quickly learning :)

Firstly i'm looking for some headphones and hearing protection. My son is 7 and has been drumming for nearly two years, I have heard of Vic Firth headphones which act as both, are these the best option? or is it better to buy separate devices.

Also im looking for some really good noise cancelling headphones suitable for playing along to music for a pro....looking for the best you can buy with about £300 to spend. Have looked into Bose quiet comfort 15 but unsure if these would be suitable??

Thank you in advance :)
 
Welcome to the forum.

The search function will reveal a ton of existing threads on this topic.

Searching for "hearing protection", this will be listed:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/search.php?searchid=10075119

Here's one thread for example - "Hearing protection?"
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84497

As for headphones - here's the search result overview:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/search.php?searchid=10075122

Just pick a few threads, read a bit into them and this should give you the info you're looking for.
 
I was at Lowe's the other day just getting in my daily man fix and I came across a pair of wireless headphones which had an AUX input for an mp3 or ipod. You could also adjust it so you can hear people talking but somehow it still offers ear protection and the ability to listen to music at the same time. They cover up to 22 decibels, might be too much? They were either $35 or $55, I can't seem to remember but it was most likely the higher price. Not designed for musicians but I thought it might be worth mentioning.
 
Chain saw head sets work well for isolation. Chain saws get pretty loud.

I have never experienced better isolation and fidelity than the Etymotic Research ER4 earphones I have. All the headsets I have tried over the years just don't give me the isolation or scope of sound quality. When correctly inserted I can feel the drums more than hear them.
 
I personally use Beats by Dre Mixrs, but I wouldn't recommend them, mainly because your better off getting Bose QuietComfort 15's or Sennheiser PXC 310s... more bang for your buck (better sound quality and better noise canceling) and you won't get made fun of for having Beats, which happens to me a lot.
 
For drumming along to music, the Vic Firth isolation headphones work very well, and I would definitely recommend them. They are fairly inexpensive. With a 300 budget, though, you could afford some nice in-ear monitors, which will probably offer better sound quality and isolation. But for practice at home, I like the Vic Firths because they are very easy to put on and take off.

For playing without added audio, I either use foam earplugs, or more recently, I've been using 3M Professional Earmuffs that I bought from Lowe's. I use them at home and at band rehearsals. It's easy to take them off between songs to chat with my bandmates, and my drums sound a lot better than they do with earplugs for some reason.
 
With your budget, the GK Ultraphones are the ticket. I've used every other brand of "drummer headphones" available, and these have the best sound and the best isolation. In addition, they're designed and used by a first-class drummer.

I don't recommend noise cancellation headphones. They aren't designed for the elimination of a drum kit's sonics. They're designed to reject for ambient white & pink noise.
 
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