Problem with vic firth headphones

RyanL

Member
Alright well I've been through a lot of headphones and lately I've tried using the vic firth SIH1 headphones and they do isolate pretty well but I've still noticed that after playing for about 20 minutes I'll still get some ringing in my ears. They isolate a lot more than other headphones that I've checked out so I'm pretty baffled to why these aren't doing the trick. Any suggestions?
 
I think the ringing in your ears is caused by too much volume. The isolation factor is the amount of other room noise that can be heard while using them. Any phones played too loud will cause ringing and other serious and permanent damage. They are design to block out noise not protect your ears from loud volume.
 
Turn down the volume, in fact using headphones, especially isolation phones can do more damage if you keep the volume up than going without them.

Gruntersdad has it right. I use Vic Firth Isolation phones as well, you have to watch the volume BECAUSE of the isolation...you may feel like you can't hear as well and tend to crank up the volume.
 
Turn down the volume, in fact using headphones, especially isolation phones can do more damage if you keep the volume up than going without them.

Gruntersdad has it right. I use Vic Firth Isolation phones as well, you have to watch the volume BECAUSE of the isolation...you may feel like you can't hear as well and tend to crank up the volume.

So what you are saying is that with the isolation head phones, you probably wont need to crank up the volume? or will the drums block out the music if you lower it too much?

Edit- i ask this because im probably going to buy some isolation headphones soon because ive never been able to play along with tracks because my drums are too loud and i hear it helps tremendously with increasing one's level of playing.
 
I'm pretty confused by your responses. I can hear the drums fine and they are isolated very well but the level of volume I need the music to be at still leads to my ears hurting. It may seem that these don't provide enough isolation but compared to other headphones ive had (senheiser 280 & direct ex-29) the vic firth ones have provided the best isolation. Maybe its just my ears?
 
So what you are saying is that with the isolation head phones, you probably wont need to crank up the volume? or will the drums block out the music if you lower it too much?

Edit- i ask this because im probably going to buy some isolation headphones soon because ive never been able to play along with tracks because my drums are too loud and i hear it helps tremendously with increasing one's level of playing.

I think head phones make me play worse but that's just me. My dad say's that i play better with them on though.
 
I use Skull Candy Full Metal Jacket in ear phones. Because they fit in the ear, I can block out outside sounds, but I have to be very careful of the volume. If they are to loud then yes my ears ring. Isolation headsets are designed to block out outside noises, like stereos, TV's, crowds, airplane sounds, whatever, but that does not mean you can turn them up loud and not hurt your ears. They isolate the outside world not the music you are listening to. At one point I was wearing ear plugs, then wearing full coverage head phones with the volume where I could hear but not loud enough to do damage. The problem with that is my drums sounded terrible. If you are listening to the music at a decent volume, and someone is talking to you and you can't hear them, then they are isolated. Is that what you mean. I'm not clear as to what you mean by isolated.
 
I believe he is saying that in order to hear the music well enough through his Vic headphones he has to turn them up to a point where they leave his ears ringing. I agree. I have the same isolation headphones and I have a love/hate relationship with them. I find the coiled cord highly annoying. They make my ears soar very quickly. I just play with the music lower than I would prefer it. Its hard to hear when I'm playing really loud sometimes but its better then tinitus. So for now, it works. Hoping for a better solution in the future.
 
That is my whole point. If they isolated sufficiently you shouldn't hear much of your drums so they wouldn't need to be turned up so loud. I'm guessing they don't isolate as well as advertised. I can play at a decent level with my Skull Candy phones on and not have the drums interfere.
 
I believe he is saying that in order to hear the music well enough through his Vic headphones he has to turn them up to a point where they leave his ears ringing. I agree. I have the same isolation headphones and I have a love/hate relationship with them. I find the coiled cord highly annoying. They make my ears soar very quickly. I just play with the music lower than I would prefer it. Its hard to hear when I'm playing really loud sometimes but its better then tinitus. So for now, it works. Hoping for a better solution in the future.

I agree. Coiled cord is heavy and a pain, but the headphones work ok and one has to find the right balance between the sound of the drums and the volume of the recorded music.
 
I'm with you on the whole love/hate thing with these headphones. For one thing, they just fell apart one night I left them in the car in the summer - I think it was the heat. I snapped them back in to place but they always fall apart if I'm not gentle with them. Since then, they really don't isolate like they used to. Think about how long that cord would be without the coil too...

Then again the day I replace these suckers, I'll probly buy the same ones because they really are great. I love how they make my drums sound behind the kit, they're comfortable, the new ones won't be so full of my own and everyone elses sweat. Gotta stay protected too, that's number one. I feel really safe in here oh my god!
 
^haha yeah they make drums sound great!

That is my whole point. If they isolated sufficiently you shouldn't hear much of your drums so they wouldn't need to be turned up so loud. I'm guessing they don't isolate as well as advertised. I can play at a decent level with my Skull Candy phones on and not have the drums interfere.

If i'm honest i really doubt a pair of overpriced showy emo headphones do a better job at isolation than the vic firths which are clearly based on industrail hearing protection.
 
Hope I can clarify my earlier response...I use the isolation headphones to reduce the overall stage volume. Sometimes I find myself turning up the volume in the headphones because I am used to the higher volume and feel like I can't hear properly. I need to remind myself that I don't need the VOLUME if I can set the monitoring up properly. After all, I am trying to protect my hearing from the volume!

It can seem a little unusual at first to have the drums "muffled" and you also need to be wary of not trying to play harder to make up the difference, thereby increasing stage volume, then the guitar gods play louder, etc.

At almost 53 years old, too many years of loud stage volume has led to hearing issues, tinitus, etc.
 
Gregg Bissonette recommends earplugs and isolation headphones. This protects your ears from the volume as well as damaging feedback that can occur in the studio.
I've been doing that for years, I put in earplugs and adjust the headphone music I'm practicing to the volume I need to hear the drums AND the music.

I do the same in the studio. I don't need to hear the "tone" I just need to hear a balance, THAT'S more important.
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Hope I can clarify my earlier response...I use the isolation headphones to reduce the overall stage volume. Sometimes I find myself turning up the volume in the headphones because I am used to the higher volume and feel like I can't hear properly. I need to remind myself that I don't need the VOLUME if I can set the monitoring up properly. After all, I am trying to protect my hearing from the volume!

It can seem a little unusual at first to have the drums "muffled" and you also need to be wary of not trying to play harder to make up the difference, thereby increasing stage volume, then the guitar gods play louder, etc.

At almost 53 years old, too many years of loud stage volume has led to hearing issues, tinitus, etc.
AHH!! I think I did misunderstand.

I don't use headphone style hearing protection, I just use earplugs. (over 20 years now) They cut 29db from what I'm hearing and I've been doing it so long I'm REALLY used to it. If you haven't been doing it that way for very long it WILL take time for you to adjust your perception so you'll know what you're hearing. It will take time, but you WILL adjust.
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__________________
I'd rather simmer for life than be a flash in the pan.
-Bermuda
 
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