Man, you're usually so spot on Justin, but I couldn't disagree more with you on this one. Like you said, I was introduced to the Vic Firth sound-isolating headphones via acoustic drumming. And I admit they aren't the highest-fidelity cans. But I've tried and owned lots of other over-ear headphones - Roland's "V-Drum" phones (RH-300V), Audio-Techinca ATH-M50x, Beyer-Dynamic DT 990 Pro, a pair of Sennheiser noise-canceling phones, as well as a set of "Chi-fi" IEMs (KZ ZS10 Pro). I tell you, they all have their pros and cons, but NONE of them are as great for e-drumming as the humble Vics. They sound good enough, IMO, but more importantly they (1) stay on your damn head, and (2) completely block out stick noise. To me, it doesn't matter if another pair of headphones sounds a little better if it's slipping off my face and/or my entire experience is ruined by the "tap-tap-tap" of my stick on a rubber cymbal pad. E-drumming should be an immersive experience, and the sound isolation for me is key.

Good points about the ordinary quality of 'drumming' headphones.. I use a pair Audio Technica ATH-M40X with my kit on and off stage. You don't need a ton of volume or noise cancelling headphones to block the sound sound of hitting pads. Not on my e kit anyway. On stage I have mixer dedicated to my foldback. In it I have my drums, vocals, the click track, a bit of my bands backing tracks and also I run a mic and sit in in front of the kit on the floor to pick up stage sound or the vocals, guitars, bass etc. I feed a little of that in and I have my own mix of the band in there.. A mix were the drums are the loudest instrument in the band. Just where they belong ;)

I purchased the Sennheiser 280 Pro's based on this video and another one of Justin's videos, and while I am happy with them I do want to share how my experience with them differs in one regard compared to Justin's. For me, I do not agree that 99% of the sound from hitting the pads / cymbals is isolated when using the headphones - I can still hear myself hitting the pads very clearly, to the point where it is a distraction when recording to a click (ex. I just want to hear the click and nothing else, I can't do that). Maybe that's because I hit too hard, or because of a different in drum kit between Justin & I - I am using a TD-4 with mesh heads. But in case anyone else is looking to buy those headphones and noise cancellation is a big deal, just something to consider.

After watching one of your previous videos on headphones I bought the Sennheiser hd 280 pros. I love them. They are not noise cancelling and I can hear myself playing (usually hi hat), but you are correct; they block out about 99%. The sound quality on this model is really good. I also have a drum monitor but I enjoy wearing the headphones much more. Better quality sound and better blockage of the rubber pad sounds.

I bought the 380 based on your early video on this subject. They are very confy although they could have a little more bass.

Roland RH-300 V headphones are awesome. They are comfortable. The bass and treble are great. They are also very loud. I have many different high quality headphones from SURE, Sennheiser, ect. The Roland rs-300v are tremendously louder and more clear than any other headphones that I've used playing drums

So I have a pair of CAD isolation earphones and my I literally jumped out of my throne when my mom tapped on my shoulder while in the middle of a grove

I have a pair of Roland RH-300V headphones, I love them, I upgraded from a cheap pair of AKG K52, and couldn't believe the difference in sound quality. The highs and mids are nice and crisp, lows are nice and powerful and doesn't get distorted from the bass. They might be a little pricey but you'll only have to buy them once. In my opinion, well worth the investment.

I was recently at Guitar Center where they had several headphones setup where you can actually test them side by side. I tried the Sennheiser's and they sounded great but the ones that blew me away were the AKG Harman K52s. They were the best sounding ones there and they were only $50. I bought a pair, brought them home and tried them and LOVE them!

I'm fussy as. Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO !! Sound awesome for drums, and music. great bass, and soft on head. I use the 250 homs version. Around $150 :))

I'm using the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X. They're great! can't complain in terms of sound quality and pricing. Around 100 € in germany.

In ear monitor's sound pretty good and you can wear them for a long time without your head hurting, they are more expensive tho

Thanks dude !!! I almost ordered the Vic Firth ones online for cheap, but if they don't sound good, then chalk that !!! LOL Glad I looked for your videos once again before I bought them !!!! Literally, was just about to press purchase and I was like hmmm... Lemmy look to see if they're good...lol Thanks again !!! :-)

Beyer dynamics DT770 is the standard in studio tracking headphones for a good reason. Good isolation and great sound quality

Justin I would have to disagree with you about the KAT percussion headphones. I have both the KAT and the Sennheiser HD 280. I literally just did a side by side comparison with both on my Alesis Strike running through a mixer. Same exact settings and BOTH sound amazing. Everything comes through loud and clear and only distorts a little with the bass turned up too much(happens on both sets). For the money(60 bucks I think), the Kats are a better value since the sound quality is just as good as the Sennheiser. The only issue would maybe be they are a little snug and may get a little uncomfortable over time. You should try them out.

You're definitely exaggerating about the volume of open-backed headphones for other people. I currently use an AKG K-712 Pro, which are open-back headphones for around $220... and, no: My neighbors can't hear my headphones, obviously. Noone outside of the room can. Yes, open back headphones are louder for others than closed headphones, but, generally they also sound better thanks to being open. That's the whole reason they exist, after all. I'd say: If you're really worried about hearing your own hits on the drums while playing, definitely go closed-back. Otherwise, open headphones have the benefit of a "bigger sound stage" and tend to sound more differentiated. Something you didn't mention at all: Definitely go for a decent headphone amp. I'd rather use a cheaper headphone with a decent amp than a high-end headphone driven directly by something like a TD-11.

I do have some Beyer Dynamics Pro 770 headphones. ($150,-) I also use some Shure SE 215 ($100,-) for my drumcovers. Both are really great and I don't hear the sound of the drum pads. I'm playing a Roland TD 30

I have the HD380 and although they are comfortable and have a good sound quality, I still hear the plastic drum cymbals. Please do another video for electronic drums headphones.

Honestly for e drums and sound in your ears. I have been using Sennheiser‘s 240 HD Pro. They are great but when I bought some $100 shure in ears monitors. I was able to tell the difference with sound but both of them feel great on your ears and both block out background sound👌

I use Sony noise canceling headphones and it does the job well 👍

I use HD380's, they are nice for drums and tracking in general. I used to mix with them but find Studiospares M2000's and M1000's more accurate (and a fraction the price).

I'm using an 6 years old Razer Electra headphones, and it's more than enough for me. I'm planning to buy some news headphones, but I don't know which ones yet.

How is it that you guys don’t hear the pads with a simple can like the hd 280 pro? I measured the spl of my roland kit when I hit it hard. Where I’m sitting I get around 80 decibels, but occasionaly some hader hits can reach 95 or even above, so obviously some protection is needed with even electronic sets. At first I used the alesis isolation headphones, but the right side went silent pretty quick. It was ok, not great, ok. So I got a shure se215. Yeah, ppl say it’s too much for electronic sets, but I just measured the spl I get from it when I play as I usualy do and it was around 85 decibels. That’s more than I’m comfortable with and I could still hear the pads, though very quietly. To not hear them at all I would have to crank it up to dangerous levels. And I do get good seal with it. I just got a sennheiser hd 4.40 from a friend to try because he wasn’t using it and to my surprise they isolated much better than the alesis prpose made headphones. I looked at the isolation graphs at rtings and it seems they are a bit better than the hd 280 pro. But nowhere near the level of isolation of the se215 especially at bass frequencies. And I can very well hear myself hitting the pads even at higher volume than with the se215. So you said in the video hearing the pads takes away from the illusion that you are not hitting a plastic surface, but real cymbals. So what volume are you listening at if you don’t hear them with a sennheiser hd 280 pro?

Great video Justin!

I'm using audio-technica ATH-M20x with a Yamaha DTX532K and everything sounds and feels great.

What I don't understand is using an app, I measure the audible noise of rubber/mesh hits just under 80dB. So how is it that the HD280s with their 32dB of noise reduction remove most of what you hear? Seems like there would still be 40dB of strike sounds coming thru, no?

You should eventually get a pair of in ears. It would make a great video for comparison e.g sound isolation, foam vs. rubber tips, and over all your impressions vs. your regular headphones. The decent ones are expensive though, so there's that. Anyway, I like what you do.

I agree with Justin I’ve was using my Vic Firth headphones for a long time and just got a pair of the 280 pros what a difference no comparison much better sound quality

I assume open back headphones won't be able to block the sounds of the drumming either, aka if I'm hitting the pads im also going to hear it right?

You mentioned a new drum kit by Roland soon to be released. Are you referring to the TD-17 ? Or something new on the horizon. Thanks

I use Westone UM 30 Pro in ear monitors. These in ear monitors are triple drivers. I use them with my Roland V Drums.

What about IEMs like the KZ zs10 Pro? Do they isolate like Sean 280 Pro's?

Some really nice and really affordable iem are kz kst search for them on amazon. They are around $20 with shipping have 2 drivers in each ear and sound amazing!! I have two pair and they are solid I also have the sure se215 which are around $100 and they sound just as good! They also have upgradable cables that are more durable. There is also 4 driver headphones that company sells for around $40. Anyways check them out if you haven’t it’s worth your time and money

i like my shure srh440 headphones. haven't tried them with drums though, i plan to go to guitar center to see how well they work with an e drum set.

that was a great help thanks

Hey Justin, I just have a quick question. So my Alesis forge is in great shape. I got it only a year ago. All of a sudden my module started acting weird. I turn it on and it turns on normally but then when it turns on fully the screen goes blank and I can’t play anything. The screen still works and I can play music from my phone through it and the buttons light up but I can’t pick kits and can’t hear the drums. Do you know what’s wrong with my module? I’d really appreciate the help. The guys at my local guitar center don’t really know much.

i am super new and sorry for the dumb question, but how can i connect my headphones to my drums, but also listen to learning videos from KZfaq?

Hello :-) What are your view on the Roland line of headphones please ?

I don't really like Sweetwater for headphones. They only carry top-tier brands, which tend to be expensive for performance. I have a pair of IEM's with 4 drivers I got from Amazon for $70, and they sound amazing.

I just want headphones that sound decent and have good clamping force. I’m one of those drummers that just gets into the groove too much and starts bopping my head too much, and because I’m not bald so I can’t do a Keith Moon where I just tape headphones to my head, I need ones with decent clamping force, while still being comfortable. Does anybody have any recommendations?

Will or have you done a review of the prism mesh heads?

Justin. I screwed up big time. Maybe you can give me some advice. I went out and brought me West tone 30 Am Earbugs for my Roland TD50K $400 bucks down the drain. The in ear monitoring ear bugs sound like crap. There Flat sounding have no bass or nothing. And the cord is to sort it gets in the way of me playing. I need advice. I’m looking for some ear bugs that sound great with some highs meds bass. Or just sound good. Do you have any advice on which pair on ear bugs sounds good using with the Roland TD50K? Also do the robin tip have to be a 3 ring tip for stereo sound to come out?

What about the Roland headset, I need some that won't hurt for entire gig and would like to run the whole band mix through them? Any help before I drop the hammer buying wou be appreciated. Also thought about the sennheiser 380's, money not a issue for great quality headphones for me. Thanks guys 😎 Roland RH-300 Stereo headphones? Al Rockin Rudy

I use nice senheisser 380 isolating headphones and they sound great and are very comfortable.

great vid, first time commenting but watched a ton of 65 drum vids recently , ive currently got a pair of Bose QC35’s and tests these on a few e drum kits and they sound great. i’m literally about to buy the Roland TD11k any day now but heard during this vid that Roland maybe about to bring out new e drum kit anyone know any news shall i hold back.??

beyerdynamic DT 250 are great !!

I actually have these and love them. The isolation makes it so you can't hear any stick noise. Like literally almost zero. I used to have beyerdynamics and the noise cancelling foam is not even close. Sure the audio isn't as bass heavy but IMO the bigger battle with e-drums is not hearing sticks hitting rubber and pads. Just my opinion though.

beyerdynamic dt770 Pro (80) shure se215 Sony mdr-7506 audio-technica pro7X all this stuff suond good) but still I hear the cymbals hitting

I use a DirectSound Ex-29. I like it.

Had a pair of Vic Firth's, great isolation but sounded like crap and terribly uncomfortable. They fell apart. Got a pair of Alesis headphones, decent isolation and slightly better sound but still basically crappy. Tried many other headphones from Bose to a 30-year old pair of Pioneer's without finding the right balance between isolation and sound quality. Currently using a pair of gaming headphones I had (Afterglow AG-9) that sound great and have OK isolation. They'll do until I can get my HD280 Pro's.

Drum-tec says that those alesis headphones are specially made for electronic drums and sounds amazing🤔

Great video, when I had my electronic kits (Roland td9 and Alexis dm10) I tied the Vic Firth drummer headphones and the audio sucked, so I borrowed an expensive pair of my dads audio technica headphones and it made all the difference lol but they did make my ears hurt after a while..

what is that edum kit at 2:56 ????

Right now? DT880 pro. But at the drums DT770 pro.

There is a cheap solution available. Buy a cheap pair of protective ear muffs and wear them over a pair of ear buds. I have been doing this for years with acoustic and electric kits.

My dad got me an Alesis nitro for Christmas and now when I hit my cymbals it snare and I checked all my cables and they are in the right pads but I don't know what's going on

Would Shure SE215 do the job???

DT 770 Pros are good I have the normal ones and the noise isolation ones. They're basically just as good just no velour.

Direct sound's ex-29 sounds amazing and they re not that expensive

What about pad noise with Sony 1000x or Bose qx35 noise cancelling headphones?

I thought the main issue with open backed headphones is YOU can hear yourself hitting the pads more which is a bad thing, not that other people can hear your music.

I'll have to agree, the Vics really don't sound all that great. I do love them for my acoustic set and when jamming with a particular group of friends in a concrete room. I've got 2 OH, snare and kick mic and the rack mics turned out toward the room to pick up the rest of the band. it's nice to be able to have my own mix, wish I could completely turn off one of the guitarists, lol. For my E-Kit, I've got a couple of pairs of cheap Tascam phones and they actually sound pretty good. Plenty of low end and crisp highs. they are more linear than the AKG phones I have.

I just had the Sennheisers 280/380 HD Pro, the 'famous' Beyerdynamic 770 Pro 80 Ohm and the ATH M50XGM at home for testing against my old Sennheiser HD 25 SP. Long story short - the HD 25 beat them all in almost all categories. The biggest disappointment were the 380 HD Pros. First off, they sound terrible, absolutely terrible. They have a nasty resonance around 3 kHz and another one at a higher frequency. My Superior Drummer 3 sounds like coming out of a tin can. 32 dB dampening - forget about it. The HD 25 allegedly have 10 dB, the Beyerdynamic 18 dB. There should be a huge audible difference, but there isn't. In reality it's hard to make out ANY difference. Dampening is weak in all of these headphones. Going back to sound quality: The ATH came closest to the HD 25, then the 280 HD, then the Beyerdynamics. The latter ones delivering the lowest volume, so low that they were off the table for me. The deepest low end was delivered by the HD 380 Pro but with low impulse fidelity, an issue for all these headphones - except for the HD 25. I can't go into every detail here, especially because I'm typing on my phone. But I'm trying to draw a bottom line now: The main reasons for looking for a new pair of headphones were the not so great sound proofing of my HD 25 and the fact that they tend to slip off my ears and eventually off my head (on ear fit). Sound proofing - the others may be better in the spec sheet, but only there. The HD 280/380 and the Beyerdynamic are very comfortable over ears, and they stay put. The ATH is not a real over ear, unless you have tiny ears, but they sit well. Frequency response - all headphones, including the HD 25, emphasize the low end a bit. Except for the HD 25, all headphones emphasize the high end as well. The HD 25 delivers the sleekest frequency response curve of them all, the ATH the most chaotic. The HD 25 also have the least resonances and the tightest impulse fidelity. They also seem to have the least build tolerances in terms of equality of the left and right channel. Don't take my word for it, check here: reference-audio-analyzer.pro As said in the beginning, I had high hopes for the 380 HD, but they turned out to be the biggest disappointment. I was literally shocked until I put on my good old HD 25 on again. A true revelation. None of the other headphones can beat these. I guess I have to wear a head band or so to keep them in place. But they will definitely stay.

Sony mdr-7506. Studio standard for years and rebuildable.

Audio Technica M50 are great for that purpose.

Sennheiser 380 pro - go for them

Pls What is the difference between roland td10 and roland td10 tdw1 You can help pleas

my Drumming headphones in the past have been prone to breaking constantly

Im getting a kat kt4 and imma use my hyper x xbox one head set lol

Sound isolation and semi open headphones don't go together. If you want isolation, it has to be closed back.

Future Justin has seen some shit.

Buying used headphone ... YUK ! over my dead body man !

Xbox headphones work well but they can also be very expensive.. 150 and up for a decent pair.

I use some cheap ones, they kinda suck. I'll probably go buy either Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser headphones.

Beyer Dynamic DT770 are great.

best video

Get some Shure in ears... problem solved.

Why do my Sennheisers sound like complete shit. The ones at guitar center sounded good. Mine sound fuckin flat and have next to no bass

i just use a pair of 15$ gaming headset by sades and it works great for my nitro

Hey justin

Dr. Dre, Scull Candy & Vic Firth are all crap!No headphones can touch Sony headphones. Sony MDR-XB950B1completely over ear Extra Bass with Bluetooth at $100 are Amazing! Sony MDR-V55 are a very solid on ear and they block out sound because they fit secure with great padding at around $50 ! Even lower priced Sony headphones beat out most due to over all quality! I went into Best Buy and out of their headphone displays, the only brand that didn't have a broken piece was Sony. I research everything to death! And I spent over an hour checking out headphones and the MDR-XB950B1 were by far the best. Wanna know what is a good waist of money is? $200-$300 Headphones that's what!.....LOL

I have had several pairs of the vic firths. Everyone of them had issues with cutting out after a short period of use. My drum teacher was having the same issues with all of his vic firths. After watching a video on youtube on how to repair them I worked on 6 pairs of his and a pair of mine. Some worked fine after repair and some did not. Would not recommend to anyone. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rK6nd6pzyb2mdWg.html

Meh get in ears