Curious to know which brand and type of headphones are the best at IDing distant stations especially on crowded regional and gy channels? What are your experiences?
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Best headphones for DXing?
- Thread starter Buckeyes2001
- Start date
IMHO, what makes a good set of headphones for *lengthy* music listening sessions makes a good set of headphones for DX.
You need comfort and low distortion to keep fatigue from setting in.
Any adjustments to frequency response/rejection of high & low frequencies/etc. should happen in the radio, not the headphones.
You need comfort and low distortion to keep fatigue from setting in.
Any adjustments to frequency response/rejection of high & low frequencies/etc. should happen in the radio, not the headphones.
I have had good luck with a pair of phones I got at Radio Shack in the 1990's.
They have good bass response, and mostly flat response otherwise. A bit more midrange than the pair of phones that come with a Sony SRF-59 (great for FM listening, but a bit muffled for DXing or AM listening). They also have more clarity than the old headsets that came with Walkman style radios in the 1980's.
I tried DXing with a set of Sony professional dynamic headphones, but the bass was overpowering on some radios.
I agree with W9WI that a lot of it is also the radio. A couple of my DX radios have tinny or midrangy response (due to narrow bandwidth in one case, and due to a tinny AF chip in another case), and although they are good performers I barely use them because of listener's fatigue...
I have better luck IDing stations on crowded channels with radios that have more clarity.
They have good bass response, and mostly flat response otherwise. A bit more midrange than the pair of phones that come with a Sony SRF-59 (great for FM listening, but a bit muffled for DXing or AM listening). They also have more clarity than the old headsets that came with Walkman style radios in the 1980's.
I tried DXing with a set of Sony professional dynamic headphones, but the bass was overpowering on some radios.
I agree with W9WI that a lot of it is also the radio. A couple of my DX radios have tinny or midrangy response (due to narrow bandwidth in one case, and due to a tinny AF chip in another case), and although they are good performers I barely use them because of listener's fatigue...
I have better luck IDing stations on crowded channels with radios that have more clarity.
I have a currently-disassembled Sony SRF-42 radio (used to be $30 new at Rat Shack) that has forced AM Stereo. When I have previously used it, I noticed that the forced stereo effect (even on stations without the 25 Hz pilot and fringe/weak signals) and platform motion (caused by offset carrier frequencies & out-of-phase skywaves) would often help separate multiple co-channel stations. One station might be on the left, another on the right, a 3rd in the middle, etc. (They'd move around in the soundstage, but could still be aurally separated.)
Good luck finding one now under $100-200 or at all, though.
Good luck finding one now under $100-200 or at all, though.
I prefer to use inexpensive (Skull Candy) ear buds...usually just one ear:
you can adjust the bass by how the bud seats in the ear, and the fatigue factor is low.
you can adjust the bass by how the bud seats in the ear, and the fatigue factor is low.
Re: Sony SRF-42: I also have DXed with that radio. The platform motion is indeed a great tool for IDing different stations on a frequency. The one I've got is pretty sensitive, but for DXing an external loop is a must. Great sound, full and rich.
I'm guessing any of the Sony AM Stereo radios would be the same for DXing crowded frequencies.
I'm guessing any of the Sony AM Stereo radios would be the same for DXing crowded frequencies.
The pair I currently use is the Philips SHP2500. Light weight, comfortable, full over the ear coverage, with a 6 m (20 ft) cable length, it's actually meant for TV watching, but the long cable gives me lots of freedom around the studio where I work and do most of my DXing. The most important thing? Even while listening to all that white noise, my wife doesn't hear a thing. Can't beat it, for $20...Canadian!
~BG
~BG
R
rbrucecarter5
Guest
Dr. Dre - amazing sound, best audio clarity I have ever had from headphones.
A few years ago I used Koss UR-20 headphones for DX. They were OK, with large pads and some isolation. Did get some good catches using those.
Nowadays I have been using a pair of Califone headphones (they are mainly for school and library use, but still good for me) that have a stereo/mono switch and provide better isolation than my Koss headphones. Better isolation for me = more weaker catches! You can find them on amazon, search "Califone headphones amazon" and select the model that says "3068AV".
-crainbebo
Nowadays I have been using a pair of Califone headphones (they are mainly for school and library use, but still good for me) that have a stereo/mono switch and provide better isolation than my Koss headphones. Better isolation for me = more weaker catches! You can find them on amazon, search "Califone headphones amazon" and select the model that says "3068AV".
-crainbebo
I've owned far more expensive headphones, but the Sony MDR ZX100 have been a solid choice for me. The pair I have right now is white! For twenty bucks (or less), they provide an inexpensive balance of good audio for music and clarity for DX. Pretty much the equal of some expensive JBL "cans" I had that sounded great, but kept breaking. On top of that, ZX100 phones are durable and very comfortable for extended listening (unlike the JBLs).
I also have an old pair of Koss lightweight phones with adjustable volume. These are almost every bit as good as the ZX100s, but not quite as comfortable for long-term listening. Finally, I carry a cheap pair of entry-level Sony phones in my travel bag for "emergency use" when I'm on the road.
I also have an old pair of Koss lightweight phones with adjustable volume. These are almost every bit as good as the ZX100s, but not quite as comfortable for long-term listening. Finally, I carry a cheap pair of entry-level Sony phones in my travel bag for "emergency use" when I'm on the road.
D
Darth_vader
Guest
I love my big green David Clark 10SH cans, especially for long marathon DX sessions. They're great in noisy environments, like my computer centre (since that's what they're designed for.) Bit on the bulky side, though, and they work best after a couple days' burn-in.
Barring that, Sony "Studio Monitor" MDR-V150 are also good DX cans. They have nowhere near the noise isolation the DCs have, but they're much smaller and (from experience, having had several pair over the years) have little to no burn-in. The V150 model was discontinued just over a year or so ago (replaced by the MDR-ZX100 model cyberdad mentioned) but they can still be found in abundance, since they were in production for nearly a decade, on Amazon or elsewhere fairly cheaply. They're also somewhat easy to service.
Barring that, Sony "Studio Monitor" MDR-V150 are also good DX cans. They have nowhere near the noise isolation the DCs have, but they're much smaller and (from experience, having had several pair over the years) have little to no burn-in. The V150 model was discontinued just over a year or so ago (replaced by the MDR-ZX100 model cyberdad mentioned) but they can still be found in abundance, since they were in production for nearly a decade, on Amazon or elsewhere fairly cheaply. They're also somewhat easy to service.
Thanks all for the suggestions
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