Pete The Cat
25-05-2025, 09:41
As I've got older I've become wary of headphones. You can find yourself notching up the volume and not appreciating the potential risk. Components such as iPhones have apps that can help users to manage volume exposure but I'm not aware of anything other than using your own judgment if you're using a traditional system.
A few months back I was looking for a cheap pair of cans to use at the desktop while I'm working. Back in the day I had several different models from Sennheiser's HD4** series which tended to be for broadcast or studio use, and as well as being aimed at monitoring they were built for durability not cosmetics, so could survive being knocked around a bit. I have some others 'for best' including HD600s and don't want to risk swiping them off the desk and breaking them.
This led me to try a second hand pair of HD480s modified by Canford, who have been around for years supporting that market, and which have decibel limits. Mine are 88db which I know is still higher than the recommended threshold over a period of several hours but even so it's a helpful guard against overdoing it. Canford no longer sell them but there are plenty on the market and if you're patient you can pick up ex BBC pairs for about £35.
Although they don't compete with other cans costing several times more they're surprisingly credible all-rounders. There's 'just enough' of everything eg bass is decent and above all they have a very listenable warmth, I find I can play challenging music at 7am and it doesn't hurt my head.
I don't take them near their peak but it's helpful to know that they'd stop if I became too enthusiastic. Level limiting is a good idea and I'm surprised that it's not more common.
A few months back I was looking for a cheap pair of cans to use at the desktop while I'm working. Back in the day I had several different models from Sennheiser's HD4** series which tended to be for broadcast or studio use, and as well as being aimed at monitoring they were built for durability not cosmetics, so could survive being knocked around a bit. I have some others 'for best' including HD600s and don't want to risk swiping them off the desk and breaking them.
This led me to try a second hand pair of HD480s modified by Canford, who have been around for years supporting that market, and which have decibel limits. Mine are 88db which I know is still higher than the recommended threshold over a period of several hours but even so it's a helpful guard against overdoing it. Canford no longer sell them but there are plenty on the market and if you're patient you can pick up ex BBC pairs for about £35.
Although they don't compete with other cans costing several times more they're surprisingly credible all-rounders. There's 'just enough' of everything eg bass is decent and above all they have a very listenable warmth, I find I can play challenging music at 7am and it doesn't hurt my head.
I don't take them near their peak but it's helpful to know that they'd stop if I became too enthusiastic. Level limiting is a good idea and I'm surprised that it's not more common.