Direct Sound EX29 Professional Headphones

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List Price: $189.95
Sale Price: $102.37
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

• Invented by a studio session drummer for drummers, home studios, stage and studio musicians, and anyone who wants serious isolation!
• The ultra-fidelity high input speakers featuring TruSound Tonal Accuracy technology integrated with 29dB of eco-friendly natural passive isolation are incredibly amazing and will not bleed click tracks or pre-recorded music into live microphones!
• For sound engineers to monitor the mixer board during live performances while isolating their ears from main speakers
• For stage and studio drummers who want to hear how drums are being mixed without having headphones at high volume
• Allows studio musicians to hear only the studio mix during recording - eliminating costly return trips to the control room

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These headphones have worked pretty well for me at my office. I'm in a big group of cubicles with completely exposed air conditioners overhead and industrial lab equipment not too far away. These really let me turn DOWN the volume and still hear my music. Sound quality is certainly acceptable, but compared to nice headphones (even in the same price range) it is somewhat lackluster. Think lo-fi. The point is that these headphones have way, way better sound quality *in a noisy environment* than the alternatives. If you don't need the isolation, look at the Sennheiser model below or the Sony MDR-7506. Or AKG K240. Or something more expensive. :)

Before deciding on these, I tried a few other worthy contenders:

** Bose Quiet Comfort 2. For the kinds of noise in my office, these did not do as good a job at isolation as the Extreme Isolation did. They are amazing at getting rid of low frequency noise, however. I can see why people like them for air travel. I found these to be LESS comfortable than the Extreme Isolation after use for a few weeks. (It feels like there is a pressure difference when the isolation is turned on.) Sound quality in the Bose headphones was OK but not stellar by any means. I didn't like that the active isolation circuit (which creates an annoying hiss) has to be engaged all the time (or the headphones don't work), and I didn't like the price, which is about 3X higher than the Extreme Isolation 'phones.

** Sennheiser HD-280. The Senn's have noticably better sound (much more definition and clarity, if somewhat lacking in bass), and do have impressive isolation. But it isn't anywhere close to what the Extreme Isolation provides. These would probably work fine in a less noisy office. And they don't look as dorky, either. :)

I have had 2 coworkers try out my headphones and decide to get their own set.

One important point--when you first get the headphones, they are VERY tight. One friend initially called them the "head pinchers". This effect makes for a very uncomfortable experience, but the good news is that they loosen up over time. Now, besides the obvious bulk, I don't notice any discomfort at all. One friend successfully pre-stretched his when he got them to counteract this effect.

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I was looking for a pair of headphones to use on my riding mower and these are perfect for that application!

After doing a bit of research I found that these headphones have approximately the same noise reduction capabilities as a good set of hearing protectors (30dB) for industrial use. I believe they are rated at 28dB reduction.

Another important fact is that the impedance is rated at 64 Ohms, for those of you who aren't up on your technical specs. this means that a small MP3 player or CD player will drive these headphones without a problem.

I'm also a NASCAR fan and try to go to at least 1 race a year. This year I used them at a truck race and they preformed as well as a set of specialty racing headphones I own. They are a bit more comfortable as well.

If you get these don't expect thundering bass or incredibly loud music from the drivers. The sound is very flat over the entire 20-20kHz spectrum.

Combined with the sound reduction of 28dB from the muffs and the flat frequency response they make for a very comfortable listening experience over many hours.

I would highly recommend the headphones for anyone who wants to listen to audio in a noisy environment.

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I bought the Direct Sound Extreme Isolation phones for my wife to use so she can hear the movie dialog on airplanes and trains.

I had previously tried the Koss QZ active noice cancellation headphones. The Direct Sound headphones have the advantage that being passive they require no batteries and also they do not introduce the white noise hissing sound of the Koss phones. Also, the Direct Sound phones reduce all frequencies, while the active cancellation phones tend to reduce mostly the low-frequency rumbling-type noise. Overall the Direct Sound phones do a much better job of cancelling all frequencies of ambient noise.

My wife loves these headphones and now even uses them while watching movies at home because she says she can hear the dialog much better.

The Direct Sound phones are definitely a bit bigger than the typical noise cancellation phones, but the superior results overcome the inconvience of the larger size.

Because we mostly use the headphones for listening to movies, I can't speak specifically to the musical quality of the sound but several times I've tried them with music they seem fine.

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I was taking starting drum set lessons and looking for a good set of isolation headphones. The Direct Sound headsets had great reviews so I bought a pair. I can't say that I'm all that impressed. They do a good job of isolating, except when I turn my head. The headsets are constructed entirely of plastic and don't exert enough pressure to keep the ear cups from flexing. Once you turn your head you're left with a gap and the isolation is shot. Since my sheet music is to my left and not directly in front me, the flexing is a real issue. They may be fine for most purposes, just not mine. Also, considering the construction I really think that these things are over priced. I might have give these a 3.5, but Amazon doesn't half stars, so 3 stars it is.

The sound quality is fine. But the arms are made of cheap plastic and can be broken easily. You have to use it like a fragile glass or you want to hold it with your hands after you accidentally broken the arms. I really disappointed and surprised by the weakness of the arms, considering this is an $99 item.