Greetings folks,
Looking for some unusual advice, and figured I'd ask here before starting a thread.
I have been trying to find a headphones/mic solution which can offer good external attenuation, good mic noise rejection, and compatibility with smartphones / computers / cordless phones.
Constraints:
- Budget of up to $750 USD for the perfect unit, prefer to spend less of course.
- Dynamic environment, lots of removing and putting on the headset. I had considered in-ears like Shure SE535s with inline mic but they take care when fitting which may make them less favourable.
- Long wear comfort is a must. I do not like headphones which sit on the ear, or earbuds. I had a pair of Sennheiser HD600s for a long time, and they are my standard for comfort and fidelity.
- Connection to computer/smartphones are accomplished with a four pole 3.5mm TRS plug. Connection to cordless phones must use a three pole 2.5mm TRS plug. I'm happy to build a connector or a converter however, the signal has to be compatible (no phantom power...). See below for pinout details.
- I would prefer something with ANR+PNR type cancellation. Ideally attenuate high frequency noise passively and low frequency noise actively. Each technology focusing on what it does best. However, ANR is not a requirement if a sufficiently good PNR device can be found.
- No phantom power/mic bias means a dynamic mic is required. No condenser/electret mic can be used.
- Lots of ambient noise in some environments, so I am concerned about an inline or omni mic's ability to do noise rejection, obviously a boom mic has a big advantage in such environments.
Applications:
The reason I am looking for such a versatile piece of kit, is that I want to buy once and deploy across several usage models. The three primaries are below.
- At work I spend time both in a noisy office doing comms work, in loud server rooms doing comms/maintenance, and on top of cellular towers with lots of wind noise. The ambient noise spans the spectrum from a low hum to screeches. I need to be able to hear the person on the other end accurately and clearly, and they need to be able to hear me. This comms type can be either a cell phone, or a cordless phone, depending on the location.
- My commute is on the train, and I would appreciate being able to block out the train noise and general conversation noise and listen to music at a comfortable volume. I don't expect it to be as good as my HD600s, but decent fidelity would be nice. The possibility of a phone call also exists and I would like to speak at a quiet volume and still be heard.
- This would also be my gaming headset at home. For things like Vent and Skype. Obviously this is not a demanding usage model, but worth including. If it is good at the other things, it should excel here.
I have done extensive research on many channels. Avionics headsets such as the Telex Stratus 50D and Beyerdynamic Signum HS400 seemed promising, except they use an electret mic. I have contemplated replacing that mic with a dynamic but would rather not. Pilot USA and David Clark both sell a military grade avionics headset which has a dynamic boom mic and ANR. They are expensive, and I am concerned about speaker fidelity as they are dedicated comms headsets. I tried on a broadcast headset, the Sennheiser HMD 280 Pro, and it had nowhere near enough noise attenuation.
Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated.
Many thanks, Julian
Four Pole 3.5mm TRS Plug:
http://pinoutsguide.com/HeadsetsHeadphones/blackberry_9700_headset_pinout.shtml
Three Pole 2.5mm TRS Plug:
http://pinouts.ru/HeadsetsHeadphones/cellphone_headset_pinout.shtml