A good pair of headphones is crucial for anyone who does a lot of work with audio and video editing, but how do you find what’s best for you? This video shares everything I use, including the Rode NTH-100!
This video is not sponsored, but Rode did sent the NTH-100 headphones to me at no cost. I'm not obligated to make a video about them or say anything in particular. I just really like them, I use them every day, and they've been a great addition to my workflow. Read my Ethics Statement about objective reviews, sponsored content, and brand partnerships: https://himynameistom.com/ethics
•Rode NTH-100:
https://bhpho.to/3JNacqg (B&H)
https://geni.us/rwoYSL (Sweetwater)
https://geni.us/rodenth100 (Amazon)
•Colorful Cables for NTH-100:
https://geni.us/YuzxN (Sweetwater)
•Meze 99Neo:
https://geni.us/meze (Amazon)
•Sony WCH710N:
https://geni.us/sonyphones (Amazon)
•AirPods 3:
https://bhpho.to/3HJ1es8 (B&H)
•In Ear Monitors:
https://geni.us/inear (Amazon)
???? Ever thought of starting your own podcast? Check out The Podcaster Playbook, my step-by-step DIY course to help you launch your show!
https://podcasterplaybook.com
⏱ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - All Up In My Head(phones)
0:56 - When Do You Need Headphones?
1:29 - What Makes A Good Pair Of Editing Headphones?
3:11 - In Ear Monitors
4:45 - Sony WCH700N Headphones
5:46 - Meze 99Neo Headphones
6:50 - The Importance Of “Neutral” Sound Quality
8:15 - NTH-100 Headphones - The Rode To Great Audio
12:28 - Which Do I Use Most?
———————————————————————
Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.
——————————— CONNECT ———————————
???? Subscribe! http://bit.ly/TEPsub
Instagram & Twitter: @sodarntom
Main Site: https://himynameistom.com
My Podcasts: https://himynameistom.com/podcasts
—————————— SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ——————————
Patreon: https://patreon.com/tombuck
Become a Channel Member: https://geni.us/joinchannel
——————————— MUSIC ———————————
•Artlist.io (2 Extra Months Free): https://geni.us/ArtlistTom
•Epidemic Sound (30 Day Free Trial): http://share.epidemicsound.com/enthusiasm
——————————— VIDEO GEAR ———————————
•Ecamm Live for Streaming: https://geni.us/ecammtom
•Sony a7SIII: https://bhpho.to/3f8mMlS (B&H)
•Sony FX3: https://bhpho.to/3EJuBde (B&H)
•Sony a7IV: https://bhpho.to/33mOGZo (B&H)
•Sony 24 1.4 (Main Lens): https://geni.us/sony24 (Amazon)
•Sirui Anamorphic Lens: https://bhpho.to/309H0rV (B&H)
•Zeiss 85 1.8: https://geni.us/zeissbatis (Amazon)
•ATEM Mini Video Switcher: https://geni.us/CCj5xl (Amazon)
•Elgato CamLink 4K: https://geni.us/vddHN (Amazon)
•GoPro Hero 10: https://geni.us/gopro10 (Amazon)
•YoloBox for Mobile Streams: https://geni.us/yoloboxpro (Amazon)
——————————— AUDIO GEAR ———————————
•Rodecaster Pro (for podcasts): https://geni.us/9MKJ (Amazon)
•Shure SM7B: https://geni.us/tepsm7b (Amazon)
•Rode PodMic: https://geni.us/EHeTTM (Amazon)
•Sennheiser MKH 50: https://geni.us/mkh50 (Sweetwater)
•Rode VideoMic NTG: https://amzn.to/2ZKrHTh (Amazon)
•Rode NT1 Condenser: https://geni.us/fRIqw (Amazon)
•Rode Boom Arm: https://geni.us/shr0 (Amazon)
•Rode Wireless Go: https://geni.us/LvzUSM (Amazon)
•Earthworks Icon: https://bhpho.to/3vkZEYZ (B&H)
•Shure MV7 USB/XLR Mic: https://geni.us/shuremv (Amazon)
•Shure Super 55 Mic: https://geni.us/ulcA (Amazon)
•FetHead Signal Booster: https://geni.us/dNus7 (Amazon)
•Blue XLR Cable: https://geni.us/bluexlr (Amazon)
—————————— LIGHTS & SUPPORTS ——————————
•Nanlite Forza 200 (Key Light): https://geni.us/9Ofr (Amazon)
•Aputure Light Dome Mini: https://geni.us/vf5O (B&H)
•Small Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/nanlite (Amazon)
•Big Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/pavotubes (Amazon)
•Falconeyes Flexible LED Light: https://geni.us/j4ENw (Amazon)
•Aputure MC RGB Light: https://geni.us/IuE4 (Amazon)
•Impact C-Stand: https://geni.us/k97w66m (Amazon)
•Big Tripod: https://bhpho.to/3lRoTyz (B&h)
•Small Tripod: https://geni.us/oQOh3Az (Amazon)
•Motorized Slider: https://bhpho.to/3ztKMJA (B&H)
•Overhead Camera Rig: https://geni.us/grpT (Amazon)
•GlideGear Prompter: https://geni.us/7K04A (Amazon)
———————————————————————
???? Check out the rest of my gear here:https://himynameistom.com/gear
———————————————————————
– Who Am I? –
Hi! My name is Tom Buck. As a lifelong A/V nerd, I’m here to help you level up the audio and video quality of your streams, podcasts, puns, and videos. I was a high school Digital Media teacher for 11 years, and I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for digital media and teaching others while having fun along the way.
New videos are uploaded every Thursday morning, and more often when possible!
———————————————————————
#audio #headphones #editing
———————————————————————
Episode 286: The Best Headphones For Video & Podcast Editing
(Intense and dramatic typing intensifies-If you're somebody who createany kind of audio and video productionthen a trustworthy pair of headphoneis a crucial piece of your workflow.
So today I'm going to do my besto not get up all in my heawhile I talk about these headphoneand I want to do a really good jobI don't want to phone it in.
(Get it? Because "headphones"So right off the bat, it'really important for you to knothat I've got probably somewherbetween 15 and 20 yearof experience in the headphone...
I'm completely kidding.
I know almost nothing about headphones.
But I kind of think my lack of knowledgof every kind oheadphone that's out thermight actually come in handbecause I can share with yosome just real world, everyday examplethat have worked and have noworked for me over the years.
So I have a selection oheadphones in front of methese are the ones that I haveso these are just ones that I've collecteall the way from several yearago to literally brand new.
So I'll just start by sayinthat if you're workinon any kind of projecthat involves audioheadphones are kind of a must.
Even just like the onethat came with your phonare going to be bettethan your laptop speakers.
If you're somebody whhas a big old studiand you have professional monitorand everything's positioneand treated perfectlyyou probably don't neeto be watching this videobut if you're a normamortal like the rest of usjust using any kind of headphoneas opposed to not using themis going to give you better resultbecause you're going thear a lot more nuanceand a lot more details in your audiowhether that's a video opodcast, whatever it might be.
When it comes to headphones for editingthere are a few things that I look for.
One is just reliability and simplicity.
I really, really, REALLY dislike editinwith Bluetooth headphonebecause even though, you knowlike new Air Pods anstuff have gotten betteand there's very littllatency, I still notice itand if you're somebodwho's trying to sync uaudio with video, or you're trying tmake an edit where thinglike hit on the beat of a sonor a sound effect matchea specific movementeven if it's off by jusone frame or two frame[like this clip here ????it's going to kind of takthis super crisp thinthat you've edited togetheand just dull it down a little bit.
So I like using headphones that are wirebecause I know I'm hearineverything in exact real timand I can then make the mosaccurate edits possible.
I also like sound qualitthat I call neutralI don't know if that'the right term or notbut if you're doing something likyou put on a big pair of Beats headphonewith the bass turned up all the wayyou might make somethinthat sounds amazing.
But when you're editingremember that the thing you're makinis probably going to be listened ton a whole bunch of different speakers.
Everything from somebody'super nice sound systein their living room ttheir broken phone speakersand you are trying to maksomething that sounds decenon all of that and everything in between.
For my rough assembly editI'll use basically whateveI have, I don't really care.
Sometimes I will even just usmy laptop's built in speakerbut when it comes time to dial things iand start getting more of like the polisand the little fine detailsI will always be using headphones.
Probably not going to be AirPodunless I have to use themI would actually prefer tuse just the wired EarPodsnot AirPods but EarPodsso listen HearPods, I'ltell you come NearPods.
The sound quality is okay on these.
Obviously, I'm sure yoknow it's not greatbut they're wired so that wayou can be very accurate with your edits.
Additionally, I've tried things like thiwhich are in ear monitors.
I'll put links to everythinin the descriptionbut these are just littllike $20 in ear monitors.
And what's nice about theis they go in your earsbelieve it or not, and thethe cord runs behind yoand they're slightly less noticeable.
These ones are kind of isolating.
I don't know if you'call it noise canceling.
What's cool about this is if you're doina stream or a video callyou don't have cableand cords running arounbut you still have zero latencbecause you're connected with a cable.
My problem with these and these cheap oneis you get them fitted in your earand then if you're talkinfor a long period of timthey start to wiggle out of your earand I have found that I'constantly adjusting them.
So every time I've worn theseI'm always like fidgeting with theand it's really frustrating.
You can get higher end in ear monitorwhich will actually bmolded to fit your earlike they put a mold in your eaand make you open youmouth while it hardenso that way, when yoget the actual pieceit's able to stay in your eaeven when you're moving your mouth.
And of course, like said, there are AirPodsthese are the AirPods 3they connect really easilythere's very, very, verlittle latency with thembut there's just enougthat I don't totally trusdoing like a final edit with them.
So I guess more for consumptiorather than creating.
And so in front of me here I havthree more traditional style headphonessort of like the cheapest, mediumand then the most expensivebut the most expensivin my case being $20because even though I wilspend a bunch of moneon cameras and microphonesfor some reason I'm just not someonwho will spend a buncof money on headphones.
I know, it's weird.
So a couple years ago I bought thesethe Sony WCH700N, super catchy name.
These are Bluetooth headphonebut you can also conneca 3.5 millimeter cable to themand they are noise cancelinbut they're not like gonna blow your minby how good they are at noise canceling.
And they're all right.
My problem with them ithat I actually find thereally uncomfortable.
It's usually only after mayblike 40 minutes to an houthat I start getting like lot of discomfort right heron the top of my head.
And I, there's no way can really adjust thesto work well, so I don't usthese that much for editing.
These have kind of now become myif I'm vacuuming and need to block out the sounand listen to a podcasor something like thatthat's what I use these for.
So I don't really use these for projectsbut they are cool because they have althe built in controlsthe battery lasts forevermaybe they'll fit your heabetter than they fit my head.
For Christmas of 2020, Rofrom the YouTube channeNew Record Day, definitelcheck out his channelit's amazing, and Ron is a super nice guwho's way more knowledgeablabout headphoneand audio gear like thathan I will ever behe sent me these as a Christmas gifand these are what I've beeusing pretty much ever since.
These are Meze 99Neo headphonesand they're so incredibly comfortable.
There's nothing really fancy about themthe cord does have a microphone on themand a little like volume control.
The cable's not permanentlattached to the headphoneso you can swap it out.
They block out sound a little bitbut they're not noise cancelinglike I can still hear throom around me pretty well.
The sound quality on these is phenomenaland I think that it'phenomenally accuratwhich is very, very important.
They're pretty lightweightthey sound really great.
Again, they're super accurate.
It seems like after I started using theseeven though I stilmake a lot of mistakesI have not said adioto my audio mistakesthose are on me, that'not on the headphones.
I try to do the best that I canand generally speakingsince I started using thesto monitor and edit my audioI've got more compliments about my audiin videos and podcastand stuff like that.
So these definitely havhelped me to make better audioand having just that verneutral reproductionvery accurate audio helps a lobecause these aren'going to make somethinsound better than it actually sounds.
Here's a good case in point.
This is a Fender Telecastethat I got 20 years agthis year, actually, and iwas my first Fender guitar.
And when I bought this somebody told mthat the Telecaster ilike the polygraph machinof electric guitars becausit's very unforgiving.
It doesn't make your playinsound better than it is.There are some guitars out there thatand this doesn't necessarilmean that it's a bad thingbut you can play kind of sloppand it's like the guitaalmost covers it uand it still sounds good anyway.
But with a Telecasterit's going to capturevery bit of nuance in your playing.
So if you're good, it'going to shine througand if you're bad, that'also going to shine through.Nope.
No, no, no.
No, no.
And I bring that ubecause these headphoneare pretty much the same.
They're not going to make somethinsound better than it actually soundswhich means when you're listening to thesif something sounds good to you on herit's probably going to sound pretty decenon a very wide variety ospeakers and sound systems.
And I've been super happy with thesethat is, out of nowhere, Rode shows uwith their brand new firspair of headphones everand Rode did send thesto me, I don't have tmake a video about theor anything like thatbut I'm so interested in thesbecause for a company that'made podcast recorderand microphones and booarms and all that stuffor so many yearsthey've never made set of headphones beforand these things are freaking cool.
And I mean that literallbecause the ear padhave some sort of magic in thethat helps them to feel cooto the touch all the timmaking it easier to wear thefor extended periods of time.
And while the Mez99Neos retail for $200the Rode NTH-100s wilNeo-t cost you as mucsince they retail for $149.
They're really well built anthey are super comfortable.
So now the Mezes and the Rodehave sort of been my like sidby side headphone companionsand I do use them for different things.
The padding is Al-Alcantara.
Al-can-tara.
It's basically just super, super soft materiathat you can also replaceyou can pull these out and replace theif you need to, as time goes on.
They do have a weird shape.
Most headphones kind of hava circular or an oval shapethese sort of have like this strangeit's a different shapecall it an "organic" shape, I don't know.
And it is easy to see R and Lwhich ones are the right and leftand the right one also hathis red little dot right here.
And when you put them onthey go over your earsand for me, I guess I hava pretty average sized heawith like average size ears.
So for me this fits perfectland they're super comfortable.
And this definitely, againthey're not noise canceling headphonesbut they do have a pretthigh level of isolation.
So I don't actually wear thesif I'm gonna be using thefor long, long, long periods of timelike four, five, six hours.
I'm more comfortablwearing these for that lonbecause I don't feel like I'm isolatefrom the rest of the worldI can still hear stuff and hava conversation if I want to.
But if I really wannjust dive into a projecor something that I'm working onthat's where I wear these onebecause they do blocthings out just enougand they sound really, really good.
They do sound a little bit differentbut I would say both othese are super accurate.
And for whatever reason, I've actuallcome to trust the Rodejust a little bit morin terms of accuracy, but agaithese really are designeto be listening headphonesand these are designed tbe production headphonelike specifically fopodcasting and videos.
These aren't Bluetootheadphones or anything like thatso there's no controls othe headphones themselvesbut you are able to adjust theby using these little lockhere and then locking them in.
So once you get the headphones seto exactly where you want it, it's neverwait, I put them on backwardsit's never going to comundone unless you want it to.
The outer part of the headphone cupis a really tough plastic, anthe band itself is all metal.
And of course, like prettmuch all of Rode's productsthese were made in Australiawhich I think is pretty cool.
They design and manufacture everything.
And again, this video is not sponsoredI know it sounds like commercial, but I really like Rodeand one of the thingthat I like about theis when they make something like thithey don't just go out anfind a headphone companlike overseas that's making headphoneand just put the Rode logo on it.
They start from scratchfrom the ground upbuilding their own headphones.
And in this case, they knethat they wanted to makheadphones going for podcastersstreamers, video editorsand these just work really welbecause that's exactlwhat they're made for.
But as someone who likes bright colorI appreciate that Rode did also come ouwith headphone cables for theseand these happen to bthe exact same coloras the XLR channels on the Rodecaster Proso you can easily match them up.
What I like about thescables is that they'rreally high quality and thedon't tangle very easily.
I don't know what mascience technology is there.
One end of the cable doehave a twist lock on therso you can attach the adapter to it.
And the other end sort of halike this strange proprietary lock on iwhich is really nea'cause you just put iinto the headphone and then twisand now it won't get pulled out.
And there's a 3.5 millimetejack on either cupso you can put the cable on either side.
For example, when I'editing on my MacBook Prothe headphone port is on thleft side of the computerso then I connect the he phone cablto the left side of the headphoneand then I can have these connected herand it's totally out of the wayit's not running around heror through here or anything like that.
That's a cool littlquality of life feature.
So while I haven't had the Rodeas long as I've had the Mezesthese have become my mailike production headphones.
So if I'm doing likthe final pass througand I'm listening to whathe audio on somethinis going to sound like beforI send it out to the worlor share it with somebodythese are the headphonethat I've been usinto make sure that isounds as good as possibleincluding on this very video.
So my headphone collection hereeverything from the Rode to the Mezeto the Sony, to the little in ear thingsand the EarPods, anthe AirPods, oh my godsthis is kind of a hodgepodgebut each of these doeplay a specific roland when it comes to thheadphones that I usfor actual video podcast editingaudio that other people are going to hearI always stick with a pair of headphonethat is reliable, simplto use, super comfortableand gives me a completely neutral sounso that I can make thingsound as good as possiblon the widest rangof other people's sounsystems as possible.
And that's what I recommend you look foin a good pair of headphones yourselfeven if it's not one of thesspecific ones that I havesomething that meets those qualificationis going to help you create better work.
Speaking of helping to create better workthank you to everyone whhelps support my channethrough YouTube channememberships and Patreon.
And check out these videos right herif you want to learn more wayto level up the quality oyour audio and your video.
(Thanks Linwood for this awesome song!)