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Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones EX-29

Extreme Isolation, Closed-back Dynamic Headphones

Item ID: EX29

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When You Need Articulate and Comfortable Closed-backs!

The "sound" solution for monitoring in any environment! Direct Sound EX-29 extreme isolation closed-back headphones are a great find for serious musicians and engineers, effectively solving common problems in the studio. First, the EX-29's highly padded ear cushions provide the ultimate in comfort for long tracking sessions while creating an extreme isolation fortress against pesky bleed into your live microphones. High-fidelity 500mW input speakers reproduce articulate sound from 20 — 20,000Hz while a gold-plated 1/8" jack with screw-on 1/4" adapter lets you just as easily take your EX-29s on the road with your MP3 player.



The EX-29 closed-back headphones were developed expressly to isolate sound. Their specially designed ear cushions are comfortable for the listener, yet act as a superb barrier between the headphone's speakers and your live microphones. With the EX-29's 29dB average of passive isolation, you don't have to worry about bleed ruining that perfect take.

While the EX-29 headphones are great for musicians in the studio, they also deliver crisp sound for the engineer when it comes time to mix. Pull on your pair and hear everything neatly reproduced from 20 — 20,000Hz. 40mm drivers with 500mW input speakers were carefully designed for high-fidelity performance.

While many headphones deliver great sound, the level of comfort they offer is often the tipping point in determining whether they're really worth your investment or not. Sure, they sound great — but if you can't comfortably wear them for long sessions when it really counts, what's the point? When you want closed-back headphones designed with wearability in mind, look to the EX-29s. A padded and adjustable headband lets you position them in just the right place while heavily padded ear cushions cup over your ear, creating a closed-back chamber of sound. What's more, the EX-29's long nine foot cable lets you get ready to perform and monitor virtually anywhere in the studio.

We've all had that fumbling moment when we've picked up a pair of headphones and scrutinized each side of them for the little "L" and "R" markings before we've put them on. The EX-29s save that time in the studio with their innovative "Red is Right" feature: the inside ear panel of the right channel is covered with bright red fabric. Just tell the musicians "Red is Right," and you can be sure they're hearing just the mix you've dialed in for them.

Sometimes you need excellent, isolated sound outside the studio — maybe when you're listening to your mix on your MP3 player to see how it translates, or when you want to listen to music or get some mixing done on the airplane. With the EX-29s, you don't need a second set of headphones for your 1/8" MP3 player jack. They come with a gold-plated 1/4" jack that screws on over the 1/8" jack, so you always have headphones handy for every device.

Direct Sound EX-29 Extreme Isolation Headphones Features at a Glance:
  • Type: Dynamic closed back speakers within a Closed Back Isolation Chamber
  • Frequency Response: 20 — 20,000 Hz
  • Drivers: 40 mm
  • Impedance: 32 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 114 db at 1000 Hz.
  • Cord: 9 feet
  • Plug: stereo 3.5mm w/gold plated 1/4" adapter
  • Input Power: 500 mW
  • Sound Attenuation Average: 29 dB
  • Weight: 11.5 oz

The Direct Sound EX-29 headphones provide articulate sound with a comfortable, closed-back design!

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Reviews
based on 6 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Scott DeMarko
I recently had the opportunity to speak with the inventor of these headphones, and after giving them a very thorough run, I have to tell you the EX-29 Extreme Isolation headphones are incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and they do an amazing job at isolating sound so you get the maximum listening experience without the need to turn up volumes that might hurt your hearing. These would be absolutely perfect for studios, specifically vocalists who are close to mics, to prevent bleed over. They also would be very useful for times where you don't want to disturb your neighbor, such as on a plane. These headphones provide an incredible 29dB of sound attenuation which means they could also make the perfect set of headphones for your trip to the gun range for a little targe practice. Literally, there is not a situation these headphones won't rock! The EX-29 has to be on the list of must-have accessories for every band, studio, or musical lover.
Ron Daniel
These are the quietest, most isolated headphones I've ever owned! They have NO bleed whatsoever. Amazing! If you don't want to hear headphone bleed-through on your studio condenser mics, hand your artist a pair of Direct Sound EX-29s.

Great for FIlm Production

by Cory from Mesa, AZ
November 22, 2009
Music Background: Recording Engineer, Production Sound Mixer, Boom Op
I am a production sound mixer and bought these cans to wear on set. The isolation is invaluable to hear what your mics are hearing when you're standing in the same room as the action.

... read more [+] I wouldn't mind seeing a version with attenuation more on par with the muffs you wear to the shooting range. These claim 29dB reduction but my 25NRR shooting muffs seem quieter. These also do not make a complete seal around my ears. Maybe my head's just shaped funny, but as I look left and right, the seal around the pad is broken, letting in more outside sound.

The low-frequency response is great, but the high-freq can sound a bit muffled. I didn't buy these to do detail mixing, so it's not an issue. They're great for the film production work I do but I haven't yet had a chance to take them in-studio.

They're quite comfortable to wear for prolonged periods. I just finished out a 20-day film shoot where I was wearing these pretty much all day and my ears only became slightly sore over that time. The cushions are plenty thick to keep the elements off of your ears, unlike many other headphones.

They're also VERY durable. They're designed to disassemble under stress, rather than breaking. Over the course of this film shoot, they were dropped, sat upon, stepped on, and slammed in a car door. They still work flawlessly although they're a bit scuffed up now.

And, I love the straight cable, rather than the coiled cables you'll find on many similarly-priced cans that production sound mixers/boom ops tend to wear. It's a lot longer than it needs to be for my purposes, but I'm planning to cut it shorter. In the mean time I just tuck the excess in to my mixer bag.

In short; these are pretty much unbeatable in this price range if you are looking to do production sound mixing or boom operation. The attenuation is invaluable, they're comfortable to wear for an all-day shoot, and they're durable enough to withstand the inevitable abuses which every piece of gear seems to suffer on your average film set.

The only ways I can think of to improve them would be a version with greater attenuation and a tighter seal around the ears, such as you find with shooter's muffs, and maybe an out-of-the-box option for a shorter cable length. close [-]

A great tool!

by Kevin B from Austin, TX
October 9, 2009
Music Background: Recording Engineer, Musician
I should say up front that I avoid doing any critical mixing in cans...regardless of how I think they sound so I won't really comment on the fidelity.

People comment a lot about how g... read more [+]reat these cans are for avoiding headphone bleed while tracking singers and they certainly excel at that...but they are really indispensable for an engineer as well. When tracking, these are a great pair of headphones wear in the live room to go move mics and get a feel for the changes you are making without the ambient sound in the room clouding your judgment (e.g. have a guitarist work through a part at a pretty good volume while you sweep the sound field with a mic to find "the spot").

I also do a fair amount of live remote recordings and depending on the space I'm in, I may be very close to the musicians or PA...the EX-29 allow me to tune out the sound in the room and focus on the sounds I'm capturing to tape. Best tool I've found for that application bar none. If you find yourself doing long remote gigs as well, you'll come to appreciate the 29dB of attenuation by itself - I routinely turn down the volume at various points in the night to give my ears a break from the punishment. Sweet! close [-]

Awesome for certain applications

by Wave Junkie from Seattle, WA USA
October 6, 2009
Music Background: Recording Engineer, Musician
Great headphones but don't expect to be able to critically mix or listen with these headphones. Compared to a regular, non isolating, pair of headphones, these sound like a blanket has been thrown ove... read more [+]r the highs. There is no way around that in a closed ear set with isolation it seems.

These headphones are EXTREMELY valuable for certain applications like:

-not letting backing tracks or a click track bleed when your gain is cranked for, say, recording acoustic guitar or vocals.

-giving your drummer a better chance to hear guitar/bass/whatever else by blocking the direct drum sound a bit close [-]
Read more reviews

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Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones EX-29

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