0 09281 03050 8

0 9

$5.99US $5.99CAN

VOL. TWENTY SEVENNUMBER TWELVE

SEPTEMBER 2014USA $5.99 CANADA $5.99

®

SEP

TEM

BER

20

14

��� �������������������

their strong bassresponse; lovers ofopen phones talk aboutsmooth and accurate repro-duction across the frequency spectrum; and afair number of engineers like to have bothtypes on hand, one for the tracking room andone for the control room—nice excitingclosed phones with good isolation for theartists as they play, and good clear openphones for the engineer as he tracks them.There’s a lot of merit to both design

types, and certain companies make theirreputation based on one or the other... butthere are more than a few companies thatoffer both. And that’s what Samson’s donehere: the SR850 is a semi-open design forthe most accurate possible frequencyresponse, and the SR950 is a closeddesign that gives maximum isolation andenhanced bass (and treble, as we’llexplain in a moment).

The SR850: SpecsThe SR850 is a semi-open dynamic

headphone with 50 mm drivers withNeodymium magnets. 50 mm is on thelarge side for headphone drivers, with 40to 45 mm being more commonly-seensizes, and this probably contributes some-what to the SR 850’s fairly impressiveclaimed frequency response of 10 Hzto 30 kHz. There’s no frequencyresponse plot given in the manual oronline, but the marketing languageimplies that this is meant to be a rela-tively flat and neutral headphone,offering clarity without emphasis fromthe deep bass to the extended highs.As a 32 ohm headphone, the SR850

is able to get quite loud from even rela-tively low-voltage headphone amps. Itsmaximum SPL isn’t given, but it happi-ly reproduces levels over 100 dBwith no obvious straining orbreakup. It’s a very light and airy-feeling headphone, just over 9ounces in weight, with lushlypadded velour earpads and a self-adjusted springloaded headbandthat’s quite comfortable. The largecircumaural earcups are vented at the

back and sit nicely on the head forextended listening without fatigue. Its 2.5meter (8.25') cable is permanently attachedat the left earcup and ends in a gold-platedminijack with screw-on 1/4" adaptor.

The SR850: ListeningThe SR850 presents a good introduction

to what’s good about an open-backedheadphone. Everything is there, everythingis clear, everything is in balance... there’sno hype or scoop, nothing to make themusic particularly “exciting” or “grabby”that isn’t in there already. Compared toheadphones that are designed to pumpyou up and get you grooving, they mightalmost seem a bit boring... until you start todo serious work with them.Where do we start? How about at the

high end, where the extended but notemphasized treble brings a good believable

B Y M I K E M E T L A Y

Samson has brought affordable qualityto many facets of the home-studio worldover the past few years. We’ve been sur-prised, pleased, and impressed by offer-ings of all kinds, from quality studio moni-tors that anyone can afford (the Resolv SEmonitors, reviewed February 2014) toportable and powerful USB MIDI con-trollers (the Graphite M Series, reviewedJune 2014) to a whole line of new micro-phones, reviews forthcoming. With theSR850 and SR950, Samson takes a boldstep into a new realm—studio monitorheadphones. I had a chance to work withthese two new headphones for severalweeks, and here’s what I discovered.

Closed or open? How about both?One of the big points of contention in the

world of studio headphones is whether onecan do better work with fully closed head-phones or with an open or semi-open design.Proponents of closed designs cite their excel-lent isolation from outside distractions and

Samson SR850 and SR950Studio Reference HeadphonesOpen or closed? Take your choice—or choose both

Excerpted from the September edition of RECORDING Magazine 2014©2014 Music Maker Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission.5408 Idylwild Trail, Boulder, CO 80301 Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119 For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 or www.recordingmag.com

��� ����������������� ��

rendition of cymbals, hi-hats, the higher har-monic structure of brasses and winds, andthe “special sauce” that surrounds a clearfemale vocal? The mids provide a good bal-ance of power and crisp clarity that’s presentin the mix without being overly forward—lead vocals and guitars, the key elements ofany good rock track, are there where theycan be analyzed and picked apart, wartsand all, yet as a nicely glued-in part of agood mix. And from there it’s down into thebass, which is what one wants and needs tohear in a mix: solid, believable, with nonasty resonances or low-energy frequencies,clear and deep.The stereo imaging of the SR850 is very

good. You can easily pick out sources in thesoundstage and get a feel for how wideyou’re getting with things like widelypanned delay effects or stereo drum loops.Details of edits and punches can be heardwith stark clarity, making cleanup abreeze... nothing’s getting away from you.The main strength of the SR850, the open

back that gives it such good frequency bal-ance, is its only weakness—these phonesbleed like crazy and you can’t wear themnear an open mic. That’s a small price topay for such a nicely neutral listening expe-rience, especially for the new recordingmusician who might not have a clue as towhat a proper studio headphone should be.

The SR950: SpecsThe SR950 is a closed-back dynamic

headphone with 50 mm drivers andNeodymium magnets. Like the SR850, itoffers a comfortable fit with velour-paddedearpads and a self-adjusting headband, andhas the same 8.25' straight cable with mini-jack and screw-on 1/4" adaptor. It’s also a 32ohm headphone and gives the listener plentyof volume from even the wimpiest sources.Its closed earcups are substantially larger

than the SR850’s and seal tight to the ears;there’s very little bleed unless you’re listeningat dangerous SPL. It’s slightly heavier thanthe SR850 as well, with a weight of nearly11 ounces. The headband and earpads arecomfortable enough so the extra weightdoesn’t get fatiguing for several hours.The SR950’s stated frequency response

(again, with no tolerances given) is 10 Hz to25 kHz, and the frequency plot in the man-ual shows an intriguing curve with significant(up to 6 dB) smooth bumps below 100 Hzand from 5 to 20 kHz, centered on 10 kHzor so. I was curious to hear how thesephones sounded with that sort of response...

The SR950: ListeningAfter the neutral clarity of the SR850, the

SR950’s sound was a real surprise, andthe word I’d use to describe the experience

is “fun”. The SR950 has a lot of high midsand presence, and a whole lot of yummy,clear, powerful bass. That makes it a blast(literally!) to listen to when working withany sort of music that has a lot of criticalinformation in the low end—not just EDM,hip hop, or electronica, but also a lot ofjazz that relies heavily on string bass andpiano.Vocals are exceptionally forward and

dramatic in these phones. You can pick outintonation issues, lip smacks, and otherdetails with ease, and know when thingsneed to be fixed. The highs aren’t as extend-ed as on the SR850 but there’s plenty there,and that bump around 10 kHz means youfeel what there is with more energy.The soundstage is dramatically sepa-

rated into Left and Right, with less of asense of implied “phantom center” thansome phones provide. I attribute this atleast partly to the isolation that theSR950 provides, which is pretty impres-sive. It’s not until you take them off andthe real world once again intrudes onyour consciousness that you realize justhow little of it was filtering through intoyour ears; specialized isolation head-phones will seal things out more effec-tively, but you’d have to hunt pretty hardto find a pair of iso headphones that arethis much fun to listen to.This frequency response is really

geared toward excitement, with the midsa bit laid back behind the kick-ass bassand lush treble. I can see these phonesbecoming popular for recreational listen-ing and for a check on popular trends inmodern headphone design as well as fordetailed work in the studio; they do havemore of a nod toward the big-bass/clear-highs sound that’s popular today thanmany studio phones.

Choices, choicesWhen I got these headphones, I made

a point of reviewing them before I lookedat what they cost. The prices I finally sawthem selling for frankly stunned me; bothof these models would still be contendersat considerably higher prices, and theSR850 in particular represents astoundingvalue for the money. There simply aren’tthat many open-design phones out there atprices that even come close to this, regard-less of sound quality.With these new offerings, Samson

makes it easy for even a beginner at homerecording to have a headphone that won’tbe a sonic letdown.

Prices: SR850, $49.99; SR950, $69.99

More from: Samson, www.samsontech.com

Excerpted from the September edition ofRECORDING Magazine 2014©2014 Music Maker Publications, Inc.Reprinted with permission.5408 Idylwild Trail, Boulder, CO 80301Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119 For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 orwww.recordingmag.com