- High noise isolation
- Exceptional sound quality
- Comfortable fit
- Durable construction
- Heavy and cumbersome design
- Head fatigue over time
- Limited portability
- Costly for average users
- 29 dB passive isolation
- SONY 7506 components
- 3M Peltor muff
- Recessed ear cup design
- Lightweight construction (14 oz)
- Comfortable for long wear
- Eliminates cue and click bleed
- Protects hearing
- High isolation performance
- Reduces environmental noise
UltraPhones – High Isolation Studio Headphones (29db): Overview
Let me start off by saying that I have never used a better pair of isolation headphones in my life. Whether it be the Vic Firth or the Extreme Isolation cans, nothing comes close to GK Music’s UltraPhones. They just sound great.
GK Music is headed by highly acclaimed drummer Gordy Knudtson. Gordy is the drummer for the Steve Miller Band, best known for 70s hits “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Rockin’ Me,” and plenty of others.
Gordy founded GK Music in 1995 and subsequently released the first line of isolation headphones — the DrumPhones (his current model is now named UltraPhones).
He suffers from tinnitus and hearing loss and made it a mission to design a product to aid drummers in protecting their hearing.
Performance
UltraPhones are SONY 7506 Studio Monitor components mounted in a hearing protection earmuff. Upon first putting them on and connecting them to my drum mix, I was blown away. Compared to all the other drum headphones I have, there’s no comparison.
Because each pair is custom made and the components used, they’re a little bit on the pricey side. However, the quality is there and UltraPhones are built to last. After using UltraPhones just once, I now can’t imagine a recording or practice session without them.
Build Quality & Design
These cans are built like a tank. They sound fantastic and look pretty cool, albeit a bit large. Drummers on stage will look a bit nerdy.
But there's a downside for me. My head is rather large and these clamp down pretty hard. After a while, these do begin to hurt a little bit. It's hard for me to recommend these for long practice sessions based on my experience, but you may have no issues. They're still my favorite for monitoring my acoustic drums in short bursts, but for long practices, these usually end up coming off.
UltraPhones – High Isolation Studio Headphones (29db)
SONY 7506 components with 3M Peltor 29db passive isolation. Comfortable design for extended wear. Reduces external noise significantly. Ideal for studio, orchestra, or stage use. Lightweight at 14 oz. Recommended for serious sound monitoring.
37 comments
John
Will check them out. Thanks again.
John
OK, custom in ear monitors for the best isolation. Which ones are worth considering?
Thanks.
John
Nick, maybe the higher isolation rating of the GK headphones only holds if they fit perfectly. Whereas the custom IEMs have a much better chance of fitting perfectly.
Maybe that explains your experience.
We need custom fitted headphones where the cushion conforms better to the shape of the head area around the ear. Then perhaps they wouldn’t have to uncomfortably squeeze the head.
Nick Cesarz
Yes that could be! I also have a larger head so there’s that LOL. They are good headphones, though. Sound awesome as well.
Nick Cesarz
I’d suggest any of the Ultimate Ears customs. The higher up you go, the better the sound. The UE5 Pros start at $549. Make sure you DON’T pick the ambient feature. I’ve also heard good things about 64 Audio, but have no experience with them. Their entry-level custom solution starts at $499.
John
OK, I found a dealer near MKE. I’ll check them out. Thanks again.
Stefan R
Thanks for writing this article. My drums have been packed up for at least 10 years and I just set them back up. I previously had a pair of the Vic Firth wired isolation headphones which I cannot find. So, I am either going to buy another pair of the same or the newer Vic Firth Bluetooth type. However, the biggest complaint I read on those are how tight they fit.. like very tight and not even possible for those with a larger head. Aside from that, perhaps a delay in the Bluetooth. Do you have any experience with the Vic Firth Bluetooth model?
Nick Cesarz
I failed to answer your question though! I haven’t had experience with the newer Vic Firth bluetooth headphones. They looks good, though. The ability to plug-in still is nice. I think they’d be small on my head.
john
I have tinnitus which makes my ears very sensitive to drums, even when they’re not that loud.
So here’s the main question:
Am I better off with headphones or IEMs to get the best isolation?
Thanks.
Nick Cesarz
Hands down, in ear monitors. I’d really suggest custom molds as well. That will give you the best isolation possible. A bit on the pricey side to get molds done and customs made, but it’s a great investment.
Stefan R
Ok, thanks for the advice Nick. I’ve been using a paid of low profile earbuds under my 3M muffs which works pretty well but I think for what I’m going to use them for, the standard Vic Firth wired unit should work well for me without the pressure on my ears from earbuds.
Nick Cesarz
My head is rather large, so I do feel that when using A LOT of isolation headphones. I tend to use in-ear monitors more often. Bluetooth delay shouldn’t be a problem, unless you were trying to stream mics from your kit to your wireless headphones. If you’re just listening to music through them and playing along, that should be no problem.
John
I just noticed something…
The GK headphones are rated at 29db isolation, but the UE custom IEM is rated 26db.
So why do you say the IEMs isolate better? I must be missing something.
Nick Cesarz
It’s possible I’m wrong too. Maybe just a preference or in my head. If I had to pick headphones, I really love those for tracking in the studio.
Nick Cesarz
In my experience, in ears still provide better isolation due to there being more airtight seal in the ear vs a pair of cans over the ears. The GK headphones work well, but still don’t isolate as well as my IEMs to me. They’re also a little fatiguing to wear after a while.
Rich
Hi, any update on this review?
I have the vicfirth set and I really don’t find them good enough at shutting out the acoustic kit allowing me to just hear the kit through the mixing desk.
Any others that are better? maybe the Beyerdynamic 770M ?
You wouldn’t believe the amount of sets I have tried myself but to no avail!
thanks
Nick Cesarz
Hi Rich,
The Beyerdynamic will let in a lot more noise than the Vic Firth. I don’t recommend those unless you’re playing electronic drums or if you want to hear external room sound. The GK Ultraphones are quite good. You may want to consider in-ear monitors, instead. Drumeo’s earPhones are a good pick.
Dave Marsden
Took me a while. Got the GKs after seeing Clem Burke using some phones with red inserts at a Blondie concert and scouring the internet for pictures. Expensive to start with. Then costly shipping. Then import tax to UK on top. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
Worth every penny. Brilliant.
Emrah
Dear Nick,
It is a very useful article. Thanks a lot about it.
I have a 9 years old son. He just began playing drum. We have a Yamaha DTX electronic drum.
One of my question is, does these recommended headphones differs by drum models? Which earphone is best combination with Yamaha DTX?
I am living in Turkey and unfortunately, most of the models above are not sold in Turkey. For example we Vic Firth Kidsphone is not available in Turkey. Is there any other Kidsphone model, that u can recommend?
Best Regards,
Emrah
Andrew
Scratch the CAD cans off the list.. I had 3 of them crap out on me, and the foam is hard, falling apart and hurts after about 30min. I’ve decided to try 3M Worktunes. They’re built rugged, have bluetooth and a 3.5mm aux input, and only cost $40. We’re spending too much on our headphones.. You can also get gel ear seals, which are sooo comfy. 3M sells the gel seals for an additional $20, or you can buy aviation-style gels for about $12 and 3d-print an adapter with a free file from thingiverse.
Jeff
Hello Nick,
Great reviews, I am looking for a set of headphones that I can use for practicing along with a music track, I would like to be able to hear the drums in the room rather than through the headphones themselves, not block them out completely. Of course I want to protect my hearing and I don’t plan to use them for recording purposes, just practice. I plan on adding sound treatment (bass traps etc) in my new drum room I am building. What would you recommend for headphones?
Jeff
Nick Cesarz
Hey Jeff! Using the Vic Firth headphones, or any can-style isolation headphones, I like to wear them slightly off of my left or right ear, so I can let some of the room sound into the headphones. I just offset one of the cans off my ear a little bit on my head. That’s probably the easiest solution. It’s tough to pick a set of headphones that would work good, since drums are so loud, that they overpower most regular headphones that don’t isolate.
Damon
Nick, Thank you so much for the response. If it helps your review I will follow up with what I end up getting and how well they perform. Thanks again.
Damon
Thanks for the run down it got me thinking about what I actually need verses what I wanted. I have found that where several of these phones are good for recording and track overlays what I actually need at the moment is a set of blue tooth headphones with the noise-isolation. This would allow me to play tracks through my phone or tablet at home without the need of cables. Do you have any Blue Tooth recommendations for practice applications not necessarily studio applications?
Nick Cesarz
Hi Damon,
That’s a great question. I haven’t seen too many bluetooth isolation headphones that are good for drumming, but I did find one pair. The Metrophones Studio Kans might be a good option. They’re special order from Sweetwater, but have no reviews. I haven’t had any experience with them, but they do say they offer 29dB of reduction, which is better than Vic Firth’s wired headphones.
Nick Cesarz
Oh, and it does look like Guitar Center and Amazon carry these cheaper, but appears they are the non-bluetooth version. It may be a brand-new product.
Steve
Started playing with JamKazam in response to the pandemic. Playing a NC acoustic kit. What headphones would work best with this type set up, with mix coming over computer from other players in other cities.
Nick Cesarz
Thanks for the feedback, Sid. I should dive back in and make this a little less confusing. I completely agree with you. But, the GK headphones are my favorite I’ve used. I did add them in later on, so I may have missed that point in regard to the EX29.
I do like the Shure IEMs, but I agree they don’t have much low end. In a perfect world, drummers would use custom IEMs like UEs. I’ve replaced the cables on my Shure’s two or three times in six years, but I know UE cables can go bad fast, as well. It depends on the performer, their movement, and how they take care of their gear.
Sid
While SE425s have better isolation (as many earbuds will), none of the Shure stuff has any low end at all. I’ve tried multiple pairs of 425s, 535s, etc. I’m also a live sound engineer and a drummer and the “i can’t hear the bass guitar” “can I get more kick? and what is that really slappy sound when I hit the kick” …”it’s turned all the way up man” phenomenon is always the case with those. The Shure cables also break a LOT. I’ve run sound for many churches that use them and there’s always a handful of them that only work on one side, constantly needing repair.
Sid
This review says-
-GK are the best, beyond compare, sound incredible
-EX29 has superior sound quality to everything else on the list (except it’s super dark/warm so you won’t hear cymbals details coming through the mics). And I thought GK was the superior one?
-VF are the best overall despite sounding subpar like KAT and uncomfortable.
This is one of the most confusing reviews I’ve ever read. There can only be one “best” (or superior) and one “best” per aspect. Lastly why is GK not the editors choice or even on the list if it’s ‘beyond compare’ and there are no cons except price?
Sandy Laemmel
I just found your site, this article and joined your facebook page. I like what I see, thanks for doing it. I’ve been using a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that I’ve been happy with. Lately I always have them cranked up all the way which concerns me. So I have been looking for some headphones to do the job of reducing the volume of the tubs so I can turn the music down. The GK Music Ultraphones sound like what I want but I”m looking for Bluetooth. I couldn’t run out and buy them today anyway because of my budget. However I think I found a temporary work around with your response to Samantha and her 6 year old. I can grab a pair of shooters or racers earmuffs and put them over my existing ear buds. Tone may not be the best but they will protect my ears while I find a better option. And they are cheap.
rob
Hi, thanks for the reviews. A key factor for me is how my drumkit sounds whilst wearing the headphones ie what tonal balance and quality reaches my ears from the acoustic drumkit. After all, it’s no fun playing along to recorded music if you’re hearing your own acoustic kit sounding like a muffled mess, or too bassy/trebly/middly etc. For example, I invested in a pair of the Direct Sound headphones and they are unusable because they let in such a weird balance of frequencies from the drumkit, and actually make my rack toms appear louder than with the headphones removed! It would be great if your reviews commented on the quality and tonal balance of the drumkit sound leaking into the ear through the headphones. Hope that makes sense! Any comments?..
Nick Cesarz
Rob,
I actually mentioned this point when I talked about my pair of Direct Sound headphones. They don’t isolate as much as I’d like and I end up hearing more of the kit than I’d like. In fact, a lot of the headphones on this list will have some level of bleed and you’ll still hear frequencies from your kit. Out of all the headphones on the list, the one pair the isolates the most and sounds the best, is the GK Ultraphones. After a while of wearing them, they are a bit fatiguing (they clamp down a little tight), but there’s really no better choice available.
Nick Cesarz
But if you want even more isolation, I recommend trying a pair of in ear monitors, like the Shure SE425s.
Samantha
Hi! I´m looking for headphones for my 6-year-old drummer, he´s been practicing for a year now, and I am stressed about he hurting his hearing. So, I came across your useful article, and about to purchase one of your recommended headphones, but wondering if there´s a kid option instead. Thank you so much!! Maybe these ones: Vic Firth Kidphones??
Carey Vandenberg
Doesn’t anyone make really good passive isolation headphones with bluetooth? I have used wired for many years (KAT but the ear pads are getting hard / stiff) for my acoustic kit and recently bought the Vic Firth wired and a handful of others which I thought I’d try BUT… I definitely want bluetooth. Anything out there?
Nick Cesarz
Kidphones are great! The only downside being—you can’t listen to music with them. But, if that’s not a big deal, then go for those! I suggest getting them immediately, though, as you’re right, protecting hearing is a huge deal!
BUT, a workaround would be to use Apple Airpods (or any other type of earbuds) first, before putting the Kidphones on. So, basically he would wear them underneath the Kidsphones. Aside from that, I don’t have much experience with headphones for younger kids.