Sometimes little things make a big difference

By Phil O'Keefe

If there's one thing that studios tend to go through "like water", it's headphones. They're used constantly, so you really can't "put them away" after each use, because you're going to need them again - usually sooner rather than later. Because of how often they're needed, and their near-constant use, headphones also tend to take a beating - which is why studios have to replace them so frequently. Musicians, if given no other readily apparent alternative, will often either try to balance the headphones on the boom arm of the mic stand (which usually results in the headphones falling to the floor) or they avoid the mic-stand-middleman and just deposit them directly on the floor. Obviously, dropping them on the floor isn't a good way to treat headphones or a good place to keep them between takes since they're very likely to get stepped on, kicked, have their cables tripped over, and be at risk of damage from a variety of other situations and scenarios. Balancing them on your mic stand rarely works very well either. So, is there a way to keep headphones handy and ready to go, but off the floor and relatively safe? That's what the Stedman Headphone Hanger is designed to do.

What You Need To Know

• The Stedman Headphone Hanger was designed to attach to a mic or music stand, and provide a secure and convenient place to hang the headphones when they're not actually being worn.

• Attaching the Headphone Hanger to a stand is a piece of cake. A curved section of the Headphone Hanger is designed to wrap around the mic or music stand, and a large tool-free plastic clamping knob connected to a screw is tightened down to hold the unit in place. The screw has a nylon tip to help keep it from marring your mic stand.

• According to my digital calipers, the clamp opening is variable from .4" to 1.2", depending on how you have the screw set, so it's large enough to fit around the base sections of larger mic stands and can be adjusted small enough to attach securely to the top part of the stand, or to thin boom arms without difficulty.

• With the exception of the screw, nylon screw tip and plastic clamping knob, the construction is from a single piece of curved metal 0.110" thick, with a heavy black powder coated finish. I really appreciate that all of the corners and edges are nicely rounded off, with no sharp edges or points that might accidentally cut a hand or snag a cable.

• Other than the Stedman name embedded into the clamping knob, a small decal that says "STEDMAN headphone hanger MADE IN USA" is the only graphic.

• The overall length is 4.5" and the width is 2.25", and the Headphone Hanger weighs 3oz.

• The Stedman Headphone Hanger isn't just for headphones - they also work well for hanging coiled mic cables from stands. In fact, you can usually hold a cable or two and a pair of headphones on a single Headphone Hanger.

• Other things can be hung from a Headphone Hanger too, such as a hand towel or tambourine. The design allows it to support a reasonable amount of weight and still remain stable and safely in place.

• The Stedman Headphone Hanger is made in the USA and carries a lifetime warranty.

Limitations

• While the Headphone Hanger is generally quite stable and holds things like headphones and cables safely, you have to use a little common sense in where you position it and what you try to hang from it. Just because it will physically clamp to the far end of an extended boom arm doesn't mean that's always a smart place for it, especially if you're hanging a lot of weight from it. Always test for balance and stability whenever using any stand attachment and load.

Conclusions

This is a very basic, simple and yet well-made product that solves a problem that nearly every studio has - namely, where to put the headphones. In fact, it's so basic and simple that some might consider the price as being slightly expensive, which it may be - but on the other hand, the solid and sturdy metal construction coupled with a lifetime guarantee means it's an investment that will probably be keeping headphones safely hanging around your studio for a long time. Add in the nice touches like the rounded edges, nylon-tipped set screw and large clamping knob, and it's a real winner from an ease of use and stand / hand / cable protection standpoint too. Most importantly, it gives you and the people using your studio a safe place to keep your cans - and may help them last longer. That makes the Headphone Hanger a very valuable little accessory that in my opinion is well worth the price in the long run. 

Resources

Musician's Friend Stedman Headphone Hanger online catalog page ($24.95 MSRP, 19.99 "street")

Stedman Corporation Headphone Hanger product web page

Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.