How Much is Sennheiser Paying Joe Rogan?

I’m not a regular listener of Joe Rogan’s popular, sometimes-controversial podcast. I barely keep up with the three gaming podcasts I used to listen to every week.

But sometimes I’m game to watch a clip of his show on YouTube. And I can’t help but notice, every single time, that he’s wearing Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones.

With the massive reach of the show, this is the best advertising that Sennheiser could ever ask for. It’s better, in my opinion, than their recent expensive marketing campaign for the new Momentum Wireless headphones.

Sennheiser probably wouldn’t pay for this kind of exposure, and instead they’re likely getting it because they happened to build an excellent comfy headphone.

It’s not crazy to think that they use the HD 280 Pro’s on Rogan’s show just because they’re respected, great, workhorse headphones. I love the model myself, and it was humorous to watch the podcast finally upgrade to the new model recently.

I don’t know if they’ll ever go all-in and upgrade to the also-exceptional HD 300 Pro, though.

It’s a misconception in the audiophile world that audio professionals always use “high-end” gear. The stalwarts of the production world have stuck around for decades for a reason, and that reason is that they offer effective performance and durability, not that they cost hundreds of dollars.

Productions don’t need the “latest and greatest” gear. They need dependable gear that’s rugged, sounds true to the source, and comes at a reasonably cheap price…especially if they’re bulk buying a crate of them.

Gotta make some room in the budget somewhere. That, and good audio doesn’t have to come at a high price. The research and development done to make a great headphone in the 90’s still produces a great sound now.

The long-term engineering precision and simple requirements of the studio space are why the $99 price point holds such peak value for modern headphone consumers, especially if you’re willing to forgo a little style.

So the next time you’re watching Joe Rogan and wondering if he got paid to wear weird-looking headphones on his head, the answer is probably no.

He gets paid in so many other ways. But it’s perfect marketing for Sennheiser, and a perfect example of Studio headphones being used in the “proper” environment.

Also, this drives me completely nuts, but Joe wears the headphones backwards all of the time, with the cord on his right, and thus, the left ear cup on his right ear.

I know that they probably produce most of their show in mono, and it may even have to do with their studio set up making the backwards orientation more comfortable, but it irks me every time. And now I’ve told you.