Headphone comfort

JohnR · « **on:** 16 May 2011, 11:57 am »

Are there any that don't feel like this?

mcgsxr · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 May 2011, 01:13 pm »

I know you have been through Grado's in the past John, but I find that my 60's with the giant bagel pads are the best comfort I have had in headclamps!

eclein · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 May 2011, 01:18 pm »

John can you deal with IEM's??

JohnR · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 May 2011, 01:25 pm »

Ha... probably not

krikor · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 May 2011, 01:32 pm »

Koss ESP-950... recently sold these, big cans though not heavy, but the leather (faux?) earpads always made my head sweaty even in the winter.

IEMs... only have a cheap pair of Skull Candy Inkd that I picked up for $9 at Staples, use them for traveling, sound great for the price, reasonable comfort though they get a bit sore after extended periods, great for sealing out external noise

Sennheiser HD-650... just got these recently, a bit heavy, seem to clamp my head really tight and I have a small/narrow skull (my wife wears bigger hats than I do), maybe needs to break-in and loosen up some more.

Beyerdynamic DT990... also just got these recently. INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE!!! Love the feel, plush velour (?) earpads, not too heavy, light clamping force, fit me just right. I could wear these cans all day long. Assume that the same fit applies to DT770 and DT880 models.

eclein · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 May 2011, 01:38 pm »

Beyers are the ones I was thinking about but just remember the company name, alot of folks like Beyer for comfort.

Head-fi would be a great place to go start a thread "The most comfortable headphones-need suggestions" , and sit back and watch, when the dust cleared I bet you'd get some great suggestions.

JohnR · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 May 2011, 12:43 am »

Well, I have a pair of HD598s on the way. Fingers crossed!

eclein · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 May 2011, 12:58 am »

John, They look very sharp!!!

Stylish but classy too and I bet they'll be pretty darn comfy--Enjoy!!!

coolsax · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 May 2011, 11:43 am »

perhaps Audio Technica, AD 900 or AD 700 their wing system is really comfortable...

saisunil · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 May 2011, 02:56 pm »

Buy a used one ... used ones are physically more broken in - ear pads are usually softer (for most headphone types) and headband usually loosens up after use ...

Besides one man's nectar is another man's poison ...

Although I have never owned a beyer - but from trying them out at shows - they were easily one of the lightest and most confortable to wear ...

Sound wise - it is like an amusement park - what is fun (ex: most higher end Grados) for some is too bright for others and what is smooth for some (ex: most Senns) may be too dull for others ...

Also you have to ask - where do you feel the discomfort - over the head (from the headband) - over the ears? In Ear Monitors definitely eliviate both these types of discomforts ...

Good Luck ...

dB Cooper · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 May 2011, 11:51 pm »

Most people who try on my Sennheiser 555s put them on too tight. They are accustomed to feeling pressure from the headband so that is how they adjust them. If you adjust them so the headband just BARELY touches the top of your head, you will hardly know they're there. This should be true for your 598s also.

From a personal prefs standpoint, I have never met a sealed headphone I could abide for any reasonable length of time, which is one reason I have been almost exclusively a Sennheiser user. I have tried on (but not owned) some of the open AKGs and was impressed with both sound and comfort. Grados were easily the 2nd least comfortable cans I ever tried, although I hear that using the Senn 414 pads helps. The all time discomfort champ? Koss PRO4AA.

Many Senns (notably 580/600/650 series) sound dull in the treble to many. This won't be true with your 598s. In fact I usually dial back the treble just a smidge on my 555s.

richidoo · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 May 2011, 12:31 am »

My AKG 701s are very comfy.

Tyson · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 May 2011, 01:18 am »

I've tried on just about every high end headphone in existence. The Audio Technica's are probably the most comfortable, followed by the Sennheiser HD800's, then the Denon D2000/D5000/D7000, followed by the Beyer T1's, followed by the Sennheiser HD600's, then everything else is a notch below these.

Most uncomfortable? Grado's, all of them.

Diamond Dog · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 May 2011, 01:47 am »

Quote from: Tyson on 24 May 2011, 01:18 am

Most uncomfortable? Grado's, all of them.

+1. I have been diagnosed with a condition known as Sennheiser Head. In spite of this, I have struggled to lead a normal life with some success. Movie Of The Week coming this fall about my heroic struggle.

D.D.

rob-fi · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 May 2011, 08:11 pm »

I find Sennhs and Beyers pretty comfy. Been saving to design my own at Beyer manufaktur.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 May 2011, 10:28 pm »

Quote from: JohnR on 19 May 2011, 12:43 am

Well, I have a pair of HD598s on the way. Fingers crossed!

Report back after they are good and broken in!

JohnR · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 May 2011, 12:46 am »

Will do. It's on the boat from Portugal...

JohnR · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 May 2011, 03:52 am »

Oh, well that was a pretty fast boat! They arrived today. Like them so far, more bass than I expected (which is good).

mikelafs · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 06:17 am »

try Koss Porta Pro--about $45 on Amazon I forget I'm wearing them even without music

JohnR · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 10:50 am »

Well, I'm happy with the HD598s. As far as comfort, these are better than anything I've had before. Not like "not there" comfort, but I can go a couple of hours, which is a long time for me.

As far as sound, well I don't think this setup (HD 598, GD-audio NFB-12, iMac i7) is the last word in resolution but it's quite listenable. A little careful bass shelving in PM provided a little more weight at the bottom, which I prefer. I think I generally preferred up-sampling to 96k on the computer, but don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.