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Physically Comfortable Headphones

I anticipate that in the near future, I will have a greater dependance on headphone listening. I have a separate listening room at this time, and do not have to worry about affecting others as I listen, even into the night. But if/when we downsize, I am almost certain to not have this luxury again. 

I like headphones. But they never seem to like me. I can't find one that I don't want to rip off my head within a half-hour. My head is probably a bit bigger sized than average, but not outrageous. My temples, the source (or at least, location) for my frequent headaches, are sensitive to pressure. My ears get really hot really quickly.

I have owned Grado G1000's, Audeze LCD-2's, Meze 99's, Sennheiser 650's, Stax SR 80's, and the most comfortable of them all, the Audio Technica Air ATH AD700's. And while the AT 700's are the most physically comfortable, the sound is too thin, and not good enough for front line music listening. 

Does anyone know of headphones that fit slightly larger headed people? That have a lower "clamp-force" around the temples? I favor a fuller sound, with good bass, like my Audeze LCD-2's (pre-fazor). My budget is probably around $1500 or less.

Thanks for any suggestions...

David 

dtorc
mcondon
235 posts
 

I have the same problem - headphones are uncomfortable for me. I can tolerate the HD800S reasonably well, but every other headphone is a no-go comfort wise.

I recommend trying a decent set of IEMs. They have come a long way in terms of sound quality, rivaling headphones. I currently listen primarily to the Nightjar Singularity IEM, which has phenomenal sound quality that’s close to the HD800S in terms of enjoyment. MusicTeck and Bloom Audio sell a wide array of IEMs, including ultra-high end ones. Headphones dot com also sells a wide range of IEMs and allows you to return them for a full refund. Thie Audio and Elysian Acoustics are two well-regarded IEM manufacturers that you might want to read about and consider.

dtorc OP
41 posts
 

Thank you to others who have added since I last checked in. When you mention a headphone, I look it up, and read about them. From the humble Pioneer (found on ebay for $100) to the Hifiman, Meze, Dan Clark, etc etc, which are, well, more than that. 

Two of you mentioned IEM's and I sort of realized that amongst my favorite head-fi experiences are my Audeze iSine 10's. My ears don't get hot, my temples do not get pressed, they are not heavy. The iSine 10's are no longer made - in fact, I think that Audeze stopped making that line of in-ear earpphones. I think I would like a more refined version of the iSine 10's as a daily headphone, and will certainly pursue the in-ear solutions. I very much like that the iSine's do not require a seal in the ear canal - the business end simply delivers the music to your canal - it doesn't need to seal it to make deep bass. I like not needing to be closed off from the world quite so much. 

 

Again, I appreciate the suggestions...

David

terraplane8bob's avatar
terraplane8bob
68 posts
 

I am surprised to not have seen STAX "ear speakers" mentioned.  They are light, open back and sonically speaking are extremely accurate.  I worked as an audio engineer and used Sennheiser 600 earphones for convenience during the recording sessions but used my STAX "Lambda Pro's" for editing purposes.  Their light weight often fooled me into thinking that I wasn't wearing earphones at all !

longball44
5 posts
 

Focal Clear, very nice and Sound awesome 👍

kinglek
5 posts
 

Audeze MM-500
Got them two weeks back...amazing...worth every penny
Put them up against Focal Stellia....MM blew them away.

I generally listen from 1-6 hours....never know you have them on.
 

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