Open back headphones have been revelatory in my hifi journey. I use Stax, which are admittedly ugly, but they sound like new (and they were made in 1979). They are easily the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.
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
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Highly valuing sonics, I’d first do deep research on the best headphones via reviews to create a list of possible headphones within budget, then go out and demo for myself. Headphonics and Headfonia both have many reviews. After compiling a list, then go to an audiophile headphone shop or a headphone audio show like Canjam. There’s quite a large market for high-end desktop/portable audio. Otherwise you can still attend and then tell them your needs and budget. |
+1 Seinheiser, I currently enjoy the 600, light weight, padded ear pads, comfortable over longer listening sessions, I also have the hot ear problem and Seinheiser 600 open back seem to be the best for me. They do not have the big base your looking for but after enduring a number of others, includind the Audeze LC, I always seem to come back to the 600. I use my Accuphase preamps equalizer adjustments to add some base if required. |
Try the Koss UR 40 titanium driver headphones. I have a pair I wear all day. They are slightly warmer than the Harman curve, so 6+ hours of listening daily won't make you deaf unless you are really careless. They're really cheap too, and weigh nothing (so if you buy them and aren't blown away, you only lost the cost of a Sunday buffet dinner). You might be stunned at their performance for under $50. I've worn variations of this design since 1982 (Koss HV7, HV/X, Realistic Pro-60, etc). I recommend them to everyone sick of heavy, expensive headphones that make their ears ring in 30 minutes. |
I've been chasing high end headphone sound for about eight years, and in that time have owned dozens of headphones, from the best budget on up. FWIW, I have a large head and have also struggled to get some headphones to fit well. I ended up becoming a true fan (fanboy) of ZMF headphones. I currently own three and owned at least another 4 or 5. I gravitated to ZMF because their "house sound" suits me so well (slightly warm, definitely musical, great bass). I need open back headphones due to migraines & tinnitus; my current favorites are the Verite Open and Caldera Open. They both fit extremely well. I can also highly recommend ZMF's least expensive headphone, the Bokeh closed. If a closed headphone suits you, these are quite large, very comfortable, and ZMF's steel inner headband can readily be bent to adjust clamping force. Another headphone I can recommend based on superb comfort is the original Meze Empyrean. The sound is lovely: not the highest resolution around, but very spacious and ear friendly planar sound--and the comfort is simply beyond reproach. You can sometimes find these on the used market. I used HiFiShark.com to track used gear. If you get any of these headphones, you'll get better sound from a desktop headphone amp. I'm a true addict/hoarder of amps and can advise you on that if you feel like contacting me (don't want to hijack this thread). |
So I spend two days at Axpona this spring pretty much confined to the headphone room. Having not owned headphones for several decades, the wearability without physical fatigue was my concern, along with sound quality of course. I ended up purchasing the sennheiser HD800s. Having owned them for six months now, I am happy with my decision. Very comfortable and I can wear them for a couple hours. As for the sound- I have done two things to tweak the sound. First, try different ear pads. I purchased a couple of the Dekoni models, each less than $100. Each has an effect on the sound (albeit not dramatic and mostly on the bass). And each fits/feels a bit different. I settled in on the fenestrated sheepskin. So for a couple hundred bucks, a great way to tune in your comfort and sound. I suspect replacing to OEM pads on other brands might also affect the comfort level. but even more importantly, upgrade your cable. I purchased some from Lavricables (based on recommendations from others on a’gon), balanced, uses silver wire, and they made a dramatic difference in detail, soundstage and sweetness of the mid to treble without making them bright. If you thought the HD800s had too much treble, my experience says these cables smoothed it out. I spent about $800, including a break in service. Highly recommended. |
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 ! |
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 |
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. |
@yoyoyaya - Interesting ("Sennheiser HD800 - much more comfortable than the 650s and extremely light"). I have used the Senn 650 for years and find them very comfortable. I will have to try out the 800 if I decide to upgrade. |
I'm glad you're willing to go and audition the HifiMans. I would also recommend them. I considered myself a Focal guy until I tried the HE1K V2's and I was instantly converted. Liked them so much I made the considerable leap to the Susvara, which was another huge improvement. I hate to use such an overused term but these truly are "end-game" for me (and I got a pretty substantial discount off the $6K list price). They have so little clamping force that if you tilt your head forward or back they will fall off! HFM obviously placed a major importance on comfort. I've had a few Audeze models and they're all just ridiculously heavy. Focals are much better. I've never heard the Utopia 2022 but it's the only other HP I would still like to. The Clear Mg is an excellent HP and in your price range. A little more clamping force than the Susvaras but I suspect that will be true for pretty much any other 'phones. I use the McIntosh tube headphone amp. There's a review you can easily find if you Google it saying that, with a tube change (which I've made), it is the best HP amp the reviewer has ever heard (this is from an older, very seasoned reviewer) and I believe it's a fair bit less expensive than the balanced Woo Audio choices. Only caveat would be that I would try to have a DAC or preamp with a volume control because the one on the Mac is annoyingly hair-trigger. With that taken out of the equation it's pure bliss. Definitely stay with open-backs. The best closed-backs I've personally heard are the Denon 9200's ($1600 and extremely well-made). I use them nightly so as not to disturb my wife and they are quite good but can't hold a candle to the Susvaras. Sorry for such a long-winded response but headphone rigs are something I'm (obviously) pretty passionate about. |
Thank you all for your headphone-comfort thoughts. It is funny - to a certain extent, I would compromise sound quality just to be able to wear the things without discomfort. It would be really nice if I didn't have to compromise too much. I tend to like a warmer sound - the pre-fazor LCD-2's are very close to my ideal, but the weight and the fit can be punishing. I tried the Sennheiser 800's and the treble response was a bit too much for me - though I agree that they were more comfortable than average. I have a local dealer - Goodwin's High End - who are Hifiman dealers, and claim to have the Arya to audition. So, I think I will go see them and try them on. The trouble is that I need to sit there for at least 30 minutes to see how the fit works over time. I hope they have a sense of humor about that... You also brought up some brands I knew existed, but didn't know anything else about, like Dan Clark and iBasso. I will start my auditions soon. I really appreciate the opinions. I find it helpful, as I usually do on this site. David |
The swing wing system on some of the ATH models like the one you mention are very comfortable. I have it on my ATH-W1000 and it is nice. For full size headphones, the best balance of comfort and performance for me was the Senn HD-800. I am assuming that the newer HD-800S carries on this tradition. That being said, I now use Custom In Ear Monitor style devices. I had custom in-ear tips made of the 64 Audio U10 and I also have an older pair of Lear (in Hong Kong) custom in-ear monitors. In terms of comfort, isolation, and performance, I feel like custom in-ear monitors really fit the bill. They weigh almost nothing so there is no weigh or pressure issues on the top of the head or the ears for long listening sessions. |
Here’s a third recommendation for HiFiMan’s big head designs—in my case, the HE 1000. They LOOK massive and awkward, but they’re exquisitely comfortable, very open-sounding (and sound-permeable: others can hear you, and you will hear ambient sounds in the environment), really deep and natural bass, extremely "fast" (those nanometer membranes, I guess) and transparent...I’ve owned a lot of headphones over more than 50 years, including STAX, and this will be my endgame pair. Of course, there’s a cost—namely, cost! They’re ridiculously expensive. I’m guessing the Arya are similar in comfort at least (very likely in SQ as well; I got my HE1000s from a friend in the biz; would never have spent so much on headphones otherwise). FWIW, I also love the Headroom headphone amp. It eats batteries, but the cross channel processing circuit is a very subtle wonder. You know that feeling when one channel goes out while wearing headphones? Like your head suddenly got cleaved in two, or your hearing went out completely on one side? With the Headroom circuit engaged, disconnecting one channel sounds much more like what it would sound like with speakers: you lose one channel, yes, but you still have a sense of three dimensional space. This effect contributes to the realism of headphone listening in a magical way. |
While I have not heard the Arya Organics,I can attest to the superb comfort & light weight of the design they are based on..I have the Ananda Nano’s,which are 1 level down from the Arya’s..The tuning is superb,very nuetral with excellent bass & good slam.. |
I have a big head as well. I am sure lots of folks can attest to that.😊
I have had a headphone system since the 70’s. Over the last fifteen years I finally went all out to put together a really great system. Among others I have Focal Utopia, Sennheiser 800s, Audez LCD 2, Ultrasond Edition 8, Denon 5000, Grado, AKG…. And many others. I have had many DACs, streamers and many headlamps with these headphones. While this is off topic… the thing that completely changed the game… after decades of upgrading was the Woo WA5 headamp with Takasuki 300B tubes. Unbelievable power, rich, warm musical sound… every set of headphones were so upgraded it was miraculous… the differences between the sound of the headphones became much smaller because this headamp simply took charge regardless of the quirks of the headphones and made them sound great. In comparing my headphones in this system (see it under my userID, under virtual systems), I would usually conclude the Focal were a tiny bit better sounding than the Sennheiser and all the others. But over the last three years I migrated again and an again back to the Sennheiser. They sound so good, they are big and open… but not heavy like the Focal, Audeze, or Denon. They are so comfortable… I can wear them for hours and completely forget I am wearing them. My partner wears Sennheiser 350 all night every night (she sleeps during the day). Now, these would not be for you, because the fit snugly… and she has a small head. But the 800 series are really comfortable without the closed in feel you get with many others. |
I’d highly recommend these Hifiman Arya Organics. I have the prior Arya Stealth version, and with their elongated ear pads that do a great job distributing pressure they’re very comfortable and I can wear them for hours without fatigue. They’re also light, which helps further and they’re also fairly easy to drive so you’ll have lots of amps (including tubes) to choose from. I’d term my ‘phones as neutral, but I think this newer version has some added heft of their pricier models so may work well for you sonically, and you can certainly adjust the sound through your choice of amp. Anyway, just one option to consider. Here’s a review that does a nice job describing their sonic characteristics in case it helps… https://soundnews.net/reviews/headphones/hifiman-arya-organic-review-comparison/ While I greatly enjoy my HeadFi system, it’s really not a substitute for my big rig so if I’m you I’d do everything possible to keep a dedicated listening room in downsizing. Hope this helps, and best of luck. |