[reivaj]

When I listened to the 325i it had bowls and 414s. I personally found the bowls to be quite comfortable and I got wrong impressions about them from the forums because there is so much negativity towards them on here. I also preferred them to the 414 pads.

Also i had tried the 650 and I felt more pressure on my head with the 650 than with the grados. The only issue I had with the 325i was the fact that they dont stay in place if you move around alot.

 

[mcmyers]

Personally, I don't think Grados are the ideal phones for long listening sessions anyway. They're so intense, it's hard to do anything else while your listening, and I at least always felt as though I couldn't take much more than an hour of that intense sound, even if they had been more comfortable.

Maybe the less comfortable design is the Grado's sneaky way of saying that real headphone listening should not be relegated to the background while you do other things.

 

[F107plus5]

My MS2i with bowls are a bit less comfortable than my MS-1s with reversed and modded 414s, so I find it easier to wear the MS-1s when I want more of a background music situation. The MS2i are one of those phones that can drag you very deeply into the music, making doing much of anything else quite difficult.

The MS-1s can be distracting in much the same way, but not quite AS distracting.

 

[P.J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-dawg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to music thru headphones @ work, nearly 40 hrs/week and am really wanting to try some nicer phones. I'd like to try Grados but I'm worried that they will be too uncomfortable for constant use, what with what everybody says. Does everyone recommend against them for that reason? I started with some PX-100's. Fun sound, but wanted to try a closed phone so got some HD-201's. Super comfy, sounded a little bass lean to me but crisp and likeable. Perfect with PCDP bass boost on lowest setting. Now I have HD-205's which sound nicer and fuller than the 201's, have a super tight seal but I can't stand wearing them for long periods of time. Where should I go next? Will I have the same discomfort issues if I get Grados? Thx for any advice.

205s suck ! -> my worst headphone

Go for 555s/595s NOW !!!

 

[lmilhan]

With broken in flat pads, and a properly adjusted (IE stretched) headband, I can go 5 to 6 hours without any comfort issues. With broken in bowl pads, and a properly adjusted headband, I can get about 3 or 4 hours before my ears need a 10 minute break.

With regard to supra-aural headphones:

It is not a matter of 'if' they will feel uncomfortable on your ears, it is a matter of 'when' or 'how long' it will take before they get uncomfortable. This is not exclusive to Grado phones.

I firmly believe that a source of the 'Grado magic' lies within the fact that they are supra-aural headphones.

So yeah I agree, they aren't as comfortable as say circum-aural phones, but then again, no circum-aural phones sound quite like a pair of Grados do.