Davidzak64
Headphoneus Supremus
Sennheiser HD-598 I can wear all day. No sweat. HD599 should be similar.
Most Comfortable Open Back $200 headphones?
Willy 2 Streams
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
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Your issues with closed back cans I agree with. Sennheiser HD 580, or HD650 I can wear all day in total comfort. That's why I stick with them. The Drop HD 5XX is also quite good.
I decided to go with the Audio-Technica ATH AD900X.
And they do fit the bill of little pressure and no sweat - thank you pbui44!
To continue the quest ...
- Wait, what - the list price is $300 ??? I mean they are pretty nice for $150, but for $300 I would question the entire audiophile world.
- My laptop audio output sucks (Dell XPS). My desktop too, although not as bad (maybe because of additional space between d/a converter and CPU?). I could always hear these crazy beeps and whoops when connecting without audio playing, but while I couldn't hear them while music is playing, I didn't know that it leads to feeling annoyed when listening to music for a while. Even with the more comfy cans I didn't listen for even an hour. When I received my Dac Amp (iFi Hipdac v1) it made such a difference! I really hope that some random folks stumble over this post. If you are ok with the comfort of your headphones, but feel that the sound should be better: Go with a Dac/Amp or Dac + Amp next. The dirty signal from interference is, as I understand now, the worst offender in music enjoyment. Bluetooth is a different story of course. I can finally enjoy music again for hours
- The sound profile of the ATH AD900X out of the box is not my thing. The lows are a bit thin, but the upper mids to lower highs can get annoying if not offensive. Luckily there is Equalizer APO (for Windows). I found it a pain to install because there where some Soundcard related apps running which prevented the equalizer from functioning. Now my 3.5mm audio jack doesn't work any longer, but the iFi Dac sounds a lot better. Can't have everything I guess
- The feeling of the AD900X on my ears, while not uncomfortable, does not feel luxurious. Guess that contributes to my "What, $300"? It's a bit like having a 2 days old loaf of white bread on my ears. Would a pair of nice Dekoni earpads fix that issue?
- What will be the next step up? Not something which may sound better and cost double, but something which is worth upgrading for.
And they do fit the bill of little pressure and no sweat - thank you pbui44!
To continue the quest ...
- Wait, what - the list price is $300 ??? I mean they are pretty nice for $150, but for $300 I would question the entire audiophile world.
- My laptop audio output sucks (Dell XPS). My desktop too, although not as bad (maybe because of additional space between d/a converter and CPU?). I could always hear these crazy beeps and whoops when connecting without audio playing, but while I couldn't hear them while music is playing, I didn't know that it leads to feeling annoyed when listening to music for a while. Even with the more comfy cans I didn't listen for even an hour. When I received my Dac Amp (iFi Hipdac v1) it made such a difference! I really hope that some random folks stumble over this post. If you are ok with the comfort of your headphones, but feel that the sound should be better: Go with a Dac/Amp or Dac + Amp next. The dirty signal from interference is, as I understand now, the worst offender in music enjoyment. Bluetooth is a different story of course. I can finally enjoy music again for hours
- The sound profile of the ATH AD900X out of the box is not my thing. The lows are a bit thin, but the upper mids to lower highs can get annoying if not offensive. Luckily there is Equalizer APO (for Windows). I found it a pain to install because there where some Soundcard related apps running which prevented the equalizer from functioning. Now my 3.5mm audio jack doesn't work any longer, but the iFi Dac sounds a lot better. Can't have everything I guess
- The feeling of the AD900X on my ears, while not uncomfortable, does not feel luxurious. Guess that contributes to my "What, $300"? It's a bit like having a 2 days old loaf of white bread on my ears. Would a pair of nice Dekoni earpads fix that issue?
- What will be the next step up? Not something which may sound better and cost double, but something which is worth upgrading for.
I don't think pbui44 would have recommended them at $300. Sometimes list prices are a bit, shall we say, fanciful.
Brainwavz also makes pads that fit the A-T. I haven't tried them but I probably will when mine wear out.
https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/prod...-size-micro-suede?_pos=1&_sid=772cd74b2&_ss=r
This Reddit thread claims they maintain the sound.
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones...e_brainwavz_xl_or_the_hifimsn_earpads_fit_on/
Brainwavz also makes pads that fit the A-T. I haven't tried them but I probably will when mine wear out.
https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/prod...-size-micro-suede?_pos=1&_sid=772cd74b2&_ss=r
This Reddit thread claims they maintain the sound.
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones...e_brainwavz_xl_or_the_hifimsn_earpads_fit_on/
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I know you're not going for them, but I have the X2HRs and they do get fairly uncomfortable because of their clamping force, which there is a fair bit of, especially during prolonged use.
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