[Sinocelt]

I'm far from a headphone expert, but the most comfortable headphones I tried where "ear-shaped" ones, like the Sony MDR7506 (or the Dan Clarke Audio ÆON, though I haven't, unfortunately, tried that one). Is it just me finding such earcup designs more comfortable? Why are there mostly round-cup headphones, otherwise? Just for ease of manufacture?

 

[msing539]

I'm far from a headphone expert, but the most comfortable headphones I tried where "ear-shaped" ones, like the Sony MDR7506 (or the Dan Clarke Audio ÆON, though I haven't, unfortunately, tried that one). Is it just me finding such earcup designs more comfortable? Why are there mostly round-cup headphones, otherwise? Just for ease of manufacture?

Guessing ... I'm going to say because dynamic drivers are round for a reason, just like speakers. Kicker did a square sub but meh.

Planars and their magnet structures don't have to be round.

Of course you could make a dynamic with an oval shaped cup, but the drivers would still be round. So it makes sense to seal in that round area vs. having extra space in the pad to be accounted for acoustic reflections.

Again, just a guess.