jagorev
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
- Posts
- 3,316
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- 15
I have to say, these have by far the most irritating headband-fitting mechanism of any headphone I've tried.
While almost all other headphones let you push the headband a certain number of notches and keep it fixed there, the 501 headband cannot maintain a fixed setting. They use a sort of elastic string which stretches when you put them on.
What this means is that the headband constantly wants to return to its original unstretched position. Thus, the strings are continually pulling upwards on the earcups.
Maybe it's just my large head, but I find that the lower part of the ear cushion is constantly pushing upward against my earlobe, or that it's rubbing upwards on my ear in a very uncomfortable way (these are meant to be circumaural!)
I've heard lots of comfort complaints about the "Sennheiser vice" and have often heard of the 501 as being ultra-comfy in comparison. I disagree strongly here. The Senn vice grip can take some getting used to, but it's not actively irritating like this elastic headband.
Suffice to say, I've tried a lot of different headphones from a bunch of manufacturers, and this is the only headband design which I find impossible to wear for extended periods. I feel that I have to adjust and stretch the headphone's fit every 10 seconds, something I have never experienced with any other headphone. If I don't keep fiddling with it, the earcup rides up until the lower part of the cushion is resting almost on the middle of my ear.
Does the 601 and 701 follow the same elastic, non-fixed fitting mechanism?
Too bad these sound quite decent - good sound is useless to me if the equipment is so annoying.
While almost all other headphones let you push the headband a certain number of notches and keep it fixed there, the 501 headband cannot maintain a fixed setting. They use a sort of elastic string which stretches when you put them on.
What this means is that the headband constantly wants to return to its original unstretched position. Thus, the strings are continually pulling upwards on the earcups.
Maybe it's just my large head, but I find that the lower part of the ear cushion is constantly pushing upward against my earlobe, or that it's rubbing upwards on my ear in a very uncomfortable way (these are meant to be circumaural!)
I've heard lots of comfort complaints about the "Sennheiser vice" and have often heard of the 501 as being ultra-comfy in comparison. I disagree strongly here. The Senn vice grip can take some getting used to, but it's not actively irritating like this elastic headband.
Suffice to say, I've tried a lot of different headphones from a bunch of manufacturers, and this is the only headband design which I find impossible to wear for extended periods. I feel that I have to adjust and stretch the headphone's fit every 10 seconds, something I have never experienced with any other headphone. If I don't keep fiddling with it, the earcup rides up until the lower part of the cushion is resting almost on the middle of my ear.
Does the 601 and 701 follow the same elastic, non-fixed fitting mechanism?
Too bad these sound quite decent - good sound is useless to me if the equipment is so annoying.