[Justin0505]

I've been lurking and reading here on and off for many years without posting much, but recently a change in jobs has allowed me many more hours with full-sized cans on my head so I'm starting to look more seriously again at finding that ephemeral 1 pair to rule them all...

I've found pretty extensive reviews on how every pair of headphones sounds, but what I'm still struggling to get a good picture of is how they actually fit/ feel especially to someone with a large head and ears.

For the sake of getting as clear a picture of ergo's as possible, I'd like to just table the factors of sound, price, style etc for now.

I have a pair of HD650's and MS Alpha Primes which have both been listed as pretty high up there in the comfort rankings, but I think my head / ears are just too big and they touch the pads on both. Out of the 2 I much prefer the pads on the MS, because the broad cross section and extra give of the memory foam really helps to distribute the weight and clamping pressure evenly and the extra thickness / depth keeps my ear from bottoming out on the speaker cover. However, the longer oval shape of the 650's are closer to actually fitting AROUND my ear; not over it - but not quite - there's always at least 1 hot spot with these and I have to keep shifting them around to change which part of my ear they touch.

I've dredged though all of the old comfort threads and it seems that a few years ago the HD800's where consistently considered to have the best ergos as far as comfort and space AROUND the ear.
I'm just wondering if anything has changed since then.

So, I'm currently looking at the Aeon, HE Version X V2, HD800s, AQ Nighthawks/owls.

I'd really appreciate insight from folks that have used any/ all of the above as well as well as from any of my dumbo-eared brethren out there who have already found a best fit.

Thanks!!

 

[TMRaven]

I'd put the Hifiman HE-560/Edition X, Aeon Open up there in the same tier as the HD800 in terms of comfort. HD800 and Edition X have the hugest pads I've ever seen on a headphone, but Edition X is shallow, so the ears will graze. Aeon Open perfectly confirms around the ear and with plenty of room to spare, though not quite as large as the HD800.

 

[Whitetriton]

If we're speaking strictly for comfort, my personal opinion is that the HD 700 is the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn.

 

[Me x3]

Well, generally speaking the Sennheiser HD800 is a very comfortable headphone.

As previously noted, the HD700 can be considered just as good or even better in this aspect.
It's not as big which in these particular case can be a good thing, it typically sits more securely on the head and the headband is more padded.

The AKG K812 is also an extremely comfortable headphone, slightly smaller than the HD800 which again can be a good thing.
K812 has very deep and soft angled earpads along with an extremely good (cushioned and flexible) headband design.
Unless you live in a very warm place where pleather pads can be a problem, this is one of the most comfortable headphones in the market.

 

[ryder78]

Similarly I was told that the HD800S is one of the most comfortable headphones out there. I was just wondering if there are other designs that are even more comfortable than the HD800S.

For the record, I have owned the Beyerdynamic T1 and in my experience they are not comfortable. I cannot have these phones on my head for more than 15 minutes as I need to take them off once in a while. In the end the Beyerdynamic T1 was sold as I figured out I wasn't enjoying the phones as much as I wanted to. There isn't any doubt that sound quality is stellar but comfort-wise it's just not that great.

Currently I am using the JVC HA-S680. Although it may not sound as good as the Beyerdynamic T1, it gets to stay on my head most of the time. Most importantly I am beginning to appreciate and enjoy music through these headphones. With the T1 I just cannot wait to get them off my head after a while due to discomfort. That's not the right way of listening to music, or perhaps I wasn't cut out for headphones.

Headphones which are light and have a low clamping force would qualify as comfortable to me. The JVC HA-S680 has a low clamping force and it weighs in at 195g only. On the other hand the HD800S is a lot heavier at 330g.

 

[Me x3]

Similarly I was told that the HD800S is one of the most comfortable headphones out there. I was just wondering if there are other designs that are even more comfortable than the HD800S.

For the record, I have owned the Beyerdynamic T1 and in my experience they are not comfortable. I cannot have these phones on my head for more than 15 minutes as I need to take them off once in a while. In the end the Beyerdynamic T1 was sold as I figured out I wasn't enjoying the phones as much as I wanted to. There isn't any doubt that sound quality is stellar but comfort-wise it's just not that great.

Currently I am using the JVC HA-S680. Although it may not sound as good as the Beyerdynamic T1, it gets to stay on my head most of the time. Most importantly I am beginning to appreciate and enjoy music through these headphones. With the T1 I just cannot wait to get them off my head after a while due to discomfort. That's not the right way of listening to music, or perhaps I wasn't cut out for headphones.

Headphones which are light and have a low clamping force would qualify as comfortable to me. The JVC HA-S680 has a low clamping force and it weighs in at 195g only. On the other hand the HD800S is a lot heavier at 330g.

Comfort is a pretty personal topic, I guess.
I have both T1 and T1 (2nd Generation) and find them very comfortable for long sessions, as most people I know.

 

[Justin0505]

I'd put the Hifiman HE-560/Edition X, Aeon Open up there in the same tier as the HD800 in terms of comfort. HD800 and Edition X have the hugest pads I've ever seen on a headphone, but Edition X is shallow, so the ears will graze. Aeon Open perfectly confirms around the ear and with plenty of room to spare, though not quite as large as the HD800.

Thanks! That's exactly the type of information / comparison that I've been looking for but not found. Bummer about the HEX, I really liked a lot of what I read about them in terms of sound, but grazing in one the the things that really bothers me over long periods of time. Have you found the same issue with the HE-560's?

Well, generally speaking the Sennheiser HD800 is a very comfortable headphone.

As previously noted, the HD700 can be considered just as good or even better in this aspect.
It's not as big which in these particular case can be a good thing, it typically sits more securely on the head and the headband is more padded.

The AKG K812 is also an extremely comfortable headphone, slightly smaller than the HD800 which again can be a good thing.
K812 has very deep and soft angled earpads along with an extremely good (cushioned and flexible) headband design.
Unless you live in a very warm place where pleather pads can be a problem, this is one of the most comfortable headphones in the market.

I'd heard from a few people that the cups/pads on the HD700's where also on the shallow side, and grazing can be an issue. Have you noticed this on the 700's? How would you compare the difference in depth / distance from ear to speaker cover in HD700 vs HD800?

Thanks for the heads-up on the K812's!! They where not on my radar before. I really dig the pro audio design ethos and it seems like there are currently some pretty decent discounts to be had.

 

[Me x3]

I'd heard from a few people that the cups/pads on the HD700's where also on the shallow side, and grazing can be an issue. Have you noticed this on the 700's? How would you compare the difference in depth / distance from ear to speaker cover in HD700 vs HD800?

Thanks for the heads-up on the K812's!! They where not on my radar before. I really dig the pro audio design ethos and it seems like there are currently some pretty decent discounts to be had.

I don't own the HD700 anymore. If I recall correctly the earpads on HD700 are more padded/deeper than HD800's then you might get some more space between the ear and the speaker.
Sadly I can not measure that for you. I didn't have any comfort issues with them, both comfortable enough for me.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

hd800 with dekoni hybrid ear pads has amazing comfort. It comes second in terms of comfort than most headphones that I've tried.

 

[Justin0505]

hd800 with dekoni hybrid ear pads has amazing comfort. It comes second in terms of comfort than most headphones that I've tried.

Thanks for the tip. I might pick some up for my HD650 and give them one more chance before moving on.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Thanks for the tip. I might pick some up for my HD650 and give them one more chance before moving on.

I also have the elite velour from dekoni for my HD6XX but haven't tried the hybrid yet for HD6XX

 

[Ron Sherwood]

Spent 4 + hours with my HD800 today (mostly Chicago VII and John Barry). Very comfortable and engaging.

 

[Justin0505]

I also have the elite velour from dekoni for my HD6XX but haven't tried the hybrid yet for HD6XX

I just ordered the Hybrid for my 6XX, should be here Sunday, I'll let you know what I think.

In looking at pads / comfort I actually broke out my old PC350's because I realized that I don't remember having the same issue with comfort with them as I do the HD6XX's, and not long before I retired them to my backupbox, I had put new stock pads on them. Turns out the pads/ cups on those are just every-so-slightly bigger. Wow, what a difference those few mm make in comfort for me. If only they sounded like the 6XX...

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I just ordered the Hybrid for my 6XX, should be here Sunday, I'll let you know what I think.

In looking at pads / comfort I actually broke out my on PC350's because I realized that I don't remember having the same issue with comfort with them as I do the HD6XX's, and not long before I retired them to my backupbox, I had put new stock pads on them. Turns out the pads/ cups on those are just every-so-slightly bigger. Wow, what a difference those few mm make in comfort for me. If only they sounded like the 6XX...

do let us know. I've tried the hybrid pad for 6XX at canjam and they are super comfy but never had any chance to listen to music with them.

 

[Brahmsian]

HD800 and Edition X have the hugest pads I've ever heard...not quite as large as the HD800.

If anything, I hear the 800 pads are TOO big for comfort, almost reaching your jaw.

the HE-560's?

I'd heard from a few people that the cups/pads on the HD700's where also on the shallow side, and grazing can be an issue. Have you noticed this on the 700's? How would you compare the difference in depth / distance from ear to speaker cover in HD700 vs HD800?

Forget about the 560 unless you plan to swap pads. Your experience with the 650 perfectly matches mine so I have a fair grasp of your problem. 560 pads are too shallow. My ears touch the foam. And they are not tall enough either so the top of the ear will be a problem. I'm switching to the Ori pads which everybody says are more comfortable. Personally I like the Audeze lambskin pads I have on my M1060. The 700 is more comfortable than the 800 in terms of the cups but maybe not the bridge. However, the source of discomfort for me has always been the ears not the top of the head.