ATH-M50X Ear discomfort - Suggestions?

[BulletPhil]

Hi all,
 
After doing some research, I decided to begin my audiophile journey with a pair of the highly reviewed M50X's. They sound really good!

Except... even at lower volumes, it can be kind of painful on my inner ear. This is a big turn off because it just becomes uncomfortable after a while of listening. Additionally, as I've seen others mention, the highs are a bit too high for me, to the point of sibilance. Don't get me wrong, the sound quality is the best out of everything I've used, but my standard apple EarPods are just so enjoyable to listen to. 
 
At this point I have a few options.
(1) Return them and look for another pair. I am thinking of possible a semi-open or at least less isolating pair of headphones that I can still listen to in public [this is important]. I think decreased noise isolation would help with this problem tremendously.
(2) Try burning them in. Still not completely sold on this, but could be worth a try.
(3) Buy new earpads, possibly velor. Again, this is in line with the idea that its the isolation that's causing the discomfort.
 
Either way, thank you for the help!

 

[Wyllio]

Try some Brainwavz angled earpads, should help with the comfort and sound. If you are sure it's the highs that is causing the pain, I would suggest playing around with EQ settings to see it helps. Burn-in for me is just adjusting and getting accustomed to the sound.

 

[BulletPhil]

Thanks! So what's the best way to play around with EQ settings? For the record, I am using a Windows PC and Android smartphone.

 

[Wyllio]

Start with 20KHz to 15KHz and reduced the decibels by 1-5.

 

[BulletPhil]

Sorry what I should have asked is what software/apps to use?

 

[Wyllio]

Android: Download ViPER4Android FX. Ignore the chinese description, it will be in english when it's done downloading. Under "Headset", enable the equalizer and adjust the settings accordingly. Then scroll down and change the binaural level to moderate.
 
Windows: Download ViPER4Windows and install the x64 version if you're on 64 bit Windows or x86 for 32 bit. 
 
Download Link - http://vipersaudio.com/blog/?page_id=48
Instructions - http://vipersaudio.com/blog/?page_id=66
 
I personally use MusicBee on Windows, but that only works for downloaded files.

 

[Wyllio]

If EQ doesn't solve the issue, I would suggest returning them and picking out a different set of cans.
 
Closed Headphones:
 
• Sennheiser HD598 CS
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 32 Ohm
 
Open Headphones:
 
• Sennheiser HD 598
• Beyerdynamic DT 990 32 Ohm