[TaffyGuy]

I own HD600's and AKG-K501's and basically don't use either anymore because of the way they sit right on top of my jaw joint (aggravating my TMJ and leaving me with a sore jaw).

Over time I just accepted the idea that I wouldn't be wearing headphones anymore, and have been limited to just my ety er4s's which I leave in the office.

By chance I recently tried on some HD280pro's for the first time assuming they would be a nightmare (not known for comfort) and while they are very tight and uncomfortable, they don't sit on my jaw at all! So now I'm wondering if other (more comfortable / higher end) sealed headphones might offer a similar experience, or additionally if other open phones might sit differently on the head than the rather large circum-aural HD600's and K501's.

As far as musical preference goes, I want really immersive headphones. I still love my ety's, especially the fact that I can wear them for hours with no physical or aural fatigue, but have always lamented that there is just simply no resonant low-end at all... which I love and miss, and have to get my fill of while driving.

So that said, I've always been interested in getting some Grado's, probably SR225's (I bought some SR60's for my mom and love the style of their sound) and after doing some research for the last week or so it seems like ultrasone 780's or 900's could be very good candidates on the closed side.

So I'm wondering: Will Grados / Ultrasones sit on my jaw like the HD600's or cup my ear like the HD280's? Does anyone else have this problem, and do they have any suggestions?

 

[K_19]

Grado pads aren't that large (except for the bagel pads, which is seldomly used unless it's GS1000), so you should be alright with the jaw joint thing, although Grados usually present their own comfort problems with drivers usually sitting too close and touching the ear (with the bowl pads, which is the most common).

 

[haloxt]

Ultrasones will very likely crush your jaw because it is very tight brand new but the metal strip in the middle band can be loosened. Find the proper vertical adjustment (I use 7-8 notches on pro 900), and then take the time to loosen the metal strip in the middle headband section by putting your thumbs over the top and fingers underneath without touching the other two sections of the headband, push thumbs down and fingers up and try to hold it that way for several seconds. Keep adjusting/testing until the side pressure is enough to completely seal but not enough to cause discomfort from pressure. Try to be patient and not kill the headband from overstretching hehe, you may actually have to spend several minutes of continuous holding to get it to stretch to what you need. It can also be reversed if you want it tighter.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Have you tried on the SR-60 to see if they're comfortable? If they are, then Grados might be the best way to go. If you enjoy the sound of the HD-600 and the K-501, then maybe the Alessandro MS-2i would be a better choice. The SR-225 doesn't sound much like the HD-600 or K-501; those are much more neutral than the standard Grado lineup.

 

[TaffyGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ultrasones will very likely crush your jaw because it is very tight brand new but the metal strip in the middle band can be loosened.

Hmm. Well I assumed the same of the HD280's but the way they clamp keeps them pressing against my head and it doesn't bother my jaw. Probably the biggest difference is that they cup the ear very closely, where the HD600's are rather large and sit much lower below my ear.

Can anyone compare how close the ultrasones sit around the ear compared to large open phones like HD600's?

 

[TaffyGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you tried on the SR-60 to see if they're comfortable? If they are, then Grados might be the best way to go.

To be honest I didn't find the SR60's to be particularly comfortable, but it looks like the SR225's have a different style pad that may go around the ear, which may be better or worse depending on if they sit on my jaw or not.

Do SR225 users generally switch those pads out for something more similar to the SR60?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you enjoy the sound of the HD-600 and the K-501, then maybe the Alessandro MS-2i would be a better choice. The SR-225 doesn't sound much like the HD-600 or K-501; those are much more neutral than the standard Grado lineup.

Never liked the sound of the K501's, just got a deal on them I couldn't pass up. Despite my previous choices of very neutral phones (hd600's, er4's) what I really want is a more up-front, punchy, fun sound.

 

[arteom]

Don't go with the metal grados, they are heavy. Might also check out the sennheiser HD-25 with velour pads, they sit on your ears instead of around them, but the clamping force is a bit high.

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaffyGuy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm. Well I assumed the same of the HD280's but the way they clamp keeps them pressing against my head and it doesn't bother my jaw. Probably the biggest difference is that they cup the ear very closely, where the HD600's are rather large and sit much lower below my ear. Can anyone compare how close the ultrasones sit around the ear compared to large open phones like HD600's?

The Ultrasones are highly adjustable vertically and horizontally. There's only an uncomfortable pressure if you don't take the time to adjust in these two ways so that pressure is not spread evenly across the earcups and the headband. With these three points evenly distributed in pressure the less than 1 pound weight of Ultrasones shouldn't cause any pain after a few hours of use.

 

[nc8000]

You could try on-ear types like AudioTechnica ESW9 or ESW10

 

[TaffyGuy]

Thanks for the comments / suggestions

 

[koshman]

As nc8000 says, I think any supraaural cans would fit the bill in this case.

 

[oqvist]

But what supraaural headphones is there that offer any isolation whatsoever and is comfortable? To offer isolation you need some clamping force and clamping force and on ear is a no no in term of comfort. Since the guy complained about the comfort not the sound quality lol

GMP 450s for example supraaural in reality, no clamping force=zero isolation and okay comfort.

8.35D monitors a lot more clamping force great isolation but well they are not winning the comfort category even though I can wear them for some hours at least. They sound so good which increases your pain threshold lol. I doubt the new ear cups can be that huge so may be just as good alternative or better than the ultrasones. Though it can´t be much smaller than the old 750 to be circumaural if you like me have dumbo ears

 

[The Monkey]

Have you considered custom IEMs?

 

[nc8000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif But what supraaural headphones is there that offer any isolation whatsoever and is comfortable? To offer isolation you need some clamping force and clamping force and on ear is a no no in term of comfort. Since the guy complained about the comfort not the sound quality lol GMP 450s for example supraaural in reality, no clamping force=zero isolation and okay comfort. 8.35D monitors a lot more clamping force great isolation but well they are not winning the comfort category even though I can wear them for some hours at least. They sound so good which increases your pain threshold lol. I doubt the new ear cups can be that huge so may be just as good alternative or better than the ultrasones. Though it can´t be much smaller than the old 750 to be circumaural if you like me have dumbo ears

Isolation does not seem to be a concern since he is considering Grado's

 

[TaffyGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc8000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isolation does not seem to be a concern since he is considering Grado's

I think the excessive wordiness of my initial post might have been a mistake.

The main reason I'm gravitating towards closed headphones isn't necessarily for the isolation (though it wouldn't hurt) but because after trying the HD280's I noticed that the clamping force (while a bit excessive with the 280's) doesn't put pressure on my jaw joint the way my large open cans do.

So really what I'm trying to confirm is _where_ these different styles/brands apply pressure, with less concern about how much.