[eaglej]

I have a fairly large head. My ears stick out. And I have a scar on the top of my head which is very sensitive to pressure. I'm looking for headphones to listen at work all day (8-10+ hours), so they must be very comfortable. I bought the Sony V6, thinking they were the same as a pair I had several years ago which were comfortable. I find the V6 squish my ears, clamp the side of my head too much, and put a lot of pressure on the top of my head; I'll be returning them. Turns out I actually had the V600 back in the day, which seem pretty universally panned around here. So I'm back to square one. Here are my preferences:

-Cost: ~$100. I'm willing to go higher if there's a compelling reason, but I'm listening to MP3's, not reference material.
-No amp required, standard 1/8 jack, and driven by an ipod, iphone, or laptop.
-My listening levels are fairly low -- no need for huge volume.
-Probably a closed back. I like isolation, and I'm in an office environment.
-I like a pretty flat response.
-Music genres are varied. Mostly indie/alt rock and electronic.

Priorities:
1. Comfort
2. Sound quality

Looks and portability are not concerns. Also, I'd like a relatively shorter cord, or one that coils, since 10' of cord will just be in the way. This is waaay less important than anything else though, just a nice to have.

Thanks for your help!

-Eagle

 

[Alai]

AD700?

 

[goober-george]

If you can handle wearing this in public, (they are pretty huge) I recommend the JVC HA-RX 700 or JVC HA-RX 900, the cord is very, very long though, like 11 or 12 feet long. But they are comfy and have great SQ, and the headband is soft and comfy. Also, if you consider either of the two, try finding 700s at $30-40, or the 900s around $60.

 

[1Time]

IEMs or earbuds like the PK2 would be best. But if you must have headphones, you will be best off trying them on at a retail store to see what works for you because your comfort needs are so particular.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alai /img/forum/go_quote.gif AD700?

The ear cups are not deep enough for the OPs ears.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober-george /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you can handle wearing this in public, (they are pretty huge) I recommend the JVC HA-RX 700 or JVC HA-RX 900, the cord is very, very long though, like 11 or 12 feet long. But they are comfy and have great SQ, and the headband is soft and comfy.

The RX900 is semi-open/closed so it won't work for the OP because it will leak too much sound. The ear cups for the RX700 are not deep enough for the OP.

 

[1Time]

The D1001 stands a good chance of working for you since it is so comfortable, light weight, and does not leak much sound at lower volumes. Not sure how deep the ear cups are though.

 

[goober-george]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif The RX900 is semi-open/closed so it won't work for the OP because it will leak too much sound. The ear cups for the RX700 are not deep enough for the OP.

The RX900 doesn't leak much sound at all, and I wouldn't really call the 900s semi-opened, it has a little venting on the edge of the headphones but it still provides good isolation. I don't have the 700s but my right ear sticks out and I still find it comfy.

 

[Solid Snake]

M-AUDIO Q40

Which I will be getting pretty soon myself.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober-george /img/forum/go_quote.gif The RX900 doesn't leak much sound at all, and I wouldn't really call the 900s semi-opened, it has a little venting on the edge of the headphones but it still provides good isolation. I don't have the 700s but my right ear sticks out and I still find it comfy.

Right, that's why I called it semi-open/closed; it's not entirely closed or so I've read from other RX900 owners. Doesn't seem to be a good pick for office use. FWIR, the RX700 has less ear cup depth than the RX900.

 

[eaglej]

As far as a semi-closed design goes, I might be fine with that -- as I said, I listen at fairly low volumes; I can hold the v6 open off my head at arm's length and not hear them at all.

I did see that the denons are recommended for comfort, and I also noticed that the d1000's have a shorter cord, but I'm a little confused about the fact that denon labels the d1000 as "on-ear" vs the d2000 as "over-ear". Also, is there any difference between the d1000 and the d1001?

I was using some shure earbuds for a while, but ended up with very unpleasant side effects from having them in my ears so long. I won't go into details.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solid Snake /img/forum/go_quote.gif M-AUDIO Q40 Which I will be getting pretty soon myself.

I've been looking around for reviews on these headphones and while people say they sound good I have come across a couple of complaints about some sort of issue with the wiring.

 

[Solid Snake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been looking around for reviews on these headphones and while people say they sound good I have come across a couple of complaints about some sort of issue with the wiring.

Yes, I have heard about this issue as I kept reading. It does make me worry a little bit because once that cable breaks, I will have to wait and find another cable which = more $$$ to spend.

I have been reading and reading about some good portable circumaural headphones that have good isolation and good comfort.

I have been looking closely at the DT 770/80 and the HFI 680...but I will most likely jump for the DT 770 because of their super comfy pads and great isolation. The headphone looks pretty durable too.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eaglej /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as a semi-closed design goes, I might be fine with that -- as I said, I listen at fairly low volumes; I can hold the v6 open off my head at arm's length and not hear them at all. I did see that the denons are recommended for comfort, and I also noticed that the d1000's have a shorter cord, but I'm a little confused about the fact that denon labels the d1000 as "on-ear" vs the d2000 as "over-ear". Also, is there any difference between the d1000 and the d1001? I was using some shure earbuds for a while, but ended up with very unpleasant side effects from having them in my ears so long. I won't go into details.

Here is a thread covering the differences between the D1000 and D1001. These are either supraural or circumaural depending on ear size, since the ear cup is not as large as that of most circumaural headphones. Because of your very particular comfort requirements, you may find it very difficult to find anything in the $100 price range online or in a store that will work well for you.