[NonApplicable]

I have owned my Grado cans for around five months now. Problem is, I haven't yet achieved maximum comfort. The mesh on the driver side of the cups rub against my pinna(outer ear) giving me great discomfort after about 30 minutes of use. I have developed more resistance(ear calluses? lol) to this problem since my Grado purchase but, it still is bothersome. Any insight would be helpful =)

 

[qijianjonathanh]

Had the same problem with Grados, albeit not to the same extent as you. Luckily, I was able to try them on before purchasing them, and realized that they probably weren't a good fit for me.

 

[SONIC BOOM]

did you try different ear pads?

 

[KG Jag]

Check the threads here. I recall some folks posting certain ways to soften the ear pads.  As I recall, it involved soaking or washing the pads.

 

[NonApplicable]

"Did you try different ear pads?"

I have not. I'm afraid it will change the sound, and I am in love with how they sound now. I also don't want bowls; too big.
 
"Check the threads here. I recall some folks posting certain way to soften the ear pads. As I recall, it involved soaking or washing the pads."
 
I appreciate the suggestion, but the issue is the mesh and not the earpads. I have already washed the pads, and they are fine =)
 
-Sorry for the formatting. Something weird is going on =o

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

Try wearing the pads more forward on your head, resting more parallel to the plane of your ears, rather than parallel to the sides of your head like a normal headphone. This let me wear my Grados for much longer without pain. 

 

[SONIC BOOM]

I think I am understanding the way your wearing them, and I think that moving them forward would solve it, but it may help if you upload pictures of you with them on so we can see exactly.

 

[Chris_Himself]

Hiya bud!
 
Hopefully you're enjoying those Magnums
 
You're wearing them up and forward..
 
You want the edge of the pad to literally sit on your ear, so it angles the driver towards your uhh... "ear hole" (this is why I'm not a doctor)
 
Most people who get cheese-grated by the mesh are trying to wear the pads as circumaurals, nah the objective is to actually get teh driver as far away from your head as possible while pointing the driver into your ear. It's so the bass has room to open and the sound is less congested than with the softy pads.
 
That being said, if it's uncomfortable, just wear the S-CUSH, heck I prefer those on my RS-2's anyway.

 

[devouringone3]

 

Try wearing the pads more forward on your head, resting more parallel to the plane of your ears, rather than parallel to the sides of your head like a normal headphone. This let me wear my Grados for much longer without pain. 

 
Quote:

You want the edge of the pad to literally sit on your ear, so it angles the driver towards your uhh... "ear hole" (this is why I'm not a doctor)
 
Most people who get cheese-grated by the mesh are trying to wear the pads as circumaurals, nah the objective is to actually get teh driver as far away from your head as possible while pointing the driver into your ear. It's so the bass has room to open and the sound is less congested than with the softy pads.

 
They are right. And it's a way to effectively solve the issue. When on your head you make sure the behind edge rests on the "helix" of your ear, kind of opening your ear to the headphone and angling it a bit. The front edge will be in your sideburns if you got those.

 
But I still prefer using my Grados, circumaurally for more bass and better fit when headbanging, so I put black (or grey) Sennheiser PX 100 pads between my ear and the drivers.
 
You can buy those on eBay, but if you pay too less you will get fakes so beware. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sennheiser-PX-100-replacement-Earpads-1-pair-per-lot-/251054925247?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3a740a25bf#ht_500wt_1361
 
It's a perfect fit (doesn't make anything looks too tight) and those pads doesn't seem to alter the sound at all. Comfort is noticeably better (used in conjunction with bowls), your ears will never feel the drivers again, and those will be better protected too. I've got three Grados using bowls, they all have their PX-100 pads on, before and under the bowls. SR325i bowls are taped but that's another story, lol.
 
The end result will look like this (no need to punch holes) http://www.head-fi.org/t/294623/grado-rs1-shack-hack-mod-56k-beware, it's called the "Shack hack".
 
Thank you for asking, those meshes when using bowls sticks bloodily to your ears and they are the devil.
 
Nice avatar

 

[NonApplicable]

Thanks to everyone for the responses.
 
I totally was wearing them as circumaurals. Since having the pads rest on the helix of my ear, there is no discomfort! I don't know how widely spread this method is, but I certainly didn't know about it!
 
The alternate pad suggestions look great as well, but I don't see me needing them now that my ears are happy =). Thanks again everybody!

 

[PANGES]

I didn't know about this either!! I'll try this with my RS1i tonight.
 
They've never bothered me before until the most recent time I listened to the RS1i (about a week or two ago) and I remember them bothering me. I'm sure doing this will help.

 

[devouringone3]

Quote:

The alternate pad suggestions look great as well, but I don't see me needing them now that my ears are happy =). Thanks again everybody!

 
You can consider it more like an add-on, or a beginning of a solution --you can choose to get used to your pads the hard way by tolerating them, or you can wash them--, because it won't change the sound. It provides more comfort, and you're not loosing anything in return.
 
Alternatives you sometimes need to make a compromise, or they are simply a "change". I'm suggesting you use PX100 in conjunction with the bowls you are already using.