[myoozak]

Hey everyone! Having a bit of a headphone dilemma...
 
I really find the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro's to be the most comfortable closed-back over-ear headphones I've ever worn. They don't make my ears too hot. They don't have excessive clamping force. I can wear them the entire day and tolerate them. They're also very affordable (I snagged mine at $130) and they're very lightweight for as large as they are. On the other hand: their "weakness" is that they're professional studio reference headphones, which means they produce a very flat sound (good for their purpose but I'm using these as a consumer that likes punchy bass now and then).
 
I'm comparing this to the V-Moda M-100s, which are ridiculously raved about everywhere. I bought a pair to give it a shot and they're not as comfortable as the 380s. They make my ears really, really hot and it's also too tight, making my ears feel excessively squeezed. It's not really tolerable to wear after 2 hours or so. However, they're sound quality is amazing. Great, punchy bass. These are great pro-sumer cans. They have such a full soundstage, it's incredible. They're also very, very sexy and well-designed. I do think they're slightly overpriced at $300, but not by much.
 
So… what headphone can I get that combine the absolute comfort of the HD 380s with the prosumer sound of the M-100s in a closed-back configuration? My budget is flexible.

 

[sofastreamer]

beyerdynamic custom one pro.
ue6000

 

[adamlr]

as a m-100 owner, with ears that point out of my head more than the average person, i can certainly understand the comfort issues your having. before you spend more money on new headphones, id suggest waiting for the xl pads to be released. in the meantime, try taking 2 squares of toilet paper, rolling them up, and stuffing them under the pads, see how that works for you, it made the m-100 alot more comfortable to me. for the clamping force, just stretch the headband out a little bit. its very flexible and durable, supposedly being able to withstand "10+ flat headband bends" according to vmoda. flex it out abit and see if the clamping force doesnt ease up.

 

[myoozak]

Quote:

beyerdynamic custom one pro.
ue6000

 
Care to elaborate? The BD Custom One's have mediocre reviews on Amazon. And I've actually tried the UE6000s out and they do feel very comfortable and sound good (but I didn't wear them longer than 5 minutes, so that's obviously not a conclusive review). What experience have you had with these models? And can you compare to the HD 380 and M-100?
 
 
Quote:

as a m-100 owner, with ears that point out of my head more than the average person, i can certainly understand the comfort issues your having. before you spend more money on new headphones, id suggest waiting for the xl pads to be released. in the meantime, try taking 2 squares of toilet paper, rolling them up, and stuffing them under the pads, see how that works for you, it made the m-100 alot more comfortable to me. for the clamping force, just stretch the headband out a little bit. its very flexible and durable, supposedly being able to withstand "10+ flat headband bends" according to vmoda. flex it out abit and see if the clamping force doesnt ease up.

 
Thanks for the tip, and thanks for making me feel like I'm not alone in this! Big ears that stick out suck  I looked at the M-100 thread here and it seems people have been waiting for the XL Pads since January at least. Are they really around the corner? And do they really promise to make a big difference?

 

[adamlr]

Quote:

Thanks for the tip, and thanks for making me feel like I'm not alone in this! Big ears that stick out suck  I looked at the M-100 thread here and it seems people have been waiting for the XL Pads since January at least. Are they really around the corner? And do they really promise to make a big difference?

yea they are much awaited. i dont know if they are around the corner, they had a try out of the new pads 3 weeks ago and theres been no word since. i obviously cant promise a big difference, but seeing as v-moda have so far supplied nothing but quality, with the m-100 pads being an isolated exception, im pretty confidant that the xl pads will sort out the comfort issue. fingers crossed!

 

[zazex]

For not much more you can own the MDR 7520's,
Sony's current top of the line.
Very comfortable with absolutely superb sound.
I like them better than the M100's and in fact any
closed headphone (and plenty of open headphones)
in the price range. 
From the reviews and posts, I see I'm not alone in that opinion.

 

[myoozak]

I've actually done some more head-to-head testing between the HD 380 and the M-100 and concluded that the M-100's soundstage is actually only a tiny bit fuller. The bass response on both units is decent, but nothing to write home about. Honestly, I'm returning the M-100s. They're not much better than the HD 380s sound-wise and they're over double the price. The only advantage they have, and it's a superficial one, is that they look really, really sleek and sexy. I look like a total goof with the HD 380s, but at least they're super-comfortable.

 

[audiojun]

Sennheiser Momentum comes to my mind. But they are rather pricey but you won't look like a goof wearing them 

.

 

[myoozak]

I know this sounds crazy at this point but I've decided against returning the M-100s. I'm going to give them some more time. There's reports of people breaking them in (in terms of comfort, not sound), so I'll giving them an extended trial period. And if the XL pads come out soon enough, it may just make the difference.
 
I've been stupid and haven't tested the 380 and M-100 with a good bass-friendly testing panel, and after these tests, the M-100 is such a better set of cans for fuller, more warm sound. They're really my preferred set. The HD 380s are a pro-level set that are very flat, if that's what you're looking for, but it's not for me.
 
Here's to hoping the M-100s will get more comfortable over time...