Probably subjective as hell but the Sennheiser HD5xx or HD6xx series are the most comfortable headphones in my opinion. Can be worn all day and night without any discomfort. The 5xx series are a bit less clampy, so I could see some preferring those for comfort. Both are very open and breathable.
I too think comfort is the top priority for headphones. What good is sound quality if they are physically uncomfortable to listen to.
What's your budget? As for comfort, absolutely lightest/easiest to wear have been Dan Clark's Ether headphones. Perhaps stay away from Audeze, as their headphones are generally very heavy. I found Sennheiser HD800 very light too. As you can see, for me comfort equals weight, but perhaps for you it is more the shape of the ear cup? Hifiman headphones are quite light too, but I found their comfort lack (pressing against my jaw). For Abyss, there my temples hurt. Others, like Focal I felt too hot in them
For me, comfort is breathability in the ears. I want them to be cool, not hot. Im pretty OK with head bands and such.
No budget really. I tend to forget what kind of forum this is. The budget is something non professional and realistic for 4-8 hours listening. 1000+ dollar headphones are for people that work in music, listen almost all day and/or are rich.
Probably subjective as hell but the Sennheiser HD5xx or HD6xx series are the most comfortable headphones in my opinion. Can be worn all day and night without any discomfort. The 5xx series are a bit less clampy, so I could see some preferring those for comfort. Both are very open and breathable.
I too think comfort is the top priority for headphones. What good is sound quality if they are physically uncomfortable to listen to.
1. Meze Empyrean (The King of Comfort Headphone imo)
2. ADX5k/hd800/Focal Utopia/Elear/Clear/Arya/Ether 2 (All Tie in Comfort 2nd place)
3. Sony MDR Z7/Z1R/Beyer T1/AKG K712/7xx/HD5/6 series/Arya/ZMF Dynamic (Same Comfort in 3rd place)
Some people don’t think they’re comfortable because they have a fairly high clamping force on your head, but I find it’s never uncomfortable and just gives it a feel of security.
Some headphones feel like soft pillows on your ears but then 45 minutes later they start to hurt like hell.
With the 6XX, they don’t feel particularly comfortable when I put them on, but then I’ll still be wearing them 4 hours later with zero issues. They’re comfortable, they’re secure, they breathe well, and of course, I love the sound.
For me most comfortable that I've tried so far (with emphasis on comfort over breathability) are:
1-Aeon Flow Open X (incredible feel on the head though pads are not as breathable as the others listed below. I don't find the pads to get hot during long listening sessions however and to me they are the most comfortable by far as well as being the best sounding phones I've tried to date).
2-Beyerdynamic Amiron Home (pads are very breathable as well).
3-any of the Sennheiser HD6XX family of cans (pads are very breathable as well).
Good topic and replies! Keep in mind the idea of swapping pads. I agree that my 6XX and 58X are comfortable! I have Dekoni pads on them. But… they’re not a headphone I could fall asleep with on. I could fall asleep with my AKG 7XX if that treble didn’t wake me. My Beyers are probably more physically comfortable than the Sennheisers but less breathable. I’d pick the Sennheiser there and agree with other posts that I can notice the Sennheisers more when they go on but are more comfortable for longer sessions. The Beyers feel amazing at first but it doesn’t take long before my ears need a break to breathe more. AKG are very comfortable but too floppy.
For my longer gaming or movie sessions I enjoy changing up what pair I’m using.
The Sennheiser 58X has a more popular voicing - slight U shape. No where near the mid scoop / bass-treble boost of AKG or Beyerdynamic.
The 6XX is about giving the details and facts
If I’m analyzing a piece or want to hear every detail in an orchestra the 6XX will do that. It is more mids focused which does require getting used to but is worth it. If I were to recommend a headphone for the average listener it would be the 58X…. But for a more discerning listener, the 6XX. Hrmmm even better is to have both - I do and both are keepers.
I guess I'll take the time to answer, although this question has been answered numerous times before....
The HD5xx series - are chinese made headphones, but very comfortable. You do not need an amplifier to run them, but one could not hurt. I believe the HD560s is the most neutral and balanced of the series, and the HD599 is also a good one (I believe it is an improved hd598).
The HD58x - is a Massdrop version based on the HD580, it is part of the 6xx series. Does not need an amplifier, but one does help significantly with these. They have the best sub-bass of all the sennheiser open backs. Good sound signature, balanced, but does not have the beautiful tonality the 600 series is known for. Great headphone and very affordable.
HD600- the classic and standard for open back headphones for the past few decades. These are some peoples end game because they do so many things right and there is very little to complain about. They will require an amplifier. They are very balanced and just revealing enough to not be fatiguing. They are slightly vocal centered, meaning the vocalist sounds like theyre a step in front of the instruments. Often used for mixing / mastering due to the balanced nature and they are decent at showing flaws in recordings.
HD650 - the smoother and warmer cousin to the HD600. They will also require and amplifier (preferably tubes). A bit of a midbass hump and a more gentle presentation of sound, in terms of being non-fatiguing. The vocals will sound mixed in with all the instruments and a beautiful syrup blend. They are great for making crappy recordings sound very pleasing to the ear. They are also my choice for listening to vinyl records, very euphoric sounding headphones... If you choose this one look into the HD6xx by massdrop, same headphones essentially but about half the price... Also I should mention my pair of HD650 is a decade old, so there may be some "silent revisions" as I hear the newer ones may not be as warm and smooth sounding. YMMV.
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