[DavidMahler]

Anyone who owns these or has tried them is aware that the interior of the can is extremely large and therefore there are numerous variances to how your place the headphone on your ear. Please if you don't mind be specific as to how you wear them....approximate where the headphone rests to the back of your ear and top of your ear. Explain why you choose to this, sound improves, soundstage improves, comfort? all the above?

 

[IPodPJ]

This is an important topic and I'm glad you started this thread. The headphones should be vertically higher up on your ears than lower. Front to back your ears should be positioned in the middle of the earcup. You can also move the headphones a little more forward so that the earcup is close to the back of your ear, and see if you like the way it sounds. On my crooked head I find the best position is the way I described above, and with the headband adjusted to the 6th notch down on the left side and 5th notch down on the right side. Since all of our ears are not perfectly symmetrical in placement, you may have to have one earcup slightly off-centered from the other earcup.

You will know the perfect placement when the soundstage becomes startlingly accurate. If the recording is good, vocals should be dead center and every detail of voice and instrument should be clearly focused with a well-defined image. The slightest imbalance in proper positioning on the head will blur the center image detail.

For me, this position puts a little more pressure on the back of my head than it does when they are directly centered over the ear. I find it to be a minor trade-off in comfort for the best sound quality.

The most comfortable position is to tilt the headphones at an angle, with the headband laying on top of your head but more towards the rear, as horribly illustrated below. The representation is if I were viewing your head from the side.

Top of head
[size=xx-large] \[/size] Nose

But this does not yield the best sound quality. It does sound good with some music though.

 

[Spareribs]

One thing for sure, don't wear a tight sweater since it can be stuffy.

 

[royewest]

Meier has an interesting note on this on this page:

Meier-Audio

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by royewest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Meier has an interesting note on this on this page: Meier-Audio

You must mean the "Tips& Tricks" page (although it doesn't really tell you anything other than to experiment, which is--quite frankly--all that anyone can honestly tell you because we all have different HRTFs and thus what works for Jan Meier or myself or anyone else might not work for you).

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif You must mean the "Tips& Tricks" page (although it doesn't really tell you anything other than to experiment, which is--quite frankly--all that anyone can honestly tell you because we all have different HRTFs and thus what works for Jan Meier or myself or anyone else might not work for you).

Aside from that I think that Dr. Meier is referring to headphones which don't have angled drivers. Since the HD800 do I think the tip doesn't really apply here. And of course, like you mentioned, I think everyone should just experiment and figure out the best position for themselves.

 

[RationalGaze]

If my ears are closer to the front of the earcups, I notice a much higher treble response. I prefer to place it in such a way that my ears are close to the center of the earcups.

 

[LingLing1337]

I wear them on my waist to protect my gonads.

 

[jaw2ek]

I've made a belt out of three of them. I find that the SQ degrades a bit, but me pants stay up better

 

[LingLing1337]

^The sincerest form of flattery.

 

[achristilaw]

My Ears don't have a perfect alignment (180' relative to one another) and my head has uneven lumps on it's sides (I blame my Father). And proper orientation is very important for the image specificity that these phones are capable. Don't wear to low, and not to far forward (the image diffuses) and to far back (the image collapses). You need to experiment to find the "sweet-spot", everyones side facial/head contours and ear location settings are different.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif Aside from that I think that Dr. Meier is referring to headphones which don't have angled drivers. Since the HD800 do I think the tip doesn't really apply here.

i agree.

the meier tip is for the 600/650. by wearing them down and forward, you angle the drivers in relation to your ear. the 800 is already angled so i wear them centered.

 

[WalkGood]

Good to read this thread, dfkt & I have been discussing this in irc for a while, only differance is that we've been using hd650s

 

[glennkresge]

I have the HD-800, placement certainly helps with a good sound and so does the tightness of them. The headband adjustment for me needs to be just the right amount of pressure for the best sound, too. Certainly, positioning and tightness has an effect on the sound of these headphones.

 

[r343]

Like this, it unlocks the bass and widens soundstage