[locke554]

Hello everyone. I recently got a pair of Audio Technica M30's about 2-3 weeks ago and found out my worst fears. I tried them on and immediately, I knew these weren't going to provide comfort. I was right. I can hardly wear them for more than 30 minutes without them hurting now :/
 
I've tried doing all the suggestions of others on the board about stretching them slowly with a box and adding some material underneath the padding (even tried using memory foam padding). But, there is still quite a bit of pressure only the right side of my head for some reason.
 
The real reason I'm posting this question is now I'm feeling a little upset and feel like these won't work for me. I have seen that there are some velour pads available for them, made by Auray. But, I also went to a local bestbuy today and tried on a pair of Sennheiser HD558's. Immediately, they felt breathable and had a very good sound which I already expected. My biggest thing now though is comfort. I don't think I've found a good comfortable pair of cans for a good while now, but I still like my M30's.
 
So my question is this for anyone who might have suffered through the same problem. Would buying the velour pads for the M30's fix the pressure problem? Or, if the problem is just my big head and big ears (which the HD558's worked well around) should I think about an upgrade? And if so, what would be nice in the 200$ range?
 
Anyone feeling open, please share your thoughts and thanks for the input. (sorry for asking a lot of questions :| )

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Hey, I'm also sensitive to pressure, and I own the M30's, so I'll help if I can...
 
If pressure from the headband is causing discomfort, than changing earpads won't do much good (unless they are considerably thinner than stock, which in this case replacements won't be). Stretching them out over a box is a good method; albeit a slow one. I remember stretching a different pair a few years back, and had to leave them over a wide box for up to a week for them to make a difference. Try leaving them longer, or I'd recommend gently stretching the headband with your hands for a more immediate and drastic change. The metal headband was strong enough for me to do this several times without causing any damage, but just be careful and don't abuse it.
 
Instead of bending at the top, I bent the headband about an inch or two above the slider on each side. Put both thumbs on the inside of the headband (with your fingers draped over the outside) and gently pull outward for 10 seconds and release. Do this ~5 times on the left and ~5 on the right and see how they feel. Keep doing this until the pressure is gone. I also remember having to do this again a few days later, but then they stayed at a good pressure and didn't require any more adjustment. Have I stressed being gentle while stretching??
 
While this got rid of the pressure, I found the earcups to be on the small side, and eventually moved on to different headphone (yet, they served me well for about a year). They are great sounding for their price, so hopefully you ca find comfort in them.

 

[locke554]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll try that method for a bit to see if my M30's are just too tight for right now. If not, I might look into some HD558's. Those felt a lot nicer and sounded a little better. The problem might just be that the cups are too small around my ears.
 
Sadly, just writing this comment with them on I already feel some discomfort...

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

If you can up your budget, go for the Beyer DT 770's (there are several versions of these cans - I went with the Pro 80 ohms, for around $180).
 
These headphones are among the most comfortable I have ever tried, and they have huge round velour earcups. Great sounding too. Have fun.