[Napalmhardcore]

I had to take great care in picking a headphone to suggest to him because most of the (gamer) headsets he'd tried so far had the exact same sibilance effect on him, and his ears would clog up with extra earwax (a sign of the body trying to protect from hearing damage)

Interesting. I didn't know that additional earwax production was the body trying to protect from hearing damage. I had to give my headphones a break after using them heavily for a couple of days because of this. I assumed it was because I was not used to wearing headphones and that they restrict the airflow to the ear (thought maybe the body becomes accustomed to wearing them over time).
 
I knew my ears are sensitive, but they must be more sensitive than I thought considering how low I have my volume set.

 

[PETEREK]

Just started using my Q701s tonight, and I have to say THEY'RE AWESOME. I play BF4 and the placement these things provide is just great. I upgraded to these from my A40's. I can't wait to get my ModMic 3.0 so I can chat again.

 

[PETEREK]

The M50X actually improved on the M50. Coinsidering he's not a hardcore FPS player, it actually makes a good choice, and the cable is detachable.

I know people like to mock the M50 hype, but it really is a good performer.

They're literally the same headphone but with a detachable cable, oh and the price is ~$45 more. If you don't mind the cable not being detachable, go with the original M50.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Umm, no. Tyll has posted graphs of the M50x which has improved on the original M50. The treble spike on the original has been reduced, and the M50 has become more balanced than ever. Just look at Innerfidelity's graphs on both. It's plain as day.

 

[Evshrug]

Edge4o7,
Another thing to consider, there are head-fi'ers (like Zombie_X) who will mod headphones to make the cable detachable for you, or resolder/repair/replace a broken cable.
I used to have AD700s, for some things I liked them very much (lightweight, "out of head" sound, for me the pads might get itchy after a few hours because they're partially on-ear, but I could ignore that and generally found them quite comfortable. What I got next were a cool pair of Q701's, which have thicker Earpads that are completely circumaural, didn't sacrifice any practical amount of "out of head"-ness but gained bass and overall energy and immersion. Our current fav for your budget would be the AKG K612 (reviewed 1st page), but Mad mentioned a few other suggestions and you might be a candidate for a K240 MKII (with closed-back Earcups and replaceable cables).

Just been away for a little while. 

Well, welcome back! Did you find the Holy Grail while you were away?

 

[Edge4o7]

For that price? Maybe an HD558... A detachable cable is what's stopping me from considering more.

I also really like the Skullcandy SLYR. Very immersive, and super comfy once you figure out how to slip your ears inside.

How do the HD558s do with Dolby Headphone virtual surround sound?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'd wager as good as the pc360, which was great.

 

[Edge4o7]

Cool. Appreciate the input. I was already looking at the HD558s so having you recommend them helps make the decision. I'll probably end up going with those. Thanks.
 
Edit: Just noticed you're also from Orlando.

 

[Evshrug]

Interesting. I didn't know that additional earwax production was the body trying to protect from hearing damage. I had to give my headphones a break after using them heavily for a couple of days because of this.

I'm not looking right at your ears nor am I a doctor, but yeah earwax is a thing. We do need some earwax. It could be trying to protect you, or you COULD already be suffering hearing damage, or... some people just make a lot of earwax. *shrug* Regular breaks are ALWAYS a good thing, and if you are concerned, you should ask a doctor. You only get two ears, and hearing damage is permanent. There were two times in my life where I woke up and my ear produced so much wax that they clogged completely (sounded like my ears were waterlogged), the only thing the doctors did FOR ME was use a fat syringe to squeeze water into my ear and flush out the plug of wax... Worked better and safer than Q-tips!

I've been using my Q701 for about two years, honestly I felt less fatigued once I started using amps because the extremes of sound were less likely to distort.

 

[lttlfld]

Cool. Appreciate the input. I was already looking at the HD558s so having you recommend them helps make the decision. I'll probably end up going with those. Thanks.

Edit: Just noticed you're also from Orlando.

I'm not sure just how big of a difference you will notice, but you could also get the HD598s for $150 from fry's: http://www.frys.com/product/7821729

 

[Napalmhardcore]

I'm not looking right at your ears nor am I a doctor, but yeah earwax is a thing. We do need some earwax. It could be trying to protect you, or you COULD already be suffering hearing damage, or... some people just make a lot of earwax. *shrug* Regular breaks are ALWAYS a good thing, and if you are concerned, you should ask a doctor. You only get two ears, and hearing damage is permanent. There were two times in my life where I woke up and my ear produced so much wax that they clogged completely (sounded like my ears were waterlogged), the only thing the doctors did FOR ME was use a fat syringe to squeeze water into my ear and flush out the plug of wax... Worked better and safer than Q-tips!

I've been using my Q701 for about two years, honestly I felt less fatigued once I started using amps because the extremes of sound were less likely to distort.

I'm certainly not going to endanger my hearing, so I'll listen to what my body is telling me and use headphones in moderation. I think, because my ears are particularly sensitive, that prolonged use irritates them. I also had (the same time I had the earwax problem) the same kind of sensation as when you swallow (ears kind of pop). I've not used them for an extended period since, but I'll be careful when I use them in future
 
Side note: Gig went well

 

[kman1211]

  I'm certainly not going to endanger my hearing, so I'll listen to what my body is telling me and use headphones in moderation. I think, because my ears are particularly sensitive, that prolonged use irritates them. I also had (the same time I had the earwax problem) the same kind of sensation as when you swallow (ears kind of pop). I've not used them for an extended period since, but I'll be careful when I use them in future
 
Side note: Gig went well

I've taken breaks from headphones myself, especially when I had headphones that fatigued me. I got the popping issue myself. personally don't listen to music loud, rather just moderate and lower volumes most of the time, I've always had sensitive hearing and I think most headphones are a bit irritating sonically for extended use. I wonder if it has to do with the fact I had tubes in my ears when I was young and was prone to ear infections.

 

[benbenkr]

  They're literally the same headphone but with a detachable cable, oh and the price is ~$45 more. If you don't mind the cable not being detachable, go with the original M50.

 
Quote:

Umm, no. Tyll has posted graphs of the M50x which has improved on the original M50. The treble spike on the original has been reduced, and the M50 has become more balanced than ever. Just look at Innerfidelity's graphs on both. It's plain as day.

 
In addition to sounding more balanced, the M50x also has significantly less clamping pressure out of the box. So really, unless you've got a really big noggin, the stretch mod isn't really needed anymore.
 
 

I'm not sure just how big of a difference you will notice, but you could also get the HD598s for $150 from fry's: http://www.frys.com/product/7821729

 
HD558 > HD598 any day, for the fun factor at least. The HD598 is like a AD700 with just more refined mids.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

An M50 without a need for the stretch mod? Sweet.

And yes, I prefer the 558 over the 598 due to a more immersive, more engaging tonality. The 598 is more detailed, but less musical.

 

[Napalmhardcore]

 
I've taken breaks from headphones myself, especially when I had headphones that fatigued me. I got the popping issue myself. personally don't listen to music loud, rather just moderate and lower volumes most of the time, I've always had sensitive hearing and I think most headphones are a bit irritating sonically for extended use. I wonder if it has to do with the fact I had tubes in my ears when I was young and was prone to ear infections.

I've never been prone to excess earwax or ear infections myself. I have however had problems with using headphones.
 
When I've worn ear buds in the past, my ears have become sore and irritated very quickly. I cannot wear on ear headphones either as they give me a lot of pain due to resting on the cartilage. I've never tried in ear phones, so cannot comment there, but so far, circumaural have given me the least amount of trouble. I did wear them for most of the day for two days running, which was probably a bit too much for my already sensitive (or wimpy lol) ears.
 
I'm pretty sensitive around the jaw too. I'd like to get some softer pads for my current headphones but haven't got around to it yet.