[phosfiend]

Ok, lots of great opinions here. I'll have to try to track these down locally to give them the comfort test. Thanks guys!

 

[kidster18]

  I think you should act on your original "leanings" and go with the Shure 840's.
 
They're reasonably 'neutral' - though I always use that term advisedly,
and they sound good to a broad range of people.
They'll fit just about any size head.
They're well priced and offer good value.

They do sound really good and are well priced. I think the fit is quite clampy though, which can be a potential problem. Unfortunately it may not be something you will realize until you take it home from the store (that's what happened in my case)

 

[zazex]

  They do sound really good and are well priced. I think the fit is quite clampy though, which can be a potential problem. Unfortunately it may not be something you will realize until you take it home from the store (that's what happened in my case)

 
Clamping pressure is something to consider with pretty much every headphone.
Some, like the Sennheiser HD25 1 II, are known to have high clamping pressure -
others, like the Sony MDR MA900, are known for their light clamping pressure. 
 
The 840's fit somewhere in the broad middle; it's always best of course to check
how they fit on the person who's going to be wearing them.

 

[Claritas]

The clamping was fine; the weight of the headband wasn't. Then I saw how it could be modded and I stopped worrying about it.

 

[kidster18]

OP said he had a large head, as do I (I max out the SRH840s), hence my reason for highlighting the clamping pressure. They felt ok in store but after < 2 hours at home it was too much for me.
 
Of course there are high and low clamp pressure phones, but with large heads like mine (and possibly OPs) it exacerbates the problem.
 
E.g., I found the HD25-II pressure to be so high that I couldn't bear them physically on my head for more than 5 seconds, while some people think it's the most comfortable phone ever.

 

[zazex]

  OP said he had a large head, as do I (I max out the SRH840s), hence my reason for highlighting the clamping pressure. They felt ok in store but after < 2 hours at home it was too much for me.
 
Of course there are high and low clamp pressure phones, but with large heads like mine (and possibly OPs) it exacerbates the problem.
 
E.g., I found the HD25-II pressure to be so high that I couldn't bear them physically on my head for more than 5 seconds, while some people think it's the most comfortable phone ever.

 
OK, point taken.

 

[phosfiend]

I'll take it into consideration, especially given the fact that my head is stupid big. There are a few dealers in town where I can try a lot of these on, so will do

 

[phosfiend]

Ended up with the Shures, definitely good sounding. Comfort seems good enough, but they definitely are a snug fit (even at the maximum size).

Tried a lot of different cans, the AKG 550s felt amazingly well made, but as stated here, very fussy about ear position for good sound (and with glasses, huge difference as stated here as well).

Out of curiosity, I gave a big range of Grados a whirl too - wow, fell in love! Not what I'm looking for at the moment, but some 225s will be my next can I think - just awesome.

Thanks for your help everyone

 

[kidster18]

Glad you found something that worked! If you got the 940s, they tend to crack easily especially with a larger head so you might have to watch out.

 

[HiSenn5]

Ended up with the Shures, definitely good sounding. Comfort seems good enough, but they definitely are a snug fit (even at the maximum size).

Tried a lot of different cans, the AKG 550s felt amazingly well made, but as stated here, very fussy about ear position for good sound (and with glasses, huge difference as stated here as well).

Out of curiosity, I gave a big range of Grados a whirl too - wow, fell in love! Not what I'm looking for at the moment, but some 225s will be my next can I think - just awesome.

Thanks for your help everyone

The Shures are one of the best HPs for mixing. I keep hearing that people get very good mixes with those.

 

[Claritas]

Super!

You can always try the headband mod for more room and comfort (search for pics).

 

[phosfiend]

Glad you found something that worked! If you got the 940s, they tend to crack easily especially with a larger head so you might have to watch out.

I ended up with the 840s. I tried the 940s, and they were more comfortable, but the construction seemed more delicate (perhaps not, but that was my impression). The sound of them, while also very good (they were my #2 pick) didn't seem quite as 'neutral' to me - they were more fun to listen to though.