[fiz]

I recently purchased a pair of 580's after looking for something a little more than the 555's. I am very pleased in the sound through Headroom's Micro amp, but there are a few things about them that bother me.

I considered the 555's to be a very comfortable set, and I think they spoiled me as the 580's are without a doubt one of the most uncomfortable headphones I have ever worn. This may sound weird as many people praise the 580's for their comfort, but I stand by my statement. First of all they have one hell of a clamping force which I somewhat remedied by leaving them over a thick case overnight while not in use. Second the headband foam material is just too damn hard - at least for my head. It literally hurts the top of my head after extended periods of use. I can loosen the headband but it does not help, I have to move the headband back and forth while in use so they don't lay on one part of my scalp for long periods otherwise it seriously distracts from listening.

I suppose the foam on the top of the headband will break in after more use (have used them for about 3 weeks now), but damn it seems to be getting worse instead of better.

I love the sound they provide but am torn whether or not it is worth it to me, as comfort is almost winning at this point. I listen to them for pretty extended periods of time, sometimes up to 5 hours without removing them. Maybe I am just asking too much, but then again I wore the 555's for just as long without an issue. Any suggestions?

 

[dhp]

hmm, that's interesting. I found the hd580s quite comfortable even out of the box (coming from grados

). I suppose that there is alot of pressure coming from the headband above? The headband really won't get any better if that is the real problem, but the clamping force will definitely lessen.

 

[kramer5150]

Holy cow... my HD580 is BY FAR my most comfey can. I think the earpads soften as they get older. Mine have acquired the contour of my jawbone.

*edit* note I'm coming form grado-land.
Garrett

 

[granodemostasa]

having worn the 555 and 595, i can say that they are much more comfortable than the 580-6X0 series... (a friend who has the DT880, K701, 650 and 555/595 once commented to me that the most comfortable is the 555) nevertheless there are benefits to having a headphone that stays on one's head closely. I for one like it...
for a while i left it on a pile of books, stretched out... that works for a little while, but you must keep doing it. a month of not putting it on my head turned the headband into one horrible clamp.

 

[fiz]

Well, part of the problem seems to be that the headband lays exactly on the crown of my head, where my skull seems to protrude out just a little bit. It sucks though, it feels like it has bruised the top of my head. It is sore to the touch.

 

[BennyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiz I recently purchased a pair of 580's after looking for something a little more than the 555's. I am very pleased in the sound through Headroom's Micro amp, but there are a few things about them that bother me. I considered the 555's to be a very comfortable set, and I think they spoiled me as the 580's are without a doubt one of the most uncomfortable headphones I have ever worn. This may sound weird as many people praise the 580's for their comfort, but I stand by my statement. First of all they have one hell of a clamping force which I somewhat remedied by leaving them over a thick case overnight while not in use. Second the headband foam material is just too damn hard - at least for my head. It literally hurts the top of my head after extended periods of use. I can loosen the headband but it does not help, I have to move the headband back and forth while in use so they don't lay on one part of my scalp for long periods otherwise it seriously distracts from listening. I suppose the foam on the top of the headband will break in after more use (have used them for about 3 weeks now), but damn it seems to be getting worse instead of better. I love the sound they provide but am torn whether or not it is worth it to me, as comfort is almost winning at this point. I listen to them for pretty extended periods of time, sometimes up to 5 hours without removing them. Maybe I am just asking too much, but then again I wore the 555's for just as long without an issue. Any suggestions?

My 650's are much less comfy than my 555's were. But there not bad.

 

[fiz]

I really wish that the foam on the headband went all the way across instead of in increments. It seems like the weight would be a lot more equally distributed on my head, instead of on two pieces of foam.

 

[cclragnarok]

Maybe you should try the HD595. I find that they are (very) slightly more comfortable than the HD555, because the clamping force is a little bit less.

HD580 definitely clamps harder, but they do seem to loosen up with use.

 

[slinger1182]

Nope no issues here either but then again, I've never had any comfort issues with any headphones (HD280, SR60) that I've tried other than IEMs.

 

[fwojciec]

I find 580s very comfortable (especially compared with Grados...) I can wear them for hours and I often forget that I have them on my head. They do loosen a bit with time, and the earpads become very soft. Still, a certain tightness remains, but I don't find it to be uncomfortable at all.

 

[HFat]

I fixed my comfort issues with Senns by getting a Beyer.
If you want a light headphone, you might want to try the K501 instead but the velour, foam, and adjustement mechanisms of the top Beyers are the best I've seen so far. I only wish the pads were a little thicker.

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiz I really wish that the foam on the headband went all the way across instead of in increments. It seems like the weight would be a lot more equally distributed on my head, instead of on two pieces of foam.

Actually, on mine - I can adjust the headband so that they hardly touch the top of my head, and the phones are essentially held in place by the clamping pressure at the ears, instead. Please don't take offense at the question, but are you adjusting the headband length? It can make all the difference in the world.

 

[BennyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFat I fixed my comfort issues with Senns by getting a Beyer. If you want a light headphone, you might want to try the K501 instead but the velour, foam, and adjustement mechanisms of the top Beyers are the best I've seen so far. I only wish the pads were a little thicker.

Sure, do that and you'll be equally disturbed inside your ears!

 

[Chri5peed]

I can't honestly say I notice a huge difference in comfort between my 580s and 595s?

My 580s are now into multiple 1000s of hours use but from new I used to comment on their cloud-like property.
I have a reasonably huge head too. If someone tries any of my 'phones, apart fom the uni-fit A900s I get them back and the bottom of the earpads are three-quarters up my ears!

 

[eduj]

FYI you can replace the 580 headband pad with the 650 one.It may be more comfortable