[PaulBoy]

Having bought a pair of Sennheiser HD600 phones a couple of ago I am still not convinced I can live with them despite loving the sound they make! - The problem is I dont like the style of the Senns i.e. the fact that they enclose my ears and I was considering something of the same quality (Beyer Grado other Senns even) as long as they sit on the ear & not over it (supra-aural I think the technical term is?)
... I would value your opinions - worthy of note is that the cans would be working with my (even newer Corda Aria amp - damn you Head-Fi

) - I know a lot of people heap praise on the Aria
with the Beyer 880's but they are also circum-aural phones ...
Anyway if anyone can assist I'd be most greatful ...
Paul

 

[Roasty]

you do realize that headphones that sit on your ear will probably be less comfortable that those that encompass your ear.. well at least thats how i felt when comparing my HD650 and 325i. i could wear the 650s for hours on end, but with the grado, i just had to stop every hour or so and let some blood rush back to my ears for fear they would fall off if i didnt..

 

[PaulBoy]

Roasty - thanks for that & I know what you are saying but I feel like my ears are "cooking" inside the HD600's - maybe you are right about the "on ear" designs (?) I only have some lightweight PX100's to compare to the HD600's & they certainly never cause my ears to "overheat" albeit I wear them outdoors etc
Keep the comments coming ... Paul

 

[skudmunky]

Well, closed supra-aural headphones would probably cause the same feeling. Maybe some Grado love is in your future? Try the SR60 and see if it works comfort wise for you.

 

[doobooloo]

Actually, for me, the HD580/600/650 headphone design (also the similarly shaped HE60/HE90) IMO are the best shaped headphones. They feel great on the head, are light, durable, and look good on the head too.

Unfortunately the sound isn't exactly what I'm looking for...

 

[fikete]

I think I agree with you PaulBoy, I haven't tried the HD600's but I haven't cared too much for the feel of circumaural cans. I do need to try something with higher quality than what I've tried but I find supra-aurel to be comfortable actually, and I like the comfort of my Grado's.

 

[jagorev]

Try the AKG 601/701...it's still circum-aural but much more comfortable, with less pressure on your skull. And it sounds somewhat similar.

 

[warpdriver]

I can't stand headphones that sit on the ear. It may feel good for a few minutes, but my ears feel raw after an hour.

Circumaural is the way to go. You have a nice soft cushion that presses lightly against the side of your head. With supraaural, no matter how soft the earpad is, your ear is squished.

 

[machead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev Try the AKG 601/701...it's still circum-aural but much more comfortable, with less pressure on your skull. And it sounds somewhat similar.

My thoughts exactly. I know what you mean about the "cooking" sensation with Senns, although it doesn't bother me particularly. The vice-like grip that helps the HD600s provide such strong bass certainly adds to the feeling of enclosure. The AKG 501/601/701 series, by comparison, seem to float on your head. You owe it to yourself to give them a try before you give up altogether on circumaural cans.

Another tweak that works for some folks is to bend the HD600 head band to reduce the inward pressure. Do it by degrees to see if you can find a setting that improves the comfort factor without affecting the sound (particularly the bass) too much.

 

[PaulBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fikete I think I agree with you PaulBoy, I haven't tried the HD600's but I haven't cared too much for the feel of circumaural cans. I do need to try something with higher quality than what I've tried but I find supra-aurel to be comfortable actually, and I like the comfort of my Grado's.

fikete - Thanks! I was wondering if I was losing the plot but glad you feel the same about circumaurals - I have read all about the Grado comfortwise & think it is worth trying some (you have the SR80's I believe?) - Did you change anything on yours to enhance the comfort or were you ok with the stock setup?
Paul

 

[fikete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulBoy fikete - Thanks! I was wondering if I was losing the plot but glad you feel the same about circumaurals - I have read all about the Grado comfortwise & think it is worth trying some (you have the SR80's I believe?) - Did you change anything on yours to enhance the comfort or were you ok with the stock setup? Paul

Just bending the headband a little. The SR80's were the first Grado's I had and when I bent the headband I did it too low on the band and the shape of it didn't quite match the shape of my head. I have since used 125's and 225's, the 225's are what I have now. I used the 125's for about a month and they were a gift for someone so I didn't want to bend the headband at all so I wore the stock setup for about a month, and it was a little tight. But when I bought the 225's I bent the headband slightly in a couple of places, high and low, and it fits perfect. You can probably just work with it because it's just a flexible metal band.
Compared to the HD600's I'd imagine the texture of the bowls might be slightly irritating, but if you don't move the headphones while wearing them you would probably be okay.

 

[DobsOnly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulBoy Roasty - thanks for that & I know what you are saying but I feel like my ears are "cooking" inside the HD600's - maybe you are right about the "on ear" designs (?) I only have some lightweight PX100's to compare to the HD600's & they certainly never cause my ears to "overheat" albeit I wear them outdoors etc Keep the comments coming ... Paul

Agreed, as far as the heat is concerned. The HD600 can get a little warm when worn for a while. Comparing them to the feel of the PX100 might not be fair. Love or hate the sound of the px100 they are very, very comfortable...

 

[jramonf]

I also don't like circumaurals so much due to the same reason, have not tried supra-aurals - fear they'll be even more uncomfortable! I like the fit of IEMs, much less contact area with my scull. But the sound is different.
Do you find your Senns clamp too much? Or is it just the heat?
Maybe what causes the latter is your ears actually touching or pressing against the inside of the headphone, which is the case in most cans. I am surprised not many people complain about this issue. My sony SA5000s on the other hand have enough place due to the angled form, so my ears don't even touch the inside - I find they don't heat more than the total open sony F1. They also have less clamping force than F1s and my Senns, so they are more comfortable and I actually stand them.

Are PX100s smaller than Grados? Maybe they heat less.

 

[PaulBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jramonf I also don't like circumaurals so much due to the same reason, have not tried supra-aurals - fear they'll be even more uncomfortable! I like the fit of IEMs, much less contact area with my scull. But the sound is different. Do you find your Senns clamp too much? Or is it just the heat? Maybe what causes the latter is your ears actually touching or pressing against the inside of the headphone, which is the case in most cans. I am surprised not many people complain about this issue. My sony SA5000s on the other hand have enough place due to the angled form, so my ears don't even touch the inside - I find they don't heat more than the total open sony F1. They also have less clamping force than F1s and my Senns, so they are more comfortable and I actually stand them. Are PX100s smaller than Grados? Maybe they heat less.

Thanks everyone! - PX100's are quite small the pads are 2" (5cm) in diammeter - I dont feel the Senns clamp too much & this isnt the main issue for me - after an hour or so my ears feel really hot inside the enclosure - I was hoping that the supra-aural style might allow some heat to disperse but can see the point of view that having the pad on the ear could be more uncomfortable for some than having the pad surrounding the ear - anyway for me it is time to try supra-aural and from what I have read here I am swaying towards SR80's or HD25's
Paul

 

[cosmopragma]

Comfort wise I don't like circumaurals nor supraaurals for long listening sessions.That's the main reason I like the AKG K1000s that much.