[fufula]

I finally bit the bullet and got me a nice new pair of HD650s. I've had quite a few headphones, the most recent ones being the X2s, which I really love, and I've always heard stories about how comfortable the HD650s are.

Well, I put them on my head and the first thing i notice is the clamping force, which I hear gets better after they loosen up a bit and so I'm willing to live with that. What's worse, though, is the headband. After like 30 minutes of wearing them they just dig right into my skull causing burning pain where they rest. Like the headband padding is too narrow to distribute the headphones' weight or something. I've had this issue before with the DT990PRO btw, and I just replaced the padding on those.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this something that goes away like the clamping (I don't know, maybe the padding gets less stiff or something) or is my head just weird and I should return them? X2s feel like a fluffy little cloud gently resting on my head compared to the Sennheisers :\

 

[znev777]

Yup, that little headpad kinda sucks. I recently removed it and slapped a zmf pilot pad on mine and it's not perfect, but it's certainly better.

As for clamping see this, just repeat until they are comfortable. Worked great for me!

 

[pbui44]

To me, the HD650 headband padding will only get more comfortable when you take it out and cover the headband with this:

https://www.amazon.com/Geekria-Headband-Sennheiser-Headphones-Replacement/dp/B00OVWQIT0

Protects the headband edges and paint as well.

 

[SilverEars]

This probably doesn't help, but I have a melon head, and I appreciate the clamping force. lol. I think the clamping force is necessary for the seal, and the best response. I guess over time the pads can flatten out get more comfortable, but I just find the clamping to be necessary. I'm not all that sensitive to it as you can tell. It's hard for me to understand about this hotspot thing on the top of the head. There's pads on there, and I just don't see what more is necessary for comfort.

It's interesting there two opinions on how to loosen the clamping force. Tyll would say never stretch the band from the side, but from the top center, and others will say to stretch it on the side. Personally, would never stretch it out. I would prefer to have the clamping for reasons I've mentioned earlier.

Clamping force or not, I just find the Sennheiser 6 series so snug and secure on the head.

 

[fufula]

Not what I was hoping to hear, but thanks for the replies nonetheless. Reading all the reviews gave me the impression that these have got to be some of the most comfortable headphones out there. I guess I'll look into some head padding replacements and see if that helps..

 

[megabigeye]

Funny that all of the impressions you've read have been that it's super comfortable; most impressions I've read is that they've got a pretty strong clamp, which has definitely been my experience.

I think the above video is the correct technique for bending the strap. I cracked the plastic strap housing by bending the middle.

Also, it sounds to me like maybe the problem is that you're not extending them far enough. Maybe it's my particular head shape, but I'm able to extend the arms far enough that it's mostly the clamping force that holds the headphones on my head, with very little pressure at all on the top of my head.
Come to think of it, what you describe sounds almost exactly how I found the PM-3 when I first got them-- like they were digging into the top of my skull. They gave me a really bad headache, but I was able to alleviate the problem by extending the arms.

 

[Mad Max]

If that pad off of Amazon doesn't cut it, try this one: https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/262829869795

 

[Qualcheduno]

Try to squeeze the padding of the headband multiple times: it will eventually start to break in and get softer.